Welcome to The Heat Index!

For those unfamiliar with the column, every Monday during the NFL season, we dig into the players whose performances through Sunday jumped out to us the most. Along with their stats (half-point PPR scoring) and positional rank for the week, we’ll rank their rest-of-season prospects on a scale of ? to ?????. Some players we haven’t heard from for a while treated us to big performances in Week 10. Below are some of those breakouts, along with a few others we definitely didn’t see coming.

Quarterback

Aaron Rodgers (QB – GB)

• Stat-line:  Fourteen of 20 passing for 224 yards with three TDs and no INTs; four yards rushing
• QB Rank:  5

Analysis:  Rodgers looked more like himself in the thrilling comeback against the Cowboys, but is he back? In reality, the Packers leaned heavily on the running game on Sunday. Rodgers only had 14 completions, but he was extremely efficient with them and did much of his damage in the fourth quarter. On the plus side, the Packers remaining schedule is pretty QB-friendly outside of Week 12 against the Eagles and Week 15 versus the Rams. On the negative side, today’s formula of running the ball often resulted in a victory and will probably serve as a blueprint for Green Bay’s offense moving forward. Rodgers won’t toss three TDs very often and thus profiles as a middle-of-the-road QB2 for the rest of the season.

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Wide Receiver

Christian Watson (WR – GB)

• Stat-line:  Four catches off eight targets for 107 yards and three TDs
• WR Rank:  2

Analysis:  The recipient of all three of Rodgers’ TDs was Chrisitan Watson, who broke out in a big way this week. The rookie showed why Green Bay drafted him in the second round with two long TDs of 58 and 39 yards. The lanky Watson is tall and fast but is also raw and has struggled to stay on the field. With Romeo Doubs (WR – GB) out for an extended period, Watson will get an opportunity if he can stay healthy. He feels like he’ll be a boom-or-bust player until he matures as an NFL receiver. However, if you’re lucky enough to start him when he booms, like this week, he can put your team over the top.

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Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (WR – TEN)

• Stat-line:  Five receptions off eight targets for 119 yards and two TDs
• WR Rank:  5

Analysis:  The activation of Treylon Burks (WR – TEN) got the pre-game headlines, but it was Westbrook-Ikhine who shined for the Titans on Sunday. He led the team in targets, catches, and yards and was the only Titan to find the endzone. It was a day to remember for the wideout, but don’t expect many more like this one. Coming into the contest, Westbrook-Ikhine had seven receptions on the season despite playing 318 snaps. The Titans prefer to ride Derrick Henry (RB – TEN) and have one of the lowest pass rates in the league. It’s probably best to leave Westbrook-Ikhine on your waiver wire.

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Kadarius Toney (WR – KC)

• Stat-line:  Four receptions off five targets for 57 yards and a TD; 33 yards rushing
• WR Rank:  11

Analysis:  The Chiefs unveiled their latest weapon on Sunday as Toney made his presence felt with his new team. The injury to JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR – KC) in the second quarter led to an increase in snaps for Toney, and he made the most of it. Toney is a dynamic talent who showed flashes of his ability in his rookie season but has had trouble staying on the field. Anyone playing with Patrick Mahomes (QB – KC) has some degree of fantasy value, but the uncertainty of his usage makes it hard to trust him at this point. Toney is worth stashing if you can afford the roster spot, especially if Smith-Schuster’s injury lingers. However, it would be a huge gamble to start him next week against the Chargers.

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Running Back

James Conner (RB – ARI)

• Stat-line:  Twenty-one carries for 69 yards with two TDs; three catches off three targets for 17 yards
• RB Rank:  3

Analysis:  Finally, we got the 2021 version of James Conner, who ran hard with a nose for the endzone versus the Rams. Arizona leaned more on the running game with Kyler Murray (QB – ARI) sidelined, and it paid off for them. Conner wasn’t terribly efficient, averaging less than 3.3 yards per carry, but he did face a tough Rams’ defensive front. He may need to continue to score TDs to pay off for fantasy teams, as his schedule is pretty tough the rest of the way outside of Week 12 against the Chargers.

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Devin Singletary (RB – BUF)

• Stat-line:  Thirteen carries for 47 yards with 2 TDs; one reception off two targets for 0 yards
• RB Rank:  11

Analysis:  Singletary didn’t have a huge game but scored his first two rushing TDs of the season, and his 13 carries were the third-most of the season for him. Two things are notable for Singletary the rest of the way. First, as the weather gets nastier in Buffalo, they tend to rely more on the running game. Last season, he scored in double-digits in Weeks 14-18. Second, though he played, the possibility remains that the elbow injury suffered by Josh Allen (QB – BUF) last week will still be a factor and lead to a heavier reliance on the running game. Singletary is the lead back in Buffalo by a wide margin and should be a solid RB2 with an upside down the stretch.

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Tight End

Dalton Schultz (TE – DAL)

• Stat-line:  Six receptions off eight targets for 54 yards with a TDs
• TE Rank:  3

Analysis:  Schultz looks like the injuries that plagued him earlier this season are in the rearview mirror, and he has excellent chemistry with Dak Prescott (QB – DAL). Schultz has 17 catches since Prescott returned, and it looks like he’s worked his way back into being a TE1 for the rest of the season. If someone dropped him in your league and you don’t already have a top-five TE, pick him up while you still can.

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