We’ve reached Week 7, which means we are halfway through the fantasy football regular season in most leagues. There were plenty of exciting endings throughout the early slate that everyone could enjoy — unless your team unfortunately lost at the last second.
This week had plenty of interesting running back situations to monitor, with several teams playing without their lead backs. Rookies started seeing more playing time for other teams. We also saw plenty of wide receivers that were highly drafted in fantasy leagues make huge plays for their teams.
As always, this collection of fantasy reactions will include snap counts for skill players on each team, along with notes on players who saw their fantasy stocks rise or fall during the action — and how we should react to anything new.
This article will be updated as late games wrap up.
Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals
| Cleveland Browns | Cincinnati Bengals |
| WR | WR |
| Rashard Higgins – 44 snaps | A.J. Green – 65 snaps |
| Jarvis Landry – 40 snaps | Tee Higgins – 63 snaps |
| Donovan Peoples-Jones – 36 snaps | Tyler Boyd – 60 snaps |
| Odell Beckham Jr. – 2 snaps | Mike Thomas – 16 snaps |
| Auden Tate – 6 snaps | |
| TE | TE |
| Harrison Bryant – 40 snaps | Drew Sample – 73 snaps |
| David Njoku – 31 snaps | Mason Schreck – 15 snaps |
| Stephen Carlson – 9 snaps | |
| HB | HB |
| Kareem Hunt – 47 snaps | Giovani Bernard – 57 snaps |
| D’Ernest Johnson – 2 snaps | Samaje Perine – 19 snaps |
| Total – 52 snaps | Total – 75 snaps |
Winner: TE Harrison Bryant, Cleveland Browns
The Browns were without Austin Hooper at tight end, pushing Bryant into the top tight end spot. Cleveland had already been using multiple tight ends quite a bit, so Bryant was used to seeing playing time. He made the most of it. Bryant was the only player to catch multiple touchdowns in a game with eight total touchdown catches. He was also tied for the second-most receiving yards for the Browns at 56. Bryant shouldn’t be a waiver wire target, as he’s unlikely to see as many receiving opportunities once Hooper is back.
It’s worth noting that basically every skill player for the Bengals also had a pretty good day, but their usage all went as expected.
Injury: WR Odell Beckham Jr., Cleveland Browns
Beckham suffered a knee injury on the Browns’ first drive attempting to make a tackle on an interception. By the second quarter, he was already ruled out for the rest of the game which wasn’t a great sign. This turned Rashard Higgins into an every-down player, while Donovan Peoples-Jones took over in three-wide-receiver sets. This makes Higgins a big waiver wire target this week if Beckham misses time. Higgins led the team in catches (6) and yards (110). Peoples-Jones also becomes someone to take a flier on in deeper leagues. He had the game-winning touchdown but only three targets. He won’t be on the field as much when the Browns are able to run the ball more.
Loser: WR Jarvis Landry, Cleveland Browns
For the vast majority of the game, the Browns were without their top running back, top wide receiver and top tight end. Landry should have been a larger part of the offense considering the circumstances. Instead, his 48 receiving yards came in only fourth on the team, and he didn’t nab any of the team's five touchdowns. Landry still has a high floor because he consistently sees at least five targets, but it’s disappointing that he has yet to score a receiving touchdown or have a 100-yard receiving day.
Buffalo Bills at New York Jets
| Buffalo Bills | New York Jets |
| WR | WR |
| Stefon Diggs – 72 snaps | Breshad Perriman – 54 snaps |
| Gabriel Davis – 70 snaps | Braxton Berrios – 48 snaps |
| Cole Beasley – 61 snaps | Denzel Mims – 45 snaps |
| Isaiah McKenzie – 15 snaps | Jeff Smith – 12 snaps |
| Duke Williams – 4 snaps | Vyncint Smith – 3 snaps |
| TE | TE |
| Tyler Kroft – 58 snaps | Chris Herndon – 31 snaps |
| Reggie Gilliam – 13 snaps | Ryan Griffin – 27 snaps |
| Trevon Wesco – 9 snaps | |
| HB | HB |
| Devin Singletary – 40 snaps | La'Mical Perine – 40 snaps |
| Zack Moss – 35 snaps | Frank Gore – 16 snaps |
| Total – 74 snaps | Total – 57 snaps |
Winner: K Tyler Bass, Buffalo Bills
When your kicker scores all 18 points and you still win the game, he gets to be the week’s fantasy winner. It’s definitely concerning that the Bills offense was unable to find the endzone, but at least the team’s kicker can make field goals.
