The lead-up to Week 7 was dominated by one of the biggest in-season trades in recent memory. Christian McCaffrey, a consensus top-two pick in 2022 fantasy drafts, was dealt from one of the league’s most dysfunctional offenses to the most running back-friendly offense in the entire league.
While CMC may have to sacrifice a few touches by moving from Carolina to a San Francisco offense full of dynamic playmakers, he’ll more than make up for it for fantasy purposes with improved efficiency and increased touchdown potential in Kyle Shanahan’s scheme.
In the short-term, though, the McCaffrey trade brought tricky questions about how much he could realistically be expected to play after spending just two days learning the playbook. It was reported shortly before kickoff that McCaffrey could be expected to play around 20 snaps, and while he was on pace to cruise past that number in the first half, he played sparingly in the second half and ended up right at 21 snaps (29.2%).
McCaffrey finished outside the top-30 fantasy RBs for the week, but he did average 6.2 yards per touch and looked like a perfect fit for Shanahan’s system. Fantasy managers with CMC may have taken a hit this week, but the payoff of him joining the 49ers should be well worth it over the rest of the season.
Here are some other notable things that transpired in Week 7:
- Week 8 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Advice
- Erickson’s Week 7 Rapid Reactions & Top Performers
- Fantasy Football Heat Index
- Fantasy Football Rest of Season Rankings: Week 8
- Fantasy Football Panic Meter
Top 5 Surprises
Josh Jacobs stakes his claim as the top RB in fantasy football
Jacobs has been operating as a true bell cow from the get-go this season, but he is still more of an RB2 than an RB1 in a lot of people’s minds. It’s long past time to adjust your expectations for Jacobs. Now the question isn’t if he is an RB1 — it’s if he is the RB1. That’s precisely what he’s been over his last three games, a torrid stretch in which he’s averaging 174 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns per game.
There are a few other backs you could make a case for as the top overall fantasy RB, but none of them came at a fifth-round price in drafts. Jacobs is shaping up as a bonafide league-winning pick.
Travis Etienne breaks out, James Robinson disappears
One of my top takeaways last week was that Etienne was on the verge of erupting, and this week we saw it come to fruition with 14 carries for 114 yards and a score. But I never envisioned that Etienne would so quickly dominate the backfield as thoroughly as he did in Week 7, when he played 82% of the snaps compared to just 17% for Robinson, who did not touch the football a single time.
After the game, Jaguars coach Doug Pederson seemed to indicate that Robinson wasn’t 100% healthy, but he also said that Etienne has “kind of taken over” the backfield. Perhaps Robinson can work his way back into the short side of a committee at some point, but his days of playing more snaps than Etienne are likely over, regardless of opponent or game script. That makes Etienne a borderline RB1 moving forward, while Robinson is little more than a handcuff.
Gus Edwards jumps to the front of the line in Baltimore
It was another eventful week in the Ravens’ backfield. Presumed starter J.K. Dobbins, who wasn’t healthy enough to finish last week’s game, is now looking at a 4-6 week absence following arthroscopic surgery to remove scar tissue from his previous ACL surgery. Kenyan Drake looked good in Dobbins’ absence in Week 6, but his tenure atop the Ravens’ depth chart was short-lived. That’s because Baltimore activated Gus Edwards from the PUP list on Saturday and immediately thrust him into lead back duties.
While it would have been reasonable to assume that the Ravens would ease Edwards in after being on the shelf for a year, it was reported a half hour before kickoff that he was warming up with the first team. Many fantasy managers likely didn’t see that news in time, while others (myself included) were unsure what to make of it. Ultimately, Edwards only played 36.5% of the snaps, but that was more than Drake or Justice Hill, while Mike Davis was a healthy scratch.
More importantly, Gus the Bus made the most of his playing time, carrying the ball 16 times for 66 yards and two touchdowns against Cleveland’s soft run D. Sadly, those touchdowns were wasted on the bench for a lot of fantasy managers (myself included). There will likely be more twists and turns with this backfield, but Edwards is now clearly the best Baltimore RB to slot in as an RB2 in the weeks ahead.
D’Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard BOTH have good fantasy days
Given the state of the Panthers offense, it seemed unlikely that one Carolina RB would be useable in fantasy leagues, let alone two. Many fantasy managers rushed to the waiver wire to add one or both of the Panthers’ RBs following news of the McCaffrey trade, but starting either them sight unseen was another matter entirely.
This is also a situation where we got some late-breaking news, making matters even more confusing. Interim coach Steve Wilks initially declined to name a starter, but then word came on Sunday morning that Hubbard was listed as the starter.
In the end, both Foreman and Hubbard delivered for the fantasy managers who were brave enough to start them. Foreman piled up 145 scrimmage yards against the Bucs’ tough D, while Hubbard contributed 73 yards and a score. Foreman played more snaps and had more carries than Hubbard, but Hubbard did lead the backfield in playing time before leaving the game with an ankle injury that isn’t considered serious. Hubbard was also the more effective back, at least by some measures. Hubbard’s injury will need to be closely monitored, but unless he misses time, it is still too soon to be confident that either back will be more than an RB3/flex option.
