Instant fantasy football lessons from Sunday’s games in the NFL Week 7 recap

Without Puka Nacua, Davante Adams fills in: The Los Angeles Rams’ more recent wide receiver scored three touchdowns to lead the team to a resounding victory even though they were missing their best player.

The Jacksonville Jaguars look to their rookies: Travis Hunter led the team in receiving yards and Bhayshul Tuten led them in rushing yards during the first 55 minutes.

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Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Los Angeles Rams.

When Puka Nacua missed practice all week due to an ankle injury, the Rams had to adjust without their best weapon.

Jordan Whittington and Davante Adams easily took the top two wide receiver positions. Throughout the season, Whittington and Atwell have fought for the third wide receiver spot. Atwell did not play last week, though, because of a hamstring injury. He had been able to fully practice since Thursday. Xavier Smith started on the third drive after he was the third wide receiver on the first two.

The Rams’ personnel groups became more diverse, which was a significant change. They used more 13 personnel in the first half than they did in the first six weeks combined, instead of the customary 11 personnel. Jordan Whittington was their 13 personnel wide receiver in the past, but Konata Mumpfield took over as their main 13 personnel wide receiver as Whittington moved up the depth chart. As a result, Mumpfield scored the game’s first touchdown. Adams played less than usual as a result of the high 13 personnel usage. Adams did not receive the volume of receptions that many fantasy managers had hoped for because targets were evenly distributed because of the rotation, but he did score three touchdowns.

Next week, the Rams have a bye week, which should give Nacua and Atwell enough time to heal. When they return, Whittington and Atwell should contend for third place, with Nacua and Adams returning as the top wide receivers. Given their success with 13 personnel in this game, there is at least a chance the Rams will use a little more of it in the future.

Los Angeles chose to keep all four tight ends active, rotating them more frequently than most teams.

The four tight ends on Los Angeles’ roster are Terrance Ferguson, a second-round rookie, Davis Allen, Colby Parkinson, and Tyler Higbee. When everyone is healthy, the rookie has not played, but when given the chance, Ferguson has demonstrated some promise as a receiver. When Tyler Higbee was out of the game in Week 5, Ferguson caught a 21-yard pass. Parkinson most recently missed last week’s game because of a concussion. Ferguson played a season-high 17 offensive snaps. Instead of benching one wide receiver, the Rams chose to use all four, and Parkinson participated fully in practice throughout the week.

Ferguson was the main 11 personnel tight end on third downs, and Parkinson was the main 11 personnel tight end on early downs for the Rams. Out of 13 players, all four played double-digit snaps and each played at least five snaps in single-tight-end sets. Several of Ferguson’s snaps out of 13 personnel were as a wide receiver. In the fourth quarter, he scored a 31-yard touchdown, his second big play of the season. In 11 personnel, each of the four tight ends saw at least some action.

For fantasy purposes, none of the tight ends can be relied upon because of this rotation. Given his third-down usage and the likelihood that he will receive the majority of 11 personnel snaps on early downs, Ferguson is the most likely tight end from this offense to become a viable option. Once a tight end is healthier at other positions, the Rams might decide to bench them.

The involvement of Bhayshul Tuten increases: Travis Etienne Jr. hasn’t been as successful lately as it was early in the season.

Tank Bigsby was traded as a result of Etienne’s stellar Week 1 performance, which included 143 yards on 16 carries. The main backup on early downs has been Tuten, while LeQuint Allen Jr. been the back with the third down. Although Etienne’s production has decreased, that rotation has remained largely steady in recent weeks. Despite not having any receptions, Eteinne averaged 3 points and 5 yards per carry in Week 3. He was held to a season-low 12 carries in Week 5. He only ran for 27 yards in Week 6 but matched those 12 carries.

Although Etienne started this game, the Rams scored touchdowns on their first two drives while the Jaguars went three-and-out on their first two. As a result, they gave up on the run game rather quickly. Before the two-minute drill drive, Tuten began to rotate in on the third drive and played a major role on the third and fourth drives. During the majority of the game, Tuten averaged more yards per carry than Etienne, who was ineffective when he did run the ball. Despite falling behind 28 points in the final five minutes, the Jaguars managed to make a few surprising runs. This resulted in over half of Etienne’s production being rushed.

Although Etienne has better season-long numbers, Tuten has been the more productive runner over the last two weeks. Tuten has an advantage in one area: the number of avoided tackles per attempt. But if Tuten continues to outperform Etienne as he has in the last two weeks, we might start to see more of him in the future. There aren’t many backfields where we can watch the backup turn into the starter without any trades or injuries.

Keep an eye on Brian Thomas Jr. health: Thomas’ shoulder injury caused him to leave the game early and be rotated out more than usual.

Typically, Brian Thomas Jr. has been used by the Jaguars. In addition to using Travis Hunter in 11 personnel, Dyami Brown and Parker Washington alternate for the other spot in both two- and three-receiver sets in all circumstances. Weeks three and four saw Brown miss time, but in the remaining four games, he played 70 percent of Jacksonville’s offensive snaps, compared to Washington’s 27 percent.

It appeared that Thomas wasn’t completely healthy before the game ended because Tim Patrick was substituting in for him more frequently than usual. Thomas took a long time to leave the field and didn’t come back, causing the game to pause for the final five minutes. It made sense for the Jaguars to avoid taking a chance on the game getting out of control, even if Thomas was nearly 100%. Every time Thomas left for the final few minutes, Brown replaced him instead of Patrick.

