Fantasy Football is a stock market (hence, our website name). Player values are constantly rising and falling, and only sheep plow forward every week without reflecting on the lessons each Sunday has taught us. Even for the busiest of wolves, we put together all the Risers, Fallers, Injuries, and early Waiver Wire pickups in our weekly Fantasy Football Stock Market recap.
Below, find out the headlines and key stats or injuries you MUST know about. Reminder: this is the bare-bones, need-to-know facts. Further analysis, such as Rest of Season ranking and actions to take, is being written as you read this. This can all be found in our Stock Watch or in our brand-new app in the App Store. Also, The Wolf will be LIVE on Facebook every Monday @ 7pm
Note: Stat-lines pulled from RotoWorld’s “Player News”
Week 7 Fantasy Football Recap
1) So… is David Johnson Now Chase Edmond‘s Handcuff?
In easily the most impactful story of Week 7, David Johnson evaporated into dust, only to watch Chase Edmonds rumble 27 times for 126 yards and 3 TDs. Ouch.
Amidst such uncertainty, DJ falls out of my Top-7 all the way to 21 overall (RB15). Meanwhile, Edmonds flashed his season-winning upside and slides in at 49 overall (RB21) while this all shakes out.
2) Aaron Rodgers Heating Up in LaFleur’s Offense, Wins Fantasy Week 7s Everywhere
Aaron Rodgers completed 25-of-31 passes for 429 yards, five touchdowns and zero interceptions in the Packers’ 42-24, Week 7 win over the Raiders, adding two rushes for six yards and an additional score.
Rodgers rockets from my QB14 to my QB6 in hopes this newfound comfort in LaFleur’s system rolls for the rest of 2019.
3) Josh Jacobs Confirms His Stretch-Run Fantasy RB1 Workhorse Status
Josh Jacobs rushed 21 times for 124 yards in the Raiders’ Week 7 loss to the Packers, adding three receptions for 10 additional yards.
Jacobs now sits at 17 overall (RB11), and was clearly the right rookie RB to target this preseason.
4) Darren Waller Remains a Fantasy Force, Quality Candidate for Fantasy Value of the Year
Darren Waller caught 7-of-8 targets for 126 yards and two touchdowns in the Raiders’ Week 7 loss to the Packers.
Waller sits at 33 overall (TE4) as a true weekly difference maker at fantasy’s weakest position.
5) Fantasy Confession: We Were Wrong About Leonard Fournette
Leonard Fournette tallied 131 yards on 29 carries while securing two catches for 14 yards on two targets Sunday in the Jaguars’ Week 7 win over Cincinnati
Shoving our doubt into our face, Fournette is now at 12 overall (RB9). Looking explosive, featured on all three downs, and a lock for 20+ touches, only his sketchy injury history can derail this runaway fantasy train.
6) Kirk Cousins, Stefon Diggs Rising in Fantasy Amidst Vikings Pass Game Renaissance
Kirk Cousins completed 24-of-34 passes for 337 yards and four touchdowns in Minnesota’s Week 7 win over the Lions.
Stefon Diggs 7-of-8 targets for a team-high 142 yards in Minnesota’s Week 7 win over the Lions
Cousins shoots up to QB16 in the “Viable QB1” tier, while Diggs is now a usable weekly play and back up to WR23.
7) QB and Matchup Proof, Michael Thomas is THE Fantasy WR1
Michael Thomas caught 9-of-11 targets for 131 yards in the Saints’ Week 7 win over the Bears. He’s my No.1 WR, and up to 8 overall.
8) Latavius Murray Confirms Locked-In RB1 Status as Kamara Fill-in
Latavius Murray rushed 27 times for 119 yards and two touchdowns in the Saints’ Week 7 win over the Bears, adding five receptions for 31 additional yards.
Given his shaky status when Kamara’s active, Murray ROS value remains fairly low at RB33 — he’s a mere handcuff. Still, as Week 7 reminded us, the upside is clearly week-winning whenever Kamara misses time.
9) Adrian Peterson Regaining RB2 Fantasy Value in Callahan’s Ancient Offense
Adrian Peterson had 20 carries for 81 yards in Week 7 against the 49ers.
