Fantasy Football Player Notes
Week 8 Rankings
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1.
Derrick Henry
RB - TEN (at CIN)
Henry was able to produce in a tough matchup last week and he now gets to face off against the Bengals defense that is having problems slowing down anyone. Fire up Henry as a top-5 option this week.
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2.
Alvin Kamara
RB - NO (at CHI)
Kamara's matchup proof. He can be started every single week as a top-3 option.
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3.
Kareem Hunt
RB - CLE (vs . LV)
Hunt has a prime matchup this week against a Raiders defense that is currently allowing 25.4 fantasy points per game to the RB position. Hunt has No. 1 overall RB upside in this game.
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4.
Davante Adams
WR - GB (vs . MIN)
He's the WR1. He's only played three and a half games, yet ranks as the No. 14 wide receiver in PPR formats. He posted the best wide receiver performance of the year in Week 7 when he tallied 13 receptions for 196 yards and two touchdowns but was dethroned later that night when Tyler Lockett went bananas. Can Adams one-up his performance from last week? I kid, kind of. Going into their bye week, the Vikings starting cornerback Adams will see most, Jeff Gladney, had allowed more yardage in his coverage (388) than all but one cornerback. On just 32 targets in his coverage, he's allowed 388 yards and three touchdowns. In fact, the Vikings don't have a single cornerback who's played at least 50 snaps in coverage who's allowed lower than a 101.9 QB Rating. There have been four wide receivers who've already hit 22-plus PPR points against the Vikings, including Adams in Week 1 when he went for 14/156/2. Start him anywhere and everywhere you can. Duh.
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5.
Dalvin Cook
RB - MIN (at GB)
Cook appears to be on track to play in this matchup, which is good news for the Vikings and fantasy managers alike. Cook should produce against the mediocre Packers run defense and can be viewed as a top-5 lock in week eight.
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6.
Jonathan Taylor
RB - IND (at DET)
Taylor should be plugged right back into your lineup as a solid RB1 in this matchup against the Lions defense that just gave up two touchdowns to Todd Gurley.
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7.
Mike Davis
RB - CAR (vs . ATL)
Davis disappointed in week seven, but he's still seeing the clear majority of the touches in this backfield. Against the Falcons defense, Davis worth firing up as a low-end RB1 yet again.
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8.
Todd Gurley II
RB - ATL (at CAR)
Gurley was able to find the end zone twice last week - whoops - but put up pedestrian numbers on the ground otherwise. He simply doesn't have the athleticism anymore to beat defenders to the edge. It's probably best to temper your expectations for Gurley if it's a tough matchup, but this is not one of those times. Fire up Gurley as a locked-in RB1 yet again against the Panthers run defense.
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9.
Ezekiel Elliott
RB - DAL (at PHI)
Zeke has been one of the most consistent fantasy options for a long time, but there's no way you can keep him up at the top of your rankings with the offensive situation surrounding him. He's a risky low-end RB1 play that you're hoping gets a ton of volume this week in a tough matchup.
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10.
Josh Jacobs
RB - LV (at CLE)
Jacobs had a rough game last week. However, that was against a defense that is absolutely suffocating opposing RBs. Jacobs should get back to seeing his 15+ carries in this game against a Browns defense that is currently middle-of-the-pack in terms of fantasy points per game. Fire up Jacobs as a solid RB1 with upside in this matchup.
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11.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire
RB - KC (vs . NYJ)
CEH saw the majority of the work on the ground last week, but it wasn't by much. Bell figures to be more of a part of this offense than fantasy managers anticipated and CEH takes a hit because of it. CEH can be viewed as a mid-range RB2 this week that will need to score to crack the top-12.
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12.
Tyreek Hill
WR - KC (vs . NYJ)
He's now scored a touchdown in 6-of-7 games but has still yet to crack 100 yards receiving. I guess we shouldn't be too surprised considering he accomplished that feat just twice during the 2019 season, so twice in his last 19 games. Does that change this week? There have already been three receivers who've hit the century mark against the Jets this year, including Cole Beasley, who tagged them for 11/112/0 last week. The Jets are allowing a massive 70.5 percent completion-rate to wide receivers, which ranks as the second-worst to only the Texans. The lone downside for Hill is that Brian Poole is the Jets best cornerback, and he's been solid over the last two years while covering the slot (where Hill plays 65 percent of the time), allowing just 58-of-88 passing for 490 yards and one touchdown. That's just 5.57 yards per target, though Hill isn't your average slot receiver. Poole's 4.5-second speed can certainly show up here. Hill is a favorite of mine in tournament lineups this week and should be in redraft lineups as a WR1.
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13.
James Conner
RB - PIT (at BAL)
Conner was everywhere for the Steelers last week and ended up touching the ball 23 times. While he didn't find the end zone on the stat sheet, he did lose a score due to an offensive penalty. With all the injuries to the other RBs in fantasy football, Conner's a solid low-end RB1 start this week even in a tough matchup. He's simply going to see too much work to not view him in that light.
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14.
A.J. Brown
WR - TEN (at CIN)
Brown's been on fire ever since he got back into the lineup. He belongs in your starting lineup every week as a low-end WR1 with upside. In this matchup, he could push for a top-5 finish.
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15.
D.K. Metcalf
WR - SEA (vs . SF)
He's totaled 296 yards on passes that have traveled over 20 yards in the air, which ranks as the most in the NFL. His efficiency on those passes is ridiculous, as he's caught 7-of-12 for 296 yards and three touchdowns. Still, it's going to lead to some disappointing performances, like the one he had on Sunday night. The 49ers haven't been a team to actively target with wide receivers, but it's worth noting they've allowed four passes that have gone for 40-plus yards, which is the seventh-most in the league. It's pretty crazy what Jason Verrett has done since re-joining the 49ers defense, as he's allowed just 46 yards on 154 snaps in coverage. That 0.30 yards per snap is the lowest in football. Between Verrett and Emmanuel Moseley, they've allowed just 60.0 PPR points on 40 targets in coverage, or just 1.50 points per target. That would rank second in the NFL to only the Bears defense. All season, the 49ers have allowed just three top-24 receivers, with DeAndre Hopkins being the only No. 1 receiver on that list (others are Preston Williams and Braxton Berrios). Metcalf has game breaking one-play upside, so he can turn into a WR1 at any point, so you're starting him in a game the Seahawks are likely to throw more than normal with their running back health issues. Start him as a high-end WR2 in redraft leagues but reserve him for tournaments in DFS.
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16.
Julio Jones
WR - ATL (at CAR)
Jones didn't appear to be 100% last week, but he was still out there soaking up targets. As long as Julio's on the field, he belongs in your lineup as a locked-in WR1.
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17.
Calvin Ridley
WR - ATL (at CAR)
Ridley continues to tear it up and he's been utterly dominant for fantasy football this season. Even though the Panthers have been tough on opposing WRs, Ridley should have no problem putting up a dominant day.
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18.
Travis Kelce
TE - KC (vs . NYJ)
He's coming off a game where he totaled just three receptions and 31 yards. Sure, it was in the snow, but you know what he did the last time he came off a three-catch performance? He caught eight passes for 108 yards and a touchdown. This is one of those matchups where if you simply look at fantasy points allowed, you'll see the Jets rank 13th against them, which is not great, but also not bad. When you see they've faced the eighth-fewest targets despite playing all seven games, that's the giveaway. From an efficiency standpoint, they've allowed 2.42 PPR points per target to tight ends, which ranks as the third-most in the NFL, behind only the Jaguars and Falcons. Kelce leads the NFL in both red zone targets and targets inside the 10-yard line. Well, the Jets have allowed 5-of-11 red zone targets to tight ends go for touchdowns. Start Kelce as an elite TE1 and expect game-breaking upside.
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19.
George Kittle
TE - SF (at SEA)
He's now totaled 40 targets in the four full games he's played, which amounts to a ridiculous 10.0 targets per game. He's been a bit up-and-down production-wise, but with all the injuries on the 49ers (Samuel, Mostert, Wilson, Coleman), we should expect a big game out of him this week. If there were a game we could guarantee 10-plus targets for a tight end, it has to be this one, right? However, there are some things I see that just stand out in my research for the week, and one of those things in this game was that teams have targeted their tight ends just 11.5 percent of the time against the Seahawks, which is easily the lowest mark in the league; no other team is under 13.5 percent. That's led to them being one of just four teams who've allowed less than 10 percent of fantasy production to tight ends. It's odd though because they've allowed 8.55 yards per target to the position when targeted, which is the seventh-highest number in the league, and usually most telling when it comes to tight ends. Kittle is going to steal a lot of those 31.3 targets per game that go to wide receivers against the Seahawks. Kittle has seen a 29.0 percent target share since returning to the lineup, and that was with Samuel in the lineup. He's the best tight end on the slate.
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20.
Tyler Lockett
WR - SEA (vs . SF)
His 53.0 PPR points in Week 7 were the most since Will Fuller's 53.7 PPR points in Week 5 of last year. He came into Week 7 as the No. 17 wide receiver and left that game as the No. 2 receiver. There are going to be some swings in his performances with Metcalf out there stealing some production, but Lockett should've been a borderline WR1 in lineups regardless of that game. The 49ers have allowed just 7.36 yards per target to wide receivers, which is the lowest number in the league. They've allowed just three receivers to finish with more than 60 yards. There's been just four receivers who've totaled more than four receptions. They've done a good job with slot receivers over the last two weeks on the stat sheet, as Julian Edelman caught just one pass for 13 yards while Cooper Kupp caught three passes for 11 yards. I say stat sheet because we all know about Cam Newton's horrendous game, and if you watched Kupp's game, you'd know that he lost the ball in the lights on what would've been a long touchdown, and then he dropped another end zone target. Believe me when I say that Jamar Taylor is not good, and he's the cornerback who'll be covering Lockett most of the time. He's been on six teams over the last four years. Lockett should remain in lineups as a high-end WR2 despite the tough matchup on paper.
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21.
Adam Thielen
WR - MIN (at GB)
Going into his bye week, Thielen ranked second in air yards (684) despite ranking 11th in targets. Even though the Vikings offense has lacked elite pass attempt volume, the expected fantasy output on Thielen's targets is greater than the average receiver target. The downside in this matchup is that the Packers have allowed fewer yards than every other team in the NFL when it comes to wide receivers. Through six games, they're allowing just 149.8 yards per game to them. Lack of volume has been a big part of the issue, as they've allowed 1.78 PPR points per target, which is right around the league average. Thielen was able to rack up six catches for 110 yards and two touchdowns in the first meeting between these two teams, though much of that came in garbage time. Since that game, Jaire Alexander has allowed just 10-of-17 passing for 56 yards in his coverage. Pretty dominant, right? I'd guess that he shadows Thielen in this game. I'm not going to say that he'll shut out Thielen, but he is good enough to temper expectations a bit. Thielen has scored in 5-of-6 games and is averaging 8.2 targets per game, so he's still in the low-end WR1/high-end WR2 conversation but it's not a week play him in DFS cash lineups.
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22.
Kenny Golladay
WR - DET (vs . IND)
It seemed that every catch Golladay made last week, he was taking a big hit. That's far from ideal, though he continually comes down with tough catches. The 2.0 yards of separation at target is the fifth-lowest mark in football, so we should expect that to continue happening. The Colts have been one of the better defenses in the league through six games, but they've also been slipping a bit as of late and have allowed six top-36 wide receivers in their last two games. It's good news for Golladay that 61.7 percent of the passes that have been thrown against the Colts have gone to wide receivers, which ranks as the fourth-highest percentage in the league. While the Colts haven't allowed tons of fantasy production this year (they've allowed the fewest fantasy points per game overall to opponents), 59.3 percent of the production they've allowed to skill-position players has gone to wide receivers, which ranks as the third-highest mark in the league. He's going to see the most of Xavier Rhodes, the cornerback Golladay knows from his time in Minnesota. I'm not overly concerned with the matchup for him this week and would suggest starting him as a low-end WR1/high-end WR2.
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23.
Boston Scott
RB - PHI (vs . DAL)
If Sanders sits, Scott becomes an intriguing option to plug into your lineup as a high-end RB2.
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24.
Keenan Allen
WR - LAC (at DEN)
Despite missing more than half of a game with his back injury and having his bye week, Allen ranks seventh in the NFL in targets since the start of Week 2, which is when Herbert took over. In the four full games Allen has played, he's totaled 10, 19, 11, and 13 targets. That's absolutely ridiculous volume, especially when you consider Herbert is playing at a Pro Bowl level. The matchup with the Broncos isn't the same as it used to be, as Allen and Chris Harris Jr. would duke it out over the middle of the field. Instead, he'll see a combination of the Broncos cornerback trio of Bryce Callahan, Michael Ojemudia, and A.J. Bouye. Considering no teams have had much success running on the Broncos, they're gone to the air, which is why receivers have seen 21.3 targets per game against them. They've been pretty good considering all that's happened (loss of Von Miller and Jurrell Casey, injury to Bouye), allowing just 7.68 yards per target and 1.70 PPR points per target, which are both below the league average. But again, the volume has allowed receivers to score 37.7 PPR points per game against them, which ranks as the 14th-most in the league. They have allowed seven different wide receivers to post top-25 numbers, which is more than a stable enough floor for someone like Allen, who's made his way into the WR1 conversation.
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25.
Stefon Diggs
WR - BUF (vs . NE)
Diggs has come crashing back down to earth, along with the rest of the Bills offense, but he's still commanding a large target share. With Diggs' involvement in the offense, plus his talent, he's always worth rolling into your lineup as a high-end WR2/low-end WR1.
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26.