Next week is the Jacksonvilles’ bye week. Hopefully, Thomas will have enough time to heal. We should know in Week 9 whether Washington’s ascension is a temporary, long-term shift if everyone is healthy in the next two weeks.

A few other notes.

Blake Corum, the running back for Los Angeles, did not practice on Wednesday, practiced sparingly on Thursday, and then was promoted to full on Friday. He was not given a game status because of an ankle injury.

Despite playing a lot this week, Corum’s performance does not necessarily portend more playing time in the future. Both the first and second drives were lengthy for the Rams, and Corum took a few snaps in the middle of both those drives. The Rams had a three-score lead in the second half after Williams took the remaining first half shots.

For Saturday’s game, the Rams made Jarquez Hunter a healthy inactive and promoted running back Ronnie Rivers from the practice squad. Hunter did not participate in Week 1 either. In recent weeks, he has gotten fewer special teams snaps.

It wasn’t until the third quarter that Travis Hunter took his first defensive position. For the past two weeks, he had started on defense and appeared in at least 20 snaps in each of the previous two games. He didn’t play defense in the first half of this game for the first time. Although Hunter’s offensive performance this week was at its peak, the majority of it came after the game was out of reach.

Quintin Morris of Jacksonville, a tight end, missed all of practice because of a groin injury. On Friday, he was ruled out. The Jaguars were left with just two tight ends as a result.

With Brenton Strange on injured reserve, Hunter Long continued to be Jacksonville’s main tight end in every situation.

New Orleans Saints vs. Chicago Bears.

Track Kendre Miller’s health: Shortly after halftime, Miller was declared out due to a knee injury he sustained in the middle of the first quarter.

Miller has gradually reduced the amount of time that Alvin Kamara spends playing. In the two games prior, Miller gained more rushing yards while the two split carries 50/50. In spite of this, Kamara was used on all five plays in the first two drives, which is rather typical given how brief the drives were. On his second play, Miller injured his knee, but he began to mix in on the third drive.

Devin Neal, a sixth-round rookie running back, saw seven snaps in Week 1 but was not involved in any offensive plays in Week 2. Velus Jones was the third running back for a few weeks while Neal remained healthy and inactive. Last week, Neal returned to playing, but he didn’t contribute offensively. For the remainder of this game, he was the main backup.

Neal and Kamara did not alternate like Kamara and Miller did; instead, Kamara was the feature back for the remainder of the game, with Neal only taking a few snaps when Kamara needed a break. Kamara would have a higher fantasy value and be more likely to start in fantasy lineups each week if the injury turns out to be serious. Though he has made it clear that he has no plans to play for another team, Kamara has been the target of trade rumors. Miller’s injury would further reduce Kamara’s chances of being traded.

In deep leagues, Neal would be a waiver wire pick, but only as a handcuff option.

The Bears are getting closer to having a 50/50 running back split. Both running backs benefit from Kyle Monangai’s increasing playing time and D’Andre Swift’s decreasing playing time.

During the first four weeks of the season, Swift played 66.4% of the Bears’ offensive snaps. He played about that percentage in every situation except the goal line, where he played 100% of the snaps. Chicago was able to make a number of offensive adjustments during their bye week in Week 5. This involved increasing Monangai’s involvement in Week 6. Monangai’s playing time increased to 34.04 percent, while Swift’s dropped to 56.3%. They were nearly tied at halftime when Monangai took his first goal-line snap. As Swift caught two passes for 67 yards and a touchdown and averaged 7 points per carry, the strategy seemed to be working.

The Bears went above and beyond this week, with Swift playing 52 points on 9 of the snaps and Monangai playing 45 points on 6 of them. For the first time, Monangai took the majority of third-down shots. Monangai ran 13 times for 81 yards and a touchdown, while Swift ran 19 times for 124 yards and a touchdown.

It’s beginning to appear that this Bears duo could perform similarly to head coach Ben Johnson’s two-man backfield in Detroit, where both running backs were fantasy-relevant. Monangai ought to be selected from the waiver wires if the Bears’ rushing attack keeps up its impressive performance. The two teams that have given up the most fantasy points to running backs as of this week are the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens, who the Bears will play over the next two weeks. Ten teams will be on bye weeks in the next two weeks, so Monangai might be a fantastic short-term option at the position.

Keep an eye on Cole Kmet’s health: Kmet was initially declared doubtful after suffering a back injury late in the third quarter and did not return.

During the first four games of the season, Kmet played 90 percent or more of the offensive snaps, making him the Bears’ clear favorite tight end. In contrast, first-round rookie Colston Loveland was limited to two-tight-end sets. After their bye week, the Bears changed things. Loveland and Kmet split snaps, with Kmet playing more run plays and Loveland playing more receiving roles.

The Bears used the same tactic during the first nine drives of this game; Loveland ran more routes but Kmet played 28 of the first 45 snaps, compared to Loveland’s 25. Loveland became a full-time tight end after Kmet left, appearing in 21 of the game’s last 23 snaps. Durham Smythe became the second tight end and played mostly in two-tight-end sets after taking a few snaps early in the match.