Waiver Wire Target: RB La’Mical Perine, New York Jets
Last week, we got the first look of what a Perine and Frank Gore backfield would look like. Gore was the primary runner on first and second downs with Perine also seeing significant snaps, and Perine was the third-down back. This week, Perine maintained the third-down role but also ended up playing in over two-thirds of the first and second down down snaps. Perine and Gore ended up with the same number of carries; Perine only gained 39 yards but scored the only touchdown in the game. Perine also had the third-most targets for the Jets — his usage was very promising for the rest of the season. The Jets have an extremely favorable running back schedule, and he needs to be one of the top waiver priorities in leagues where available.
Waiver Wire Target: RB Zack Moss, Buffalo Bills
Moss was close to splitting snaps with Devin Singletary over the first two weeks of the season before missing a few games with injuries. The Bills eased him back into action last week, but this week looked a lot more like the first two. Moss had one fewer carry than Singletary but ended up with 18 more yards. He also saw fewer targets than Singletary but had one more catch for seven more yards. Moss has a good chance to see more playing time in the future. The Bills use both backs interchangeably rather than having specific roles for each player, so it would be easy for them to give Moss more of the snaps.
Waiver Wire Target: WR Denzel Mims, New York Jets
Mims was activated off of injured reserve earlier in the week. In his first game in the NFL, he saw 26% of the offensive targets and led the team in receiving yards. While 42 yards on four catches and no touchdowns isn’t all that impressive, there will be games where New York will need to pass much more than this one. He’s not someone to pick up and instantly consider putting into starting lineups, but there’s a chance he could do very well going forward. It’s worth stashing him to see what happens over someone with less upside.
Detroit Lions at Atlanta Falcons
| Detroit Lions | Atlanta Falcons |
| WR | WR |
| Marvin Jones Jr. – 56 snaps | Julio Jones – 59 snaps |
| Kenny Golladay – 52 snaps | Calvin Ridley – 58 snaps |
| Danny Amendola – 33 snaps | Brandon Powell – 25 snaps |
| Jamal Agnew – 13 snaps | Russell Gage – 24 snaps |
| Marvin Hall – 12 snaps | Olamide Zaccheaus – 11 snaps |
| Christian Blake – 5 snaps | |
| TE | TE |
| T.J. Hockenson – 44 snaps | Hayden Hurst – 55 snaps |
| Jesse James – 25 snaps | Luke Stocker – 35 snaps |
| Isaac Nauta – 6 snaps | Jaeden Graham – 8 snaps |
| HB | HB |
| D'Andre Swift – 28 snaps | Todd Gurley II – 53 snaps |
| Adrian Peterson – 19 snaps | Brian Hill – 17 snaps |
| Kerryon Johnson – 14 snaps | Ito Smith – 3 snaps |
| Total – 62 snaps | Total – 75 snaps |
Winner: RB Todd Gurley II, Atlanta Falcons
Gurley scored the Falcons’ final touchdown, which indirectly led to the Lions winning the game. Despite that, this game was promising for his usage the rest of the season. Gurley’s playing time has been on the rise throughout the season, and this was the first week he had over 50 snaps. They also ran Gurley more today than in any game all season. He wasn’t particularly effective on the ground, but quantity can beat quality in fantasy football.
Player to Drop: RB Adrian Peterson, Detroit Lions
The Lions running back situation is always evolving. This week, it continued to trend away from Peterson’s favor. After seeing a season-high in snaps Week 3, his playing time has been on the decline each week. He and D’Andre Swift split the carries, but Peterson only saw 20% of the snaps when the Lions were within 10 yards of scoring. We knew Peterson was never going to be the third-down back, but he had value when he saw the vast majority of carries and the goal line work. Now that Swift seems to have taken a big role in the offense, it’s time to let go of Peterson.