With Bill Callahan turning back the clocks on football, Peterson feels likely to be a weekly RB2 on sheer volume. He’s up to 43 carries (21.5 per) and 199 yards (99.5 per) over his past two, including a tough SF matchup.
10) Finally, DeAndre Hopkins Returns to the 2019 Fantasy Season Russell Wilson a Fantasy Force with Defense Struggling
DeAndre Hopkins caught 9-of-12 targets for 106 yards and a touchdown in the Texans’ Week 7 loss to the Colts.
He’s no longer our clear-cut No.1 WR, but Sunday was a nice reminder why he needs to be Top-Five. Hopkins ranks 15th overall (WR4) on my Rest of Season Big Board.
11) Matthew Stafford Dropping Bombs as a Fantasy QB1, Unlocking Marvin Jones’ Week-Changing Status
Matthew Stafford completed 30-of-45 passes for 364 yards, four touchdowns and one pick in Detroit’s Week 7 loss to the Vikings.
Marvin Jones corralled 10-of-13 targets for 94 yards and four touchdowns (not a mistype) in Detroit’s Week 7 loss to the Vikings.
12) Allen Robinson Continues Riding Target Hog Status to Fantasy Value in Hopeless Place
Allen Robinson caught 10-of-16 targets for 87 yards and a touchdown in the Bears’ Week 7 loss to the Saint.
He’s up to my WR16 (37 overall) as a true weekly WR1 despite the weak QB play.
13) Eric Ebron Pops Up From His Fantasy Abyss for a One-Handed Score
Eric Ebron caught 4-of-5 targets for 70 yards and a touchdown in the Colts’ Week 7 win over the Texans.
14) Permanent Headline: Austin Hooper Continues to Thrive as Top-3 Fantasy TE in Dirk Koetter’s Friendly Scheme
Austin Hooper caught 4-of-5 targets for 46 yards and a touchdown in the Falcons’ Week 7 loss to the Rams.
He’s all the way up to 34 overall, and a weekly staple.
15) John Brown Begins His Feast Upon Cakewalk Schedule in Fantasy
John Brown caught 5-of-6 targets for 83 yards and one touchdown in the Bills’ Week 7 win over the Dolphins.
With the league’s softest slate over his next six games, Brown should continue feasting. He’s 64 overall (WR26) on my latest Big Board.
16) Courtland Sutton Has Earned “Must-Start” Fantasy Status
Courtland Sutton caught 6-of-8 targets for 87 yards in the Broncos’ Week 7 win over the Chiefs.
He’s now locked in as a weekly lineup fixture, and my WR20 rest of season.
1) David Johnson’s Day Defines Fantasy Nightmares
David Johnson started, ran the ball once, and then was sidelined for the rest of Week 7.
The upside is still tantalizing as we’ve seen all season. Yet, with so much haziness, Johnson’s no longer in the “Elite RB1” tier. He falls to RB15 and 21 overall.
2) Joe Mixon Continues His Worthy Campaign for Fantasy Bust of the Year
Joe Mixon spanned two yards on 10 carries while snaring one catch for two yards and a touchdown on two targets Sunday in Cincinnati’s Week 7 loss to Jacksonville
He’s plummeted to RB29, below Adrian Peterson for reference. Perhaps AJ Green will open up space if traded, but Mixon is toast in this current set up.
3) David Montgomery Horrendous Yet Again with 4 Meager Touches
David Montgomery rushed twice for six yards in the Bears’ Week 7 loss to the Saints, adding two receptions for 13 additional yards.
Without any semblance of consistent volume, Montgomery is fantasy bench fodder. He’s among 2019’s worst picks, down to RB38 and 101 overall.
4) Near Permanent Headline: Chiefs RBs are Unusable in Fantasy
LeSean McCoy rushed 12 times for 64 yards in the Chiefs’ Week 7 win over the Broncos, adding two receptions for 12 additional yards
Damien Williams rushed nine times for seven yards in the Chiefs’ Week 7 win over the Broncos, adding two receptions for -1 yards.
5) Evan Engram Disappears Despite the Juiciest of Fantasy Matchups
Evan Engram caught 1-of-5 targets for six scoreless yards in the Giants’ Week 7 loss to the Cardinals.
