Fantasy Impact of Week 7

Fantasy Impact of Week 7

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Fantasy Impact of Week 7

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Running down Sunday’s fantasy movers, shakers and heartbreakers:

Ravens 29, Falcons 7
M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore
Now, sure, Joe Flacco wasn’t going to throw another five TD passes here, but at 16-for-25 for 258 yards and two TDs and a pair of picks, he was serviceable if you rolled with him again this week.
Extra points: Justin Forsett (23-95) dominated the RB carries again, but Bernard Pierce (8-21) got a short rushing score for the second straight week. … TE Owen Daniels led Baltimore in targets (9) and catches (6-58) and caught a TD pass, with awakening WR Torrey Smith (3-81) catching the other. Steve Smith Sr. was fairly quiet with three grabs for 67 yards on five targets. … The Falcons lost another offensive lineman with C Peter Konz carted off in the first quarter, and it’s really starting to weigh on Matt Ryan, who was sacked five times and lost a fumble while throwing for a season-low 228 yards and one TD on 29-of-44 passing. … WR Roddy White (9-100-1 on 15 targets) had by far his best outing of the season, while Julio Jones (5-56 on 8 targets) was kept out of the end zone for the fourth straight game. … With all of 22 yards on eight carries, Steven Jackson led Atlanta in rushing which says all you need to know about the state of the Falcons’ ground game.


Redskins 19, Titans 17
FedEx Field; Landover, Md.
The question once was whether Kirk Cousins would remain the starter once Robert Griffin III returns, but now D.C. fans are wondering how soon RGIII can get back as Cousins was benched after throwing an interception, losing a fumble and throwing for 139 yards in a two-field goal first half. Colt McCoy replaced Cousins and completed 11-of-12 for 128 yards and a TD in leading the home team to the comeback win.
Extra points: Pierre Garcon and TE Jordan Reed (5-54) had six targets apiece to lead Washington, but it was WR Pierre Garcon who snapped out of his mini-fantasy funk and led the team with 87 yards and a TD on five receptions. DeSean Jackson was a quiet 3-49 on five targets. … RB Alfred Morris (18-54) once again led the squad in rushing but is still without a 100-yard game this season. … For the Titans, Charlie Whitehurst made his third start of the year and threw for 160 yards, two TDs and an interception. … His TD tosses went to WRs Derek Hagan (2-45) and Kendall Wright (6-68) who now has four scores this year after entering the season with six. … Rookie Bishop Sankey got the start and the bulk of the RB workload for Tennessee, but once again didn’t do much with the opportunity, finishing with 56 yards on 16 carries.


Rams 28, Seahawks 26
Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis
With Percy Harvin in Jets’ green, Marshawn Lynch (18-53 rushing, 2-18 receiving) in a rut and the not-so-impenetrable defense in a funk, it’s become Russell Wilson’s team. And all Wilson did on Sunday was become the first QB in NFL history to throw for more than 300 yards (313) and rush for 100 (7-106) in the same game. He also threw a pair of TD passes and ran for another to pace the day’s fantasy point producers.
Extra points: With Harvin gone and top two TEs Zach Miller and Luke Willson hurting, WR Doug Baldwin (7-123-1 on 11 targets) and TE Cooper Helfet (3-61-1 on 6) were the big pass-catching beneficiaries. Rookie wideout Paul Richardson (4-33) also saw his most extensive action of the season, garnering five targets. … For the victorious Rams, there also looks to be changing of the guard as rookie Tre Mason (18-85-1) was the team’s leading rusher. He did, however, lose his grip on a late-game carry that could’ve been disastrous had TE teammate Corey Harkey not come up with the recovery. Benny Cunningham got two carries for 3 yards, while fantasy flop Zac Stacy got zero – as in none – and looks to have fallen out of favor in the Gateway City. … Cunningham, meanwhile, led the fantasy-unfriendly St. Louis pass-catching corps with five targets, five receptions, 46 yards and a TD. TE Lance Kendricks (2-17) also scored. … Finally, if you dared to start Austin Davis against the ‘Hawks, he certainly didn’t hurt you, going 18-of-21 for 152 yards and the two scores. … After coming in with a league-low single sack, the Rams tripled that total and also provided fantasy owners with a special-teams TD on a deftly executed trick punt return that Stedman Bailey took 90 yards to the house.