Robby Anderson
WR - CAR (vs . ATL)
He ranks fourth in the league while averaging 2.76 yards per route run, which is typically a great indicator of future success. He's been the opposite of the receiver he was in New York, as he's been as consistent as they come, racking up at least 55 yards in every game, including 74-plus yards in 6-of-7 games. He's a legitimate borderline WR1 with his production this year, which is not something anyone expected to say. Now he heads into a matchup with the Falcons who have allowed 10.55 yards per target to receivers, which is the highest mark in the league, and it's amounted to 223.0 yards per game for them. Anderson will primarily see A.J. Terrell in coverage, a rookie cornerback who's allowed a ridiculous 21-of-24 passing for 287 yards and two touchdowns in his coverage. Anderson hit them up for 8/112/0 in the first game, so there's no hesitation starting him as a low-end WR1/high-end WR2 here.
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27.
Mike Evans
WR - TB (at NYG)
Chris Godwin in the lineup, Evans has been an afterthought. In the three games without Godwin, it's been a different story. He's seen 10, 8, and 9 targets in those three games, totaling 19 receptions, 267 yards, and three touchdowns. In case you've missed it, Godwin has been ruled out for this game with a broken finger. The Giants are going to have James Bradberry shadow him, which hasn't been a pleasant experience for Evans throughout the last two years. In case you forgot, Bradberry shadowed him the last two years while in Carolina. The only game that Evans did well was the one he was targeted 17 times in. To be fair, it is a different defense that Bradberry's playing for, and Evans has upgraded from Jameis Winston to Brady, but it's something. Bradberry has done a solid job with No. 1 receivers this year: Travis Fulgham 5/73/0, Terry McLaurin 7/74/0, Amari Cooper 2/23/0, Robert Woods 6/35/0, and Allen Robinson 3/33/0. That's pretty good, right? Still, it's hard to see a scenario where Evans sees less than eight targets this week, so you have to get him back into lineups as a high-end WR2.
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28.
Giovani Bernard
RB - CIN (vs . TEN)
At this point, it seems unlikely that Mixon suits up as he's dealing with his foot injury. With that being the case, Bernard shoots up to a top-15 option this week. This is a fine matchup for opposing RBs and points should go up on the board in this game. If you've still got Gio on your roster, make sure to get him into your starting lineup.
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29.
Ronald Jones II
RB - TB (at NYG)
Jones had been looking terrific on the ground the past several weeks, but his deficiencies in the receiving game reared their ugly head yet again last week. Jones now has four drops on 26 targets this season. With Fournette healthy now and right behind him on the depth chart, he can't afford to continue to drop the football. Jones is hanging on by a thread to this job and one more drop, or missed blitz pickup, and Jones could be riding the bench for a very long time. He's still worth rolling out as a mid-range RB2 due to the other available options, but he absolutely comes with risk.
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30.
Myles Gaskin
RB - MIA (vs . LAR)
Gaskin continues to receive enough touches in this offense to be viewed as a safe start every single week. Against this defense, he gets a slight downgrade, but he should still be viewed as a solid RB2 start.
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31.
David Montgomery
RB - CHI (vs . NO)
Playing Montgomery in fantasy football isn't going to be pretty if you end up watching the game. However, he's getting too many touches in this offense to hurt your fantasy roster. Last week, even though Montgomery did next to nothing, he still finished as the RB24 on the week. With his work in the receiving game, he's a safe option to roll out as a low-end RB2 in this matchup against the Saints defense.
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32.
D.J. Moore
WR - CAR (vs . ATL)
He's now totaled 93 yards in each of his last three games. Like, exactly 93 yards. Weird, right? That's the good news. The not-so-good news is that he's now seen six or less targets in four of the last five games. He's averaging 10.7 yards per target, which is fantastic, but he needs to remain efficient in order to keep posting WR2 numbers, as the volume isn't quite worthy of a top-20 wide receiver. Fortunately, he shouldn't need too many targets to do well this week against the Falcons. They've allowed a massive 223.0 yards per game to wide receivers alone. The Falcons starting perimeter cornerbacks on Moore's side is Kendall Sheffield, and he's allowed a league-high 2.77 yards per snap (no other cornerback is above 2.39), so this is a match made in heaven. Moore only saw five targets the first time these two teams played but he walked out of that game with 93 yards and a touchdown. Knowing there have been 12 receivers who've scored 12.1-plus PPR points against the Falcons, you shouldn't have any concerns about playing Moore as a rock-solid WR2 this week.
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33.
Darrell Henderson
RB - LAR (at MIA)
Henderson put up solid numbers last week and looked great running in between the tackles. While Brown will continue to be involved in this backfield, Henderson has guaranteed touches in this offense with Cam Akers seeing one or two snaps a game. Henderson can be started as a solid RB2 with upside this week against the Dolphins run defense.
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34.
Justin Jefferson
WR - MIN (at GB)
He's averaging a massive 3.20 yards per route run this year, which ranks second to only Davante Adams. How good is that? Michael Thomas led all wide receivers last year with 2.88 yards per route run. It helps that he ranks second in yards (286) on targets over 20 yards. Is that sustainable? Well, probably not, but it does help that Cousins throws the deep ball on 20.6 percent of his attempts, which ranks as the highest mark in football. The Packers have done a good job with slot-heavy receivers this year, though Randall Cobb threw a wrench in that last week when he caught eight passes for 95 yards. We don't have a big sample size to go off with Chandon Sullivan, who's a third-year cornerback who went undrafted, and is playing his first full-time role. But Jefferson has played just 42.3 percent of his snaps in the slot, so he'll also see a lot of Josh Jackson as well, who's been a bust since the Packers drafted him in 2018, allowing a 68.6 percent catch-rate and a touchdown every 14.3 targets. Knowing Jefferson has totaled 100-plus yards in three of his last four games, you have to keep him in lineups as a low-end WR2, though volume is the concern in this game.
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35.
D'Andre Swift
RB - DET (vs . IND)
Swift has stepped up nicely into his expanded role in this offense, but he's still second in this backfield to AP. Swift's finding the end zone regularly, which is boosting his fantasy production, but it's extremely unpredictable. With a tough matchup here against the Colts defense, Swift gets downgraded to a low-end RB2 that will need to score to finish much higher.
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36.
Aaron Jones
RB - GB (vs . MIN)
Jones was apparently fighting to play in week seven, but he wasn't 100%. The Packers chose to play it safe and let Jones rest, but his status for this game is still up in the air. If he suits up, Jones is a no-brainer start this week and has No. 1 overall RB upside.
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37.
Melvin Gordon III
RB - DEN (vs . LAC)
Gordon should receive the majority of the touches in this game if Lindsay is not able to suit up. Due to the volume, Gordon should be viewed as a mid-range RB2.
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38.
Cooper Kupp
WR - LAR (at MIA)
Bear with Kupp through the last two weeks, as he's come up short in tough matchups. The good news is that he's averaging 7.3 targets and a 23 percent target share. The matchup with Dolphins is a good one for him, as they've really struggled to defend slot-heavy receivers. Adding up the slot cornerbacks they've put out there, they've combined to allow 26-of-37 passing for 275 yards and a touchdown. While Robert Woods deals with Xavien Howard most of the day, Kupp will battle with Nik Needham, who's allowed most of the slot production in his coverage. There have been four slot-heavy receivers who've finished as top-40 receivers against the Dolphins, which should make you feel comfortable with Kupp's floor. He should be in lineups as a low-end WR2 this week.
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39.
Amari Cooper
WR - DAL (at PHI)
Considering how bad the Cowboys offense has been the last two weeks, Cooper owners should be extremely satisfied with his performances of 7/79/1 and 7/80/0. He's finished as a top-30 wide receiver in 6-of-7 games, which is consistency that's hard to find. The Eagles are surely going to stick Darius Slay on him this week, which hasn't been great for receivers, though it's also not a death wish. He's allowed 27-of-37 passing for 277 yards and one touchdown in his coverage to this point, but the biggest game they've allowed to a No. 1 receiver was Terry McLaurin's five-catch, 61-yard performance back in Week 1, which was with Dwayne Haskins under center. On paper, it shows the Eagles have allowed the 12th-most points per game to receivers, but when you remove the THREE rushing touchdowns and rushing yards, they've allowed the 11th-fewest points to receivers. Cooper should be considered a mediocre WR2 who can be a victim of bad quarterback play at any time.
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40.
Robert Woods
WR - LAR (at MIA)
He went back to his 5-7 target role in Week 7, which is becoming somewhat routine now that Goff is attempting just 31.9 passes per game. Fortunately, they're adding in a few carries every game, giving him a bit more opportunities to put up fantasy points. Here are his fantasy finishes in half-PPR formats this year: 18, 37, 9, 51, 21, 24, 71. He's given a pretty stable floor, but the upside has been non-existent. Knowing teams have averaged just 34.8 pass attempts against the Dolphins this year, it may be a problem. It's not bad that 21.2 of those attempts are directed at wide receivers (60.9 percent), but the 1.67 PPR points per target they've allowed to receivers ranks as the ninth-lowest mark in the league. The only receiver who finished with top-12 numbers against them was Stefon Diggs, who saw 13 targets and turned them into 8/153/1. Him and Jamison Crowder have been the only receivers to pile up more than five receptions against the Dolphins. Woods is starting to look more and more like a high-end WR3 than the WR2 we hoped he'd be.
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41.
Travis Fulgham
WR - PHI (vs . DAL)
Since entering the starting lineup, Fulgham has totaled 34 targets in three games. That's elite volume that rivals the best in the game. He's done a lot with those targets, too, racking up 21 receptions for 300 yards and two touchdowns. Keep in mind that two of those games were against the Steelers and Ravens. Meanwhile, the Cowboys defense has been among the most generous in the NFL. The Cowboys' starting cornerback Daryl Worley had allowed 3.43 PPR points per target in his coverage, which is the second-most in the NFL. He's no longer on the team. The only player who's allowed more is his teammate Chidobe Awuzie (who's expected to return this week), so clearly, the Cowboys defensive scheme is not quite working. As a whole, the Cowboys have allowed 2.18 PPR points per target to receivers, which ranks third in the NFL. They have allowed 10 different receivers to pile up 14.5-plus PPR points, which is the mark it took to finish as a WR2 or better last year. Fulgham should be considered a low-end WR2 with upside for this week.
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42.
Brandon Aiyuk
WR - SF (at SEA)
With Deebo Samuel out of the lineup for a few weeks, Aiyuk has a massive opportunity to make some waves in fantasy. Even with Samuel in the lineup the last few weeks, Aiyuk has averaged 6.6 targets/carries per game, so he's been involved. Coming off a career-high 115 yards against the Patriots, Aiyuk will have what might be the best matchup in the league. Wide receivers have outscored running backs by a massive 37.6 PPR points per game against the Seahawks. They've already allowed 132 receptions to wide receivers through six games, which amounts to 22.0 per game. We know the Seahawks are a matchup to attack, right? Well, it should make you feel better to know that a league-high 65.6 percent of the fantasy production that has gone to skill-position players against them has gone to wide receivers. It surely helps that their opponents' wide receivers have seen a league-high 188 targets despite the Seahawks already having their bye week. It's not just volume, either. They are one of three teams in the league who've allowed a 70-plus percent catch-rate to wide receivers. The other two teams? The Texans and Jets. With the lack of healthy running backs and Samuel out, Aiyuk should be considered a rock-solid WR3 with top-12 upside this week.
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43.
Mark Andrews
TE - BAL (vs . PIT)
He's been extremely hit-or-miss this year, as he's either totaled 55-plus yards and scored at least one touchdown, or he's totaled fewer than 30 yards with no touchdown. His fantasy finishes in half-PPR formats have been 1, 30, 35, 3, 3, 30. The Steelers have allowed just 48.9 percent of passes directed at tight ends to be completed. That's helped them allow a piddly 4.98 yards per target to the position, and they've allowed just one touchdown on 47 targets. Despite playing against Zach Ertz, Noah Fant, Jonnu Smith, Austin Hooper, Evan Engram, and Jordan Akins, they've yet to allow a tight end record more than 57 yards or finish better than the TE9. When the two teams met last year, he totaled five catches for 45 yards on seven targets. Bottom line is that Andrews is far from a sure thing to produce for his fantasy managers but you're going to play him in redraft leagues due to the upside he presents, which is top-three every week.
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44.
Tyler Boyd
WR - CIN (vs . TEN)
Boyd put on a show last week and he should be viewed as a solid low-end WR2 in this matchup with upside.
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45.
Darren Waller
TE - LV (at CLE)
Through six games, Waller is averaging 9.2 targets per game, which leads all tight ends. Yes, more than Kittle's 9.0 per game and Kelce's 8.0 per game. Waller has delivered for his fantasy managers, too, as he's totaled double-digit PPR points in 5-of-6 games. In fact, going back to last year (span of 22 games), he has just one game with less than 8.0 PPR points. A matchup with the Browns is definitely not a bad thing, either, as they've allowed five different tight ends to score 10.2 or more PPR points against them this year and have allowed at least four receptions to seven different tight ends. When you see the list of tight ends they've played, you'll be even more excited about Waller's prospects this week. Mark Andrews (who went for 5/58/2), Dalton Schultz, C.J. Uzomah, Drew Sample, Trey Burton, Logan Thomas, and Eric Ebron are the tight ends they've played, so hardly a tough schedule. Despite that, they've allowed the 11th-most fantasy points to the tight end position. Knowing their opponents have averaged over 40 pass attempts per game, Waller should be locked and loaded as an elite TE1.
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46.
Tee Higgins
WR - CIN (vs . TEN)
Higgins continues to get the job done for fantasy and can be viewed as a safe high-end WR3 this week.
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47.
JaMycal Hasty
RB - SF (at SEA)
This backfield is an absolute mystery to try and project week in and week out. However, it gets a bit easier this week with Raheem Mostert, Tevin Coleman, and Jeff Wilson all out of the picture. Hasty should see the majority of the work on the ground, but this is a tough matchup for opposing RBs. He should be viewed as a high-end RB3.
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48.