Injury: WR Russell Gage, Atlanta Falcons
Gage left in the first quarter with a knee injury but ended up returning for the second half. Early in the season when a Falcons receiver missed time with an injury, it was Olamide Zaccheaus who replaced them. Brandon Powell was the replacement for Gage. Powell only had one catch for four yards. This mostly meant Matt Ryan focused on targeting his other top receivers and tight end. It’s worth noting that Powell would likely be the replacement if Gage were to get hurt again.
Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints
| Carolina Panthers | New Orleans Saints |
| WR | WR |
| D.J. Moore – 42 snaps | Tre'Quan Smith – 57 snaps |
| Robby Anderson – 40 snaps | Marquez Callaway – 51 snaps |
| Curtis Samuel – 22 snaps | Deonte Harris – 20 snaps |
| Seth Roberts – 19 snaps | Juwan Johnson – 13 snaps |
| Brandon Zylstra – 5 snaps | Austin Carr – 13 snaps |
| Pharoh Cooper – 2 snaps | |
| TE | TE |
| Ian Thomas – 32 snaps | Jared Cook – 34 snaps |
| Chris Manhertz – 20 snaps | Josh Hill – 30 snaps |
| Colin Thompson – 4 snaps | Adam Trautman – 28 snaps |
| HB | HB |
| Mike Davis – 33 snaps | Alvin Kamara – 51 snaps |
| Myles Hartsfield – 4 snaps | Latavius Murray – 23 snaps |
| Trenton Cannon – 3 snaps | |
| Total – 46 snaps | Total – 70 snaps |
Winner: WR D.J. Moore, Carolina Panthers
Moore gets the winner spot thanks to four catches and two TDs, including a 74-yarder. On one hand, you would like to see him get more targets. Last week, he doubled any other player on the Panthers in targets, but this week he only totaled five. On the other hand, it’s hard to really stress about a two-touchdown game. Moore should remain in starting lineups each week with his big play potential, but his floor remains a little lower than most star wide receivers due to his inconsistent target share.
Loser: RB Mike Davis, Carolina Panthers
Davis was largely ineffective in this game. The Panthers were trailing early and lost the time of possession battle, so Davis wasn’t able to get many opportunities. On seven carries, he had just 12 yards. As a receiver, he caught all five passes thrown his way, but they only went for 24 yards. This game wasn’t a good sign for him to maintain much playing time once Christian McCaffrey comes back.
Waiver Wire Target: WR Marquez Callaway, New Orleans Saints
The only reason Callaway saw any playing time is because two of the top three Saints receivers were missing. New Orleans still had plenty of its usual weapons, but Callaway ended up leading the team in targets (10), receptions (8) and yards (75). He would have the most value if the Saints top wide receivers remain out. Playing this well could have earned him some playing time even when the other Saints receivers are able to come back. There’s at least room for Callaway to overtake Tre’Quan Smith on the depth chart. Smith only saw four targets in this game.
Green Bay Packers at Houston Texans
| Green Bay Packers | Houston Texans |
| WR | WR |
| Davante Adams – 57 snaps | Will Fuller V – 67 snaps |
| Marquez Valdes-Scantling – 51 snaps | Brandin Cooks – 55 snaps |
| Darrius Shepherd – 29 snaps | Randall Cobb – 49 snaps |
| Malik Taylor – 10 snaps | Kenny Stills – 22 snaps |
| Equanimeous St. Brown – 3 snaps | |
| TE | TE |
| Marcedes Lewis – 31 snaps | Darren Fells – 53 snaps |
| Robert Tonyan – 31 snaps | Pharaoh Brown – 19 snaps |
| Jace Sternberger – 20 snaps | |
| John Lovett – 9 snaps | |
| HB | HB |
| Jamaal Williams – 55 snaps | David Johnson – 54 snaps |
| A.J. Dillon – 14 snaps | Duke Johnson Jr. – 20 snaps |
| Total – 62 snaps | Total – 68 snaps |
Winner: WR Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers
Adams was the consensus top wide receiver option coming into the week, and he did not disappoint. He caught 13 of 16 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns. Bradley Roby was expected to shadow him for the Texans, but he left the game early with an injury. That helped Adams take advantage of the rest of Houston’s defense. Adams should continue to be a top-five fantasy receiver each week as long as he and Aaron Rodgers are healthy.
