Team of the Week
QB: Lamar Jackson, BAL
The battle for the overall QB1 spot came down to 0.02 fantasy points, but Jackson (33.88) got the slight edge over Patrick Mahomes (33.86) with 357 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, 36 rushing yards, and one rushing score. Jackson will again be a high-end QB1 option next week in Arizona.
RB: D’Onta Foreman, CHI
Chicago was dominant in the trenches yesterday, and Foreman led the way in the backfield by rushing 16 times for 89 yards and two touchdowns—also adding three receptions for 31 yards and another score. The veteran runner likely showed enough to have a meaningful role even when Khalil Herbert (ankle) is back, and he will be the preferred option over Roschon Johnson (concussion) if the rookie is back in Week 8.
RB: Alvin Kamara, NO
Those in full PPR leagues are surely thrilled with Kamara’s output, as he was able to catch 12-of-14 targets for 91 yards in addition to 17 carries for 62 yards. Despite just one touchdown on the year, Kamara has now gone for fantasy point totals of 14.9, 17.2, 13.9, and 23.3 in 0.5 PPR leagues.
WR: A.J. Brown, PHI
The start of Brown’s season has gone overlooked, but he caught ten passes for 137 yards and a touchdown against Miami—and he’s now tied the NFL record with five consecutive games of 125+ receiving yards. Brown will probably be the top play of Week 8 when he takes on a Washington defense that he went for a 9/175/2 line against earlier this month.
WR: Josh Downs, IND
Downs has quickly emerged as a playmaker for Indy, and he was key in a near upset win over the Browns by catching five passes for 125 yards and a touchdown. The highlight was a 59-yard touchdown grab, and Downs will look to get free again next week when the Saints come to town.
TE: Travis Kelce, KC
The Chargers were at least able to figure some things out in the second half, but Kelce was uncovered for much of the matchup—catching 12-of-13 targets for 179 yards and a touchdown. Overall, tight ends performed very well in Week 8, which was very fitting for National Tight Ends Day.
FLEX: Jahmyr Gibbs, DET
There weren’t many bright spots for Detroit in a shocking 38-6 loss to the Ravens, but Gibbs flashed in a big way—rushing 11 times for 68 yards and a touchdown while also catching nine-of-ten targets for 58 yards. If David Montgomery (ribs) doesn’t return, Gibbs could have a monster night next Monday against the Raiders.
D/ST: Bears
The lack of a top pass rush didn’t prevent Chicago from having a huge fantasy day versus the Raiders, as they limited a Brian Hoyer-led offense to 12 points and 235 yards—with fantasy points being fueled by three interceptions and a touchdown. We’ll see if the improvements shown over the past two weeks can allow the Bears to slow down Justin Herbert and the Chargers next Sunday night.
K: Dustin Hopkins, CLE
Hopkins went off for 22.0 fantasy points yesterday—including three kicks nailed from 50+ yards to make him seven-for-seven from that distance on the season. The performance of Hopkins thus far makes him an elite kicking option no matter who is under center for the Browns.
Surprise of the Week: Gardner Minshew
There were a few surprises in Week 7, but perhaps none more so than Minshew—after three interceptions last week—going off for 27.1 fantasy points in a shootout loss to Cleveland. The Browns had previously been allowing just 10.8 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks, so Minshew’s performance (boosted by a couple of rushing touchdowns) was a major surprise.
Disappointment of the Week: Bijan Robinson
Fantasy owners were furious about Robinson’s usage against the Buccaneers with one touch (for three yards) on 11 snaps, but he was dealing with a huge headache that led to Atlanta leaning on Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson. Because of the disappointment, it might make sense to check what a frustrated Robinson owner might be willing to do in a trade.
Rookie of the Week: Jahmyr Gibbs
Gibbs’ explosiveness and speed was on full display late in the loss to Baltimore, and his start to the campaign has been very steady—despite many expressing disappointment—with at least 7.0 fantasy points in all five appearances. David Montgomery will be the lead back when healthy, but Gibbs could have enough involvement to be a weekly RB2 behind him.
Week 7 MVP: D’Onta Foreman
Lamar Jackson and Travis Kelce were considered, but Foreman (31.5 fantasy points) easily leads all running backs heading into Monday night, and he was a potential week-winning option for those who used him in a spot start. Again, even if Roschon Johnson plays, Foreman should lead the backfield next Sunday night for a good matchup against the Chargers.