Allen Robinson II
WR - CHI (vs . NO)
He suffered a head injury at the end of the game Monday night, which could be an issue for his availability on a short week. It's something we need to pay attention to as the week goes on, as he must go through the concussion protocol. Robinson should be the only viable Bears receiver this week, as just 46.7 percent of pass attempts against the Saints have gone to wide receivers, which is the lowest mark in the league. Receivers have accounted for just 10.3 receptions per game against them, which is the lowest mark in the league, though the receptions they have allowed have gone for a lot of production. They're allowing a massive 15.66 yards per reception and have allowed a touchdown every 10.3 targets; both are marks that lead the league. That adds up to 2.29 PPR points per target, which is great for a receiver that's seen at least nine targets in 6-of-7 games. If Robinson is cleared and suits up, he should be considered a low-end WR1, but you should have alternate plans in case he's held out.
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49.
Leonard Fournette
RB - TB (at NYG)
Fournette stepped in last week and was heavily involved in this offense. He was explosive on the ground, averaging 4.5 yards per carry, and was also heavily targeted out of the backfield. Fournette is in strong FLEX consideration this week, or could even be rolled out as a low-end RB2/high-end RB3 if you're in need of a fill-in option. There's also the slim possibility that Fournette just simply outright wins this job sooner than later.
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50.
Diontae Johnson
WR - PIT (at BAL)
I remember saying something to the effect of, "There's no way Johnson returns to the lineup and sees the 31.3 percent target share he saw over the first few weeks before injury." I was wrong. Despite missing one full game and the majority of two others, Johnson is just one target off the team-lead. His 15 targets in Week 7 accounted for 30.6 of Roethlisberger's attempts. In the three full games he's played, Johnson has totaled 10, 13, and 15 targets. He's a must-play every week, though this week's matchup is about as bad as it gets. Despite that big game by the Chiefs offense, the Ravens have allowed the third-fewest PPR points per target (1.59) to wide receivers this year. Outside of the Chiefs game in Week 3, they've allowed just three wide receivers to finish better than WR35. The Steelers move Johnson around but he does play most of his snaps at LWR, which means he'll see Jimmy Smith the most, a good cornerback who's dealt with some health issues over the last couple years. He's been good this year, allowing just 9-of-15 passing for a minuscule 68 yards and no touchdown. It's not a great matchup for Johnson but his ridiculous target share keeps him in the high-end WR3 territory.
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51.
Justin Jackson
RB - LAC (at DEN)
We assumed that we had clarity on what this backfield was going to look like last week, but both options fell flat in a great matchup. Jackson's a safe bet every single week due to his involvement in the receiving game, but we cannot be confident in how the carry splits are going to break down between the two options in this backfield. Jackson can be viewed as a low-end RB2 this week.
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52.
Devin Singletary
RB - BUF (vs . NE)
Singletary has been woefully inefficient the past couple of weeks and he's now seeing his snap count decrease as Moss gets acclimated back into the offense after his injury. I'd recommend sitting Singletary if you can this week. He's a risky RB3 play at best.
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53.
Jarvis Landry
WR - CLE (vs . LV)
He's now up to 39 targets without a touchdown, which ranks as the second-most in the league without a touchdown. He's quietly averaging 9.4 yards per target, which is actually the highest number of his career. If he starts scoring touchdowns at a reasonable rate, he'll be viewed much differently in fantasy. With Beckham out for the year, we should expect him to get a solid bump in targets, too. He's averaged just 5.6 targets per game to this point, which is typically reserved for those in the WR4/5 range. The Raiders have faced 18.7 targets per game to wide receivers, so given how top-heavy the Browns have been, we should expect Landry to see at least six targets in this game. The Raiders slot cornerback is Lamarcus Joyner, who's been mediocre in coverage, allowing 25-for-34 passing for 256 yards and... no touchdowns. But still, it's not like he won't get out of Joyner's coverage at times. We saw both Chris Godwin and Cole Beasley score against the Raiders, so it's not out of the question. Landry is moving up the rankings moving forward and should be considered a low-end WR3/high-end WR4 who comes with a solid floor.
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54.
Le'Veon Bell
RB - KC (vs . NYJ)
Bell saw six carries in his first game with the Chiefs and showed some explosiveness that simply hasn't been there for the past few years. However, with CEH still above him on the depth chart, Bell's not worth looking at as anything more than a mid-range RB3.
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55.
Chase Claypool
WR - PIT (at BAL)
We talked about it a lot last week, and we were correct in assuming that Claypool would rank third in wide receiver snaps. The snap count went Smith-Schuster 65, Johnson 59, Claypool 51, and James Washington 18. The one target he saw is hardly ideal, especially knowing they threw the ball 49 times, but given his snaps, you shouldn't be too concerned. Claypool should see a lot of Marcus Peters in coverage this week, and while he's a good cornerback, he can get beat down the field at times. He's allowed 15.3 yards per reception in his coverage this year and has allowed a touchdown every 10.7 targets, so you shouldn't simply scratch Claypool off your potential start list. There have been five wide receivers who've posted top-30 numbers against the Ravens, and four of them were straight-up burners (Terry McLaurin, Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman, and Brandin Cooks). Claypool ran a 4.42-second 40-yard dash but has looked even faster in pads. He should be considered a boom-or-bust WR4 in this matchup.
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56.
Darius Slayton
WR - NYG (vs . TB)
He's now seen just four targets in each of his last two games, and it's limited his production. When you add Sterling Shepard back into the lineup, this was always the concern. Knowing the Bucs opponents have thrown the ball 64.1 percent of the time (4th in NFL), the Giants pass catchers should be pretty busy in this one. The Bucs have used Carlton Davis to shadow some No. 1 receivers, but the Giants don't really have that prototypical No. 1, so we shouldn't assume a shadow. The Bucs have allowed the eighth-fewest points per game to wide receivers, as they've limited them to just 1.69 PPR points per target. Sure, they've allowed 11 receivers to hit 10.5-plus PPR points, but seven of them had to see nine-plus targets to get there. The Bucs have allowed four pass plays to go for 40-plus yards, which is what you need to hope for with Slayton, so treat him as a boom-or-bust WR4 this week.
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57.
Marquise Brown
WR - BAL (vs . PIT)
He leads the NFL in targets (16) that have traveled over 20 yards in the air. He's only caught 31.3 percent of them, but if that percentage goes up at all, you're going to start seeing big fantasy performances. His 666 air yards through six games was the third-highest mark in the NFL. 61.5 percent of the fantasy production the Steelers have allowed to skill-position players has gone to wide receivers, which is the second-highest mark in the league. The Steelers have surprisingly allowed three 100-yard receivers through six games. Despite already getting their bye out of the way, they've allowed 21 pass plays of 20-plus yards this season, which ranks as the 12th-most. He's going to see Joe Haden in coverage most of the game, who's allowed 14.4 yards per reception in his coverage, including three receptions over 20 yards. He's also allowed two touchdowns over the last three games. This is not a matchup where you play receivers expecting tons of receptions, but rather look for the big play. Knowing the Ravens aren't going to be running on the Steelers, we should expect even more targets to Brown this week, and the fact that they've allowed the seventh-highest yards per reception to wide receivers (14.23), Brown has the best chance to succeed. He should be played as a decent WR3 this week.
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58.
Carlos Hyde
RB - SEA (vs . SF)
Hyde was set to take on a large workload if Carson missed this game, but he's also been dealing with some hamstring tightness. With the news that Carson might play, Hyde's nothing more than a mid-range RB3 if he suits up.
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59.
Rob Gronkowski
TE - TB (at NYG)
It appears we have Gronk back in our lives. He's now totaled at least six targets and 52 yards in each of his last three games and has scored in each of his last two games. He's seen more deep targets (20-plus yards down the field) than any other tight end with seven of them, so even though he's caught just three of them, it leaves the opportunity for one-play upside. With Chris Godwin out of the lineup, it should allow for more targets, too. The Giants have only faced 5.7 tight end targets per game, which is one of the lowest marks in football, and have held tight ends in check for the most part. They have allowed 7.60 yards per target and a solid 65.0 percent completion-rate, but they've allowed just one touchdown to them, keeping the overall numbers down. It's not a great matchup considering just one tight end has caught more than four balls against them, but considering the surge in his play as of late, it's tough to keep him out of lineups, because if Gronk is back, he's matchup-proof.
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60.
Joshua Kelley
RB - LAC (at DEN)
Kelley's continuing to see enough work in this backfield to be considered for fantasy football, but it's not amount to much production at all. Kelley's a mid-range RB3 that will need to find the end zone to finish much higher than that.
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61.
Mike Williams
WR - LAC (at DEN)
There have been just two times all season where Williams has seen more than four targets. Week 1, when Tyrod Taylor was under center, and Week 5, when Keenan Allen had to leave the game with back issues. Am I ready to move on? No, not with the way that Herbert has played. We have just too small of a sample size to say he's nothing with Allen in the lineup. He may have the best matchup on the field this week, as he'll play most of his snaps against rookie Michael Ojemudia, a third-rounder who's been bleeding yardage in his coverage. He's allowed 23-of-38 passing for 328 yards and two touchdowns in his coverage to this point, which amounts to a 106.0 QB Rating. That's a massive 14.3 yards per reception, which is perfect for someone like Williams, whose average depth of target is 17.2 yards down the field, which ranks third in the NFL. He's not someone who needs to be played but he is someone who can be plugged in as an upside WR4 considering the Chargers will have trouble moving the ball on the ground. He's a solid leverage play off Allen in tournaments.
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62.
JuJu Smith-Schuster
WR - PIT (at BAL)
Week 7 was the first one where Smith-Schuster felt like he's someone who could compete for the No. 1 receiving option in the Steelers passing attack, racking up 14 targets against the Titans. Unfortunately, it didn't amount to a huge day as he caught nine passes for 85 yards in a plus matchup where he was playing against a backup cornerback for half the day. I'm not sold this was the turnaround performance that some believe. In fact, he's someone I'd consider benching in Week 8, as he's got a date with what might be the best slot cornerback in the league, Marlon Humphrey. Teams have been willing to test him, as evidenced by the target every 4.8 snaps in coverage. He's allowed just 196 scoreless yards on 37 targets through six games. That amounts to just 5.30 yards per target without a touchdown. Whew. All in all, the Ravens have allowed just five receivers finish better than WR35, and four of them were uber-fast receivers (Terry McLaurin, Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman, and Brandin Cooks). Smith-Schuster should be considered a low-end WR3 this week and one with a low ceiling.
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63.
DeVante Parker
WR - MIA (vs . LAR)
The bye week seemed to come at the right time for Parker, as he's been playing through some nicks and bruises. It's led to some inconsistent production, as he's totaled just five receptions over the last two games, and now has a rookie quarterback under center. Those are concerns, as is his matchup with the Rams. Jalen Ramsey has allowed just 0.57 yards per snap in coverage, which ranks as the eighth-lowest mark in all of football. Teams are also avoiding him when possible, as he's seen just one target every 9.4 snaps in coverage, which also ranks as the eighth-lowest mark in the league, and that's despite covering top receivers. Parker has been struggling to gain separation, as evidenced by his 1.9-yard average depth of separation at target, which ranks as the third-lowest mark in the league. But hey, Tagovailoa has to throw to someone, right? Parker is still someone who should be considered a mid-to-low-end WR3, but he doesn't have a very high ceiling this week.
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64.
A.J. Green
WR - CIN (vs . TEN)
Green continues to see a ridiculous amount of targets in this offense and he's now producing enough to be viewed as a solid FLEX play with upside every single week.
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65.
CeeDee Lamb
WR - DAL (at PHI)
After breaking rookie records with five catches and 59-plus yards in each of his first six games, Lamb was held to just one rushing yard in Week 7. He was targeted five times, so it's not like he was completely forgotten about, but the poor quarterback play proved to be too much. His matchup this week is much better than Amari Cooper's, as he'll draw Nickell Robey-Coleman, who's struggled in his new uniform. After being one of the better slot cornerbacks in Los Angeles, he's allowed 19-of-23 passing for 225 yards and a touchdown in his coverage with the Eagles. Still, the Eagles have allowed just five wide receivers to hit 11.2 PPR points against them this year, which was the mark it took to hit a WR3 performance in 2019. Lamb shouldn't be forgotten, but he should definitely be downgraded into the low-end WR3 territory with the poor quarterback play.
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66.
Jerick McKinnon
RB - SF (at SEA)
McKinnon should be involved in this offense, but Kyle Shanahan has simply ignored him the past couple of weeks. This makes McKinnon a risky RB3 play. He could receive all of the touches in this one or he could see four total touches. We simply just have no way of knowing what Shanahan is going to do.
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67.
Jamaal Williams
RB - GB (vs . MIN)
If he sits, Williams would become a must-play option again. Williams has been more involved in the offense recently and he delivered last week in Jones' absence. If Jones suits up this week, Williams should be viewed as a high-end RB3 that will provide more value in Full PPR formats. If Jones sits, Williams moves to a top-12 option.
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68.
Jonnu Smith
TE - TEN (at CIN)
Smith disappointed in week seven, but he came extremely close to hauling in an end zone target. With Davis, Humphries, and Brown all on the field, there's reason to be concerned about Smith's involvement in this offense moving forward, but it's not enough to pull him from your starting lineup. The Titans should look to rectify their mistake from last week and work to get the ball in Jonnu's hands in this plus matchup. Keep plugging Smith into your lineup as a solid mid-range TE1 with upside.
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69.
J.K. Dobbins
RB - BAL (vs . PIT)
Dobbins should get the nod here as the lead back with Ingram unlikely to suit up. With this offensive philosophy, it's hard to see Dobbins getting 75% of the touches out of this backfield, which could push him up into top-12 consideration against a very stout run defense. He should be viewed as a low-end RB2 that will need to score, or break away a long run, to finish higher than that.
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70.