Jaguars 24, Browns 6
EverBank Field, Jacksonville
Denard Robinson, with all of 94 rushing yards on 28 carries entering the game, got the start at RB with Toby Gerhart still out and gashed the Browns for 127 yards and a TD on 22 carries. Go figure. Rookie Storm Johnson ran only six times for 16 yards, but did score a fourth-quarter TD to avert a total disaster.
Extra points: WR Cecil Shorts (3-12) led the Jags with nine targets, but it was rookie wideout Allen Robinson who paced the squad with 60 yards and a TD on four catches. … Blake Bortles looked like, well, a rookie in finishing 17-of-31 for 159 yards, a TD and three picks while rushing five times for 37 yards. … As for the visitors, that favorable fantasy ground matchup didn’t exactly materialize as Ben Tate (16-36), Isaiah Crowell (7-18) and Terrance West (5-8) were completely bottled up by the Jags. … Fantasy owners who rolled with Brian Hoyer (16-of-41, 215 yards, interception, fumble) and TE Jordan Cameron (1-5 on 6 targets) were similarly frustrated. … WR Andrew Hawkins, meanwhile, was about the only Cleveland bright spot, pacing the team in targets (9), receptions (5) and yards (112).


Colts 27, Bengals 0
Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
The Andrew Luck (344 yards, 2 TDs) and Ahmad Bradshaw (10-52-1 rushing, 3-36-1 receiving) Fantasy Expresses continued to hum along at high speed, even with both players losing fumbles for the only two turnovers in the game.
Extra points: WR T.Y. Hilton (7-107 on team-high 9 targets) and TE Dwayne Allen (3-52-1 on 6) also are doing just fine for their fantasy teams. … RB Trent Richardson (10-52, 4-41) was headed toward a big day before a hamstring issue cropped up, while WR Reggie Wayne (4-15 on 8 targets) was quiet for the second straight week. … Meanwhile, hey Cincy, what was that? Yeah, A.J. Green missed a second straight game, but the grand totals were 135 yards and eight first downs on 54 plays, and so condolences for those who started Andy Dalton (18-of-38, 126 yards), Giovanni Bernard (7-17, 2-minus-1) and Mohamed Sanu (3-54 on 9 targets). … TE Jermaine Gresham had a career-high 10 receptions for all of 48 yards. … Maybe it’s just that more fantasy attention needs to be paid to the Indy defense which sacked Dalton four times and posted its first shutout since 2008.


Bills 17, Vikings 16
Ralph Wilson Stadium; Orchard Park, N.Y.
The Bills got the last-second win, but their RB situation was thrown for a pair of big losses with C.J. Spiller (1-53, 1-3) suffering a broken collarbone and Fred Jackson (3-12, 3-16) going down with what looks to be a serious groin injury. Anthony Dixon (13-51, 3-15) was the only other RB active with Bryce Brown a healthy scratch.
Extra points: It was definitely an up day for up-and-down rookie wideout Sammy Watkins, who easily led the team with nine receptions for 122 yards and two TDs on 14 targets. … WR Chris Hogan (5-63) and TE Scott Chandler (3-36) were each targeted six times. … For the Vikes, Jerick McKinnon (19-103, 2-minus-2) dominated the RB touches for the second consecutive game, with Matt Asiata getting only six rushes (for 24 yards) and one catch (for 13). … WR Cordarrelle Patterson (2-9 receiving, 1-3 rushing) found the end zone for the first time since Week 1, but still only had three touches, while fellow wideout Greg Jennings (6-77 on a team-high 7 targets) got his most work of the season. … Rookie QB Teddy Bridgewater (15-of-26, 157 yards, TD, 2 interceptions; 1-7 rushing) continues to struggle.


