RADIO
Russell Wilson Replaces Justin Fields as the Steelers QB
Alright, folks, let’s talk about Russell Wilson's grand re-entrance into the 2024 fantasy football scene after missing the first six weeks with a calf injury. Stepping in for Justin Fields, Wilson didn't just dip his toes in, he dove headfirst into the deep end during his debut as a Steeler on Sunday Night Football.
Russ slung it for 264 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 16-of-29 passing. Not just content with air yards, he hustled in a rushing touchdown on a QB sneak too. On the ground, Najee Harris bulldozed for 102 yards and sealed the deal with a late-game touchdown, while George Pickens snagged five passes to tally up 111 yards and a touchdown himself.
This game was a tough break for Davante Adams, making his first outing for the Jets alongside Aaron Rodgers. Despite nine targets, Adams managed just 30 yards on three receptions. Rodgers, meanwhile, had a mixed bag of a night with 276 yards, one touchdown, and a pair of picks as Wilson and the Steelers dashed the Jets' hopes.
In his first game of NFL action in 2024, Russ put up 24.9 fantasy points, which was good for QB2 on the week.
Russell Wilson in his Steelers debut pic.twitter.com/chxCMOr0ks
— GhettoGronk (@TheGhettoGronk) October 21, 2024
Moving forward, if Wilson keeps up this momentum, he's going to make a serious case for a top fantasy quarterback, especially with performances that highlight his dual-threat capabilities, even if he clearly isn't the same runner he once was.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was questioned by many (including yours truly) for making the switch from Justin Fields to Russ when the team was 4-2, but he looked like a genius last night. How well that continues moving forward is still a valid question though.
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens Go Crazy on MNF
Oh boy, the Baltimore Ravens have flipped the script on their season, and they're now sitting pretty at 5-2 after a shaky 0-2 start. Talk about a turnaround! This team is firing on all cylinders, and it's a fantasy goldmine over there in Charm City as we head into Week 8.
Leading the charge? Quarterback Lamar Jackson, who's more dialed in than a GPS navigating downtown traffic. In their latest game, Lamar went supernova, completing 17 of 22 passes for a whopping 281 yards and lighting up the scoreboard with five touchdown passes. Not a single pick to stain his stat line either. And for those who revel in his ground game, Jackson tacked on 52 rushing yards to keep the defense guessing.
Lamar Jackson lead blocking for Derrick Henry is incredible.
📺: #BALvsTB on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/oCXd9YusdH— NFL (@NFL) October 22, 2024
Then there’s Derrick Henry, who’s running like a bulldozer through defenses for 169 yards on just 15 carries. With the Ravens’ offense looking this unstoppable, fantasy managers with Ravens players are likely strutting around their leagues like they own the place. If Baltimore keeps this up, we’re not just talking playoffs. We’re talking about a deep playoff run.
Grab your popcorn, folks, because if you've got Jackson or Henry in your fantasy lineup, you're in for a treat as the Ravens look to continue their dominance in Week 8 and Jackson looks like the clear, undisputed NFL MVP right now.
On the flip side, this was a brutal game for the Tampa Bay Bucs. On top of losing 41-31, wide receiver Mike Evans left the game after grimacing in pain while suffering an apparent pulled hamstring. To make matters even worse, wide receiver Chris Godwin appeared to have fractured his ankle with just 0:41 left in the game on a hit from Roquan Smith.
Saquon Barkley Gets His Revenge
It's understandable why the New York Giants and GM Joe Schoen moved on from Saquon Barkley after six years in New York. Saquon recently turned 27 years old, and the team had plenty of other holes to fill. Given their current timeline and the reality that this team probably wasn't going to be contending for anything significant in 2024, paying Barkley didn't make a lot of good financial sense.
Nonetheless, it's understandable why the former Giants running back felt like he still had a lot to prove on Sunday. Barkley was an absolute unit, torching his former squad for a whopping 176 yards on just 17 carries, and didn’t waste any time by scoring early. If the Giants had any fight in them during that 28-3 demolition, Barkley could have easily smashed the 200-yard mark and maybe danced into the end zone a second time.
