Stars of Week 7

QB: Ryan Tannehill, MIA: 18-19, 282 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs

RB: Lamar Miller, MIA: 14 carries, 175 yards, 1 TD; 3 catches, 61 yards, 1 TD

WR: T.Y. Hilton, IND: 4 catches, 150 yards, 2 TDs

TE: Jordan Reed, WAS: 7 catches, 72 yards, 2 TDs

Mid-season coaching changes often do little to jumpstart a struggling team, but sometimes they just do the trick, with Exhibit A being the 2015 Miami Dolphins. The franchise looked morbid just a few weeks back, only to have caught fire over the last two weeks. The Dolphins were up 35-0 over the Texans with just a minute gone by in the second quarter, so the bulk of the stats posted by Ryan Tannehill and Lamar Miller occurred in a short period of time – and could have been much more if not for sportsmanship considerations. We looked at Miller last week, restoring him to solid RB2 territory. Well, let’s bump him up to RB1 territory if he can string together a few more weeks of strong performances. Consistency will be the key. We’ll look at Ryan Tannehill this week to break down what his future holds.

T.Y. Hilton broke out in the second half against the Saints, catching two bombs from Andrew Luck to get the Colts back into the game. Colts’ fans will view his effort as too-little, too-late, but fantasy owners will show their appreciation for the performance. On the flip side, Jordan Reed made key second-half catches which helped lead his team to victory, including the game winning touchdown with twenty-four seconds left in the game. Reed’s story hasn’t changed – he’s a TE1 for the eight or so games a year that he’s healthy. So when he plays, he goes into your lineup. Reed owners should just be prepared to have or find fill-ins when needed. 

Week 7 Takeaways – A Closer Look 

Each week we take a closer look at a handful of performances and sort out what such performances mean going forward. 

- Ryan Tannehill, QB – MIA: 18-19, 282 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs 

Analysis: The arrow points up for Dolphins’ players across the board. Tannehill was drafted as a low-end QB1 in leagues this year, but he failed to meet expectations for the early of the season. Tannehill threw seven interceptions to go with his nine TDs during the first five games of the season, with uneven yardage performances. Is this past Sunday’s performance a sign of things to come? The coaching change has appeared to re-energize the team, and the new lease on life will pass on to Tannehill as well. The Dolphins have several weapons at Tannehill’s disposal, including stud wide receiver Jarvis Landry and tight end Jordan Cameron. The renewed focus on a balanced attack (i.e. not abandoning the running game) will also help the passing game. Look for Tannehill to straddle the low-end QB1/high-end QB2 line going forward.

- Darren McFadden, RB – DAL: 29 carries, 152 yards, 1 TD           

Analysis: The Cowboys’ running back carousel has left many confused. Word on the street was to expect Christine Michael to get increasing carries for the Cowboys. So starter Joseph Randle leaves Sunday’s game in the first quarter with a strained oblique, and what happens? Darren McFadden emerges as the bell cow for the remainder of the game. Run DMC had a great game, averaging nearly 5 yards per carry on his way to 152 yards and 2 TDs. The early word is that Randle will miss some time, so what will happen next week against the Seahawks? Who knows? The Seahawks remain a stout run D – especially when a team’s passing game doesn’t scare them – so temper expectations for McFadden and Michael for next week. As for a prediction for carries, expect for Michael’s load to increase, but with McFadden likely retaining a greater percentage of the carries. The key here is to proceed with caution with Dallas running backs, as the situation will likely change from week to week.

- Arian Foster, RB – HOU: 18 carries, 59 yards, 1 TD; 5 catches, 66 yards, 1 TD; OUT FOR SEASON

Analysis: The most devastating fantasy news of Week 7 came courtesy of the Texans-Dolphins tilt, when in the 4th quarter, Arian Foster dropped to the ground with pain in a non-contact injury. As expected, Foster has a torn Achilles and will be out for the season. No way around it – huge loss for his owners. The additional bad news is that we’ve seen the Texans’ backup RBs perform earlier this year when Foster was out, and amounted to anything more than an RB3 at best. There’s no reason for this to change, especially with a weak passing game and a team that’s heading towards a top 5 pick in next year’s NFL draft. If looking to pick up one of the RBs, I’d lean towards Chris Polk over Alfred Blue, but again keep your expectations in check. RB3 remains the ceiling for both players. 

- Mike Evans, WR – TB: 8 catches, 164 yards, 1 TD

Analysis: Mike Evans flashed superstar talent throughout the 2014 season, which was his rookie year. Evans has experienced a bit of a sophomore slump, having missed the first game of the season due to injury, and not having scored a TD through his first four games. Enter Sunday’s contest, where Evans busts out with 164 yards and a TD. Slump over? Evans surely looked like the stud from last year against the Redskins. With a rookie QB and a team still trying to find its way, I see Evans as a WR2 for this year. Consistency from week to week will be an issue, which will keep him out of the WR1 category – much of which is not Evans’ fault. If you own Evans, don’t sell low on him. His numbers will continue to revert back to what he delivered last year. 