Daniel Jones runs wild, while Wan’Dale Robinson further establishes himself as Jones’ security blanket
Danny Dimes has always been a fairly sneaky fantasy option thanks to his underrated rushing ability, but that production is fast becoming too big to ignore. After rushing for 79 yards in Week 3 and 68 yards and two touchdowns in Week 4, Jones posted the first 100-yard rushing day of his career this week. That combined with some decent passing numbers was enough to make him the QB2 for the week entering Monday’s action, behind only Joe Burrow (more on him in a little bit). In a year when many historically great QBs have struggled, Jones is now all the way up to QB9 on the year, and should be regarded as a high-end streamer — if not an every-week starter — in 10- and 12-team leagues.
Jones has reached that level of fantasy production despite playing with an injury-ravaged receiving corps that has lacked a true number one receiver, but that could be changing with the emergence of Robinson, the second-round rookie out of Kentucky. Wan’Dale was one of my biggest surprises last week, too, but he deserves to be mentioned here again after leading the Giants in targets and running the second-most routes on the team this week. Operating primarily out of the slot and running a lot of high-percentage routes, he has solidified his standing as a viable WR3/flex option, especially in PPR formats.
Top 5 Disappointments
Breece Hall suffers ACL injury, leaving his season in doubt
I could have easily led this week’s column with this bit of news, since the fantasy ramifications of it are absolutely massive, but I try my best to always look on the bright side of life. Unfortunately, it’s awfully hard to do that right now if you are someone who rosters Hall, whose season is in jeopardy after suffering an ACL injury against the Broncos.
The first running back taken in the 2022 NFL draft, Hall was eased into the lineup behind Michael Carter in September before taking charge of the backfield and emerging as a legitimate RB1 over the last few weeks. After posting over 300 yards of offense between Weeks 5 and 6, the rookie was on his way to yet another massive game before going down. His electric 62-yard touchdown run will help many Hall managers survive their Week 7 matchup, but that is cold comfort if he is lost for the rest of the year.
There’s simply no replacing a player of Hall’s caliber, but Carter could be the next-best thing. The Jets’ starter from last season already had enough standalone value to merit rostering in all but the shallowest of leagues, yet he is currently available in about one-third of Yahoo leagues. If you happen to play in one of those leagues, and Hall is indeed done for the year, Carter is a Kenneth Walker-style pickup worth spending every penny of your remaining FAAB on.
DK Metcalf carted off again, and this time it wasn’t for a bathroom break
It’s only been a few weeks since Metcalf was famously carted off the field to get to the bathroom at Ford Field, but this time he was carted off the field for more typical — and less humorous — reasons. Metcalf only caught one pass for 12 yards before he was ruled out with a knee injury. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll revealed after the game that x-rays on Metcalf’s knee came back negative, but he will soon undergo further testing that will tell the full extent of the injury. Until then, we can only hold our breath and hope for the best.
Were Metcalf to miss significant time, Tyler Lockett would likely see a slight uptick in targets, although he’d undoubtedly also see more defensive attention. The bigger beneficiary in terms of target volume may well be veteran speedster Marquise Goodwin, who returned to fantasy relevance with four catches for 67 yards and two TDs on Sunday.
Keenan Allen plays sparingly, Mike Williams gets hurt late
After sitting out five games with a hamstring injury he suffered way back in Week 1, Allen finally returned to action on Sunday against Seattle. Sort of. Allen spent long stretches of the game standing on the sideline with his helmet propped atop his head, ultimately playing just 33.3 percent of the snaps with a measly four percent target share. He caught two passes for 11 yards. At this point, Allen is going to need to log some full practices after the Chargers’ Week 8 bye in order for fantasy managers to feel confident inserting him into their lineups.
Meanwhile, Williams, who had been producing as a top-10 fantasy WR in Allen’s absence, exited Sunday’s game late after suffering an ugly-looking ankle injury. Williams expressed confidence that he’ll be able to come back strong from the injury, but he couldn’t put any weight on the leg and left the locker room in a walking boot. Forthcoming tests will tell how much time he might miss.
With Allen, Williams and Josh Palmer (concussion) all currently dealing with injuries, the bye week is coming at an excellent time for the Chargers’ battered and beaten receiving corps.
Even against the lowly Panthers, Tom Brady and the Bucs look lost
Mike Evans dropped what should have been an easy 65-yard touchdown catch on Tampa Bay’s opening drive, and it ended up being a microcosm of the Bucs’ entire afternoon. Evans ended up with decent enough numbers (nine catches, 96 yards), and rookie tight end Cade Otton (four catches, 64 yards) continued to develop in Cameron Brate’s absence. But Tom Brady failed to throw a single touchdown pass, Chris Godwin managed just 43 yards on 13 targets, Leonard Fournette rushed for 19 yards with a 2.4 yards-per-carry average, and the Bucs scored a grand total of three points against a Panthers team that had already waved the white flag on contending this season.