Saquon Barkley on Sunday:
- 176 rushing yards: 2nd most by any player in NFL history in a game against his former team
- 187 total yards: 68 more than the entire Giants team
- Reached 21.93 MPH (@NextGenStats) on this run, the fastest of his career pic.twitter.com/ydIxMbKB9d
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) October 21, 2024
During the offseason, the Giants' brass practically did everything but write love ballads about keeping Barkley. You could almost hear their hearts breaking when Saquon inked a deal with the rival Eagles. Fast forward to this past Sunday, and Barkley wasn’t just running; he was on a mission to remind everyone in MetLife Stadium just how colossal a blunder it was to let him slip away.
The man racked up the second-most rushing yards ever against a former team. Barkley isn’t just having a good season; he’s crafting a narrative that might just end in MVP conversations if he keeps up this pace. The Eagles are sitting pretty at 4-2, navigating a division that’s anything but predictable this year.
Fantasy managers, if you’ve got him, you’re probably grinning. Barkley’s proving that sometimes, the juice is worth the squeeze when it comes to splurging on running backs. Keep him locked in your lineups as this man’s on a tear that doesn’t look like it’s slowing down anytime soon.
Here are the wide receivers with the highest target shares from Week 7. Due to longer load times and frame rates on mobile devices, all of the important nuggets you need are below in a separate tweet from my RotoBaller colleague, Scott Rinear.
Here are the pass-catching metrics, snap shares, targets per routes run (TPRR), and other important data points for all the pass-catchers in Week 7.
🚨Week 7 Recap: Top 40 WRs (PPR)🚨
Includes both MNF games
Chart shows:Fantasy points
FPTS/Target
FPTS/Route
Snap%
Routes
Route%
Targets
Targets Per Route Run (TPRR)
Target Share pic.twitter.com/vTaVfRNbGx— Scott Rinear (@MunderDifflinFF) October 22, 2024
A few important notes regarding the wide receivers in Week 7.
Jacksonville Jaguars rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. continues to sizzle. The team might not be rewriting the playbook on a stellar season start, but man, this guy is lighting up his rookie year like a Christmas tree in Times Square! Thomas Jr. snagged five catches for 89 yards and danced into the end zone in a 32-16 romp over the Patriots. And let’s not skip over that 58-yard bomb that had him trending all over your social feeds.
Now, get this: with 30 catches for 513 yards and four touchdowns already in the bag, Thomas is on a fast track to being the first Jaguars rookie to break the 1,000-yard ceiling. According to the 33rd Team, Thomas is one of only five rookie receivers since 2000 to rack up over 480 yards and four touchdowns in his first seven games. The company he’s keeping. Names like Ja'Marr Chase, Odell Beckham Jr., Marques Colston, and A.J. Green. Talk about elite!
As if that’s not enough, Thomas is also neck and neck with Marvin Harrison Jr. for the most touchdowns by a rookie this year and only trails former teammate Malik Nabers by nine catches.
First up, DK Metcalf of the Seattle Seahawks. This dude is a touchdown machine, a true fantasy feast or famine kind of player, and last week was all feast. Metcalf pulled down four of his seven targets to finish with 99 yards and one touchdown. He was carted off after suffering a knee injury, but the good news is that it turned out to be a low-grade MCL sprain and he's only considered week-to-week.
Now, talking about Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings, the man’s a highlight reel in cleats. He’s been racking up yards like they’re going out of style, finishing with seven receptions for 81 yards and one touchdown coming off the team's Week 6 bye. Jefferson's route running and explosive ability to break games wide open make him a top start every week, no questions asked.
Then there's A.J. Brown over in Philadelphia. Talk about a consistent performer! Brown has been the model of reliability and excellence, snagging passes left and right with a grit that makes defenders second-guess their career choices. After missing several games with a hamstring injury, Brown followed up his solid Week 6 with another solid performance on Sunday with five receptions for 89 yards and a touchdown.
Lastly, let’s chat about Tee Higgins of the Cincinnati Bengals. With Joe Burrow slinging it like a man on a mission, Higgins has enjoyed a feast of targets. He’s turned these opportunities into some solid fantasy outings, proving he’s more than just the other guy opposite Ja'Marr Chase.
The Browns defense largely held the Bengals offense in check on Sunday, but Higgins still finished with eight receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown. Higgins has a knack for big plays, and with the Bengals' offense starting to click, expect him to have a pivotal role in Week 8 after his slow start to the season due to injury.
The Lions Offense is Setting Records
Oh man, let's hand it to the Lions--they're not just playing football, they're rewriting the darn record books! After edging out the Vikings in a nail-biter 31-29, it's clear this Detroit squad is something special, sitting pretty at 5-1. Sure, losing Aiden Hutchinson is a hit to the defense, but they still managed to give Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold a run for his money, showing they can hang tough without their star.