- Nate Washington, WR – HOU: 9 catches, 127 yards, 2 TDs 

Analysis: We revisit the Dolphins-Texans game again to take a closer look at Nate Washington’s performance. Washington posted “DeAndre Hopkins-like” numbers, while Hopkins posted “Nate Washington-like” numbers (6 catches, 50 yards, 0 TDs). The roles reversed for this game, but don’t get carried away by Washington’s performance on Sunday. He’s a veteran of eleven years, and a solid player. But that’s it – he’s a WR4 who had what will amount to his best game of the year. The Texans remain a mess, and with Foster’s injury, only DeAndre Hopkins is starting-caliber for a team. If you’re looking for an upgrade at WR, look elsewhere.

- Tyler Lockett, WR – SEA: 5 catches, 79 yards, 1 TD 

Analysis: Tyler Lockett has Seahawks fans excited, and rightfully so. A jack of many trades, already in this young season Lockett has a kickoff return TD, punt return TD and now a receiving TD. Lockett runs good routes, creates separation with ease and has a high football IQ – one that you rarely see in rookies. As Lockett and Russell Wilson continue to develop chemistry, his numbers will continue to improve. The Seahawks’ run-first offensive will put a cap on Lockett’s numbers, so I would view Lockett as a WR4 for this season. Lockett falls into the “better in real life than in fantasy” category. Those of you in keeper leagues should be excited to own Lockett, but for yearly leagues, keep expectations in check. Due to the nature of the Seahawks’ offense, his weekly performances will be somewhat uneven. 

Rapid Fire Pickups

Each week we’ll throw out potential free agent pickups from each position for deeper leagues, in each case 1) someone who has NOT been referenced above, and 2) a player available in most leagues.

QB:                  Teddy Bridgewater, MIN

RB:                  Duke Johnson, CLE

RB:                  Ryan Mathews, PHI

WR:                 Rueben Randle, NYG

WR:                 Stevie Johnson, SD

TE:                  Benjamin Watson, NO

Week 8 Rankings

Quarterbacks

1. Tom Brady

2. Carson Palmer

3. Aaron Rodgers

4. Philip Rivers

5. Andy Dalton

6. Cam Newton

7. Andrew Luck

8. Matt Ryan

9. Ben Roethlisberger

10. Eli Manning

11. Drew Brees

12. Ryan Tannehill

13. Peyton Manning

14. Russell Wilson

15. Matthew Stafford

16. Joe Flacco

17. Alex Smith

18. Ryan Fitzpatrick

19. Derek Carr

20. Brian Hoyer

Running Backs

1. Todd Gurley

2. Devonta Freeman

3. Le'Veon Bell

4. Adrian Peterson

5. Marshawn Lynch

6. Matt Forte

7. Mark Ingram

8. Justin Forsett

9. Chris Johnson

10. Doug Martin

11. Chris Ivory

12. Lamar Miller

13. Jonathan Stewart

14. Giovani Bernard

15. Eddie Lacy

16. Charcandrick West

17. Dion Lewis

18. Carlos Hyde

19. Latavius Murray

20. LeGarrett Blount

21. Frank Gore

22. Jeremy Hill

23. Darren McFadden

24. Danny Woodhead

25. Antonio Andrews

26. Melvin Gordon

27. Ameer Abdullah

28. Duke Johnson Jr.

29. Ronnie Hillman

30. James Starks

31. Alfred Blue

32. Rashad Jennings

33. Chris Polk

34. Andre Ellington

35. Khiry Robinson

Wide Receivers

1. Julio Jones

2. DeAndre Hopkins

3. Antonio Brown

4. Keenan Allen

5. Odell Beckham Jr.

6. Demaryius Thomas

7. A.J. Green

8. Calvin Johnson

9. Emmanuel Sanders

10. Julian Edelman

11. Larry Fitzgerald

12. Alshon Jeffery

13. Brandon Marshall

14. Randall Cobb

15. Mike Evans

16. T.Y. Hilton

17. Amari Cooper

18. Steve Smith Sr.

19. Jeremy Maclin

20. Jarvis Landry

21. Martavis Bryant

22. Donte Moncrief

23. Eric Decker

24. John Brown

25. Stefon Diggs

26. Dez Bryant

27. Travis Benjamin

28. James Jones

29. Brandin Cooks

30. Michael Crabtree

31. Kendall Wright

32. Rishard Matthews

33. Golden Tate

34. Willie Snead

35. Davante Adams

Tight Ends

1. Rob Gronkowski

2. Greg Olsen

3. Tyler Eifert

4. Gary Barnidge

5. Travis Kelce

6. Martellus Bennett

7. Jimmy Graham

8. Jason Witten

9. Delanie Walker

10. Eric Ebron

11. Jordan Cameron

12. Larry Donnell

13. Antonio Gates

14. Benjamin Watson

15. Heath Miller