Dolphins 27, Bears 14
Solider Field, Chicago
Ryan Tannehill: Hot. Jay Cutler: Not. Tannehill (25-32, 277 yards, 2 TDs; 6-48 rushing) has had at least 244 passing yards, two TDs and 35 rushing yards in three straight games now, while Cutler (21-of-34, 190 yards, TD, interception, fumble) fell to 0-3 at home with easily his worst fantasy outing of the year.
Extra points: Lamar Miller (18-61-1 rushing, 2-22) found the end zone for the third straight game, as did wideout Mike Wallace, who caught a team-high five passes for 46 yards on eight targets. Meanwhile, TE Charles Clay (4-58) scored for the first time in 2014. … For the Bears, it was Matt Forte (12-49-1, 6-60-1) and little else as the RB has now totaled five TDs over the last three games. … Cutler’s poor outing was reflected in his pass-catchers’ stats as TE Martellus Bennett (5-58 on 8 targets) and WRs Brandon Marshall (6-48 on 10) and Alshon Jeffery (2-9 on 7) all were mediocre at best.


Lions 24, Saints 23
Ford Field, Detroit
The Lions once again didn’t have Megatron, but they did have a wideout with mega numbers as Golden Tate (10-154-1) excelled on a team-high 13 targets.
Extra points: Matthew Stafford (27-of-40, 299 yards, 2 TDs, 2 picks) started slow but finished with a flourish, thanks to fourth-quarter TD tosses to Tate and WR Corey Fuller (3-44). … Reggie Bush was back but he only was 4-10 rushing and 5-22 receiving, while Joique Bell (18-48-1, 2-19) scored for the second straight game. … Drew Brees’ fantasy figures (28-of-45, 342 yards, 2 TDs, pick) were just fine, but his untimely fourth-quarter interception was a game-changer. … TE Jimmy Graham played but clearly wasn’t himself with no receptions on two targets. Meanwhile, WRs Marques Colston (6-111 on 10 targets) and Kenny Stills (5-103-1 on 5) both topped the century mark, while Travaris Cadet caught six passes for 51 yards on nine targets out of the backfield. … With Pierre Thomas (6-13, 4-17) leaving in the third quarter with a shoulder injury and Mark Ingram (10-16, 2-13) not doing much after a month’s absence, Khiry Robinson led the team in rushing with all of 26 yards on three carries and also gave away a fumble.


Packers 38, Panthers 17
Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wis.
Yeah, this Carolina secondary — giving up the eighth most fantasy points to WRs — wasn’t going to slow down Randall Cobb (6-121-1), Jordy Nelson (4-80-1) or even rookie Devante Adams (1-21-1). It added up to a 19-of-22, 255-yard, three-TD afternoon for Aaron Rodgers, who has three or more scoring tosses in each of his last four games and now has 18 TDs and one interception this season.
Extra points: Green Bay’s top two backs, Eddie Lacy (12-63 rushing, 3-10 receiving) and James Starks (7-36, 1-7) each ran for TDs, but Starks departed in the second half with an ankle issue. … Cam Newton (205 yards, TD, interception, 7-41 rushing) couldn’t replicate his Week 6 fantasy heroics, but top targets Greg Olsen (8-105) and Kelvin Benjamin (3-61-1) still enjoyed solid fantasy outings. … Jonathan Stewart returned from a three-game absence and led the Panthers in rushing (14-55).


Chiefs 23, Chargers 20
Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego
Jamaal Charles was back in the end zone after a week’s hiatus and rolled up 107 total yards, including a game-high 95 rushing on 22 carries.
Extra points: The K.C. defense sacked Philip Rivers only twice but rattled the QB like few have been able to of late, snapping his run of three-TD-pass games at three. Rivers finished with two scoring passes, an interception and a season-low 205 yards. … Branden Oliver (15-67 rushing, 2-11 receiving), Eddie Royal (1-20) and Malcom Floyd (3-50) also were cooled off, but old man Antonio Gates (3-61) keeps on trucking with his seventh TD reception of the season. Keenan Allen is still without a score, but he at least was targeted a team-high 10 times and finished with six catches for 58 yards. … Alex Smith’s numbers (19-of-28, 221 yards, TD; 6-29 rushing) didn’t decide many fantasy matchups, but he was definitely a deciding factor in the big road division win here. … Smith’s lone TD pass went to FB Anthony Sherman (2-12), while maddeningly inconsistent WR Dwayne Bowe (5-84) decided to show up Sunday while score garnering a team-most seven targets.