Hunter Henry
TE - LAC (at DEN)
You'd think that with the way Herbert's been playing, that Henry's value would be through the roof. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case. He's now totaled less than 40 yards in three straight games, including terrific matchups against the Jaguars and Saints. The targets are there, as he's seen at least seven targets in 5-of-6 games, so that's not it. Things should even out over time, but he's been extremely inefficient with his targets to this point. Will a matchup with the Broncos change that? They have allowed a 76.2 percent catch-rate to tight ends, which is among the highest in the league, but those receptions have gone for an average of just 9.72 yards, which is the sixth-lowest mark in football. Despite playing against some very good tight ends (Jonnu Smith, Rob Gronkowski, Eric Ebron, and Travis Kelce), there hasn't been a single tight end who's topped 49 yards against them. Just two of those tight ends topped five targets, which is a number that Henry sees regularly, so we can't automatically say he won't produce. His targets will keep him in the TE1 conversation no matter what, but he's more of a mid-to-low TE1 this week in what's a tough matchup.
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71.
Cole Beasley
WR - BUF (vs . NE)
Beasley has a consistent floor every single week, but with Brown most likely back in the lineup here, he's only worth looking at as a FLEX option in Full PPR leagues.
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72.
Corey Davis
WR - TEN (at CIN)
Davis was able to find the end zone last week, but he's nothing more than a FLEX play. Granted, he has upside in this matchup, but he comes with a wide range of outcomes in this matchup where Tennessee should be able to run the ball all over Cincinnati.
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73.
Damien Harris
RB - NE (at BUF)
At this point, none of the Patriots RBs are really worth looking at from a fantasy perspective. With the way this offense is looking right now, scoring opportunities simply are not there. Harris is a fine dart throw, but you need him to score in order to be fantasy relevant.
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74.
Henry Ruggs III
WR - LV (at CLE)
The Raiders No. 1 receiver, who they selected at No. 12 overall, over Jerry Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb, has 14 targets through four games. He's totaled exactly three targets in each of the last three games he's played, which is not nearly enough to be considered a reliable fantasy option. Does this matchup help matters? Well, receivers have totaled 114 receptions against the Browns, which is the second-highest number in the league through seven weeks. That adds up to a massive 16.3 receptions per game. There are teams who don't allow that many targets per game to opposing receivers. They have allowed 327.2 PPR points to receivers, which is second to only the Seahawks. That's allowed a ridiculous 13 wide receivers to finish with 12.3 or more PPR points against them, which is second to... the Seahawks. That's 13 receivers who've been WR3s at minimum through seven games, which is essentially two per game. Five of those receivers saw six or less targets, too, so it doesn't even require tons of volume. Ruggs moves all over the formation but should see the most of Denzel Ward, who's struggled to this point, allowing four touchdowns in his coverage this year. Ruggs is far from a sure thing, but as a boom-or-bust WR4 who could pay off in a big way? Yeah.
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75.
Jared Cook
TE - NO (at CHI)
We figured we could rely on six-plus targets with Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders out of the lineup... but no. Cook has now seen 15 targets over his last four games, which is far from ideal. They have been okay in fantasy because he's scored on three of them, but his yardage leaves something to be desired (32 yards or less in three of those games). There are just five teams who've seen more targets directed at tight ends than the Bears. That's led to 52 yards and/or a touchdown to 6-of-7 tight ends. The only tight end who failed to hit one of those markers was Ian Thomas, who saw one target. It's not that the Bears are a smash spot, as only two of those tight ends were able to hit top-12 numbers. Going back to the start of last year (span of 23 games), they've allowed just three tight ends to top 56 yards against them. But again, with the receivers ailing, we should expect targets for Cook, and that puts him in the TE1 conversation this week.
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76.
Malcolm Brown
RB - LAR (at MIA)
Brown was able to find the end zone last week, but Henderson heading to the sidelines temporarily with an injury may have assisted in that opportunity. He's a fine bye week fill-in option for desperate lineups, but otherwise it might be best to leave him on your bench.
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77.
Michael Gallup
WR - DAL (at PHI)
He's now totaled just 17 targets over his last four games, which is not enough to be a consistent fantasy producer, especially when you factor in the poor quarterback play. Building on that, he's finished with less than 30 yards in three of his last four games. He'll see Avonte Maddox in coverage most of the time, which is not a horrendous matchup by any standards. Over the last two years, he's allowed 59-of-90 passing for 764 yards and four touchdowns in his coverage, which is good for a QB Rating over 105.0. But again, this comes back to his quarterback play and getting consistent targets. It's tough to see the Cowboys having much success on the ground against the Eagles, so we should see increased pass attempts if their defense can get off the field. Gallup has moved well out of must-play territory and should be considered more of a risk/reward WR4/5.
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78.
Jerry Jeudy
WR - DEN (vs . LAC)
After totaling at least 55 yards in each of his first four games, Jeudy has fallen off the fantasy map, as he's failed to top 32 yards in each of his last two games, though we should give him a pass for the game last week that was played in a blizzard. The Chargers are not a matchup that you should be expecting a wide receiver to get back on track, as they've allowed the 10th-fewest points to the receiver position. It's not just a lack of volume, either, as they've allowed just 1.65 PPR points per target, which is tied for the sixth-lowest mark in the league. He'll see Desmond King in coverage much of the day, the Chargers slot cornerback who's allowed 50-of-61 passing for 531 yards and two touchdowns since the start of last year. That's a ridiculously high 82.0 percent catch-rate, though the receptions have amounted to just 10.6 yards a pop, so he'll need volume to crack out some numbers. If Tim Patrick can't play with his hamstring injury, Jeudy would likely be a candidate for six-plus targets and be considered a decent WR4. If Patrick does play, Jeudy would fall into riskier territory with his recent lack of targets.
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79.
Rashard Higgins
WR - CLE (vs . LV)
With Odell Beckham now out for the season, Higgins walks into the starting lineup. He saw six targets in relief of Beckham, catching all of them for 110 yards against a Bengals team that has struggled against wide receivers, but were also without their top cornerback in that game. The concern with Higgins moving forward is the lack of volume out of this offense, as Mayfield has averaged just 28.3 pass attempts per game, and the wide receivers have seen just a 50 percent target share, which amounts to just over 14 targets per game available to them. The good news is that the Raiders are another plus matchup, though there may not be many pass attempts. They've seen just 18.7 targets per game against wide receivers, which is why they've given up the 11th-most fantasy points to receivers. From an efficiency standpoint, they've allowed 2.02 PPR points per target, which ranks as the sixth-highest mark in the league. The Raiders perimeter duo of Trayvon Mullen and Nevin Lawson have combined to allow 39-of-56 passing for 450 yards and five touchdowns in their coverage, so the perimeter is where most of the damage has been done. Higgins may not be an ultra-consistent receiver, but he should offer WR4 value in a pinch this week.
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80.
Zack Moss
RB - BUF (vs . NE)
Moss has started to become more involved in this offense the past couple of weeks as he works his way back from an injury. He's seen his snap counts go from 25% in week six to 46% in week seven. Meanwhile, Singletary's are trending downward. Moss has the opportunity to score in this offense with his work inside the red zone and he should continue to see more opportunity with Singletary struggling mightily. Moss is worth rostering and potentially plugging into your lineup as a bye week fill-in option that could pay off.
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81.
T.J. Hockenson
TE - DET (vs . IND)
His targets have consistently ranged from 4-7 per week, and he's been mighty efficient, as he's totaled at least 53 yards and/or a touchdown in every game. Despite ranking 17th among tight ends in targets, Hockenson is currently the No. 7 tight end in PPR formats. His next challenge is a tough one. The Colts are one of just two teams who've yet to allow a touchdown to tight ends. Of the fantasy production they've allowed to skill-position players, just 8.4 percent has gone to the tight end position, which is the lowest mark in the league. To this point, they've allowed just 3.72 yards per target to them, which ranks No. 1 in the NFL. Through six games, the Colts have allowed 134 yards to tight ends. That's bananas. The 0.84 PPR points per target is easily the lowest mark in the NFL, so it's probably best to be cautious with what you expect out of Hockenson this week. He's still in the low-end TE1 conversation but is far from a lock for top-12 production.
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82.
Latavius Murray
RB - NO (at CHI)
Murray continues to see around 11 carries per game and he's putting up fine numbers on the ground. However, he hasn't been finding the end zone recently, which makes him an average fantasy play. He's simply a bye week fill-in option at this point that you're hoping is able to find the end zone. He can be viewed as a mid-range RB3 this week.
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83.
Sterling Shepard
WR - NYG (vs . TB)
Welcome back to the lineup, Mr. Shepard. Taking away the game he needed to leave against the Bears, Shepard has now seen at least six targets in each of his last 18 games. That's crazy, right? He's the No. 1 receiver for the Giants with that target floor, even if Slayton may have a higher ceiling. The Buccaneers opponents have thrown the ball 64.1 percent of the time, which is the fourth-most in the NFL, and it's allowed for plenty of opportunities for wide receivers. That's led to 11 different receivers finishing with 10.5 or more PPR points, though just four of them have topped 14.3 PPR points. Receivers have been targeted 19.3 times per game against the Bucs, which is enough for Shepard to see his six-plus targets fairly confidently, especially since the run game will have no chance this week. Shepard should be considered a WR4 option who comes with a better floor than most in that range, though his ceiling is a bit limited.
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84.
T.Y. Hilton
WR - IND (at DET)
As Hilton went into his bye week, here are some receivers who had outscored him through six weeks: Gabriel Davis, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Anthony Miller, and Nelson Agholor. Not great. He did finally post six catches for 69 yards in Week 5, but then fell back into his old ways in Week 6 when he caught just one ball for 11 yards. Something that's becoming a bigger issue is his lack of targets, as he's topped five targets just once over the last five games. It surely doesn't hurt that 64.2 percent of targets against the Lions go to wide receivers, which ranks as the second-highest mark in the league. Among the cornerbacks who've played at least 100 snaps in coverage, Jeff Okudah has allowed 2.35 yards per snap, which ranks as the second-highest mark in football. I mentioned in Rivers' notes that this is the definition of an average matchup, and the same goes for Hilton. There have been 11 wide receivers who've posted 11.4 or more PPR points against them, which put the odds in Hilton's favor to get into WR4 territory this week.
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85.
Tre'Quan Smith
WR - NO (at CHI)
It was certainly a disappointing to watch Smith finish with just four catches for 54 yards against the Panthers, though it wasn't really his fault, as he caught all four of his targets. With Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders out of the lineup, you would've thought he would've had more. That may be the case again this week against the Bears, who've been brutal on opposing receviers. Through seven games, they've allowed just four receivers to top 58 yards against them. They've also allowed just a 57.3 percent catch-rate to receivers, so the targets absolutely need to be there in order for a receiver to succeed. He's moving all over the formation, including the slot almost half the time, which does get him away from Kyle Fuller and Jaylon Johnson. The Bears have Buster Skrine in the slot, and he's allowed 28-of-39 passing for 279 yards and a touchdown in his coverage, so he is the weakest link. Still, it's a brutal matchup. If Thomas and Sanders are out again, Smith should still be in the high-end WR4 conversation, as even backup receiver Marquez Callaway suffered an ankle sprain last week. If Thomas plays, Smith would move down into WR5 territory.
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86.
Marvin Jones Jr.
WR - DET (vs . IND)
He's averaging just 1.04 yards per route run this year, which is the eighth-worst in football, with the likes of Gabriel Davis and Larry Fitzgerald. He did show some sign of life last week, totaling 80 yards on six targets against the Falcons. With Golladay in the lineup, Jones has averaged 4.0 targets per game, which is less than ideal, as is the fact that Danny Amendola has totaled more yards than him through six games (270-226). His matchup is better than Golladay's this week, as the Colts second-year cornerback Rock Ya-Sin has struggled in coverage as of late, allowing 10-of-15 passing for 172 yards over their last two games. The Lions do move Golladay and Jones back and forth, so he's not the only one who'll see Ya-Sin. The Colts have been one of the better defenses, but the only games they failed to allow multiple double-digit PPR receivers were against the Jets (duh) and the Vikings when Kirk Cousins completed just 11-of-26 passes in Week 2. Overall, they've allowed 12 different receivers to finish as WR46 or better, so Jones stays in the WR4/5 conversation, even with the lack of targets he usually sees.
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87.
Mecole Hardman
WR - KC (vs . NYJ)
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88.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling
WR - GB (vs . MIN)
He's been targeted deep 14 times this year, which ranks as the third-highest mark in the league. Why haven't his numbers been bigger then? Well, he's caught just three of them. Despite lacking other options in the offense, his targets and performance have slowly been declining. He's still seen at least four targets in every game, so there's always a chance he blows up with Rodgers. It also doesn't hurt that he's playing against the Vikings team who he had his best performance of the season against back in Week 1 when he totaled 4/96/1 on six targets. Cameron Dantzler is the cornerback he'll see much of the time in coverage, a rookie who's allowed 316 yards and four touchdowns on just 37 targets in coverage. The Vikings have allowed a total of 11 receivers to hit double-digit PPR days, so Valdes-Scantling is someone you can consider playing as a boom-or-bust WR5 if you're looking for a ceiling.
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89.
Noah Fant
TE - DEN (vs . LAC)
Fant returned to the lineup last week and ran a tight end team-high 26 routes, though they only netted three catches for 38 yards, and he appeared hobbled at times throughout the game. Meanwhile Okwuegbunam ran 18 routes and racked up seven catches for 60 yards. Suddenly, Fant may have competition for targets, as "Albert O" has totaled 13 targets over the last two weeks. Don't forget that him and Drew Lock were teammates at Missouri and connected really well. The Chargers have not been a dominant defense against tight ends, and in fact, they are below average, allowing 2.10 PPR points per target, which ranks as the seventh-highest mark in football. Teams have targeted their tight ends just 6.5 times per game, which is far from ideal, but the Broncos have targeted their tight ends 10.2 times per game, so something has to give. With Tim Patrick looking extremely iffy, there may be even more targets to go around. There have already been three top-seven performances by tight ends against the Chargers, so as long as Fant practices in full at some point this week, he should be considered a top-10 play. If he doesn't, things get a bit dicier, so stay tuned here for updates. As for Okwuegbunam, he'd be a borderline TE1 if Fant were to sit out. If Fant plays and Patrick sits, he moves up into the TE2 with upside category. Clearly, there's a lot to sort out here as the week goes on.