The @Lions offense is the ONLY team with more offensive TD (18) than incompletions (16) in a 4-game span since the merger.
Incomprehensible. pic.twitter.com/kl2MDlkgKs
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 21, 2024
Now, let’s talk about the offensive fireworks. Jared Goff is on another level. We're talking about a stat line that hasn't been seen since the '59-60 Cleveland Browns and Detroit's doing it in a single season! Goff is slinging it with an insane 85.3 percent completion rate over this stretch, the best we’ve seen in NFL history for four games. His passer rating? A whopping 153.1 over the last three games, another record.
Running back Jahmyr Gibbs is showcasing what makes him so special, his elite speed and playmaking ability in the open field. After fellow teammate David Montgomery missed several series with an injury, Gibbs took command of the game, rushing 15 times for 116 yards and two touchdowns to go along with four receptions for 44 yards.
If you like scoring, Detroit’s dropped 120 points in three weeks, the most since the Barry Sanders era.
Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown caught all eight of his targets to finish with eight receptions for 112 yards and one touchdown. He continues to remain Mr. Reliable for fantasy, finishing as a WR15 or better in four of the Lions' six games.
Dan Campbell’s at the helm, dishing out those legendary post-game speeches and pushing every right button. This team is firing on all cylinders, pulling stellar plays from every corner of the roster. With this kind of momentum, why not talk Super Bowl? The Lions are roaring, and it's time the rest of us start paying attention as they charge towards the playoffs.
This team remains a fantasy football goldmine the rest of the way, but they probably should add one more edge rusher before the November 5 trade deadline.
What RBs were Bell Cows in Week 7?
Alright, let's decode those backfield bummers. If your main man in the backfield didn't light up the fantasy leaderboard this week, let’s roll back the film. Imagine this scenario: his team's down three scores faster than you can say "fumble," and this dude isn’t known for snagging passes. No shocker his numbers were more snooze than sizzle! Always keep in mind that the flow of the game often spills the real tea on those quiet weeks.
Here were the running backs who saw at least a 60% snap share in Week 7.
| Player | Team | Snap Share | Total Touches | Fantasy Points |
| Kyren Williams | LAR | 89.10% | 21 | 19.6 |
| Tony Pollard | TEN | 89.00% | 18 | 7.5 |
| Jordan Mason | SF | 85.70% | 16 | 7.9 |
| James Conner | ARI | 84.20% | 21 | 16.2 |
| Chuba Hubbard | CAR | 83.70% | 17 | 11.2 |
| Breece Hall | NYJ | 82.30% | 18 | 23.1 |
| Aaron Jones | MIN | 71.60% | 17 | 19.1 |
| Alexander Mattison | LV | 69.60% | 26 | 13.8 |
| Bijan Robinson | ATL | 68.50% | 24 | 21.8 |
| J.K. Dobbins | LAC | 68.20% | 17 | 8.1 |
| Tyrone Tracy Jr. | NYG | 67.20% | 9 | 4.7 |
| Josh Jacobs | GB | 67.20% | 17 | 17.7 |
| Joe Mixon | HOU | 65.60% | 27 | 25.4 |
| Tank Bigsby | JAC | 65.60% | 26 | 23.8 |
| Kareem Hunt | PHI | 63.80% | 24 | 21.3 |
| Javonte Williams | DEN | 63.10% | 17 | 24.6 |
The Houston Texans offense still isn't clicking on all cylinders yet. The offensive line is really struggling, and the team is missing stud wideout Nico Collins, who is currently on IR for a few more weeks after suffering a hamstring injury. Nonetheless, veteran running back Joe Mixon continues to be a bright spot in real life and in fantasy.
On Sunday, the veteran back rushed 25 times for 115 yards and two touchdowns on top of hauling in two passes for nine yards. The Texans are 5-2 and Mixon is seeing the bulk of work, but this team needs to work out some of their kinks before the playoffs roll around.
New York Giants rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. saw the majority of the touches in the team's Week 7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and left many wondering what to expect from veteran back Devin Singletary going forward. Was Singletary left out of the game largely due to the Eagles having it well in hand or because Tracy has overtaken the Giants' backfield?