Loveland’s expanded role last week made him a fine waiver-wire option already. Loveland would have the opportunity to play every down and demonstrate that he is worthy of remaining in that position for the remainder of the season if Kmet’s injury is severe. This week, Loveland recorded three receptions for 24 yards, a career high.

Some Other Notes.

Alvin Kamara, the running back for the New Orleans Saints, did not workout on Wednesday, practiced sparingly on Thursday, and then went full on Friday. Despite having an ankle injury, he was not given a game status.

Chris Olave, a wide receiver for the Saints, took part fully in practice on Thursday after being limited on Wednesday. He suffered from a hip injury.

In recent weeks, Rashid Shaheed and Brandin Cooks’ playing time has leveled out. In 12 personnel, both have participated in 40–50% of New Orleans’ offensive snaps. During the first four weeks, both players had participated in games with at least 75% and others with less than 15%.

The playing time of tight end Juwan Johnson has also been decreasing every week, but for the second consecutive week, he played precisely 40 of 56 snaps.

The main role of Taysom Hill has evolved during the three weeks since his return. In Week 5, his primary position was quarterback; in Week 6, he was a fullback and tight end; and in Week 7, he was a wide receiver. With two tight end snaps, two quarterback snaps, and one fullback snap, he lined up in the slot or out wide on four plays this week. As a result, there were two receptions and two carries. When healthy, Hill averaged 23 to 33 snaps per game during the previous season. He has only played nine games so far this season, averaging 12 snaps.

Chicago running back D’Andre Swift was limited on Thursday and Friday due to a groin injury and was questionable but played.

The Bears activated running back Travis Homer from injured reserve on Saturday. This week was his first appearance of the season.

DDotJ is a wide receiver. Moore didn’t practice on Wednesday and was limited on Thursday but upgraded to full on Friday. He was dealing with hip and groin injuries.

For the second consecutive game, Bears kicker Cairo Santos was sidelined with a right thigh injury. For the second consecutive week, Jake Moody was promoted from the practice squad to take Santos’ place.

Miami Dolphins @ Cleveland Browns.

David Njoku’s absence minimally impacted Harold Fannin Jr. : Njoku didn’t practice all week due to a knee injury. He was ruled out on Friday.

The Browns used 12 personnel on 49.1 percent of their offensive snaps over the first six weeks of the season, which is more than any other team. Njoku and Fannin consistently played in those personnel groupings. The team had also used some 13, 22 and 02 personnel. This allowed both Njoku and Fannin to play 74 percent or more of the offensive snaps during that stretch.

Not only was Njoku out, but backup tight end Blake Whiteheart was limited in practice on Wednesday due to a shoulder injury. Fannin played 82.5 percent of the offensive snaps, which wasn’t even his season high. The big difference is that he was consistently on the field in 11 personnel on third downs, playing seven of a possible eight snaps. However, he played nine of 15 of those snaps last week. The Browns adapted by putting Luke Wypler on the field for 24 plays as a sixth offensive lineman. Teven Jenkins also played four snaps as an extra offensive lineman.

Whiteheart and the extra linemen were more likely to block on pass plays, allowing Fannin to run a route on a higher percentage of the Browns’ pass plays than usual. If Njoku were to get traded or the injury ended up being long-term, this should have a positive impact on Fannin’s fantasy value. However, this week, the Browns only threw 18 passes, so the increase in route percentage was counteracted by fewer total pass plays. Fannin caught four passes for 36 yards, leading Cleveland.

Fannin needs to remain on fantasy rosters, particularly for the next two weeks as we find out if Njoku gets traded or not.

Observe Jaylen Waddle’s condition: late in the fourth quarter, Waddle attempted to make a catch but fell awkwardly. After being helped off the field, he never came back.

With Nick Westbrook-Ikhine as the number two wide receiver, Malik Washington as the third in three-receiver sets, and Dee Eskridge as the fourth, Waddle has been the Dolphins’ undisputed number one wide receiver since Tyreek Hill’s injury. That was also the case throughout this game. While Washington was third in snaps, he was the team leader in both targets and receptions.

The Dolphins were also missing two of their three tight ends when Waddle sustained his injury late in the fourth quarter. Miami only used 11 players with its three healthy wide receivers and one healthy tight end for the remainder of the game because it only had four wide receivers on the 46-man game day roster. The distribution of Waddle’s snaps is uncertain if he misses time. Washington would be playing ahead of Westbrook-Ikhine if the Dolphins were okay with him playing more than 80 percent of the snaps, but ideally he would become a full-time receiver. If Waddle is sidelined, Eskridge might be the main player who gets more snaps.

In the event that Waddle’s injury is severe, the wide receiver room would be one to avoid.

Track the condition of Darren Waller: Waller sustained a pectoral injury. He was dismissed in the middle of the third quarter after being deemed questionable at halftime.

Since making his Dolphins debut in Week 4, Waller has seen an increase in playing time every week. Week 4 saw him play 27.6% of Miami’s offensive snaps; Week 5 saw him play 58.2%; and Week 6 saw him play 67.8%. Waller played 80 percent of the game’s first 20 plays this week, continuing the trend. Despite having a hip injury that kept him out of practice all week, he managed to do this. Waller left with two minutes to go in the first half and didn’t return. He didn’t earn a target this week.

After the injury, Tanner Conner became the primary receiving tight end, similar to the first three weeks of the season. He caught one pass for 28 yards. Run-blocking tight end Julian Hill suffered an undisclosed injury with 3:41 left in the fourth quarter. He also didn’t return to the game.

