Chargers WR Mike Williams has been diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Williams is now looking at a multi-week absence. If there's a silver-lining here, it's that L.A. enters a Week 8 bye.
Browns RB Nick Chubb rebounded from an ugly Week 6 to post 16 carries, 91 yards and 1 score at Baltimore. He even added 2 grabs for 16 yards, out-targeting Kareem Hunt (3-2) in the process. This was vintage Chubb, who was charted with 5 missed tackles forced (per PFF) and 4.25 yards after contact per attempt. He’s now reached 15 fantasy points in all but 1 game this season. And with 8 TDs, he's already matched his season-long total from 2021. Week 8 turns up a meeting with Cincinnati.
Lions HC Dan Campbell said Monday that WR Amon-Ra St. Brown has not been diagnosed with a concussion. He was pulled from the loss to Dallas because of the league's new protocol that requires players who show signs of ataxia to be removed. It's a tough break for St. Brown fantasy owners, but the good news is that he should be cleared to play vs. the Dolphins this weekend.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow uncorked 42 passes for 481 yards and 3 scores in a Week 7 win over Atlanta. He added a 1-yard rushing score. Cincy led by double-digits for most of this game, but HC Zac Taylor kept the petal down, and Burrow delivered. His scores went to Tyler Boyd (60 yards) and Ja’Marr Chase (32 and 41 yards). Atlanta lost top CB A.J. Terrell early in this one, but Burrow simply wasn’t going to be stopped. He’s now hit 275+ yards and 2+ scores in 4 of his past 5 matchups. Next week, he gets a Browns pass D that might remain without CB Denzel Ward (concussion).
Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase torched Atlanta for 8 grabs, 130 yards and 2 scores. So much for the hip injury that landed him on the injury report. Chase made several sweet catches in this one, including a deep ball in tight coverage that went for 6. He’s now posted a staggering line of 12-244-4 over his past 6 quarters. Sure, the matchup was favorable on Sunday -- Atlanta even lost top CB A.J. Terrell in the 1st quarter. Still, it’s clear he’s trending up alongside a red hot Joe Burrow. He'll look to keep rolling against Cleveland.
Giants TE Daniel Bellinger will undergo surgery this week to repair a fractured eye socket and septum, according to the New York Post's Paul Schwartz. It's not believed to be a season-ending injury, per Schwartz, but expect Bellinger to miss multiple games. The rookie had emerged as a significant part of New York's passing game, drawing 16 targets over his last 4 healthy games. His absence will leave New York with TEs Chris Myarick and Tanner Hudson -- and free up a few more targets for RB Saquon Barkley and WR Wan'Dale Robinson.
Panthers interim HC Steve Wilks said Monday that QB P.J. Walker will start this weekend's game vs. the Falcons, even if QBs Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold are ready to return from their ankle injuries. Walker was efficient in Sunday's shocking win over the Bucs, completing 16 of 22 passes (73%) for 177 yards (8.1 YPA), 2 TDs and 0 INTs. Most importantly, he got WR D.J. Moore going. The pair connected on 7 of 10 targets for 69 yards and 1 score. Walker remains a bottom-barrel fantasy option, but Moore is back in the WR3 mix for Week 8.
Bengals WR Tyler Boyd erupted for 8 grabs, 155 yards and 1 score against the Falcons in Week 7. The Bengals talked about getting Boyd more involved — and they delivered. Joe Burrow fed him 9 targets (21.4%) — 2nd most on the team behind Ja’Marr Chase. Boyd scored on a deep ball with help from a defender that tripped and fell. Still, the Bengals’ shift to a more pass-happy approach should provide a boost to him going forward. He's still more WR4 than WR3 when this offense is healthy. But Boyd certainly belongs on rosters in all 10+ team leagues. Next up is a road matchup with Cleveland.
Falcons TE Kyle Pitts tallied 3 catches for 9 yards in Sunday’s loss at Cincinnati. Marcus Mariota tossed only 13 passes, and Pitts actually drew 5 targets (38.4%). That’s where the positives end, though. Pitts couldn't quite secure the ball while he was over the goal line on a play that should have gone for 6. So, the 2nd-year TE remains stuck on 1 season-long score. He’s also been held under 30 yards in all but 1 game this season.
Browns TE David Njoku suffered a high-ankle sprain in the Week 7 loss to the Ravens, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. Schefter gives Njoku a 2-5 week timetable for return, but high-ankle sprains tend to keep guys out at least 4 weeks. Njoku is only worth stashing in deep leagues and TE-premium leagues. His absence leaves Harrison Bryant as Cleveland's lead TE -- and a potential low-end fantasy spot starter.