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90.
Gus Edwards
RB - BAL (vs . PIT)
Edwards should see plenty of carries in this game too, but it's hard to trust him as anything more than a bye week fill-in option.
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91.
Richard Rodgers
TE - PHI (vs . DAL)
With both Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert out of the lineup, Rodgers played as the primary tight end against the Giants, and he delivered. All in all, he played 69-of-81 snaps, saw eight targets, and netted 6/85/0 on them. We know how important the tight ends are in the Doug Pederson offense, so we shouldn't be all that surprised. The Cowboys have allowed 40 yards and/or a touchdown to six different tight ends this year, including a four-catch, 60-yard, one-touchdown performance to Logan Thomas last week. He did all of that on just four targets. The 2.06 PPR points per target the Cowboys have allowed to tight ends ranks as the ninth-highest mark in the league. They've allowed the 10th-most points per game to tight ends despite seeing just 6.4 targets per game to them. Meanwhile, the Eagles have targeted their tight ends 11.7 times per game. Rodgers is someone you should consider as a low-end TE1/high-end TE2 streamer.
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92.
Curtis Samuel
WR - CAR (vs . ATL)
He returned to the lineup last week and proceeded to see six targets. He's caught 25-of-29 targets this year, and though they've only amounted to 231 yards and no touchdowns, he has a role in this offense. He also happens to have a great matchup in the slot with Isaiah Oliver. No cornerback in the NFL has allowed more yards in his coverage (453) than Oliver. It is worth noting that they just moved him to the slot a couple weeks ago, so he's in a new role, though he hasn't done much better with it. On the 17 slot targets in coverage, he's allowed 14/160/0. If you're looking for someone who's on waivers in most leagues who has a shot at a big game, Samuel makes sense as a risk/reward WR4/5 in this matchup, especially given his 16 touches over the last two games he played.
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93.
Scotty Miller
WR - TB (at NYG)
It's pretty odd, but Miller has been more of a part of the offense with Chris Godwin in the lineup. Seriously, in three games without him, Miller has seen 3, 0, and 2 targets. In the four games with him, he's seen 6, 5, 2, and 9 targets. Miller did deal with some injuries during that time, which could've contributed to his decreased role, though he was on the field. The Giants are going to have James Bradberry on Evans, which would put Ryan Lewis on Miller. He's allowed 12-of-21 passing for 236 yards in his coverage, which amounts to a massive 19.7 yards per reception. Miller's average depth of target is 16.3 yards down the field, which ranks as the fifth-highest mark in the league. If you're trying to find someone who has value for one more week, Miller should be considered a decent WR4/5 with upside option.
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94.
Tim Patrick
WR - DEN (vs . LAC)
He suffered a hamstring injury in the Week 7 loss to the Chiefs, which makes him iffy for this game against the Chargers. Make sure you stay tuned to the bottom of the notes, as I'll update them by Friday night/Saturday morning. Prior to Week 7, Patrick had been on a roll, racking up 214 yards in the previous two weeks. The matchup this week against the Chargers is not a great one for him, as the Chargers have been hard on opposing perimeter receivers. There have been just four receivers to score more than 10.5 PPR points against them, and all of them saw at least seven targets, which might be wishful thinking for a receiver coming off a hamstring injury. My advice would be to look elsewhere for a streaming option.
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95.
Adrian Peterson
RB - DET (vs . IND)
AP's still receiving a ton of carries in this offense, but he's doing next to nothing with them. Against a stout Colts defense, AP's a sit candidate unless you're in an absolute pinch.
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96.
Nelson Agholor
WR - LV (at CLE)
It's kind of crazy what past relationships with players can do with our perception. Remember when we all didn't want to buy into Robby Anderson because he broke our hearts over and over while in New York? Well, we might be there with Agholor now, too. He's now scored in 4-of-6 games this season despite seeing more than four targets just once. His nine targets against the Bucs last week was more than Tyrell Williams saw in any one game last year, yet everyone viewed him as a WR3/4 option most weeks. It was just one week, but we need to pay attention to him moving forward. He has earned the role he has with the Raiders. Could he find the end zone again? Wide receivers have been targeted 33 times in the red zone against the Browns, which is easily the highest number in the league, as no other team has faced more than 22 red zone targets to wide receivers. The Browns have allowed 13 wide receivers to finish as the WR37 or better, which is kind of remarkable considering we're just seven weeks into the season. Agholor leads the Raiders' wide receivers in routes run over their last two games. He's far from a lock for production, but given the matchup, he's in the WR4 conversation.
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97.
Robert Tonyan
TE - GB (vs . MIN)
Remember when Tonyan was the No. 1 tight end in fantasy coming off his three-touchdown game against the Falcons? Since that time, he's seen six targets and caught five passes for 57 yards. He has been trying to play through a few injuries, so maybe he's getting healthier as the weeks go on? The Vikings don't look so bad on paper against the tight end position, as they've allowed the 14th-fewest fantasy points per game to the position, but when you look at their efficiency numbers, they're likely a top-five matchup for tight ends. They've allowed an 80.0 percent catch-rate (3rd-highest), 15.13 yards per reception (highest in NFL), 12.1 yards per target (most in NFL), and 2.41 PPR points per target (4th-highest). That doesn't seem like such a brutal matchup, does it? We should pay attention to the injury reports because if Tonyan practices in full, he should be a solid low-end TE1/high-end TE2 streamer.
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98.
Demarcus Robinson
WR - KC (vs . NYJ)
Someone asked Watkins on Twitter during last week's game if he'd be back in Week 8 and he said yes, so it seems he's feeling better. The three full games he's played this year have netted 9, 8, and 7 targets, so he's certainly someone who needs to be on the fantasy radar. The Jets have been a decent matchup for receivers to this point, although the 1.81 PPR points per target they've allowed is right near the league average. That's kept them right in the middle of the pack when it comes to fantasy points allowed, as they rank 15th against wide receivers. Watkins primary matchup would be the best on the field, as Pierre Desir has allowed 24-of-33 passing for 299 yards and five touchdowns (most in NFL) in his coverage. We have to see how Watkins is doing in practice before playing him with any confidence, but this matchup isn't one that should cause you to be concerned. If he practices in full, he can be considered an upside WR4. If he doesn't play, Robinson would move into the WR4/5 conversation.
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99.
Preston Williams
WR - MIA (vs . LAR)
Is he rounding into shape now over a year removed from his torn ACL? Some have blamed that as his reason for early season struggles, but his target shares are still nothing to get excited about, as he's seen just 13 targets over the last four games. He's scored in three of those games, propping up his fantasy totals, as he's topped 41 yards just once all season. Of the fantasy production the Rams have allowed to opponents' skill-position players, just 43.8 percent of it has gone to wide receivers, which is the third-lowest mark in football. Williams has generated a league-low 1.7 yards of separation at target, which doesn't provide Tagovailoa with a big window against one of the best secondaries in the league. In fact, Darious Williams has been just as good as Jalen Ramsey, allowing just 14-of-26 passing for 222 yards and one touchdown while intercepting two passes. The Rams have allowed just five top-36 wide receivers through seven games, and all of them have seen at least six targets. Williams is someone I'd fade as a WR5.
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100.
Lamical Perine
RB - NYJ (at KC)
Perine continues to see his role increase in this offense, but it's not enough to warrant standalone fantasy value. He's a low-end RB3 this week.
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101.
Kendrick Bourne
WR - SF (at SEA)
If you're looking for a last-minute wide receiver to stick into lineups, Bourne might not be a bad option. In the first four games (before Deebo Samuel had a full-time role), Bourne totaled at least five targets in each game. The Seahawks have seen an average of 31.3 wide receiver targets per game. Guys, there are two teams in the NFL who don't see that many pass attempts per game. There have somehow been 10 wide receivers who've totaled 20-plus PPR points against them. While we don't need to expect that, they have allowed 15 wide receivers to hit at least 11.5 PPR points against them. Bourne looks like someone who should deliver a solid WR4/5 floor with upside for more in a great matchup.
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102.
James White
RB - NE (at BUF)
At this point, none of the Patriots RBs are really worth looking at from a fantasy perspective. With the way this offense is looking right now, scoring opportunities simply are not there. White should be seeing way more targets out of the backfield than what he's been getting, which makes him a risky FLEX play at best in Full PPR leagues.
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103.
Hayden Hurst
TE - ATL (at CAR)
The trend continued with Hurst with Julio Jones in the lineup. He's struggled in the games where Jones didn't play, but here are his totals with Jones in the lineup: 6/68/0, 4/57/1, 4/51/0, 5/72/1, and 3/38/0. He's averaging a mediocre 5.6 targets per game on the season, which is good enough, though not quite the 120-target pace that Austin Hooper was on last year. Hurst's current 16-game pace is 89.1 targets. The unfortunate part is that he already played the Panthers in Week 5 and produced just two catches for eight yards, though it's worth noting that Jones was not in the lineup for that game. The Panthers have allowed six different tight ends finish as top-18 options against them, so they're far from a must-avoid matchup, though they haven't allowed much upside, as no tight end has scored more than the 12.2 PPR points that Jared Cook did last week. The 4.77 yards per target they've allowed ranks as the second-lowest number in the league, so it hasn't been a very good matchup to target. Consider Hurst just a mid-to-high-end TE2 this week who benefits from the receivers' coverage.
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104.
Mike Gesicki
TE - MIA (vs . LAR)
Over their last two games, Gesicki has totaled eight targets and turned them into 5/91/0. Meanwhile, Adam Shaheen and Durham Smythe have combined for eight targets and turned them into 7/88/3. This is not great news. What is great news is that it's not likely to keep up. In those two games, Gesicki has run 50 routes, while Shaheen has run 14, and Smythe has run just four of them. Still, Gesicki's fantasy finishes have been maddening: 24, 2, 15, 45, 7, 76. That's extremely boom-or-bust, and now having a rookie quarterback under center isn't likely to help his consistency, as they're likely to go a bit more run-heavy. One bit that you should know is that Gesicki has been working with the scout team all year, so he should have chemistry with Tagovailoa from day one. The Rams aren't a team who's been great against tight ends, allowing both George Kittle and Tyler Kroft to finish as top-two options against them. Targets have been funneled to them due to their cornerback talent, and that's led to a league-leading 64 targets against them. They're allowing a pedestrian 1.61 PPR points per target, so it hasn't been a smash spot without a lot of volume, but Gesicki should be in the TE1 conversation this week.
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105.
Golden Tate
WR - NYG (vs . TB)
He's still yet to reach 50 yards in a game this year. He's caught at least four passes in 4-of-6 games, which provides a floor for PPR leaguers, but the ceiling is extremely limited. He probably has the best matchup on the field this week, as Sean Murphy-Bunting is the weakest link in the Bucs secondary, allowing 32-of-35 passes to be completed for 369 yards and two touchdowns in his coverage, good enough for a 129.6 QB Rating. Opposing teams have moved their receivers around to get them in the mismatch with Murphy-Bunting, but Tate is essentially the full-time slot receiver, so can he deliver? He's had other good matchups that he failed to deliver in this year and has seen just three targets over the last two games, so can we trust him enough to find out? Probably not, making him a WR5 with a limited ceiling.
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106.
Denzel Mims
WR - NYJ (at KC)
The good news is that he saw seven targets in his NFL debut, which is more than most receivers can say on a weekly basis. He caught four of them for 42 yards, which isn't bad when you consider the matchup against the Bills. The Jets receivers have been targeted 22.9 times per game, so there are targets to go around, especially if Jamison Crowder sits out again. The unfortunate part is that the Chiefs are not a matchup to attack with wide receivers, as they've allowed just eight wide receviers to finish as top-48 options (WR4 or better), and five of them needed to score, which is something the Jets receivers have done just four times all season. All in all, the 911 yards the Chiefs have allowed to receivers ranks second in the NFL, though the 130.1 yards per game is the best in the NFL. Mims is someone who should be stashed, but he's nothing more than a WR5 this week.
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107.
Evan Engram
TE - NYG (vs . TB)
You can't say the Giants haven't been trying to get him the ball, as he's averaging 6.3 targets per game, and they've even given him multiple carries in two of their last three games. He's totaled at least 9.5 PPR points in 4-of-7 games, which is a bit more stable than most realize, though he's yet to score more than 12.5 PPR points, so the ceiling has been non-existent. The Bucs have been similar to him, honestly. They've allowed the 11th-fewest fantasy points to tight ends, giving up 6.81 yards per target (22nd), a 61.7 percent completion-rate (27th), and a touchdown every 15.7 targets (18th). So, they're a below-average matchup, though there have been five tight ends who've finished as top-15 options against them (Darren Waller was the only one who finished better than TE9). With the lack of run game, we should expect another game of six-plus targets for Engram, which keeps him in the high-end TE2 conversation.
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108.
Greg Ward
WR - PHI (vs . DAL)
He falls under that category of wide receivers who never feel great to play, though he's delivered 12.6 or more PPR points in three of his last five games. Between DeSean Jackson, Zach Ertz, and Dallas Goedert being out of the lineup and Alshon Jeffery maybe not being a real person at this point, Ward should be in line for five-plus targets in this matchup against the Cowboys, a team that's allowed 2.18 PPR points per target. Tyler Lockett, Russell Gage, and Jarvis Landry all finished as top-24 options against them, though it's worth noting that each of them did see six-plus targets. Even Golden Tate was able to collect four catches for 42 yards against them. Ward is someone you can play as a WR5 in a pinch, especially in PPR formats.
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109.