6) Phillip Lindsay Pathetic, Loses GL Work in Broncos Loss
Phillip Lindsay rushed 11 times for 36 yards in the Broncos’ Week 7 loss to the Chiefs.
Royce Freeman played a season-high 63% of snaps, compared to a season-low 40% for Lindsay.
7) Zach Ertz’s Descent to Nowhere Continues with Another Paltry Effort
Zach Ertz caught 2-of-5 targets for 38 yards in Week 7 against the Cowboys.
8) Dante Pettis Reminds Us Why He Belongs on 0% of Fantasy Rosters
Dante Pettis was held without a catch in Week 7 against the Redskins.
9) Devonta Freeman Useless and Ejected
Devonta Freeman was ejected in Week 7 due to idiotically throwing a punch at Aaron Donald. Beforehand, he really helped owners out with a sturdy 25 total yards across 9 touches (2 rec). Woo!
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Early Week 8 Fantasy Waiver Wire Look
1) Corey Davis (41%) Explodes for Season-Highs with Tannehill Under Center
Corey Davis caught 6-of-7 targets for 80 yards and one touchdown in the Titans’ Week 7 win over the Chargers.`
2) Jacoby Brissett (48%) Posts Career Day Against Texans
Jacoby Brissett completed 26-of-39 passes for 326 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions in the Colts’ 30-23, Week 7 win over the Texans.
3) Dolphins WRs DeVante Parker (14%) and Preston Williams (12%) Racking Up Decent Fantasy Stats in Constant Comeback Mode
DeVante Parker caught 5-of-10 targets for 55 yards and one touchdown in the Dolphins’ Week 7 loss to the Bills.
Preston Williams caught 6-of-8 targets for 82 yards in the Dolphins’ Week 7 loss to the Bills.
4) Kenny Stills (12%) Thrives as Texans Deep-Threat, in Prime Streaming Role
Kenny Stills caught 4-of-5 targets for 105 yards in the Texans’ Week 7 loss to the Colts
Stills played 94% of snaps (61 total) with Fuller out, and ran 95% of routes compared to 76% for Keke Coutee. Fuller expected to miss “several weeks.”
5) Ty Johnson (2%) Slides Into Workhorse Role with Kerryon Johnson Sidelined
Ty Johnson handled 10 carries for 29 yards, tacking on four catches for another 28 yards in Detroit’s Week 7 loss to the Vikings.
Averaged 7.6 YPC at Maryland, ripping off 1,000 yards on 110 carries thanks to absurd 4.3 speed.
6) A Thing Named Alex Erickson (2%) Racks Up 137 Yards and 14 targets for the Bengals
.Alex Erickson compiled eight catches for 137 yards on 14 targets while adding two carries for -2 yards Sunday in Cincinnati’s Week 7 loss to the Jaguars. He played a season high 66 of Dalton’s 70 snaps, moving between the slot (21) and out wide (45).
7) Zach Pascal (1%) Emerging as Clear No.2 for Surging Colts and Brissett
Zach Pascal caught 6-of-7 targets for 106 yards and two touchdowns in the Colts’ Week 7 win over the Texans. He has 12.3, 9.2, 2.5, and 25.6 FPs over his last four
1) Patrick Mahomes Expected Back in Three Weeks, “If Not Sooner”
2) Kerryon Johnson Exits Week 7 with Knee Injury
3) Adam Thielen Unlikely to Play Week 8 with Hamstring Injury
4) Will Fuller (Hamstring) Expected to Miss “Several Weeks”
5) Matt Ryan Limps Off with Sprained Ankle, Not Believed to Be Serious
6) Classic: Matt Breida Leaves, Then Returns, with Possible Concussion
7) AJ Green Won’t Return Until After October 29th Trade Deadline
8) Ito Smith Forced from Sunday Versus Rams with Head Injury
9) Who Cares? Marquise Goodwin Leaves Week 7 with Possible Concussion
For more detailed analysis on these Risers, Fallers, and Waiver Wire picks, be sure to bookmark our “Stock Watch” and download our app. Plus, find out where everyone now ranks on The Wolf’s Rest of Season Big Board after Week 6! Last, catch The Wolf LIVE on Facebook for his breakdown of these stories, and get the answers to all of your questions, @ 7pm EST.
