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