Stars of Week 7
QB: Peyton Manning, DEN: 22-26, 318 yards, 4 TDs
RB: DeMarco Murray, DAL: 28 carries, 128 yards, 1 TD
WR: Demaryius Thomas, DAL: 8 catches, 178 yards, 2 TDs
TE: Antonio Gates, SD: 3 catches, 61 yards, 1 TD
With apologies to Russell Wilson and his brilliant performance against the Rams (especially from a fantasy perspective), Peyton Manning gets the nod as the top QB this week. Manning now leads the NFL in all-time TD passes, and makes the thought of 600 TDs appear as a realistic possibility. All four guys mentioned here have also made the weekly honor roll earlier this season (in some cases more than once prior), so not much to add about them other than to say that you should be thankful if you have them on your roster.
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.
- Russell Wilson, QB - SEA:23-36, 313 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs (7 carries, 106 yards, 1 TD)
Analysis: After observing the Seahawks’ performance for their first six games, it’s become clear that the team has fallen off a bit from last year. Not a shock, as once you sit on the mountaintop, there’s only one direction to go. So how does this affect Russell Wilson’s fantasy value? Well, bad news for Seahawks’ fans is great news for Russell Wilson’s owners – Wilson will be cut loose much more this season out of necessity. Entering the season, Wilson straddled the QB1/QB2 line, and now he should be viewed as a must start QB1. With the Seahawks D down this season compared to last year, Wilson will need to do more to help the Hawks win games. Thus, more value for his fantasy owners.
- Tre Mason, RB – STL: 18 carries, 85 yards, 1 TD
Analysis: Last week I suggested Tre Mason as an RB to pick up off the wire. Hopefully you made the move! He will likely be the number one player for waiver claims this week, and with good reason. Mason was among the lottery-ticket group I had mentioned in my draft guide, and now his owners are about to cash in on the prize. Ironically, he’s likely to be this year’s Zac Stacy. From watching the film, Mason simply has more talent than Stacy, and it’s becoming clear that Jeff Fisher and his staff are well aware of this. Look for Mason to hold onto the top RB spot, with Stacy and Cunningham mixing in for carries as well. But Mason has the most value of this group, and he’s the one to own. He should be viewed as an RB2 until further notice.
- Ronnie Hillman, RB - DEN: 14 carries, 74 yards, 2 TDs
Analysis: Hillman was covered in this spot last week, and due to a second straight strong performance, this time against the 49ers, we need to take another look at where things stand. In addition to securing the lion’s share of the carries for the Broncos, Hillman continues to be a weapon in the passing game as well. At this point, Hillman needs to be elevated into clear RB2 status, and he should remain ahead of Montee Ball on the depth chart even when Ball returns.
- Denard Robinson, RB - JAC: 22 carries, 127 yards, 1 TD
Analysis: Musical chairs for the Jaguars’ RB spot continued this weekend against the Browns, with Denard Robinson getting his turn. Unlike his predecessors, Robinson actually did something with his chance, clearing the 100 yard plateau with ease. While Robinson’s performance was encouraging, I would still advise you to remain cautious with expectations. The Jags’ still have a putrid O-line, and that won’t change over the course of this season. I have Mason clearly ranked as the better add, but Robinson should also be added in all leagues. As of now, view Robinson as an RB3/flex option, with potential to move up if future performance merits such a bump. His upcoming matchup with the Dolphins will be a tough one, however.
- Doug Baldwin, WR - SEA: 7 catches, 123 yards, 1 TD
Analysis: The out-of-nowhere Percy Harvin trade last week sent shockwaves throughout the NFL, while also through the fantasy world to a lesser extent. Perhaps the biggest beneficiary of the trade is Doug Baldwin. He assumes the role of top WR for the Seahawks, and with the Hawks returning to a more traditional offense (like they ran last season), Baldwin’s role will trend upwards. Expectations for Baldwin should be somewhere in the WR3 range for the rest of the season. If he’s somehow available in your league, grab him now.