Jimmy Graham
TE - CHI (vs . NO)
Is Graham suddenly sharing the work with Cole Kmet and Demetrius Harris? He saw a respectable six targets last week but knowing Kmet and Harris combined for five themselves is worrisome. Looking at the routes, we shouldn't be too concerned, as Graham has run 59 routes the last two weeks, while Kmet has run 20, and Harris has run 15 of them. We have another revenge game narrative as Graham will be going against his former team. He's only played them once since his departure, totaling three catches for 34 yards. This year, it's been a good time to attack the Saints with tight ends, as teams have chosen to target their tight ends 27.6 percent of the time, which is the highest percentage in the league. Production has followed, as 24.8 percent of the production they've allowed to running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends has gone to the tight end position. They have already allowed five different tight ends to finish as top-10 options against them, with the only one who didn't was Ian Thomas, who saw one target. All in all, they've allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to tight ends, and Graham is seeing a respectable 15.1 percent target share. He can be considered a low-end TE1 this week, who can't be trusted as more than that with Foles' play as of late.
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110.
Frank Gore
RB - NYJ (at KC)
Gore is now splitting carries with Perine, which limits his fantasy outlook in a terrible offense. Gore's a RB4 this week.
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111.
Breshad Perriman
WR - NYJ (at KC)
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112.
Phillip Lindsay
RB - DEN (vs . LAC)
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113.
Zach Pascal
WR - IND (at DET)
He's now seen 17 targets over the three games without Michael Pittman, which is enough to be considered fantasy relevant. He's also reached at least 54 yards in two of those games, which is something T.Y. Hilton has done twice in his last 10 games. Pascal is playing in the slot 80 percent of the time since the injuries to Pittman and Parris Campbell, which is something that should benefit him in this matchup with the Lions. There have been 14 receivers who've seen more than three targets against them, and 12 of them finished with 9.4 or more PPR points. While defending the slot, Darryl Roberts has allowed 20-of-28 passing for 226 yards and three touchdowns. It seems like Justin Coleman might return from his hamstring injury soon, but he was torched for a 107.3 QB Rating in his coverage last year while playing that position and would be coming off a month-plus absence. Pascal is in the WR4/5 conversation this week.
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114.
Eric Ebron
TE - PIT (at BAL)
Despite all the Steelers receivers being healthy last week, Ebron saw a season-high eight targets against the Titans. Sure, it helps that Roethlisberger threw 49 passes, but it's still a good sign for Ebron. The 42 routes he ran last week ranked second among tight ends, which is a great sign for production. The Ravens are a fairly dominant defense against almost all positions, but they're simply average against tight ends, allowing the 14th-most fantasy points to them. The 7.06 yards per target is close to the league average, while the touchdown every 15.7 targets is right there as well. They've allowed four tight ends hit double-digit PPR points against them, though it did require touchdowns for two of them. The concern here is Roethlisberger's struggles in Baltimore over the last five years, but Ebron's role is growing and he seems locked into five-plus targets. Consider him a mid-to-high-end TE2.
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115.
Trey Burton
TE - IND (at DET)
Don't look now, but Burton is being used eerily similar to the way Eric Ebron was used with the Colts. Since joining the starting lineup, he's seen at least five targets in each game, and even got a goal-line carry last week. The Lions have been one of the better teams at defending tight ends, but it's an extremely small sample size for a team that was slightly below average against them last year, in the same scheme. Still, teams have chosen to target their tight ends just 14.2 percent of the time against them, which ranks as the third-lowest number in the league. Even worse, just 9.4 percent of fantasy production has gone to tight ends. Still, targets are all you can ask for from a streamer that's available in almost 80 percent of leagues, and Burton is getting them. He appears to be someone who'll be in the streamer conversation more than not, but this isn't a matchup that absolutely needs to be attacked. He should be considered a high-end TE2 with his steady flow of targets.
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116.
Hunter Renfrow
WR - LV (at CLE)
He's coming onto the field in three wide receiver sets, but that's about it. Because of that, he's run 39 routes over the last two weeks combined, which ranks outside the top-60 wide receivers. He has been targeted at least six times in three of the last four games, so he hasn't been completely forgotten. It doesn't hurt that they're about to play the Browns, a team that's faced 25.0 targets per game to wide receivers alone. The gamescript is important to Renfrow, though, because the Raiders don't run 3WR base sets, so they need to fall behind in order for him to see a big increase in snaps. There are just too many variables in Renfrow's projection to play him with confidence, even though the Browns have been a great matchup for wide receivers, especially those who play heavy slot snaps. If the Raiders fall behind quickly in this game, I wouldn't be surprised if Renfrow has a solid game.
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117.
Rex Burkhead
RB - NE (at BUF)
This backfield is a mess, we already knew that. It's only going to get worse if Michel is activated off the IR/COVID list this week, though I'd suspect one of him or Harris would be inactive. But one touch for White last week? What are they doing? White has had a semi-consistent role in the offense, which is why Week 7 was such a surprise. The Bills opponents have run the ball 43.5 percent of the time, which ranks as the 12th-highest mark, but we know Newton will steal some of those carries. The 113.9 fantasy points they've allowed on the ground ranks as the fifth-most in the league, while the 49.1 PPR points they've allowed through the air ranks as the sixth-fewest in the league. Expect the Patriots to try and run the ball quite a bit in this game, as three of the last four opponents the Bills have totaled at least 97 yards on the ground against them with running backs alone. For now, we'll assume that Michel remains out and play Harris as a low-end RB3 option who should net at least a dozen carries. We have to shake off White's big fat zero last week, as he's had a stable role in this offense for a while, but the matchup is not ideal. Consider him a low-end RB3/flex option this week. As for Burkhead, he's had a bigger role than most realize, totaling at least 47 yards in 4-of-6 games, but he's still not someone you should trust more than an emergency RB4 with everyone healthy.
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118.
Wayne Gallman
RB - NYG (vs . TB)
Freeman does not appear like he's on track to play in this matchup, which means that Gallman will get the nod here. However, that doesn't exactly mean that you should be rushing out to start him in an extremely tough matchup. Gallman's a mid-range RB3 that should struggle to get things going on the ground, but could see some work through the receiving game to provide a safe floor. However, you almost certainly have better options available on your roster.
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119.
Adam Humphries
WR - TEN (at CIN)
Humphries is nothing more than a low-end FLEX play in Full PPR formats now with the full allotment of Titans pass-catchers in the lineup.
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120.
James Washington
WR - PIT (at BAL)
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121.
Alexander Mattison
RB - MIN (at GB)
Mattison failed to deliver in his prime matchup in week six and now goes back to being a backup option behind Cook. He can be avoided this week.
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122.
Darnell Mooney
WR - CHI (vs . NO)
He's playing a full-time role in the offense and has now seen at least five targets in five straight games, which puts him on the fantasy radar. He should've had a very long touchdown on Monday night, but Foles just missed him with no defender in sight. If Allen Robinson were forced to miss this game, Mooney's floor would go up, and he'd need that because just 46.7 percent of the targets against the Saints have been directed at wide receivers. They've seen just 93 targets to the position, which is a league-low, and amounts to just 15.5 per game. When receivers do catch the ball, it goes for A TON. They've allowed 15.7 yards per reception (1st), 10.44 yards per target (2nd), and a touchdown every 10.3 targets (1st). That all amounts to 2.29 PPR points per target. To put things in perspective, if Mooney saw just five targets and was an average receiver against them, he'd score 11.5 PPR points. He's not the worst hail mary play in this game, but he's still a boom-or-bust WR5 due to his lackluster quarterback play. If Robinson were to miss the game, it would bump his floor up a bit.
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123.
Damiere Byrd
WR - NE (at BUF)
At this point, all of the Patriots WRs can be avoided for fantasy football.
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124.
Harrison Bryant
TE - CLE (vs . LV)
We all thought Njoku would be the starter with Austin Hooper out, but the Browns seem dead set on avoiding Njoku as a full-time player. Still, neither of them played massive roles compared to other tight ends in the league. Bryant ran 17 routes (ranked 26th in Week 7) while Njoku ran 12 routes. Let me be clear: If that remains the case, neither will be a reliable streamer. The Raiders have not been a matchup to avoid with tight ends, as we've seen Travis Kelce, Rob Gronkowski, and Jared Cook all score against them, though Kelce and Gronkowski were the only tight ends who topped 16 yards. Nothing about the matchup screams "must start" against the Raiders, as the 6.90 yards per target ranks 20th, the 61.9 percent completion-rate ranks 25th, and the 1.74 PPR points per target ranks 17th. Bryant would be the preferred option of the two but he's just a middling TE2 while Njoku is a touchdown-or-bust low-end TE2.
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125.
Devonta Freeman
RB - NYG (vs . TB)
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126.
Anthony Miller
WR - CHI (vs . NO)
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127.
Tony Pollard
RB - DAL (at PHI)
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128.
Brian Hill
RB - ATL (at CAR)
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129.
Josh Reynolds
WR - LAR (at MIA)
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130.
Marquez Callaway
WR - NO (at CHI)
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131.
Russell Gage
WR - ATL (at CAR)
We talked about Gage the last two weeks, saying he is a fine bye week replacement now that Julio Jones is back in the lineup, as he just makes the entire offense run that much smoother. Gage has caught 10 balls for 119 yards over the last two games, which is perfect for someone who's available on most waiver wires. The matchup this week is tougher than we expected. The Panthers have Corn Elder covering the slot, and he's done a good job, allowing just 10 catches for 52 yards and no touchdowns on 16 targets. The only slot-heavy receiver who produced against them was Keenan Allen, who did most of his damage outside of Elder's coverage. Knowing the Panthers have allowed the second-fewest yards per reception and the sixth-fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers, it may not be the best time to play him as anything more than a WR5 with minimal upside.
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132.
Braxton Berrios
WR - NYJ (at KC)
Fun fact: Edwards-Helaire ranks second in the NFL with 33 broken tackles. Yes, the Chiefs added Bell to the backfield, but it's not due to Edwards-Helaire not being able to carry the workload. In Bell's first game, the split in opportunities was Edwards-Helaire 12, Bell 6. It was an odd game in the snow, so we can't take too much away from it. I'm sure that Bell would love to stick it to his old team this week, but will Andy Reid give him a bigger role to do so? The Jets have faced the fourth-most weighted opportunity to running backs, as they've averaged a massive 203 touches through seven games. That amounts to 29.0 per game, so there should be plenty to go around in a game they're almost 20-point favorites and projected to score 34.0 points. The Jets were a solid run defense last year, though this team looks like they've simply given up on the season and have now allowed 90-plus rushing yards to three different running backs. Their schedule hasn't even been tough, as they've played the Bills running backs twice, the 49ers, Colts, Broncos, Cardinals, and Dolphins. The issue here is that we may not see the check-downs to running backs as much knowing the Jets cornerback issues, and that's a big part of Edwards-Helaire's value in this offense. You should still be starting him as a low-end RB1/high-end RB2 this week. Bell's role should grow this week, as we should see more touches available than the 15 there were between these two running backs last week. I'd expect at least 28-plus touches out of them in this game, which should put Bell in the 10-12 range against his former team. He should be considered a mid-to-high-end RB3.
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133.
Gabriel Davis
WR - BUF (vs . NE)
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134.
Nyheim Hines
RB - IND (at DET)
Hines has been seeing just enough work out of the backfield to be in the fantasy football conversation, but he has yet to deliver a solid performance after his week one explosion. Hines is a low-end RB3 this week.
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135.
Dalton Schultz
TE - DAL (at PHI)
After looking what might be a solution to tight end problems has turned into... well, another problem. Schultz has totaled just 63 yards over the last three games combined. His targets have dipped as well, which should be expected considering they can't sustain drives on offense and their defense can't get off the field. It is worth noting that the Eagles have been pretty awful at defending tight ends this year, allowing an 81.1 percent catch-rate and 2.29 PPR points per target to them. They've already allowed six different tight ends to finish with at least 9.3 PPR points against them, which is actually a stable floor this year. Included in that bunch is a 39.3-point performance to George Kittle and a 28.4-point performance to Tyler Higbee. Just like the rest of the Cowboys pass catchers, Schultz comes with bad quarterback risk, but this matchup has been one to look forward to with tight ends. He should be considered a middling TE2 who could find his way into the top-10 with some competent quarterback play.
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136.
Benny Snell Jr.
RB - PIT (at BAL)
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137.
Danny Amendola
WR - DET (vs . IND)
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138.
N'Keal Harry
WR - NE (at BUF)
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139.
Jalen Guyton
WR - LAC (at DEN)
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140.
Corey Clement
RB - PHI (vs . DAL)
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141.
Tyler Higbee
TE - LAR (at MIA)
With Higbee a late scratch last week, Everett stepped into a slightly bigger role, running 20 routes, which is a number Higbee hasn't hit since Week 1. It's still not a lot of routes, as the Rams essentially let Johnny Mundt run 14 routes as well in Higbee's role. The Dolphins are one of just two teams who've yet to allow a touchdown to tight ends. It's not just that, either, as they've yet to allow a tight end more than 44 yards. It's impressive when you see that George Kittle was one of the tight ends they played when he caught four passes for 44 yards on eight targets, so he wasn't short on volume, either (that was the game Jimmy Garoppolo was benched). This is a Rams tight end group that hasn't had a single player get more than five targets in a game all season, so don't feel the need to play any of them, though Everett is on the TE2 radar if Higbee is out again. If Higbee plays, I wouldn't aim to play either of them.
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142.
Greg Olsen
TE - SEA (vs . SF)
We're starting to see more of a timeshare between these two tight ends, as we watched Dissly trail Olsen in routes 36-29 last week, which is a very small gap. It's something to monitor, as Dissly hadn't run more than 14 routes in the first five games. Don't forget, he was coming off an Achilles injury, so the recovery was a long one. It's not a shock to see Dissly see a season-high four targets last week. The 49ers have faced an average of just 6.0 targets per game to tight ends, and on those targets, they've allowed just 1.55 PPR points per target, which ranks as the eighth-lowest mark in the league. There have been five tight ends who've seen four-plus targets, but just two of them have topped 22 yards. I'm not big on either of these tight ends until we see one emerge as the clear-cut leader, and from the trend we saw last week, it might be Dissly.
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143.
David Moore
WR - SEA (vs . SF)
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144.