If Waller’s injury is not serious and he’s able to return in the next week or two, he would be a buy-low option. Some fantasy managers would be worried about his history of injuries and his lack of receptions this week, but it appears Waller is headed toward an even larger role in the Dolphins’ offense if he can stay healthy.

Miscellaneous Notes.

Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday and upgraded to a full participant on Friday. He was dealing with a knee injury.

Although Gage Larvadain was officially questionable and did not practice on Wednesday, he was limited on Thursday and Friday due to a concussion. He engaged in gameplay.

David Bell, a wide receiver for the Browns, announced his NFL retirement earlier this week after suffering an off-field injury. He was Cleveland’s best backup in 2022 and 2023, but he only appeared in one game in 2024 and was sidelined in 2025.

After averaging four to seven wide receiver sets per game during the first six weeks, the Browns used just one set on fourteen plays this week. Because Larvadain was the main wide receiver in these formations, all three of the lead wide receivers saw a significant decline in snaps.

Jamari Thrash was back to splitting two-receiver sets with Isaiah Bond, which further reduced Bond’s playing time.

As is fairly typical for him, De’Von Achane played 80 percent of Miami’s offensive snaps in the first quarter. Achane was substituted out more frequently by the Dolphins because they were behind by several scores in the second half. His playing time was ultimately less than typical because he didn’t play during garbage time. Long-term, the Dolphins’ offensive performance should be a worry, but Achane’s playing time shouldn’t be.

Quinn Ewers became the Dolphins’ first active backup quarterback this season after Zach Wilson was placed on the bench. With the Dolphins trailing by 25 points, Ewers played the final nine snaps of the game.

Following consecutive healthy scratches, Jaylen Wright, a running back, returned to the lineup. With Ewers in the game, he had eight of his nine offensive snaps.

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Las Vegas Raiders.

After missing the season’s first six games due to suspension, Rashee Rice is back in Kansas City.

Xavier Worthy, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Hollywood Brown were the Chiefs’ top three receivers at the beginning of the season. Tyquan Thornton was a deep threat who performed well enough to be included in the Kansas City rotation.

Rice was gradually given more playing time by Kansas City, but not with targets. Before garbage time, he participated in half of Kansas City’s offensive plays. He hadn’t had that few in a game since Week 6 of 2023. Both Brown and Smith-Schuster, who had previously played more than 50% of the offensive snaps but had dropped below 50% prior to garbage time this week, were mainly stripped of playing time by him. Ignoring garbage time once more, Worthy and Thornton’s playing time was remarkably similar to that of last week. Both Jalen Royals and Nikko Remigio were heavily criticized in the fourth quarter after playing a snap before garbage time.

Although he played 45 percent of his snaps out of the slot, Rice, like all Chiefs receivers, played all over the field. Rice received seven receptions for 42 yards and a touchdown despite having a comparatively small amount of playing time. He was targeted on 47.4% of his routes. Going forward, we should anticipate that Rice will play more, ideally in the 70–80% range. Rice may eventually reduce Worthy’s playing time, even though Brown and Smith-Schuster are the most likely players to see a further decline in snaps.

Despite playing this week, Rice can be safely included in fantasy starting lineups.

Jakobi Meyers was unable to play because of injuries to his knee and toe, so the Raiders adjusted without him. Although he was limited on Friday and was initially deemed questionable, he did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday.

The two receivers in the 12-man roster at the beginning of the season for Las Vegas were Meyers and Tre Tucker, while rookie Dont’e Thornton Jr. was in the slot in three-receiver sets, Tre Tucker was at Z, and Meyers was at X. Jack Bech, another rookie, replaced Thornton as the new X receiver in 11 personnel during the past two weeks.

After Meyers was sidelined, Thornton took over as the X receiver, playing in both two- and three-receiver sets. With a Z and slot role, Bech continued to play in three-receiver sets. Meyers played the slot machine more than half the time when he was well. Tucker and Bech frequently switched between the slot and Z roles in this game.

Meyers has been the subject of numerous trade rumors. Meyers is in his final season of contract, the Raiders are 2-5, and he asked for a trade prior to the season. Making a trade would be logical for Las Vegas. In the event that the Raiders make the trade within the next two days, Bech is a fine waiver-wire option. He should be targeted instead of Thornton because, as the team’s X receiver, we have already seen Thornton lack fantasy value. Before this week, Bech was playing out of position. Although the Raiders only managed 75 receiving yards in the game, he finished second on the team in receiving yards in his first game in a more Z/slot role.

Other Notes.

For the second consecutive game, Raiders halfback Zamir White did not dress (coach’s decision).

For the third consecutive game, Raiders tight end Brock Bowers was sidelined by a knee injury. On Friday, he was deemed doubtful after being limited and not practicing on Wednesday or Thursday.

Bowers was out, so Michael Mayer was still the Raiders’ obvious top tight end, but he only managed to catch one pass for ten yards.

There were only thirty plays that weren’t called back because of penalties during the Raiders’ 35 offensive snaps. In the PFF era, the offense had the fewest plays (30) in a full game.

Kareem Hunt of the Chiefs was able to return by the end of the first quarter after suffering an injury in the middle of it.