Falcons WR Drake London posted only 1 catch (1 target) for 9 yards in Week 7. He played 85% of the snaps but watched as Marcus Mariota attempted only 13 passes in a blowout loss. London’s now been held to 40 yards or fewer in 4 straight. Unless Atlanta’s pass volume increases, it’ll be tough to trust the rookie as a WR3. Week 8 turns up a meeting with Carolina.
The MRI on Jets RB Breece Hall's knee revealed a torn ACL and a meniscus injury, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Hall will miss the rest of the 2022 season -- and the meniscus injury could mean a longer rehab. Hall has about 10-and-a-half months before the start of the 2023 campaign. We'll keep an eye on his progress. The good news is that Hall has age on his side, turning just 22 next May. We still like him as a top-5 dynasty RB. His absence leaves Michael Carter as New York's clear lead back. We'll see if the 5-2 Jets make an addition at the position. Carter doesn't project as a workhorse.
Falcons QB Marcus Mariota attempted 13 passes in a blowout loss at Cincinnati. It’s official — nobody is more committed to the run than HC Arthur Smith. And with only 45 total offensive plays, it’s no surprise Mariota finished with just 124 yards and 1 score. His lone score came on a 75-yard deep ball to Damiere Byrd. Mariota added 31 yards rushing but remains a superflex option only. Next up is a home matchup with Carolina.
Seahawks HC Pete Carroll said in a Monday radio appearance that WR D.K. Metcalf suffered a patellar tendon injury in the win over the Chargers. Metcalf won't need surgery on the knee, according to Carroll, but it's still unclear how long he'll be sidelined. We'll keep you posted on the situation, but Metcalf owners shouldn't plan on having him in Week 8 fantasy lineups.
Saints RB Alvin Kamara posted 7 catches and 105 scoreless yards in a Week 7 loss at Arizona. Kamara has now caught 6+ balls in 3 straight -- each alongside Andy Dalton. However, he's also gone 5 appearances without finding the end zone. On the year, Kamara has only 3 carries inside the 10 compared to 3 for Taysom Hill and 2 for Mark Ingram. The RB11 in PPG, Kamara will look for his first score this week vs. the Raiders.
Saints WR Chris Olave stepped up in Week 7 with 7 catches for 106 yards. The rookie has now hit 50 yards in 5 straight, a stretch that includes 53 targets. Of course, it’s helped that Jarvis Landry has missed the past 3 games; Michael Thomas has missed the last 4. But watching film on Olave, it’s clear that he deserves a sizable weekly role. The analytics back it up, as he ranks 9th in yards per route run (2.46) among 82 qualifiers. We'll see about the statuses of Olave’s veteran teammates. But even if they're active, Olave will profile as a WR3+ for Sunday’s home matchup with Vegas.
Cardinals TE Zach Ertz caught 2 of 4 targets for 21 yards in a Week 7 win over New Orleans. Ertz entered Thursday night with 6+ catches in 5 straight matchups. Week 7 did turn up the return of DeAndre Hopkins, although Arizona was without Marquise Brown (foot). Brown is set to miss several more weeks, while Ertz's lowly production can be chalked up to a strong Saints TE defense. He’s in a fine rebound spot this week at Minnesota.
Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins made his season-debut in Week 7, snagging 10 of 14 targets for 103 yards. Oh yeah, he's back. Hopkins’ 14 targets represented a wild 48.2% team target share. While he faced a Saints secondary minus CB Marshon Lattimore, it’s clear that Hopkins will be leaned on heavily with Marquise Brown (foot) sidelined. The veteran is a fine WR2 for the road ahead.
Cardinals QB Kyler Murray was efficient in Week 7, posting a 69% completion rate on 29 attempts vs. New Orleans. Kyler added only 1 TD in the win — a 5-yarder to Greg Dortch. He simply didn’t need to carry the team after Andy Dalton tossed 2 pick-6s in the 2nd quarter. The big takeaway here is that DeAndre Hopkins is back, and he looked 100% in his season debut. Even with Marquise Brown (foot) out for the foreseeable future, Murray should stick in the top-8 mix with help from his rushing. He's now hit 30 yards in 3 straight and retains upside well beyond that.
Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert handled 16 of 23 RB carries for Miami, tallying 79 yards in the Sunday night win over the Steelers. He added 4 catches for 30 yards and a TD among 5 targets, snagging the team's only score. Chase Edmonds got less than half as much playing time: 18 snaps vs. 44. He finished with 7-17 rushing and no catches on 2 targets. Edmonds is solely a handcuff for fantasy purposes, while Mostert is looking like a weekly RB2. He gets a terrific matchup with Detroit in Week 8.
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