Notable Injuries:
- Chris Godwin (Ankle)
- Mike Evans (Hamstring)
- Brandon Aiyuk (ACL/MCL)
- Deebo Samuel (Pneumonia)
- JuJu Smith Schuster (Hamstring)
- George Kittle (Foot)
- Dorian Thompson-Robinson (Finger)
- Aidan O’Connell (Thumb)
- Jayden Daniels (Rib)
- Deshaun Watson (Achilles)
Teams on a BYE week:
- None
Waiver Wire Targets:
Alexander Mattison (Rostered in 42.5% of ESPN leagues)
Added in last week’s list as a fill-in option, Mattison delivered, rushing for 92 yards and put up 15.3 fantasy points. He also very clearly dominated the Raiders backfield in rush attempts. For context, Mattison rushed 23 times compared to Zamir White’s 3 rush attempts. Worth a roster addition.
Ray Davis (Rostered in 14.6% of ESPN leagues) Genius Pick of the Week
I’ve mentioned a few elite handcuff options for the running back position this year. Ray Davis is making his way onto that list. In week 6 he went off for 18.2 points with James Cook sidelined due to injury. This week, he turned minimal attameps into 11.7 points. A fun stat is that he is third on the team in red zone rushing attempts (10) trailing Josh Allen (14) and James Cook (16). The rookie is worth rostering.
Jauan Jennings (Rostered in 45.6% of ESPN leagues) and Ricky Pearsall (Rostered in 5.5% of ESPN leagues)
A season ending injury to Brandon Aiyuk reopens the door for Jauan Jennings to be productive in this 49ers offense. Every week won’t suddenly be a 40+ point outing but Purdy is third in the league in passing yards (1841) and tenth in passing attempts (216). It feels obvious to say that with more targets comes more fantasy relevance but hey… it just be like that sometimes. Ricky Pearsall made his first NFL appearance after getting shot in the chest in the offseason pulling in 3 of 5 targets for 21 yards. While not great, the highlight I’ve seen thrown around is his route participation (86%) and target share (18%). Both of those are encouraging and may change a bit as both Jennings and Samuel work to get back on the field but Pearsall might be a fun “stash and see candidate” after a week or two. Of the 2, Pearsall is way more available but less proven. Both are worth adding but Jennings should be the priority I think as he will provide playable value while Pearsall is more of a stash or add for deeper leagues.
Jalen McMillan (Rostered in 1.5% of ESPN leagues)
An absolute brutal night for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiving core thrust Jalen McMillan into sudden prominence. Mike Evans left the game early with a hamstring injury and Chris Godwin went down late with what looks to be a season ending ankle injury. McMillan would end the game with 8 targets suggesting QB Baker Mayfield may continue to look his way. Mayfield currently leads the league in touchdown passes (18) and is second in passing yards (1859). While the Bucs may lean more on their run game and TE Cade Otton (See below), someone will have to catch passes and McMillan is the next man up.
Keon Coleman (Rostered in 44.4% of ESPN leagues)
I will be transparent and say Coleman is making my list because I believe in him as a player and want him to do well. In Sunday’s win over the Titans, Coleman exploded for 125 yards. He also saw 7 targets. It’s been a committee approach in Buffalo with no WR really breaking out but the addition of Amari Cooper (at least in one outing) has seemed to balance things back out. If Cooper continues to draw the opponents top defender, there should be plenty of work for Coleman in this offense.
Jalen Tolbert (Rostered in 26.7% of ESPN leagues)
In week 6 I highlighted Tolbert as my “Genius Pick of the Week”. Unfortunately, the Cowboys got absolutely dog walked by the Lions. With all that being said, I’m still not out on Tolbert. Even in the loss to the Lions, he still ran 98% of routes and saw 12% of targets. I think there are better days ahead for this Cowboys offense and I think Tolbert will be a part of that. It is also worth mentioning Brandon Cooks is still on IR. With all these WR injuries, Tolbert may be able to provide some value for needy teams.
Cade Otton (Rostered in 42.3% of ESPN leagues)
With Mike Evans sidelined for a while and Chris Godwin out for the year, Otton will look to build on his 100 yard, 18 point fantasy performance against the Ravens. I think it’s a no-brainer that Otton will see more work in this offense with a depleted wide receiver group. I felt like every pass went his way there towards the end of the game. Last week’s “Genius Pick of the Week” is a must add if available.
Noah Fant (Rostered in 7.7% of ESPN leagues)
Fant has been pretty productive the last 2 weeks going over 60 yards in both outings. His path to fantasy relevance is only increased by DK Metcalf potentially missing time due to a knee injury. Fant presents as a potential streaming option in week 8.
Bo Nix (Rostered in 16.1% of ESPN leagues)
This is your weekly “He should be good because they play the Panthers” reminder. I mean… they just got diced up by Marcus Mariota, who until Sunday, I was not aware was even still in the league. The Panthers secondary is a hospital ward right now so Bo Nix should have no issue. Nix has had a handful of fantasy relevant weeks and it looks like he is trending towards one more.
*Point totals mentioned assume full point PPR scoring.
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