Evans and Godwin are still seeing enough targets to be must-start options, but Brady has only thrown more than one touchdown once in seven games, and can no longer be trusted as a set-it-and-forget-it QB1 until he shows some signs of life. Meanwhile, Fournette has averaged 3.0 or fewer yards per carry in five of his last six games and is losing snaps to talented rookie Rachaad White, who could soon take control of the backfield if Fournette’s performance doesn’t improve. White has yet to pop off for a huge game, but he should be rostered in a lot more than 29% of Yahoo leagues.
Isiah Pacheco gets the “start,” but gets out-snapped by Jerick McKinnon
While Chuba Hubbard being listed as the Panthers’ starter didn’t matter much, Pacheco being named the Chiefs’ starter meant even less. Ian Rapoport’s Sunday report that the rookie was getting a “bigger role” at the expense of Clyde Edwards-Helaire sent fantasy managers scrambling to the waiver wire to pick up Pacheco, but those who inserted him directly into their starting lineup came away disappointed.
Despite the Pacheco buzz, Kansas City employed a frustrating three-man committee led by Jerick McKinnon, who may not be the “starter,” but has led the backfield in snaps every week other than Week 4. CEH did lose some snaps to Pacheco, but neither back had been getting much volume to begin with. Edwards-Helaire has only topped 40 scrimmage yards once since Week 2, but he did find the end zone for the sixth time this season, while Pacheco came up empty in a game in which the Chiefs scored 44 points. Pacheco is a fine lottery ticket stash, but the Chiefs backfield committee is best avoided altogether unless it ever whittles down from three backs to two.
Key Stats
Joe Burrow threw for 345 yards and 3 TDs — in the first half. Burrow was coming off an excellent 300-yard, 3 TD game against the Saints, but he one-upped those numbers in just the first half of his matchup with Atlanta. With Tee Higgins healthy again, Tyler Boyd in a groove, and Ja’Marr Chase just plain unstoppable, Burrow belongs in the top tier of fantasy QBs.
Derrick Henry’s 16 targets over his last four games are the most he’s had over any four-game stretch in his career. The vast majority of Henry’s fantasy production is still coming on the ground, but his receiving game involvement should ease fears of him being game-scripted out if the Titans eventually start falling behind in some games.
Mecole Hardman is the 1st WR in the Super Bowl era with 2+ rushing TDs and a receiving TD in the same game. You might think Deebo Samuel or Tyreek Hill would have done it first, but you’d be wrong. Hardman is still difficult to trust on a weekly basis, but he’s quietly finished as a top-30 WR in three straight games. He’s become a reasonable dart-throw flex option in deeper leagues.
Matt Ryan leads the league with 9 interceptions. Ryan lit up the Jaguars last week, but he turned back into a pumpkin this week in Tennessee. Just in time for Halloween!
Top Takeaways
Keep an eye out for late-breaking news on Sundays — but don’t overreact to it. Not every fantasy manager has time to be glued to Twitter on Sunday mornings, but make no mistake: valuable intel about players’ projected usage often arrives in the hour before kickoff. That said, not all of the last minute news is going to point us in the right direction. This week, it might have persuaded you to start Gus Edwards, which would have paid off handsomely. But it could have also convinced you to start Isiah Pacheco — or to bench D’Onta Foreman.
Having more information is always a good thing, but the key is to take a deep breath and think through what it means. Don’t completely abandon everything you’ve come to know based on one tweet — especially if it’s about who is starting. Being a “starter” in football literally means you play the first snap; nothing more.
This was a particularly rough week for injuries, and the less severe ones may prove tough to get a read on. Injuries are the worst part about football — and fantasy football — but some weeks are much worse than others. This was one of the bad ones. While Breece Hall, DK Metcalf and Mike Williams were the headliners, plenty of other fantasy-relevant players went down in Week 7, including Chuba Hubbard, Allen Lazard, David Njoku, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Corey Davis, Mike Boone, Nico Collins and Russell Gage.
While the hope will be that most of these injuries turn out to be minor, we may not get a great read on many of them heading into next week’s games. NFL teams are increasingly resting players during the week, which makes practice reports less useful for determining who will and won’t be playing. At the same time, the demise of the “probable” tag has made it more difficult to decipher the status of players who are listed as “questionable.” Often, we won’t get much indication of how questionable they really are until shortly before the games begin, which is especially problematic for players in the late games.
If you want to successfully navigate injury issues in today’s game, you need to create some backup plans. It starts with making sure you always take players in the Thursday night game out of your flex spot and put them into an RB or WR slot, to ensure you’ll have maximum flexibility later in the week. Then, it may require coming up with a group of players you can turn to if one of your players in a late game sits out — and determining whether you need to get one of those players on your roster right away, or can afford to wait until Sunday.
Alright, that’s it for this week. If you like what you see here, you can get more of my thoughts on waiver wire pickups, buy-low/sell-high candidates, rest-of-season player values, and more by subscribing to the Rest of Season Rankings Podcast and going to ROSrankings.com. I’m also always happy to help you sort through injury-related conundrums or anything else fantasy-related on Twitter @andrew_seifter.
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Andrew Seifter is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Andrew, check out his archive and follow him @andrew_seifter.