Cardinals 24, Raiders 13
O.Co Coliseum, Oakland, Calif.
Arizona RB Andre Ellington cranked out a season-high 160 total yards on 24 rushes and a team-leading six receptions on nine targets, but his fantasy owners were anything but pleased to see backup Stepfan Taylor (12-40, 2-19) score two of the team’s three TDs.
Extra points: The other score went to WR Michael Floyd (3-47) on a 33-yard strike from Carson Palmer (253 yards, 2 TDs). Larry Fitzgerald was a quiet 4-21 on five targets. … A week after tossing four TD passes, Raiders rookie Derek Carr was shut out on a 16-of-28, 173-yard performance. … Darren McFadden (14-48, 4-7) scored the Silver & Black’s only TD, while Carr’s struggles muted the numbers of hot waiver-wire pickup Andre Holmes (3-34 on 5 targets). Fellow wideout James Jones led the Raiders with eight targets but matched his season-low with 34 receiving yards on four receptions.


Cowboys 31, Giants 21
AT&T Stadium; Arlington, Texas
Like fantasy clockwork, DeMarco Murray delivered a 100-yard performance (28-128) and a rushing score, Dez Bryant (9-151) had a big day after a slow start (2-15 in the first half) and Terrance Williams (1-18) caught a TD pass – his sixth of the season. Murray did throw a minor scare into his fantasy owners by leaving to get his ankle taped in the second quarter before returning – just another reminder to lock up handcuff Joseph Randle (2-7, 1-14).
Extra points: The Cowboys are clearly run-first team now, but that’s actually taking the pressure off Tony Romo (279 yards, 3 TDs, interception), who topped 250 passing yards and tossed multiple scoring passes for the fourth straight contest. … Jason Witten (2-27) owners are already well aware, but backup TE Gavin Escobar (3-65) caught two TD passes and now has three scores over the last two games. … Unlike Week 6, the Giants did score with Eli Manning bouncing back nicely with 248 yards and three scoring passes – two of which found their way into the clutches of rookie wideout Odell Beckham Jr. (4-34 on 6 targets). … After back-to-back duds, TE Larry Donnell (7-90) led N.Y. in receptions and yards, but coughed up a pair of fourth-quarter fumbles. Meanwhile, WR Rueben Randle (6-74) was targeted a team-high nine times. … Rookie RB Andre Williams continues to have the opportunity with 18 rushes, but he didn’t do much with it, gaining only 51 yards.


Broncos 42, 49ers 17
Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver
You might’ve heard that Peyton Manning (318 yards, 4 TDs) set an NFL record Sunday night while carving up the Niners’ D, and all you need to know is he had as many incompletions (4) as scoring tosses.
Extra points: Manning’s record-breaking scoring throw went to WR Demaryius Thomas, who’s caught 26 passes for 521 yards and five TDs in the three games since the Broncos’ bye. Emmanuel Sanders (3-41) and Wes Welker (3-50) also had TD grabs – the first of the season for both – while TE Julius Thomas (4-27 on 6 targets) was quiet for a change. … On the ground, Ronnie Hillman followed up his first 100-yard rushing game with a 14-74, 2-TD effort and added four catches for 29 yards. The owners of injured Montee Ball need to be very worried. … And, hey, amid all these offensive numbers, don’t overlook the Denver D, which recorded a season-high six sacks and an interception. … For the Niners, Colin Kaepernick matched a career high by launching 39 passes and did fine to finish with a pedestrian 263 yards, a TD and a pick while seemingly being constantly harassed. Blaine Gabbert (38 yards) mopped up with a garbage-time TD toss to Bruce Ellington (3-44). … WR Anquan Boldin (7-50) was targeted a team-high 10 times but dropped a sure TD catch, while fellow wideout Stevie Johnson (5-79) caught Kaepernick’s lone scoring toss. … And if they aren’t getting mentioned until the final sentence, it means Frank Gore (9-20), Michael Crabtree (4-27 on 7 targets) and TE Vernon Davis (2-21 on 5 targets) had slow, slow nights.


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