- Sammy Watkins, WR - BUF: 9 catches, 122 yards, 2 TDs
Analysis: Sammy Watkins had a fantastic game against the Vikings this past Sunday, which included catching the game winning TD with only seconds remaining. I wrote earlier in the season that you should be careful to rely too much on rookie WRs, and Watkins so far has hammered this point home. To illustrate the point, let’s take a look at his yardage totals each week (with the week in parentheses): (1) 31 yards, (2) 117 yards, (3) 19 yards, (4) 30 yards, (5) 87 yards, (6) 27 yards and (7) 122 yards. Sure, we can expand the analysis to look at TDs and targets, but we refrain from doing so for simplicity (but note that adding TDs and targets would not change the analysis here). The point here is that Watkins will continue to have great games, mixed in with quiet games and a handful which would rank in between. As the season goes on, Watkins should get a bit more consistent, but as talented as he is, we’re still talking about a rookie. In a nutshell, Watkins should be viewed as a WR3. Next season, he’ll move up from there.
Rapid Fire Pickups
Each week we 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: Ryan Tannehill, MIA
RB: Bryce Brown, BUF (he’s the better option than Anthony Dixon)
RB: Isaiah Crowell, CLE
WR: Davante Adams, GB
WR: Martavis Bryant, PIT
TE: Tim Wright, NE
Week 8 Rankings
Quarterbacks
1. Peyton Manning
2. Aaron Rodgers
3. Russell Wilson
4. Andrew Luck
5. Drew Brees
6. Tom Brady
7. Philip Rivers
8. Nick Foles
9. Tony Romo
10. Jay Cutler
11. Carson Palmer
12. Matthew Stafford
13. Cam Newton
14. Alex Smith
15. Joe Flacco
16. Ryan Tannehill
17. Matt Ryan
18. Ben Roethlisberger
19. Brian Hoyer
20. Kyle Orton
Running Backs
1. DeMarco Murray
2. Marshawn Lynch
3. Arian Foster
4. Matt Forte
5. Jamaal Charles
6. Le'Veon Bell
7. LeSean McCoy
8. Andre Ellington
9. Eddie Lacy
10. Ben Tate
11. Lamar Miller
12. Justin Forsett
13. Giovani Bernard
14. Ahmad Bradshaw
15. Joique Bell
16. Ronnie Hillman
17. Branden Oliver
18. Shane Vereen
19. Jerick McKinnon
20. Mark Ingram
21. Alfred Morris
22. Tre Mason
23. Darren McFadden
24. Doug Martin
25. Chris Ivory
26. Denard Robinson
27. Trent Richardson
28. Darren Sproles
29. Steven Jackson
30. Bishop Sankey
31. Reggie Bush
32. James Starks
33. Isaiah Crowell
34. Anthony Dixon
35. Khiry Robinson
Wide Receivers
1. Demaryius Thomas
2. Jordy Nelson
3. Antonio Brown
4. Dez Bryant
5. Randall Cobb
6. Golden Tate
7. Jeremy Maclin
8. A.J. Green
9. Julio Jones
10. T.Y. Hilton
11. Emmanuel Sanders
12. Brandon Marshall
13. Mike Wallace
14. Alshon Jeffery
15. Julian Edelman
16. Andre Johnson
17. Kelvin Benjamin
18. Steve Smith Sr.
19. Michael Floyd
20. DeSean Jackson
21. Vincent Jackson
22. Sammy Watkins
23. Terrance Williams
24. Doug Baldwin
25. Pierre Garcon
26. DeAndre Hopkins
27. Percy Harvin
28. Roddy White
29. Torrey Smith
30. Keenan Allen
31. Brandin Cooks
32. Kendall Wright
33. Andre Holmes
34. Brian Quick
35. Larry Fitzgerald
Tight Ends
1. Julius Thomas
2. Rob Gronkowski
3. Greg Olsen
4. Antonio Gates
5. Jimmy Graham
6. Martellus Bennett
7. Delanie Walker
8. Jordan Reed
9. Dwayne Allen
10. Travis Kelce
11. Jordan Cameron
12. Owen Daniels
13. Zach Ertz
14. Jason Witten
15. Heath Miller
- Neema Hodjat is the fantasy sports expert for RealGM. He can be reached via email at nhodjat@gmail.com and followed on twitter at @NeemaHodjat.