Loser: TE Darren Fells, Houston Texans
Fells remained the team's top tight end while Jordan Akins continues to miss time. The Packers have been relatively good at stopping wide receivers but not as strong stopping tight ends. Fells was a reasonable start this week but didn’t end up even being targeted. The Texans’ top three wide receivers led the team in targets, while the two running backs were next two in line. Fells can be dropped, and this is a good sign that Akins will retain all of his receiving responsibilities once he comes back.
Player to Drop: RB A.J. Dillon, Green Bay Packers
The expectation for this game with Aaron Jones out with injury was that Jamaal Williams would lead the team in snaps and that Dillon would see significant playing time. Williams barely ended up coming off the field, and Dillon saw only five carries. The rookie didn’t impress, either, gaining just 11 yards and seeing zero targets. Williams was much more impressive. He had 77 rushing yards on 19 carries with a touchdown and the second-most targets, receptions and receiving yards for the Packers. If Dillon barely sees any playing time with one injured running back, it’s probably not worth keeping him on the roster.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Tennessee Titans
| Pittsburgh Steelers | Tennessee Titans |
| WR | WR |
| JuJu Smith-Schuster – 65 snaps | A.J. Brown – 53 snaps |
| Diontae Johnson – 59 snaps | Corey Davis – 52 snaps |
| Chase Claypool – 51 snaps | Adam Humphries – 32 snaps |
| James Washington – 18 snaps | Nick Westbrook – 2 snaps |
| Ray-Ray McCloud III – 8 snaps | Kalif Raymond – 1 snap |
| TE | TE |
| Eric Ebron – 66 snaps | Jonnu Smith – 40 snaps |
| Vance McDonald – 35 snaps | Anthony Firkser – 15 snaps |
| MyCole Pruitt – 15 snaps | |
| Geoff Swaim – 10 snaps | |
| HB | HB |
| James Conner – 66 snaps | Derrick Henry – 42 snaps |
| Jaylen Samuels – 9 snaps | Jeremy McNichols – 15 snaps |
| Benny Snell Jr. – 6 snaps | |
| Anthony McFarland Jr. – 5 snaps | |
| Trey Edmunds – 1 snap | |
| Total – 79 snaps | Total – 57 snaps |
Winner: WR Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers
Johnson was a clear top target for the Steelers over the first two weeks of the season with double-digit targets in both games. Over the following four weeks, he had just three targets over two games while also missing time with injury. Against the Titans, he re-established himself as one of Pittsburgh’s best weapons. He led the team in targets with 15, bringing in nine for 80 yards and two touchdowns. This week was also big for JuJu Smith-Schuster, who had nine catches. Smith-Schuster led the team in yards at 85 but didn’t have any touchdowns.
Loser: TE Jonnu Smith, Tennessee Titans
Smith had an excellent start to the season with five touchdowns over the Titans’ first four games and at least four catches in each. He was held to one catch last week against Houston and followed that up with a one-catch performance again today. His fall coincides with A.J. Brown returning to the Titans and playing very well. Brown caught six passes for 153 yards and a touchdown today. It’s too early to panic on Smith because of how talented he is, but this game was discouraging.
Buy Low: WR Chase Claypool, Pittsburgh Steelers
Claypool caught his only target and lost two yards. While his low target share was very surprising, it was good to see him receive a lot of playing time. Claypool had been playing
fewer snaps than James Washington when all of the Steelers’ receivers were healthy. This week, Claypool ran over three times as many routes. In the few leagues where Washington was on a fantasy roster, he can now be dropped. Claypool’s targets should rebound, and his fantasy managers might be ready to trade him away.