Despite seeing the majority of the snaps, Tracy finished with just six rush attempts for 23 yards and three receptions for nine yards. Ouch. Unfortunately, this Giants' offense just simply isn't good enough to support enough relevant fantasy options each week. Tracy might be a solid sell-high candidate after outsnapping Singletary.
Over in Cincinnati, it looks like Chase Brown has officially snagged the lead role in the backfield from Zack Moss. Even though an injury to Moss sped things up, Brown is seizing his shot.
Switching gears to Jacksonville, let's chat about Travis Etienne. That fantasy hype train? It's slamming the brakes after some poor performances in the wake of an injury that saw him miss Week 7 completely. Etienne is an explosive back, but it's obvious he's not at full throttle. If you prefer your fantasy team sans rollercoaster rides, bench him until he’s back in form.
Etienne's loaded with skill, but right now, he's more of a 'don't touch' in fantasy circles, and you surely don’t want to start him while your team's points dive like a nosediving stock. Meanwhile, sophomore sensation Tank Bigsby took the reins this Sunday, bulldozing ahead with 26 carries for 118 yards and a pair of touchdowns with Etienne out. This backfield share could get really interesting going forward.
Despite recent letdowns, Breece Hall and Bijan Robinson seem to have reclaimed their thrones in their respective backfields in Week 7, relegating their backups to fantasy afterthoughts.
Out in Kansas City, veteran Kareem Hunt continues to outperform both Samaje Perine and Carson Steele. Still, it's a toss-up how the snaps will shake out once Isiah Pacheco steps back onto the field.
And speaking of snap counts, don’t get too hung up on them when it comes to the Seahawks’ Kenneth Walker III, who's an automatic start each week. His knack for ripping off game-changing plays makes him too good to bench going forward despite how much fellow teammate Zach Charbonnet plays.
The Latest Injury Updates
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson ruptured his Achilles on a non-contact injury and will be lost for the season.
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk also suffered a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the season.
Let's just hope that we can get Colts running back Jonathan Taylor back into action for Week 8, as well as wide receiver Cooper Kupp of the Rams.
We should hopefully see Jayden Daniels and Jonathan Taylor back in action for Week 8, but please check out Dr. Deepak Chona's tweet below with all the rest of the injury information you need to know heading into Week 8, especially as it relates to Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, and Christian McCaffrey.
#NFL Injury Updates:#Commanders Jayden Daniels - Rib/oblique avg = 1-2 wks. Comments optimistic. TBD, but lean towards playing Wk 8. Practice = key.#49ers Brandon Aiyuk - Video concerning for ACL/MCL. Best case = bone bruise + sprain. Suspect season over
1/8
— Deepak Chona, MD. SportsMedAnalytics (@SportMDAnalysis) October 21, 2024
Top Waiver Targets for Week 8
- Jauan Jennings, WR - San Francisco 49ers (30% on Yahoo!, 46% on ESPN)
- Tua Tagovailoa, QB - Miami Dolphins (45% on Yahoo!, 27% on ESPN)
- Jalen McMillan, WR - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2% on Yahoo!, 1% on ESPN)
- Kimani Vidal, RB - Los Angeles Chargers (15% on Yahoo!, 8% on ESPN)
- Ricky Pearsall, WR - San Francisco 49ers (13% on Yahoo!, 6% on ESPN)
- Ray Davis, RB - Buffalo Bills (26% on Yahoo!, 15% on ESPN)
- Drake Maye, QB - New England Patriots (16% on Yahoo!, 13% on ESPN)
- Roschon Johnson, RB - Chicago Bears (15% on Yahoo!, 11% on ESPN)
- Hunter Henry, TE - New England Patriots (31% on Yahoo!, 27% on ESPN)
Conclusion
We're smack in the middle of the NFL season, folks, and it's crunch time. No more holding back. Playbooks are flung wide open, and we're getting the full monty on what each squad is packing. And would you look at that? Every team in the NFC North is continuing to flex its muscles.
This is the time to keep those fantasy antennas up. Don't miss out on the waiver wire treasures that could totally revamp your fantasy standings. Good news: we'll get the Bears and Cowboys offenses back from their bye week, and a clean slate with no byes in Week 8.
Thanks for kicking it with me on this week’s fantasy rundown. Keep checking in for those weekly wisdom drops that might just get you the upper hand. And hey, if you’ve got burning questions or need a few pointers, send me a message on X. Let's get those fantasy lineups geared up for a solid win streak. Here’s to making those crucial plays!
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