Welcome to yet another injury-ridden week. It’s really on par with how this season has been going, and it’s about to get worse with six (SIX!) teams on bye in Week 8. At this point, all we can do is embrace the pain.
The biggest injury of note is Mike Evans, who went down in the worst way. I’m pretty sure he’s concussed, but that’s the least of his problems. Evans also broke his clavicle and is expected to be out until at least December, which, for fantasy purposes, means he’s done for the season. Darren Waller left the game with a pectoral injury, but thankfully, it’s just a strain and not a tear. No timeline to return as of yet. Kendre Miller is also out for the season with a torn ACL. And welcome back to the list, Jayden Daniels. Daniels left the game with an apparent hamstring injury, which will be something to monitor over the next few days.
Now that the bad news is out of the way, let’s look at who is available to help fill those massive voids. Buckle up because it’s about to get gross.
Quarterbacks
Joe Flacco (QB – CIN): 10.5% Rostered | Last Week: QB6
Welcome back, Papa Joe. Joe Flacco was on fire in the Icy Hot Bowl, throwing 31 completions on 47 attempts for 342 yards and THREE touchdowns. This is not a one-off. In Week 6, he had 29 completions on 45 attempts for 219 yards and two touchdowns. He has given the Bengals offense new life, and I am here for it.
Spencer Rattler (QB – NO): 13% Rostered | Last Week: QB16
Rattler is by no means an exciting pick-up, but I say it every week and I’ll say it again: CONSISTENCY IS KING. Until Week 7, Rattler had only thrown one interception. He’s been averaging 30+ attempts per game and 13.5 points. If you are in bye week hell, or need to replace someone like Tua or Geno, I’d feel comfortable picking up Rattler (in the latter case, as a rest-of-season starter).
Mac Jones (QB – SF): 9.6% Rostered | Last Week: QB25
With Brock Purdy still a question mark for this week (and really for the foreseeable future), Mac Jones is still a viable starter. He didn’t have a great game this week, but neither did anyone else not named Christian McCaffrey. Week 8 sends the 49ers to Houston to face a very beatable Texans defense, as we saw Monday night against the Seahawks. If Purdy is out, don’t hesitate to fire up Mac Jones again.
Running Backs
Brashard Smith (RB – KC): 5.9% Rostered | Last Week: RB14
With Kareem Hunt getting injured, Brashard Smith got his chance to show up and show out. Smith had 35% of the snap share with 5 targets, 4 of which came in the first half. I should mention that the majority of Smith’s points came in garbage time, but the good news is the Chiefs are in for another big garbage time game against the Commanders on Monday night.
Tyjae Spears (RB – TEN): 38.1% Rostered | Last Week: RB32
Tyjae is not going to run away with this offense. Pollard has been losing work to Spears since his return to the lineup, with both players getting a near-even split last week. I don’t see Spears running away with the RB1 job any time soon, but it’s still a possibility that he takes over that role before the end of the season. Until then, he is continuing to take work from Pollard, and he will get you points on the board if you’re desperate.
Kyle Monangai (RB – CHI): 7.4% Rostered | Last Week: RB12
Monangai finally had his breakout game against the Saints with 13 attempts to Swift’s 19, going for 81 yards and a touchdown. He has been one to watch, and he’s only going to continue rising. The biggest positive here is the Bears’ upcoming schedule: they have the Ravens this week, then the Bengals, followed by the Giants. If there was ever a time to take a chance on Monangai, this is it.
Wide Receivers
Tez Johnson (WR – TB): 18.2% Rostered | Last Week: WR18
Mike Evans is done for the season, so even with Egbuka back, Tez should have plenty of opportunity. Baker likes to sling the rock, and Tez Johnson has the potential to make big plays. And if I’m being honest, he’s just really fun to watch. If you’re looking for an upside play this week, I’d look to Tez.
Kendrick Bourne (WR – SF): 34% Rostered | Last Week: WR77
Kendrick Bourne had a less-than-stellar week, but the only player that lived up to (and exceeded) expectations was Christian McCaffrey. Jauan Jennings finally had an acceptable stat line, but still not great. And George Kittle had a goose egg in his first game back. With the questionable health of the 49ers’ receivers, Bourne will still be an important part of this offense even with Jennings and Pearsall in the lineup.
Xavier Legette (WR – CAR): 14.6% Rostered | Last Week: WR8
I have been waiting for Legette to come into his own and be that Chris Godwin or Tee Higgins type WR for the Panthers. It finally happened in Week 7. Legette had 9 receptions on 11 targets for 92 yards and a touchdown. He has the opportunity to be such a big part of this offense with no one behind Tet McMillan; we just need him to realize his potential.
Tight Ends
Oronde Gadsten (TE – LAC): 6% Rostered | Last Week: TE2
Oronde Gadsten had a monster game in Week 7 with 164 yards and a touchdown. With the Chargers basically abandoning the run game, Herbert is relying on his arm to move the team down the field. The great news here is that there are plenty of targets to go around, even with Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, and Keenan Allen in the mix. I like his rest of the season outlook, for as long as Hampton is out.
Theo Johnson (TE – NYG): 14.3% Rostered | Last Week: TE9
Theo Johnson has become Jaxon Dart’s security blanket. He ran 91.9% of routes last week, and we love a guy who rarely leaves the field. He’s second in targets behind only Wan’Dale Robinson. Johnson is becoming a safe play with high upside, as this offense is finding their way. As long as Dart keeps playing the way he is, Theo Johnson is a must-add.
Dalton Schultz(TE – HOU): 18.6% Rostered | Last Week: TE5
With Christian Kirk out with an injury and Nico Collins now out with a concussion, Schultz is the go-to target for CJ Stroud. He had 9 receptions on 10 targets for 98 yards in a pretty bad game. The run game is questionable at best, and now with the wide receiver room depleted, Schultz is looking like the next man up.
Harold Fannin Jr. (TE – CLE): 29.0% Rostered | Last Week: TE11
This week was clearly the week for running backs. Quinshon Judkins dominated this game. While Fannin did not have a great stat line, it’s important to note that he was the leading receiver with 4 receptions on 5 targets for 36 yards. Fannin is averaging 7.3 points per game, and this will not be the game script every week. If Njoku is out again, I’d feel pretty good about firing up Fannin.
Other Players to Keep an Eye on
Julian Hill (Darren Waller), Dawson Knox (Dalton Kincaid), Andy Dalton (Bryce Young), Marcus Mariotta (Jayden Daniels), Devin Neal (Kendre Miller)