Dallas Cowboys at Washington Football Team
| Dallas Cowboys | Washington Football Team |
| WR | WR |
| Michael Gallup – 51 snaps | Cam Sims – 61 snaps |
| Amari Cooper – 42 snaps | Terry McLaurin – 58 snaps |
| CeeDee Lamb – 31 snaps | Dontrelle Inman – 20 snaps |
| Cedrick Wilson – 20 snaps | Tony Brown – 4 snaps |
| Noah Brown – 15 snaps | Jeff Badet – 3 snaps |
| TE | TE |
| Dalton Schultz – 46 snaps | Logan Thomas – 54 snaps |
| Blake Bell – 21 snaps | Jeremy Sprinkle – 28 snaps |
| Sean McKeon – 2 snaps | Temarrick Hemingway – 26 snaps |
| HB | HB |
| Ezekiel Elliott – 38 snaps | J.D. McKissic – 34 snaps |
| Tony Pollard – 19 snaps | Antonio Gibson – 33 snaps |
| Peyton Barber – 23 snaps | |
| Total – 57 snaps | Total – 69 snaps |
Winner: RB Antonio Gibson, Washington Football Team
Gibson was the only player in this game with 100 yards. He was able to carry the ball 20 times for the first time in his career thanks to Washington maintaining a lead throughout the game. The rookie racked up 128 yards and a touchdown. Unfortunately, his playing time didn’t change much compared to other weeks, as he ended up playing in less than half of snaps. This game was a good sign for what will happen when Washington has a lead. But he’s likely to cede snaps to J.D. McKissic when the Football Team is behind.
Loser: WR CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
Lamb had the worst game among the Cowboys offensive players, although no one really had a great game. Lamb was targeted five times but failed to bring in a pass. Lamb hasn’t been great at contested catches in general this season, and some of his passes were contested. He also had some drops. While he should be able to rebound, other injuries in the Cowboys offense will make it hard for him to continue the performances he was having earlier in the season.
Injury: QB Andy Dalton, Dallas Cowboys
Dalton left the game in the middle of the third quarter after an unnecessary hit to the head. Ben DiNucci took over for the rest of the game. Dalton did not look great when he was playing. He completed less than half of his passes, had 3.9 yards per attempt and threw an interception. Only one of his wide receivers caught a pass. DiNucci was sacked as many times as he attempted a pass. While we really haven’t seen enough of DiNucci to make strong conclusions, right now this looks like a bad sign for the fantasy value of all of the offensive skill players.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Las Vegas Raiders
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Las Vegas Raiders |
| WR | WR |
| Mike Evans – 62 snaps | Nelson Agholor – 51 snaps |
| Chris Godwin – 59 snaps | Henry Ruggs III – 49 snaps |
| Scotty Miller – 43 snaps | Hunter Renfrow – 35 snaps |
| Tyler Johnson – 29 snaps | Rico Gafford – 10 snaps |
| Justin Watson – 12 snaps | Zay Jones – 10 snaps |
| Jaydon Mickens – 3 snaps | |
| TE | TE |
| Rob Gronkowski – 55 snaps | Darren Waller – 59 snaps |
| Cameron Brate – 12 snaps | Jason Witten – 20 snaps |
| Tanner Hudson – 2 snaps | Foster Moreau – 12 snaps |
| HB | HB |
| Leonard Fournette – 40 snaps | Josh Jacobs – 32 snaps |
| Ronald Jones – 31 snaps | Jalen Richard – 19 snaps |
| Devontae Booker – 15 snaps | |
| Total – 72 snaps | Total – 65 snaps |
Winner: WR Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Godwin had his best game of the season so far. He caught all nine passes thrown his way for 88 yards and a touchdown. Several other receivers had good games, including two 100-yard performances, but Godwin took the winner’s spot thanks to having the most catches. The Buccaneers are unlikely to throw 45 times in many more games, but Godwin’s arrow continues to point up as he gains more chemistry with Tom Brady.
Loser: RB Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders
This was a game where Jacobs didn’t have many opportunities due to the game script, and he didn’t play well in the opportunities he was given. The Raiders fell behind in the second quarter, leading them to use their receiving backs more often. This meant Jacobs played in less than half of the offensive snaps. When he did play, he averaged less than 2.0 yards per carry. On the bright side, he saw the fourth-most targets on offense, but that only led to 14 yards on three catches. It’s becoming harder to trust Jacobs when the Raiders aren’t favored.