In the third quarter, Gardner Minshew and the backups played 15 offensive snaps before the Chiefs benched their starters. Of Brashard Smith’s 28 offensive snaps, 13 took place during garbage time. Before garbage time, Isiah Pacheco and Travis Kelce were playing a typical number of offensive snaps.

Rashee Rice was added to the practice squad, and Jason Brownlee was cut loose from the Chiefs.

Minnesota Vikings vs. Philadelphia Eagles.

Jordan Mason’s snap rate is still increasing: Mason has been getting more snaps in each game this season.

Mason and Aaron Jones split snaps at the beginning of the season. Mason only saw modest increases in weekly snaps after Jones’ injury, going from 53 percent to 59 percent to 60 percent to 61 percent of the team’s offensive hits. In Week 5, Mason saw another notable increase in snaps, rising to 66.2%, mostly as a result of taking the two-minute drill snaps.

His playing time increased once more this week to 76.8%. In the first half, he played 24 of the 30 possible snaps. In the second half, backup Zavier Scott began to come in a bit more often. In recent weeks, Mason has continuously taken all of the short-yardage and two-minute drill snaps. He played more than 70% on early downs and more than 50% on third downs this week, which is different. Normally, he would surpass that threshold in one of two scenarios during each game, but this was the first time he did so in both.

All indications suggest that Jones will be ready to play in Week 8, and he is eligible to return from injured reserve the following week. Mason has played well enough to be the team’s main ball carrier, but this will probably mean that he gets fewer snaps in the future. Despite dealing with a number of injuries, the offensive line should be healthier moving forward. While Mason might lose some volume, he should make up for that. There will be a small window where Mason is a buy-low candidate between the announcements that Jones is back and Jones’ actual first game back.

The Eagles switch up their running back: A. The J. Despite playing the second-most offensive snaps of any running back for the Jaguars this season, Dillon remained healthy.

Dillon and Will Shipley were the Eagles’ main backups at the beginning of the season. Due to an injury sustained by Shipley in Week 1, the team traded for Tank Bigsby, who played no offensive snaps during his first five weeks in Philadelphia. Shipley would occasionally be used in two-minute drills, but Dillon was Saquon Barkley’s main backup on early and third downs in recent weeks.

Dillon is no longer active because Philadelphia decided this week to only have three running backs on the game day roster rather than four. Shipley became the main backup on third downs and played in all four of this week’s two-minute drill snaps. Bigsby was Philadelphia’s first offensive snap and the team’s main backup on early downs.

The Eagles’ desire to have more players at a different position and Bigsby’s superiority over Dillon on the depth chart, as well as Bigsby’s special teams value in comparison to Dillon, are both factors that are unclear. Barkley was only slightly hurt during this game. The distribution of snaps would be uncertain if he missed a sizable amount of time this season. The Eagles’ distribution of touches could determine which of Bigsby, Shipler, or Dillon would be the best fantasy choice in that situation. If you’re in a league where most handcuffs are rostered, this would still be a situation to avoid.

Miscellaneous Notes.

Minnesota quarterback J. The J. Due to an ankle injury, McCarthy missed his fourth consecutive game. Throughout the week, his practice was limited. He received a questionable ruling on Friday.

This week, Adam Thielen only played eight offensive snaps, which is a season low. His playing time dramatically decreased once Jordan Addison’s suspension ended. This week, Jalen Nailor took a higher percentage of three-wide receiver set snaps from Thielen compared to the last two games.

Tight end T. J. Hockenson has played at least 82 percent of Minnesota’s offensive snaps in four consecutive games. He never played over 82 percent in a game in 2024.

Minnesota’s tight end Ben Yurosek was back in the lineup after missing back-to-back games due to a knee injury. Nick Vannett was released and returned to the practice squad with Yurosek back.

Philadelphia tight end Grant Calcaterra was ruled out due to an oblique injury, his second straight absence. He didn’t practice all week. He was ruled out on Friday. The Eagles elevated tight end E. J. Jenkins from the practice squad for this game on Saturday.

Carolina Panthers @ New York Jets.

Panthers adjust their running back rotation. : Chuba Hubbard was back in the lineup after missing back-to-back games due to a calf injury.

Hubbard was the clear starter over the first four weeks, playing 64.1 percent of Carolina’s offensive snaps, compared to Dowdle’s 35.1 percent. Hubbard was the primary early-down back, while Dowdle was the backup and third-down running back. While Hubbard was out, Dowdle was the clear starter, running 53 times for 389 yards and a touchdown. However, he accomplished this in two favorable matchups, while Hubbard had the better stats over the first four weeks.

The Panthers opted for a simple rotation by drive. Hubbard started the game and played the first drive, Dowdle took the second and so on. Some of the drives went for more than seven plays, which, at times, led Carolina to stray from that rotation to give the current running back a break. Carolina didn’t stray from this strategy throughout the game. Hubbard was the primary running back on the 11th drive of the game.

Hubbard will be the player with the most touches in an average week if the Panthers stick with this rotation. However, it’s worth noting that Dowdle outplayed Hubbard this week. Dowdle gained 79 yards on 17 carries compared to Hubbard’s 31 yards on 14 carries. The Panthers may change their rotation as next week, even if it’s a small change like Dowdle, who sees the first drive while Hubbard gets the second. Carolina faces the Buffalo Bills next week, and the Bills have allowed a lot of fantasy production to running backs. Both may be worthy of being fantasy starters next week, as there are six teams on bye weeks.