Marcus Johnson
WR - IND (at DET)
He saw eight targets in Week 6, putting him on the fantasy map. He's run 75 routes over the last three weeks, which isn't a whole lot, as it's less than 75 percent of the routes that Hilton and Pascal are running. He's averaging double the yards per route they are, though his efficiency is unlikely to continue with how unpredictable Rivers has been. The Lions have been a solid matchup for receivers, though they've been better on the perimeter than they have in the slot. The perimeter duo of Amani Oruwariye and Jeff Okudah have combined to allow 38-of-65 passing for 552 yards, but they haven't allowed a touchdown in their coverage. Let's make sure that Johnson wasn't just a flash in the pan for one week, as I'm guessing that Hilton and Pascal are still ahead of him in the pecking order.
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145.
Drew Sample
TE - CIN (vs . TEN)
Sample saw an increased target share last week, but his usage is too unpredictable every single week. You can leave him on your league's waiver wire.
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146.
Gerald Everett
TE - LAR (at MIA)
With Higbee a late scratch last week, Everett stepped into a slightly bigger role, running 20 routes, which is a number Higbee hasn't hit since Week 1. It's still not a lot of routes, as the Rams essentially let Johnny Mundt run 14 routes as well in Higbee's role. The Dolphins are one of just two teams who've yet to allow a touchdown to tight ends. It's not just that, either, as they've yet to allow a tight end more than 44 yards. It's impressive when you see that George Kittle was one of the tight ends they played when he caught four passes for 44 yards on eight targets, so he wasn't short on volume, either (that was the game Jimmy Garoppolo was benched). This is a Rams tight end group that hasn't had a single player get more than five targets in a game all season, so don't feel the need to play any of them, though Everett is on the TE2 radar if Higbee is out again. If Higbee plays, I wouldn't aim to play either of them.
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147.
DeeJay Dallas
RB - SEA (vs . SF)
This is certainly a situation to monitor as the week goes on, as we're hearing that Hyde is dealing with a hamstring injury. If he's not able to go, Dallas would have the backfield practically all to himself, as Carson is out for a few weeks and Travis Homer has a bone bruise on his knee. It's not the greatest week to walk into a workhorse role, as the 49ers have allowed a league-low 0.67 PPR points per opportunity to running backs this year. There's been just one running back who's totaled more than 63 yards on the ground against the 49ers, and it was Darrell Henderson, who totaled 88 yards and failed to hit 10 PPR points. They've allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points on the ground to running backs and that's despite not having their bye week out of the way. The 5.70 yards per target is right around the league average, which does benefit Dallas, whose receiving abilities are one of the better parts of his game. There has been just one running back who's finished better than RB17 against the 49ers, so even in a workhorse role, either of these running backs will be nothing more than a low-end RB2. If Hyde is held out, Dallas would be someone to start because he'd be locked into 15-plus touches. I'll be coming back later in the week (by Saturday morning the latest) to update my projections on these two backs as we get more information.
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148.
Tyler Johnson
WR - TB (at NYG)
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149.
David Njoku
TE - CLE (vs . LV)
We all thought Njoku would be the starter with Austin Hooper out, but the Browns seem dead set on avoiding Njoku as a full-time player. Still, neither of them played massive roles compared to other tight ends in the league. Bryant ran 17 routes (ranked 26th in Week 7) while Njoku ran 12 routes. Let me be clear: If that remains the case, neither will be a reliable streamer. The Raiders have not been a matchup to avoid with tight ends, as we've seen Travis Kelce, Rob Gronkowski, and Jared Cook all score against them, though Kelce and Gronkowski were the only tight ends who topped 16 yards. Nothing about the matchup screams "must start" against the Raiders, as the 6.90 yards per target ranks 20th, the 61.9 percent completion-rate ranks 25th, and the 1.74 PPR points per target ranks 17th. Bryant would be the preferred option of the two but he's just a middling TE2 while Njoku is a touchdown-or-bust low-end TE2.
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150.
Irv Smith Jr.
TE - MIN (at GB)
He's now seen five targets in back-to-back games, but what you really need to know about is the trends in his playing time. His routes run have gone: 16, 17, 17, 12, 31, 28. It's almost like a lightbulb went off and the Vikings started playing him more. His 59 routes in Weeks 5-6 ranked eighth among tight ends. It's paid off, too, as he's turned those 10 targets into eight receptions for 119 yards. The only concern is that opponents have targeted tight ends just 13.5 percent of the time against the Packers, which ranks as the second-lowest mark in the league. However, when targeted, they have allowed a massive 10.04 yards per target to tight ends on the season, including a 77.8 percent completion-rate. In a game where the Vikings are likely to have 35-plus pass attempts, Smith should be a quality high-end TE2 streamer (and maybe rest of season) option.
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151.
KJ Hamler
WR - DEN (vs . LAC)
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152.
Deonte Harris
WR - NO (at CHI)
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153.
Jeremy McNichols
RB - TEN (at CIN)
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154.
D'Ernest Johnson
RB - CLE (vs . LV)
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155.
Cordarrelle Patterson
WR,RB - CHI (vs . NO)
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156.
Albert Okwuegbunam
TE - DEN (vs . LAC)
Fant returned to the lineup last week and ran a tight end team-high 26 routes, though they only netted three catches for 38 yards, and he appeared hobbled at times throughout the game. Meanwhile Okwuegbunam ran 18 routes and racked up seven catches for 60 yards. Suddenly, Fant may have competition for targets, as "Albert O" has totaled 13 targets over the last two weeks. Don't forget that him and Drew Lock were teammates at Missouri and connected really well. The Chargers have not been a dominant defense against tight ends, and in fact, they are below average, allowing 2.10 PPR points per target, which ranks as the seventh-highest mark in football. Teams have targeted their tight ends just 6.5 times per game, which is far from ideal, but the Broncos have targeted their tight ends 10.2 times per game, so something has to give. With Tim Patrick looking extremely iffy, there may be even more targets to go around. There have already been three top-seven performances by tight ends against the Chargers, so as long as Fant practices in full at some point this week, he should be considered a top-10 play. If he doesn't, things get a bit dicier, so stay tuned here for updates. As for Okwuegbunam, he'd be a borderline TE1 if Fant were to sit out. If Fant plays and Patrick sits, he moves up into the TE2 with upside category. Clearly, there's a lot to sort out here as the week goes on.
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157.
Kerryon Johnson
RB - DET (vs . IND)
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158.
Cam Akers
RB - LAR (at MIA)
Fun fact I found while doing research this week: Akers has averaged 4.15 yards after contact, which is one of the best marks in the NFL, though it is a very small sample size (26 carries). Henderson appears to have a stranglehold on the job, though don't get too comfy as a fantasy manager, as continually on a short leash. Still, his weighted opportunity is up there with guys like Jonathan Taylor. Of the production the Dolphins have allowed to skill-position players, 40.4 percent of it has gone to running backs, which is the third-highest mark in the league. But here's one of the craziest stats you might read this week: The Dolphins have faced just one running back all season who's totaled more than 11 carries. That running back was Chris Carson, who went for 80 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries. Still, the Dolphins have allowed at least 93 rushing yards to running backs in 5-of-6 games this year. If Henderson gets volume, he'll produce like a high-end RB2, as the Dolphins have allowed the third-most fantasy points per opportunity to running backs, behind only the Packers and Raiders. He's totaled at least 14 opportunities in five of the last six games, so we must assume he'll be in that range again, so start him as an RB2 until McVay gives us a reason not to, but I'm not touching him in DFS cash games. After the Week 1 game where Brown had 22 opportunities, he's finished with 11 or less in five of the last six games. He hasn't been forgotten, as he's still received at least seven carries in 6-of-7 games and has 19 targets on the season, so he can be thought of as a last-minute RB4 replacement. Akers hasn't had a touch the last two weeks, so it's hard to recommend him to even be rostered at this point.
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159.
John Hightower
WR - PHI (vs . DAL)
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160.
Travis Homer
RB - SEA (vs . SF)
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161.
Tyler Kroft
TE - BUF (vs . NE)
There is not a Bills tight end you can play with any confidence. We're almost halfway through the season, and no Bills tight end has topped five targets in a game. In fact, there have been just two occasions where a tight end has seen more than three targets. Nevermind the fact that the Patriots are one of the best in the league at stopping tight ends.
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162.
Matt Breida
RB - MIA (vs . LAR)
With a rookie quarterback making his first NFL start, you'd better expect a run-heavy game plan out of the Dolphins, though that may not last as long as they'd like considering the spread on the game. Going into their bye week, Gaskin ranked 13th among running backs in weighted opportunity, and that's only been rising since they started making Jordan Howard inactive. Over their last two games, Gaskin has totaled 43 total touches, which is obviously great for trust in fantasy lineups. Opponents have averaged 26.0 running back touches per game against the Rams, though they haven't had much success, as they've allowed the 10th-fewest points to the position. There have been three running backs who've been able to crack the top-20 against them, and all of them totaled at least 17 touches. It's also worth noting that all three of those running backs came over the first three weeks of the season, while David Montgomery's 69 scoreless yards for 11.9 PPR points were the best performance against them since Week 3. The area where Gaskin may be able to do some damage is through the air, as he's seen at least four targets in every game, and the Rams have allowed the 10th-most fantasy points through the air to running backs. Gaskin is getting enough touches to get into RB2 territory, though his ceiling isn't very high in this matchup. Breida's role has grown in the two weeks that Howard has been inactive, totaling 18 opportunities in the two games combined, which is enough to consider for desperation RB4 potential, though there are likely better options on your roster.
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163.
Jeff Smith
WR - NYJ (at KC)
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164.
Donovan Peoples-Jones
WR - CLE (vs . LV)
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165.
Will Dissly
TE - SEA (vs . SF)
We're starting to see more of a timeshare between these two tight ends, as we watched Dissly trail Olsen in routes 36-29 last week, which is a very small gap. It's something to monitor, as Dissly hadn't run more than 14 routes in the first five games. Don't forget, he was coming off an Achilles injury, so the recovery was a long one. It's not a shock to see Dissly see a season-high four targets last week. The 49ers have faced an average of just 6.0 targets per game to tight ends, and on those targets, they've allowed just 1.55 PPR points per target, which ranks as the eighth-lowest mark in the league. There have been five tight ends who've seen four-plus targets, but just two of them have topped 22 yards. I'm not big on either of these tight ends until we see one emerge as the clear-cut leader, and from the trend we saw last week, it might be Dissly.
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166.
Jalen Richard
RB - LV (at CLE)
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167.
Devontae Booker
RB - LV (at CLE)
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168.
Chris Herndon IV
TE - NYJ (at KC)
Over the last two weeks, the Jets tight ends have combined for five targets (Ryan Griffin 3, Herndon 1, Wesco 1). That's not going to appeal to anyone, especially when they had one of the best matchups in the league last week when they played the Bills. None of them caught a single pass in that game. You cannot start a Jets tight end right now, and it's not like the Chiefs have been extremely giving to them.
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169.
AJ Dillon
RB - GB (vs . MIN)
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170.
Byron Pringle
WR - KC (vs . NYJ)
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171.
John Brown
WR - BUF (vs . NE)
Brown should be back for this game and he deserves consideration as a low-end WR3. With him practicing in full on Wednesday, he should be fully recovered from the injury that's plagued him for a few weeks now. We'll need to continue to monitor the practice reports throughout the week, but he's a fine option to plug into your lineup.
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172.
Samaje Perine
RB - CIN (vs . TEN)
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173.
Anthony McFarland Jr.
RB - PIT (at BAL)
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174.
Ian Thomas
TE - CAR (vs . ATL)
Even in a plus-matchup with the Saints, Thomas saw one target. He's now seen two or less targets in 6-of-7 games and hasn't topped 16 yards. You're not going to consider him, even against a Falcons team that's allowed more fantasy points to the tight end position than any other team in the league.
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175.
Ito Smith
RB - ATL (at CAR)
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176.
Royce Freeman
RB - DEN (vs . LAC)
Freeman gets a slight bump up in touches if Lindsay misses this game, but he shouldn't be someone that you're looking at for fantasy purposes.
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177.
Jordan Wilkins
RB - IND (at DET)
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178.
Dion Lewis
RB - NYG (vs . TB)
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179.
Isaiah McKenzie
WR - BUF (vs . NE)
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180.
Anthony Firkser
TE - TEN (at CIN)
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181.
Darrius Shepherd
WR - GB (vs . MIN)
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182.
Mike Thomas
WR - CIN (vs . TEN)
|
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183.
Kyle Juszczyk
RB - SF (at SEA)
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184.
Freddie Swain
WR - SEA (vs . SF)
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185.
Jakobi Meyers
WR - NE (at BUF)
At this point, all of the Patriots WRs can be avoided for fantasy football.
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186.
Cedrick Wilson
WR - DAL (at PHI)
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187.
Trent Taylor
WR - SF (at SEA)
|
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188.
Jack Doyle
TE - IND (at DET)
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|
189.
Isaiah Ford
WR - MIA (vs . LAR)
|
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190.
Cameron Brate
TE - TB (at NYG)
|
|
191.
Kalif Raymond
WR - TEN (at CIN)
|
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192.
Dontrell Hilliard
RB - CLE (vs . LV)
|
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193.
DaeSean Hamilton
WR - DEN (vs . LAC)
|
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194.
Van Jefferson
WR - LAR (at MIA)
|
|
195.
Olamide Zaccheaus
WR - ATL (at CAR)
|
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196.
Mark Ingram II
RB - BAL (vs . PIT)
|
|
197.
Jason Huntley
RB - PHI (vs . DAL)
|
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198.
Kyle Rudolph
TE - MIN (at GB)
|
|
199.
Zay Jones
WR - LV (at CLE)
|
|
200.
Malik Taylor
WR - GB (vs . MIN)
|
|
201.
Devin Duvernay
WR - BAL (vs . PIT)
|
|
202.
LeSean McCoy
RB - TB (at NYG)
|
|
203.