Buy Low: RB Leonard Fournette, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Fournette returned to the offense after a few weeks of barely playing due to injury. He not only saw quality playing time but took over LeSean McCoy’s role as the Buccaneers’ third-down back. Fournette played on 47% of snaps on first and second downs while Ronald Jones played in the other 53%. Fournette had fewer carries and didn’t score a touchdown but had more rushing yards. He also caught six passes for 47 yards. Now that this appears to be a two-man backfield, both backs have value. Fournette should continue to lead the team in snaps regardless of game script. Also promising: When Tampa Bay was within four yards of scoring, Fournette was on the field for 75% of snaps. Jones and the wide receivers scored the touchdowns today, but Fournette should have plenty of touchdown opportunities going forward.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Los Angeles Chargers
| Jacksonville Jaguars | Los Angeles Chargers |
| WR | WR |
| D.J. Chark Jr. – 55 snaps | Keenan Allen – 69 snaps |
| Keelan Cole – 48 snaps | Mike Williams – 61 snaps |
| Laviska Shenault Jr. – 47 snaps | Jalen Guyton – 54 snaps |
| Chris Conley – 16 snaps | Tyron Johnson – 11 snaps |
| Collin Johnson – 12 snaps | Joe Reed – 7 snaps |
| TE | TE |
| James O'Shaughnessy – 44 snaps | Hunter Henry – 62 snaps |
| Ben Ellefson – 19 snaps | Virgil Green – 20 snaps |
| Eric Saubert – 1 snap | Donald Parham – 8 snaps |
| HB | HB |
| James Robinson – 57 snaps | Joshua Kelley – 38 snaps |
| Dare Ogunbowale – 6 snaps | Justin Jackson – 31 snaps |
| Troymaine Pope – 12 snaps | |
| Total – 63 snaps | Total – 81 snaps |
Winner: RB James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars
With Chris Thompson out today — he was on the Covid-19 list — Robinson went from a two-down back to an every-down back, and he took advantage of the opportunity. He ran 22 times for 119 yards and a touchdown. As a receiver, the rookie saw the second-most targets on the team (6), leading to four catches and a second touchdown. While today was great for Robinson, there is some uncertainty going forward. Devine Ozigbo was activated from injured reserve earlier in the week but wasn’t given any playing time. He could potentially see some snaps going forward. With how well Robinson has played in general, there is a chance Robinson can maintain more of the third-down role even when Thompson is back.
Loser: WR D.J. Chark Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
Chark led the Jaguars in targets and only ended up catching one of them for 26 yards. No Jaguars receiver ended up with more than 50 receiving yards. Part of this was on Chark due to some drops, but some of it was also because of poor throws from Gardner Minshew. In terms of playing time and targets, Chark has every reason to be a top fantasy wide receiver this year. But between Minshew and Chark both not playing well, he’s not living up to that expectation.
Waiver Wire Target: RB Joshua Kelley, Los Angeles Chargers
Kelley was let go in a number of leagues after Week 5 when Justin Jackson outplayed him. Kelley was more involved in the offense in this game. The rookie ran 12 times, while Jackson carried the ball only five times. Each player had five catches. Kelly was also in for both goal line plays even though neither resulted in a touchdown. Among the two backs, Kelley is the one most likely to do well in the future because he’s more likely to score the touchdowns.
Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos
| Kansas City Chiefs | Denver Broncos |
| WR | WR |
| Tyreek Hill – 37 snaps | Jerry Jeudy – 58 snaps |
| Demarcus Robinson – 34 snaps | Tim Patrick – 51 snaps |
| Byron Pringle – 31 snaps | K.J. Hamler – 30 snaps |
| Mecole Hardman – 22 snaps | DaeSean Hamilton – 27 snaps |
| Marcus Kemp – 10 snaps | Tyrie Cleveland – 13 snaps |
| TE | TE |
| Travis Kelce – 40 snaps | Noah Fant – 55 snaps |
| Deon Yelder – 14 snaps | Nick Vannett – 35 snaps |
| Nick Keizer – 12 snaps | Albert Okwuegbunam – 30 snaps |
| HB | HB |
| Clyde Edwards-Helaire – 27 snaps | Melvin Gordon III – 46 snaps |
| Le'Veon Bell – 17 snaps | Royce Freeman – 18 snaps |
| DeAndre Washington – 10 snaps | Phillip Lindsay – 14 snaps |
| Darrel Williams – 1 snaps | |
| Total – 51 snaps | Total – 77 snaps |
Winner: RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City Chiefs
Edwards-Helaire is the winner in this one for scoring his first rushing touchdown since Week 1. This is a game that didn’t have much offense. The Chiefs were clearly the better team but only ran 41 plays with their starters. Kansas City rotated running backs by drive. Edwards-Helaire had the first drive, then Le’Veon Bell and then each back would get one or two drives at a time depending on how long the first drive was. The only reason Edwards-Helaire played significantly more than Bell is because the Chiefs’ ninth drive was for six plays, and then Kansas City brought in their backups. In general, both backs will see more snaps in future games, but at this point it looks close to even. I would sell high on Edwards-Helaire after the touchdown, Bell could be the one to have better fantasy days in the future.
Loser: WR Jerry Jeudy, Kansas City Chiefs
The Broncos were forced to throw 40 times, as they spent the entire game trying to come from behind. Jeudy led all of the Broncos skill players in snaps, but all three Broncos tight ends and three different wide receivers all ended up with more receiving yards than Jeudy. The rookie caught two of four passes for 20 yards. He should consistently be seeing close to double-digit targets based on how much Denver needs to pass and the talent at wide receiver. Hopefully he starts seeing more targets in the future, but at this point it would be really hard to trust starting him.
Injury: RB Philip Lindsay, Denver Broncos
Lindsay left the game late in the second quarter after a helmet-to-helmet hit. Despite missing the entire second half, he ended up leading the Broncos in rushing yards at 79. Before he left, Melvin Gordon III was out-snapping Lindsay 20 to 14. With how much better Lindsay has been playing recently compared to Gordon, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them move close to 50/50 — or even for Lindsay take the lead at some point in the future.
San Francisco 49ers at New England Patriots
| San Francisco 49ers | New England Patriots |
| WR | WR |
| Brandon Aiyuk – 49 snaps | Damiere Byrd – 48 snaps |
| Deebo Samuel – 42 snaps | Jakobi Meyers – 41 snaps |
| Kendrick Bourne – 29 snaps | Julian Edelman – 31 snaps |
| Richie James Jr. – 15 snaps | N'Keal Harry – 11 snaps |
| Trent Taylor – 3 snaps | Gunner Olszewski – 4 snaps |
| TE | TE |
| George Kittle – 59 snaps | Dalton Keene – 24 snaps |
| Ross Dwelley – 23 snaps | Ryan Izzo – 23 snaps |
| Charlie Woerner – 6 snaps | |
| HB | HB |
| Jeff Wilson Jr. – 37 snaps | Rex Burkhead – 25 snaps |
| JaMycal Hasty – 14 snaps | Damien Harris – 21 snaps |
| Jerick McKinnon – 12 snaps | James White – 10 snaps |
| Total – 65 snaps | Total – 52 snaps |
Winner: RB Jeff Wilson Jr., San Francisco 49ers
Wilson was the 49ers primary running back for most of the game with Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman both out with injury. He gained 112 yards on 17 carries and scored three touchdowns. Wilson didn’t have a rush for more than 17 yards, so he did a great job of consistently gaining yards rather than having one long run skew his total. Wilson unfortunately left the game with an ankle injury and did not return. JaMycal Hasty took his place as the primary runner. Jerick McKinnon maintained his role throughout the game as the 49ers’ third-down back, but the team rarely faced third-down situations. Wilson would only be a waiver wire target if he is healthy and the other 49ers running backs are not.