Jalen Coker eased back into action: The Panthers activated Coker from injured reserve on Saturday, allowing him to make his season debut.

The Panthers have used Tetairoa McMillan as their X receiver, Xavier Legette as their Z, and a rotation of players, including Hunter Renfrow, seventh-round rookie Jimmy Horn Jr. and Brycen Tremayne, in the slot. Coker’s return meant Renfrow was the odd man out and a healthy inactive.

Coker led the three-man rotation for the first three quarters, playing 10 of a possible 19 snaps in three-receiver sets, while Horn and Tremayne both played five. Carolina became comfortable enough with how Coker was playing in those three quarters to let him play 10 of a possible 13 snaps in 11 personnel in the fourth quarter. We can expect Coker to dominate three-receiver set snaps going forward, similar to what he did in the fourth quarter. He was held without a catch in his return.

If he’s going to become a fantasy-relevant receiver, he likely needs to take some playing time away from Legette, who played 17 of a possible 19 snaps in 12 personnel. Horn took the other two snaps. On two plays with 11 players, Tremayne was in the slot and Coker was an outside receiver in lieu of Legette. However, Legette had his best NFL game, hauling in nine receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown, which was a career high. He had six receptions for 66 yards and a touchdown in his previous best performance.

If Legette is playing well, it will be much more difficult for Coker to become relevant in fantasy, even though we should expect much better games from Coker than this one.

Without Garrett Wilson, the Jets offense suffers. Wilson missed all of practice because of a knee injury, and after being declared doubtful at first, he failed to play.

When healthy, Josh Reynolds has been the Jets’ go-to receiver, appearing in both two- and three-receiver sets. New York wanted him to step up and be the top wide receiver in the offense, giving him the most targets. However, he only caught three of those passes for 29 yards. With more than 90% of New York’s offensive snaps in both two- and three-receiver sets, Arian Smith saw the largest increase in playing time this week. He had been playing between 45-60 percent of the offensive snaps over the last three weeks. However, he was held to one reception for no gain. Given that the Jets are 0-7, it wouldn’t be surprising if Smith continues to play a very high snap rate to give him more opportunities to grow.

Allen Lazard led a two-man rotation with Tyler Johnson for the No. 3 receiver snaps. Lazard was a healthy inactive last week due to personal reasons. While Johnson was fourth on the depth chart in this game, he led the Jets in receiving with three receptions for 60 yards. While Johnson has been fifth on the depth chart when everyone is healthy, he has 1.29 yards per route run this season, while all of the other wide receivers who played Sunday are at 0.65, at best. Johnson may get more involved in the Jets offense going forward, given the plays he made in this game.

Miscellaneous Notes.

Breece Hall missed a little bit of this game due to injury but was able to return. That, and the Jets playing a lot of snaps on third downs and in two-minute situations, led to Hall and Davis playing a near 50-50 split. Hall still dominated early-down snaps when healthy.

Jets running back Khalil Herbert was active this week after being a healthy inactive last week.

New York wide receiver Josh Reynolds didn’t practice on Wednesday, was limited in practice on Thursday and upgraded to full on Friday. He was dealing with a hip injury.

Justin Fields left early in the second quarter due to an injury. He returned before the end of the quarter, but the Jets decided to go with Tyrod Taylor for the second half. Taylor threw two interceptions, so the team may turn back to Fields next week.

Jets fourth-string running back and returner Kene Nwangwu suffered a concussion in this game and didn’t return.

Tight end Mason Taylor played over 90 percent of New York’s offensive snaps for a second straight week.

Panthers tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders returned after missing three straight games due to an ankle injury. However, he was limited to just 26 of 71 offensive snaps. He primarily played on third downs and in three-tight-end sets, while Tommy Tremble the primary tight end on early downs and in two-tight-end sets with Mitchell Evans.

Panthers quarterback Bryce Young left the game late in the third quarter due to an ankle injury and did not return. Initial reports immediately after the game were positive, but there is still a chance Young misses time.

Panthers running back DeeJay Dallas was a healthy scratch after playing in the team’s last game.

New England Patriots @ Tennessee Titans.

Rhamondre Stevenson becomes the Patriots’ every-down back: TreVeyon Henderson played notably fewer snaps in favor of Stevenson.

The efficiency stats between Stevenson and Henderson haven’t been all that different over the first six weeks. Stevenson has more yards per reception but also has three fumbles this year. Despite this, Stevenson played 72 percent of New England’s offensive snaps compared to Henderson’s 30 percent last week in the first game without Antonio Gibson. If anything, it was thought that the Patriots would move closer to 50-50 as the season progressed, given how much the Patriots invested in Henderson.

Instead, this week the team turned even more toward Stevenson, who played 42 of a possible 45 snaps over the first three quarters, while Henderson only played four snaps during this time. Henderson only managed one run while Stevenson ran sixteen.

Going into the fourth quarter, the Patriots were ahead by eighteen points. The fourth quarter began with the two going into a two-man rotation. Terrell Jennings, New England’s third-string running back, finished the game because the team substituted its backups late in the contest.

