If you survived the rigors of Week 7, this week will be a breeze by comparison. The only teams on bye are the Las Vegas Raiders and Baltimore Ravens, and while that leaves some holes, it feels downright manageable compared to last week. In addition, some players have bounced back from injury, so Halloween won’t be the scariest day of the month for fantasy players. Nevertheless, you likely have some lineup questions. That’s where this column comes into play. But before we jump into Week 8, let’s see how my choices for Week 7 did.
For transparency purposes, we’ll measure quarterbacks and tight ends against Top 12 finishes (QB1 and TE1), and we’ll measure running backs and wide receivers against Top 24 finishes (RB1-2, WR1-2). All finishes come from Fantasy Pros PPR scoring leaders lists found here.
Starts for Week 7
QB: Joe Burrow, QB2 hit. I thought Burrow would be good against the Ravens despite the matchup, and he was.
RB: Darrell Henderson, RB31 miss. I suspected Henderson would have another big day, but the game didn’t quite play out that way. He finished as an RB3.
WR: Robert Woods, WR19 hit. I thought the Rams would have a big day against the Lions, and Woods made it into the Top 24.
TE: Mike Gesicki, TE 3 hit. Gesicki has been on a tear, and that continued.
Record for the Week: 3-1
Sits for Week 7
QB: Jared Goff, QB18 hit. I liked Goff to make some plays but remain a mid-to-low QB2, and that’s what happened.
RB: Myles Gaskin, RB8 miss. All Gaskin needs is for me to be out on him in a week.
WR: Corey Davis, WR21 miss. I wasn’t bullish on the Jets, and while the team struggled, Davis found the end zone with Mike White.
TE: Ross Dwelley, TE43 hit. I wasn’t high on Dwelley or the 49ers’ pass offense, which turned out to be a good call.
Record for the Week: 2-2
Quarterbacks
Start: Daniel Jones, New York Giants
About: Jones is QB16 on the season and has played well for fantasy despite a dearth of weapons. This week he should get Sterling Shepherd and Kadarius Toney back, and he’s facing a porous Chiefs defense on Monday Night Football. I’m not saying he’s incredible, but given the options, I think Jones has the upside to finish Top 12 this week.
Sit: Sam Darnold, Carolina Panthers
About: I know Darnold is QB14 on the season, and a matchup with the Falcons seems appealing. But in this week’s Stock Watch, I noted that Darnold had struggled mightily of late. He’s been turning the ball over, and the offense has stalled. The Panthers are 0-4 over the last few weeks, and even good matchups—like a Week 7 battle with the Giants—haven’t broken Darnold’s way. Christian McCaffrey is still out, and I’m not confident Darnold is ready to bounce back to the Top 12 range.
Running Backs
Start: Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears
About: Herbert has been nothing short of spectacular since getting into the offense in Week 5. The past two weeks, he’s carried the ground game for the Bears, including going for 100 yards against the stout Buccaneers’ defense. Herbert has been RB13 over the last three weeks. It’s not a terrible matchup with the San Francisco 49ers, and I suspect Herbert, who has been involved in the passing game of late, too, will be a force in the Bears’ offense this week.
Sit: Mike Davis, Atlanta Falcons
About: When Davis signed with Atlanta, it seemed like he was set to be a big factor for the Falcons and fantasy players all season long. Instead, Davis has failed to produce. He has just 214 yards and a touchdown in six games, while Cordarrelle Patterson has been the excellent fantasy play. Davis has had 50 or more rushing yards only twice, and his targets have trended down, too. In the past two games, he’s had less than 20 yards rushing, and last week had only 10 yards rushing and no receptions. He’s not a reliable play.
Wide Receivers
Start: A.J. Brown, Tennessee Titans
About: Brown got off to a bit of a slow start, but he’s rebounded of late, leading a resurgent Titans’ passing game. He’s WR12 over the past three games, having his best game of the season in Week 7 against the Chiefs. This week, the Titans face the Indianapolis Colts in a tough divisional matchup, and I suspect Brown will keep it going. I see him as a solid WR1 against in Week 8.
Sit: Jerry Jeudy, Denver Broncos
About: Jeudy is due to come off IR this week and gets a Washington Football Team defense that hasn’t scared anyone. I get why fantasy players are excited, and I know Jeudy is a talented wide receiver. But Denver’s passing game hasn’t been incredibly robust, and I think with Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, and Noah Fant all looking for targets, there won’t be enough to go around. I am not saying Jeudy will bust; I have him as a WR3. I don’t think he finishes Top 20 as many had hoped.
Tight Ends
Start: Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
About: Pitts was a highly touted prospect but started a bit slow the first few weeks. In Week 5 in London, Pitts exploded for 119 yards and a touchdown. In Week 7, he had 163 yards and has been the big play engine in the passing game. Over the past three weeks, Pitts is TE2 despite only appearing in two games. He’s on a tear, and I don’t think that stops facing a Carolina defense that allowed plenty of fantasy production to a banged-up Giants’ receiving corps in Week 7.
Sit: Evan Engram, New York Giants
About: Speaking of the Giants, it’s time to talk about Engram. He’s a talented prospect, and we’ve seen flashes of greatness. But it’s never been consistent. Despite the Giants missing a host of receivers and Saquon Barkley this season, Engram has been a relative non-factor. He’s TE29 on the season. Maybe he gets traded somewhere and takes off. Maybe he gets a shot with another team next season. But for Week 8, he shouldn’t be in your lineup.
Matthew Fox is a Die-Hard NFL fan and Broncos’ homer. He’s a member of the FSWA. You can find more from him on Twitter @knighthawk7734 or as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast, a part of the Campus2Canton Network.