Injury: WR Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco receivers had a good game against the Patriots secondary. Samuel caught all five passes thrown his way for 65 yards before leaving the game in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury. In his place, Kendrick Bourne went from playing in 11 personnel to playing every snap. Bourne had one target and no catches in this game. In deeper leagues, Bourne would be a waiver wire target if Samuel were to miss significant playing time. Bourne’s upside is limited on this run-first team, as demonstrated today, and the 49ers have other receiving options.
Injury: WR N’Keal Harry, New England Patriots
Harry left the game at the end of the first quarter with a head injury after catching only one pass for six yards. Instead of Julian Edelman going back to an every-down role like he had earlier in his career, 2019 undrafted receiver Jakobi Meyers rook over the every-down wide receiver role. Meyers ended up leading the Patriots in targets, receptions and yards. He had only played 22 snaps this season heading into this matchup. It will be interesting to see if the Patriots give Meyers more playing time after leading the team today.
Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals
| Seattle Seahawks | Arizona Cardinals |
| WR | WR |
| D.K. Metcalf – 81 snaps | DeAndre Hopkins – 80 snaps |
| Tyler Lockett – 78 snaps | Larry Fitzgerald – 66 snaps |
| David Moore – 29 snaps | Christian Kirk – 66 snaps |
| Freddie Swain – 23 snaps | Andy Isabella – 42 snaps |
| Trent Sherfield – 1 snap | |
| TE | TE |
| Greg Olsen – 52 snaps | Darrell Daniels – 42 snaps |
| Will Dissly – 49 snaps | Dan Arnold – 21 snaps |
| Jacob Hollister – 23 snaps | Evan Baylis – 6 snaps |
| HB | HB |
| Carlos Hyde – 41 snaps | Chase Edmonds – 51 snaps |
| Travis Homer – 16 snaps | Kenyan Drake – 34 snaps |
| Chris Carson – 15 snaps | |
| DeeJay Dallas – 12 snaps | |
| Total – 84 snaps | Total – 84 snaps |
Winner: WR Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks
Lockett was one of the top fantasy wide receivers after three weeks, as he hauled in 24 catches for 259 yards and four touchdowns over that span. He followed that up with two games that saw him come down with six catches, 83 yards and no touchdowns before exploding with the best game of his career statistically this week.
He caught 15-of-20 passes thrown his way for 200 yards and three touchdowns. A lot of that came in the first half to help establish Seattle’s lead. No other player on Seattle’s offense ended up with more than four targets.
Going forward, Lockett's and D.K. Metcalf‘s fantasy success will likely be matchup-related, and this week it was Lockett who better took advantage of his matchup.
Injury: RB Kenyan Drake, Arizona Cardinals
Drake was used in much the same way he was over the first six weeks. His problem tonight was that the game script took the ball out of his hands, and he didn’t do much when he did get the ball. He gained 34 yards on 14 carries, and he also came away with a 7-yard catch in the passing game. He was greatly overshadowed by Chase Edmonds, who caught all seven passes thrown his way for 87 yards.
Drake left the game late in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury and ended up on a cart to go to the locker room. Before the injury, this game gave no indication that he might start losing playing time, because Edmonds never had the opportunity to run with the ball until after the Cardinals' starter was ruled out.
It only took three carries for Edmonds to surpass the rushing yards total Drake had on 14 carries. If Drake does miss time, Edmonds' fantasy value will skyrocket, and he would likely see the vast majority of snaps. Jonathan Ward is the only other back to see playing time for the Cardinals this season, and that all came in the last two minutes of a blow-out victory against the Jets.
Injury: RB Chris Carson, Seattle Seahawks
Carson left the game early in the second quarter with a foot injury and didn’t return. He looked good across his 15 snaps, with five carries for 34 yards rushing. On the Seahawks' first four drives, Carson had played in 54% of the snaps, while Carlos Hyde played in 36%.
Over the rest of the game, all of the Seahawks' running backs saw an increase in playing time, with all of the backs being used interchangeably. It was mostly Hyde who was able to take advantage of the increase in playing time, as he notched 68 yards on 15 carries and recorded Seattle's only rushing touchdown. Carson's injury isn’t believed to be serious, but if he does end up missing time, Hyde would fit right into Carson’s role and likely find himself as an RB2.
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