As things stand, even though a number of teams will be taking the next few weeks off, Stevenson should be in the starting lineups and Henderson should not be. Many fantasy managers will drop Henderson this week in order to create the best starting lineups possible during bye weeks, even though you should ideally hold onto him in case he shines in the second half of the season. If this occurs, it makes sense because Henderson appears to be moving farther away from fantasy relevance rather than closer, especially in leagues with ten teams.

Calvin Ridley was sidelined for the entire week due to a hamstring injury, so Tennessee had to adjust without him. On Friday, he was deemed eligible.

This season, Ridley has been the Titans’ main Z receiver, with fourth-round rookie Elic Ayomanor filling in as the X-receiver. Van Jefferson has been the main outside backup, and Tyler Lockett and Chimere Dike have alternated in three-receiver sets for slot snaps.

Jefferson replaced Ayomanor as the X receiver, and the Titans switched Ayomanor to Ridley’s position as the Z receiver, just like they did last week. But with four receptions for 70 yards and a touchdown, Dike had the best day of his NFL career. Over the course of the first six games, he had 26 receiving yards and zero touchdowns. Dike played the same role in this game as he did the week before. In the last three weeks, he has outperformed Lockett, playing less than half of the 11 personnel snaps during the first three weeks. He did not, however, take any more time from Lockett this week than he did the week before.

Dike would probably play significantly more snaps if Lockett were traded in the upcoming two weeks. Due to the possible Lockett trade, Dike is a good player to acquire in deep leagues; however, given how many more routes Ayomanor runs each week than Dike, Ayomanor is still the better long-term choice this season.

Additional Notes.

Particularly in 12 personnel, Hunter Henry played noticeably fewer offensive snaps. He played two of ten snaps in the fourth quarter and six of thirteen in the first three quarters with 12 players. He was typically off the field for run plays and on the field for passing plays during the first three quarters. Over the first six weeks, he had represented 91.4% of the 12 personnel snaps. Going forward, it will be worthwhile to keep an eye on this.

For this Saturday’s game, the Patriots promoted running back Terrell Jennings from the practice squad. There are only two running backs on the roster, and that’s only New England.

Due to a chest injury, Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs was questionable and limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday. He wasn’t idle.

Although Tony Pollard led the team in offensive snaps, including playing more third-down snaps, Titans backup running back Tyjae Spears led the team in rushing yards with 22.

Tennessee wide receiver Bryce Oliver was ruled out due to a knee injury, his fifth straight absence. He was limited in practice all week but ruled out on Friday.

Van Jefferson was limited in practice this week due to an ankle injury but was a full participant in practice on Friday. The Titans elevated Mason Kinsey off the practice squad for this game due to the injuries at wide receiver.

Titans tight end Gunnar Helm played over 50 percent of his team’s snaps for the second time this season and caught a career-high 36 receiving yards. Chig Okonkwo was held without a catch. Helm’s playing time may continue to increase after this week.

Titans’ kicker Joey Slye returned after missing last week due to a right calf injury. He was limited in practice all week.

New York Giants @ Denver Broncos.

Coming soon!

Indianapolis Colts @ Los Angeles Chargers.

Oronde Gadsden puts together a career game: Gadsden gained 164 receiving yards on seven receptions, which is 40 more receiving yards than any other tight end in a game this season.

Gadsden started the season as a healthy inactive, as the Chargers used Tyler Conklin and Will Dissly as their primary tight ends. An injury to Dissly led Gadsden to be active in Week 3. His playing time has been rising ever since. Dissly returned last week, but that didn’t stop Gadsden from playing 75 percent of the offensive snaps. He put together the best game of his short career with seven receptions for 68 yards.

His playing time increased even further this week, playing 78.9 percent of the offensive snaps. He played at least 80 percent of the snaps in one-tight-end sets on early downs, one-tight-end sets on third downs and two-tight-end sets. The only notable time he was consistently off the field was in four-receiver sets.

Tucker Fisk was the only other tight end who played significant snaps, largely in run formations. Dissly played three snaps. Conklin was active but didn’t play an offensive snap. Gadsden was the top waiver-wire target at tight end in most leagues last week but will be the top player to pick up this week in any league where he is available. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Chargers move on from Conklin, or at least make him a healthy inactive going forward.

The Colts turn to Anthony Gould with multiple injuries: Indianapolis didn’t have two of its top four wide receivers.

Indianapolis’ wide receivers Josh Downs (concussion) and Ashton Dulin (chest) were ruled out on Friday after neither practiced all week. Downs has been the Colts’ slot receiver when healthy. Alec Pierce recently missed two games due to a concussion. Adonai Mitchell initially replaced Pierce, but after fumbling a potential out of the end zone and a penalty negating a touchdown, the Colts turned to Dulin the following week. Mitchell was a healthy inactive last week. Last season, when Downs was injured, Mitchell took over in the slot.

While Mitchell was active this week and Laquon Treadwell was a practice squad elevation, Gould took over as the slot receiver in three-wide receiver sets. Gould was a fifth-round pick in 2024. As a rookie, he played special teams in half of the games and was inactive for the other half. He caught one pass. He finished with 12 offensive snaps in the first six weeks of the season, mostly as a returner.

He made his second NFL reception this week. This primarily led the Colts to concentrate their targets on their other four starting skill players, leading all four to have games with at least 14 PPR points each. All three of the Colts’ usual wide receivers should be on fantasy rosters and should often be in fantasy starting lineups. One or two players might have a bad week, but that risk is worth taking considering how good they can be when given enough touches.