Darrel Williams
RB - KC (vs . NYJ)
|
|
204.
JJ Arcega-Whiteside
WR - PHI (vs . DAL)
|
|
205.
Justin Watson
WR - TB (at NYG)
|
|
206.
Austin Mack
WR - NYG (vs . TB)
|
|
207.
Joe Mixon
RB - CIN (vs . TEN)
|
|
208.
Marvin Hall
WR - DET (vs . IND)
|
|
209.
Richie James Jr.
WR - SF (at SEA)
|
|
210.
Jakeem Grant
WR - MIA (vs . LAR)
|
|
211.
Trenton Cannon
RB - CAR (vs . ATL)
|
|
212.
Trayveon Williams
RB - CIN (vs . TEN)
|
|
213.
Jaylen Samuels
RB - PIT (at BAL)
|
|
214.
Brandon Powell
WR - ATL (at CAR)
|
|
215.
Ty Johnson
RB - NYJ (at KC)
|
|
216.
Chris Carson
RB - SEA (vs . SF)
At this point, Carson has to be considered superhuman, right? Carson is now considered a game-time decision against the 49ers after reportedly being out for 1-2 weeks. Sound familiar? Carson's a risky RB2 play, especially when you factor in the late afternoon game timing, but he's better than some of the other options in this range. We'll need to see if he practices Thursday or Friday, but this is a situation to keep monitoring.
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217.
Cole Kmet
TE - CHI (vs . NO)
|
|
218.
Ke'Shawn Vaughn
RB - TB (at NYG)
|
|
219.
Jakob Johnson
RB,TE - NE (at BUF)
|
|
220.
Alec Ingold
RB - LV (at CLE)
|
|
221.
Alex Armah
RB - CAR (vs . ATL)
|
|
222.
Jalen Reagor
WR - PHI (vs . DAL)
|
|
223.
Ryan Nall
RB - CHI (vs . NO)
|
|
224.
Troymaine Pope
RB - LAC (at DEN)
|
|
225.
Christian Blake
WR - ATL (at CAR)
|
|
226.
Ray-Ray McCloud
WR - PIT (at BAL)
|
|
227.
DeAndre Washington
RB - KC (vs . NYJ)
|
|
228.
Willie Snead IV
WR - BAL (vs . PIT)
|
|
229.
Michael Burton
RB - NO (at CHI)
|
|
230.
Andy Janovich
RB - CLE (vs . LV)
|
|
231.
Miles Boykin
WR - BAL (vs . PIT)
|
|
232.
Reggie Gilliam
RB,TE - BUF (vs . NE)
|
|
233.
Rico Dowdle
RB - DAL (at PHI)
|
|
234.
Elijhaa Penny
RB - NYG (vs . TB)
|
|
235.
Dexter Williams
RB - GB (vs . MIN)
|
|
236.
Darwin Thompson
RB - KC (vs . NYJ)
|
|
237.
Vance McDonald
TE - PIT (at BAL)
|
|
238.
Nick Boyle
TE - BAL (vs . PIT)
|
|
239.
Justice Hill
RB - BAL (vs . PIT)
|
|
240.
Jamison Crowder
WR - NYJ (at KC)
|
|
241.
T.J. Yeldon
RB - BUF (vs . NE)
|
|
242.
Ty Montgomery
RB - NO (at CHI)
|
|
243.
Mike Boone
RB - MIN (at GB)
|
|
244.
KhaDarel Hodge
WR - CLE (vs . LV)
|
|
245.
Josh Adams
RB - NYJ (at KC)
|
|
246.
Tyron Johnson
WR - LAC (at DEN)
|
|
247.
Jace Sternberger
TE - GB (vs . MIN)
|
|
248.
Jason Witten
TE - LV (at CLE)
|
|
249.
Miles Sanders
RB - PHI (vs . DAL)
As of right now, it appears that Sanders is on track to play in this game. He's being listed as day-to-day by the team, but this is a situation that is worth monitoring. If he does play, Sanders is an automatic low-end RB1 with the matchup.
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250.
Foster Moreau
TE - LV (at CLE)
|
|
251.
Michael Thomas
WR - NO (at CHI)
He suffered a hamstring injury in practice last week, leading to him missing that game, and is now considered questionable for this game. It's something I'll come back and update by Saturday morning, but for now, we'll expect him back. Returning to a matchup with the Bears would be a tough one, as they've allowed a league-low 1.43 PPR points per target to receivers, which is 8.9 percent lower than the closest team (Rams). It's not due to lack of trying by opponents, as they've faced 20.4 targets per game to receivers alone, yet they've still not allowed a single top-20 wide receiver performance on the year. Keep in mind they've played against Mike Evans (who saw nine targets that game), Calvin Ridley (12 targets), D.J. Moore (11 targets), Robby Anderson, Cooper Kupp, and Robert Woods. That's a diverse collection of receivers. You wouldn't even consider benching Thomas in redraft leagues, but this is not a week to play Thomas in anything outside of tournaments in DFS.
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252.
Ameer Abdullah
RB - MIN (at GB)
|
|
253.
Lynn Bowden Jr.
WR,RB - MIA (vs . LAR)
|
|
254.
Ryan Griffin
TE - NYJ (at KC)
|
|
255.
Adam Shaheen
TE - MIA (vs . LAR)
|
|
256.
Austin Hooper
TE - CLE (vs . LV)
|
|
257.
Ryan Izzo
TE - NE (at BUF)
If there's a game where you can simply ignore all tight ends, it's this one. The Patriots have played six games, and despite having a lack of receiving threats, no Patriots tight end has seen more than three targets in a game, and no tight end has recorded more than 38 yards or scored a touchdown. Avoid.
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258.
Keith Smith
RB - ATL (at CAR)
|
|
259.
Nick Vannett
TE - DEN (vs . LAC)
|
|
260.
Jordan Howard
RB - MIA (vs . LAR)
|
|
261.
Adam Trautman
TE - NO (at CHI)
|
|
262.
Jason Croom
TE - PHI (vs . DAL)
|
|
263.
Javon Wims
WR - CHI (vs . NO)
|
|
264.
Donald Parham Jr.
TE - LAC (at DEN)
|
|
265.
Nick Keizer
TE - KC (vs . NYJ)
|
|
266.
Jesse James
TE - DET (vs . IND)
|
|
267.
Tanner Hudson
TE - TB (at NYG)
|
|
268.
Mo Alie-Cox
TE - IND (at DET)
|
|
269.
Chad Beebe
WR - MIN (at GB)
|
|
270.
Taywan Taylor
WR - CLE (vs . LV)
|
|
271.
Chris Manhertz
TE - CAR (vs . ATL)
|
|
272.
Alshon Jeffery
WR - PHI (vs . DAL)
|
|
273.
Kalen Ballage
RB - LAC (at DEN)
|
|
274.
Auden Tate
WR - CIN (vs . TEN)
|
|
275.
Keith Kirkwood
WR - CAR (vs . ATL)
|
|
276.
Olabisi Johnson
WR - MIN (at GB)
|
|
277.
Cam Batson
WR - TEN (at CIN)
|
|
278.
Josh Hill
TE - NO (at CHI)
|
|
279.
Demetrius Harris
TE - CHI (vs . NO)
|
|
280.
Kaden Smith
TE - NYG (vs . TB)
|
|
281.
C.J. Ham
RB - MIN (at GB)
|
|
282.
Emmanuel Sanders
WR - NO (at CHI)
|
|
283.
Anthony Sherman
RB - KC (vs . NYJ)
|
|
284.
Gunner Olszewski
WR - NE (at BUF)
|
|
285.
Jacob Hollister
TE - SEA (vs . SF)
|
|
286.
Austin Carr
WR - NO (at CHI)
|
|
287.
Patrick Laird
RB - MIA (vs . LAR)
|
|
288.
Isaiah Zuber
WR - NE (at BUF)
|
|
289.
Johnny Mundt
TE - LAR (at MIA)
|
|
290.
Khari Blasingame
RB - TEN (at CIN)
|
|
291.
Dalton Keene
TE - NE (at BUF)
|
|
292.
Sammy Watkins
WR - KC (vs . NYJ)
Someone asked Watkins on Twitter during last week's game if he'd be back in Week 8 and he said yes, so it seems he's feeling better. The three full games he's played this year have netted 9, 8, and 7 targets, so he's certainly someone who needs to be on the fantasy radar. The Jets have been a decent matchup for receivers to this point, although the 1.81 PPR points per target they've allowed is right near the league average. That's kept them right in the middle of the pack when it comes to fantasy points allowed, as they rank 15th against wide receivers. Watkins primary matchup would be the best on the field, as Pierre Desir has allowed 24-of-33 passing for 299 yards and five touchdowns (most in NFL) in his coverage. We have to see how Watkins is doing in practice before playing him with any confidence, but this matchup isn't one that should cause you to be concerned. If he practices in full, he can be considered an upside WR4. If he doesn't play, Robinson would move into the WR4/5 conversation.
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|
293.
Marcus Kemp
WR - KC (vs . NYJ)
|
|
294.
Equanimeous St. Brown
WR - GB (vs . MIN)
|
|
295.
Taiwan Jones
RB - BUF (vs . NE)
|
|
296.
Noah Brown
WR - DAL (at PHI)
|
|
297.
Andre Roberts
WR - BUF (vs . NE)
|
|
298.
Geoff Swaim
TE - TEN (at CIN)
|
|
299.
Mason Schreck
TE - CIN (vs . TEN)
|
|
300.
Marcedes Lewis
TE - GB (vs . MIN)
|
|
301.
Pharoh Cooper
WR - CAR (vs . ATL)
|
|
302.
Blake Bell
TE - DAL (at PHI)
|
|
303.
Trevon Wesco
TE - NYJ (at KC)
|
|
304.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
WR - TEN (at CIN)
|
|
305.
Joe Reed
WR - LAC (at DEN)
|
|
306.
Ashton Dulin
WR - IND (at DET)
|
|
307.
Bryan Edwards
WR - LV (at CLE)
|
|
308.
Ross Dwelley
TE - SF (at SEA)
|
|
309.
Juwan Johnson
WR - NO (at CHI)
|
|
310.
J.J. Taylor
RB - NE (at BUF)
|
|
311.
K.J. Hill
WR - LAC (at DEN)
|
|
312.
Deon Yelder
TE - KC (vs . NYJ)
|
|
313.
Ted Ginn Jr.
WR - CHI (vs . NO)
|
|
314.
Luke Stocker
TE - ATL (at CAR)
|
|
315.
John Ross
WR - CIN (vs . TEN)
|
|
316.
Stephen Carlson
WR - CLE (vs . LV)
|
|
317.
Durham Smythe
TE - MIA (vs . LAR)
|
|
318.
MyCole Pruitt
TE - TEN (at CIN)
|
|
319.
Tyler Ervin
RB - GB (vs . MIN)
|
|
320.
Tyler Conklin
TE - MIN (at GB)
|
|
321.
Patrick Ricard
RB,DT - BAL (vs . PIT)
|
|
322.
Jaydon Mickens
WR - TB (at NYG)
|
|
323.
De'Michael Harris
WR - IND (at DET)
|
|
324.
Gabe Nabers
RB - LAC (at DEN)
|
|
325.
Vyncint Smith
WR - NYJ (at KC)
|
|
326.
Alex Erickson
WR - CIN (vs . TEN)
|
|
327.
Jaeden Graham
TE - ATL (at CAR)
|
|
328.
Deon Cain
WR - PIT (at BAL)
|
|
329.
Ricky Seals-Jones
TE - KC (vs . NYJ)
|
|
330.
Cethan Carter
TE,RB - CIN (vs . TEN)
|
|
331.
Seth Roberts
WR - FA (BYE)
|
|
332.
Hakeem Butler
WR,TE - PHI (vs . DAL)
|
|
333.
Levine Toilolo
TE - NYG (vs . TB)
|
|
334.
Charlie Woerner
TE - SF (at SEA)
|
|
335.
Paul Butler
TE - FA (BYE)
|
|
336.
Devin Asiasi
TE - NE (at BUF)
|
|
337.
Brandon Zylstra
WR - CAR (vs . ATL)
|
|
338.
Tyrie Cleveland
WR - DEN (vs . LAC)
|
|
339.
Deontay Burnett
WR - PHI (vs . DAL)
|
|
340.
Lee Smith
TE - BUF (vs . NE)
|
|
341.
Colin Thompson
TE - CAR (vs . ATL)
|
|
342.
Isaac Nauta
TE,RB - DET (vs . IND)
|
|
|
343.
DeMichael Harris
WR - IND (at DET)
|
|
344.
Chandler Cox
FB - MIA (vs . LAR)
|
|
345.
James Proche
WR - BAL (vs . PIT)
|
|
346.
Jeremy Cox
RB - DEN (vs . LAC)
|
|
347.
Stephen Anderson
TE - LAC (at DEN)
|
|
348.
J.P. Holtz
TE - CHI (vs . NO)
|
|
349.
Cyril Grayson Jr.
WR - TB (at NYG)
|
|
350.
Sean McKeon
TE - DAL (at PHI)
|
|
351.
Noah Togiai
TE - IND (at DET)
|
|
352.
Quez Watkins
WR - PHI (vs . DAL)
|
|
353.
Luke Willson
TE - SEA (vs . SF)
|
|
354.
Dante Pettis
WR - SF (at SEA)
|
|
355.
Tajae Sharpe
WR - MIN (at GB)
|
|
356.
Diontae Spencer
WR - DEN (vs . LAC)
|
|
357.
Derek Watt
RB - PIT (at BAL)
|
|
358.
D'Onta Foreman
RB - TEN (at CIN)
|
|
359.
Andrew Beck
TE - DEN (vs . LAC)
|
|
360.
Duke Williams
WR - BUF (vs . NE)
|
|
361.
Mack Hollins
WR - MIA (vs . LAR)
|
|
362.
Quintez Cephus
WR - DET (vs . IND)
|