Miscellaneous Notes.

The Colts placed quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. on injured reserve on Monday after suffering a pre-game eye injury last week.

The Colts signed running back Ameer Abdullah off their own practice squad on Saturday. Tyler Goodson has missed most of the season due to injuries, and that included this week, as he missed due to a groin injury. Ameer Abdullah was the primary backup, ahead of D.J. Giddens, for a second straight game.

Tyler Warren played over 90 percent of Indianapolis’ offensive snaps for the first time since Week 2.

Chargers fullback Scott Matlock was active this week after missing last week due to an ankle injury. He was a full participant in practice all week.

Los Angeles running back Hassan Haskins was a full participant in practice on Thursday and Friday. He was dealing with a chest injury and was initially ruled questionable, but he played.

The split between Kimani Vidal and Hassan Haskins was nearly identical to last week, as Vidal played roughly double as many snaps as Haskins. Vidal dominated touches but wasn’t very effective. This game could lead Los Angeles to look for a running back via trade.

The Chargers elevated running back Nyheim Hines from the practice squad for this game on Saturday to be their third halfback for a second straight week.

Los Angeles wide receiver Quentin Johnston was back in the lineup after missing last week due to a hamstring injury.

Los Angeles wide receiver Derius Davis was back in the lineup after missing his third straight game due to a knee injury. Rookie KeAndre Lambert-Smith was a healthy inactive with Davis back in the lineup.

Green Bay Packers @ Arizona Cardinals.

Monitor Dontayvion Wicks’ health: Wicks was limited in practice this week, leading to limited playing time. He missed most of the second half.

Wicks played in 13 of a possible 24 snaps after dealing with an ankle injury during the week. He was consistently playing in three-receiver sets, but Romeo Doubs and Matthew Golden were the typical receivers in two-receiver sets. Wicks started the second half but only played two snaps before leaving with a calf injury. He was ruled questionable but never ended up returning to the game.

Malik Heath took over as the third receiver in three-receiver sets over the rest of the game, playing 17 of the 32 snaps in the second half. Savion Williams was the fourth receiver from that point on but only played three second-half snaps.

Green Bay wide receiver Christian Watson was limited in practice all week, and the Packers opted to leave him on injured reserve for this week. There is a good chance Watson will be activated this week. Wicks has been playing the Z-receiver role, which is also Watson’s spot. The two often rotated last season, and they seem very likely to be rotating next week if both are healthy.

Bam Knight leads the Cardinals’ running back rotation again: Knight received double-digit carries while Michael Carter barely earned double-digit rushing yards.

The Cardinals lost James Conner for the season, and his initial replacement, Trey Benson, has spent the last three weeks on injured reserve. While Carter was the initial early-down back, Knight took over last week despite Carter starting. This week, Knight started his first NFL game since 2022, playing 13 of the 16 snaps in the first quarter, while Carter didn’t play his first snap until the second quarter. Knight ran 14 times for 57 yards and caught three passes for seven yards, while Carter ran seven times for 11 yards and caught two passes for 25 yards.

Emari Demercado started the season as a special teams player, but took over as the third-down back once Conner was lost for the season. He didn’t practice all week due to an ankle injury and was ruled out on Friday. D’Ernest Johnson was elevated from the practice squad to take Demercado’s place. While Carter took most of the third-down snaps last week after Demercado’s injury, Johnson took the third-down role this week. He had a similar role with the Jacksonville Jaguars‘ offense in 2023 and 2024.

The Cardinals have their bye next week but follow that up with a game against the Dallas Cowboys, who allowed the third-most fantasy points to running backs over the first seven weeks. Knight should be picked up in fantasy leagues where he is available, as he can be in fantasy starting lineups in Week 9. After that point, Benson will be eligible to return.

Miscellaneous Notes.

Packers running back Josh Jacobs was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday, upgraded to full on Friday. He was dealing with an illness and a calf injury and was questionable but was active. Jacos led the team in carries and scored two touchdowns despite playing about 10% fewer snaps than normal.

In Green Bay, Pierre Strong Jr. was promoted. from the practice squad in case Jacobs was unable to play, but Strong didn’t play in the end.

Brandon McManus, a kicker for Green Bay, missed his second consecutive game because of a right quadricep injury. He spent the entire week not practicing. On Friday, he was deemed questionable.

Kyler Murray’s foot injury has kept him out of two consecutive games. Throughout the week, he had little practice.

Marvin Harrison, Jr. (concussion) and Zay Jones (knee) missed practice time this week, but both players were active. After keeping Xavier Weaver healthy inactive for the previous two weeks as a precaution, the Cardinals decided to make him active. While Jones didn’t play as much as usual in two-receiver sets, Michael Wilson played more frequently than usual, while Harrison’s playing time was typical.

The Cardinals signed Josiah Deguara off the practice squad to replace tight end Travis Vokolek, who was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday.

DC Commanders vs. Dallas Cowboys.

Soon to come!

San Francisco 49ers vs. Atlanta Falcons.

Coming soon!

table notes.

• Snaps include plays called back due to penalties, including offensive holding or defensive pass interference. The other three stats have these plays removed.

• Targets may differ from official NFL sources. The most likely discrepancy would be from a clear thrown-away pass, where the NFL may give the target to the nearest receiver, while this data will not.