I don’t understand why the Eagles can’t start games on time these days. Were the instructions from the navigation system wrong? Was it an AM/PM problem with your alarm clock?
But even if the Eagles are always late to the party, they usually make up for it. You may not always get what you want, but you may get what you need.
The Primary Eagles were near the top of the Week 7 fantasy leaderboard with SNF and MNF remaining on the Week 7 record. Saquon Barkley had a monster revenge game against the Giants (187 total yards, two touchdowns), pushing him into the RB2 spot (ahead of two games in SNF and Monday night). Jalen Hurts threw just 14 passes but scored three touchdowns (two rushing) and was the leading quarterback with three games remaining. AJ Brown had to make do with just five targets, but it didn’t take long for him to score. He caught all 89 yards, including a 41-yard score. That made him WR5.
A common bug occurred during Philadelphia’s 28-3 victory over the Giants. They didn’t score in the first quarter. Amazingly, the Eagles haven’t scored in the first quarter all season. Will the Hurts take time to find their rhythm? Maybe play-caller Kellen Moore needs time to get used to it. Of course, this is just a little trivia for when Fantasy Points finally arrive. But sooner or later, teams will pay the price for these wasted opportunities.
Barkley, Hurts, and Brown also receive a boost from Philadelphia’s narrow usage tree. Hurts typically focuses on just three players when passing: Brown, Barkley, and DeVonta Smith, who was Sunday’s only phantom miss (two targets, one catch for negative yards). ). Barkley has ceded some of the work to Kenneth Gainwell and Will Shipley at this position, but that won’t happen in a competitive game. If the Giants had actually fought back a little more in this game, Barkley’s fantasy day would have been ridiculous.
Add it all up and this offense has four set-and-forget players. If we re-draft tomorrow, Barkley could be No. 1 overall (yes, there’s still time on Yahoo). Brown will likely be a second-round pick and Smith a third-round pick. He’s also a possible destination if you believe Hurts maintains rushing equity near the hoop.
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Just when you thought you could trust Daniel Jones, something happened in the last two weeks. The Giants’ strong tendency is to separate home and road games. For some reason, Jones tends to play much better on the road but struggle at home. He finished with 99 passing yards and zero touchdowns, was mercifully benched and had seven sacks. To be fair, Drew Lock didn’t move the offense either — somehow he was even worse.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. was held to nine touches and Devin Singletary was held to just six touches. They didn’t have any splash plays, but they also need a downfield passing game to keep the offense on schedule. Malik Nabers cobbled together 4-41-0 on eight targets. Wandale Robinson participated in the national team game and had a record of 6 wins, 23 losses, and 0 losses with 9 looks. Unfortunately, Darius Slayton probably won’t be a factor here if everyone else is healthy. Will competing teams inquire about Slayton?
Other week 6 booms and busts
Lions’ fantasy assets vary
Not all of the Lions’ players returned home during their entertaining 31-29 escape at Minnesota, but there were three who stood out. Jahmil Gibbs stepped up to the big time, totaling 160 yards and two scores. That’s good for 30 fantasy points and the RB1 tag. Amon-Ra St. Brown also had his best game of the year, catching all his targets with a performance of 8 wins, 112 losses, and 1 record. He has quietly scored in four games in a row and sits at No. 1 WR with three games left on the Week 7 schedule. Jared Goff, forever underrated, completed 22 of 25 passes for 280 yards and two scores. He lost one fumble and had four sacks, but that came at a cost against Brian Flores’ defense. Still accepting.
It wasn’t a clean game for other key Detroit players. David Montgomery lost a fumble and suffered a knee injury but is back. His touchdown streak ended, with just 70 yards on 12 touches. Sam LaPorta had one catch for 25 yards, but was targeted just one more time. He’s not the focal point of this offense right now. Jameson Williams was also held back, with just one target and a catch for negative yards.
Laporta is the nastiest kind of fantasy commodity, someone too good to drop but inconsistent enough to be reliable. I know the tight end position has been in turmoil all fall, but his manager needs to at least try to find some upside options.
Anthony Richardson struggles to fight back
Before the season, some experts thought Anthony Richardson might be a fantasy QB1. In fact, he’s the second-best quarterback on the team, behind Joe Flacco, the 39-year-old veteran who was thought to have retired not too long ago.
The Colts defeated the Dolphins 16-10, so they will win it. But Richardson still seemed lost. He completed just 10 of 24 passes for just 129 yards and zero touchdowns. He had one run for 22 yards but was otherwise held to the ground, gaining 56 yards on 14 totes. Indianapolis’ passing game has also struggled as Richardson has struggled. Michael Pittman Jr. managed to go 3-63-0 on five targets, but all other fantasy considerations in the receiver room were 15 yards or less.
Tyler Goodson needed a touchdown deodorant, but he’s 14-51-1 on the ground. He couldn’t see a goal. Trey Sermon was more efficient (nine touches, 49 yards), but neither player makes you forget Marshall Faulk or Edgerrin James. The Colts are desperate to get Jonathan Taylor back, especially with their tight schedule. Next five weeks: Texans, Vikings, Bills, Jets, Lions.
speed round
• Atlanta’s defense is probably better than it’s given credit for, but Jackson Smith-Njiba was a surprise for the fifth time this season. Considering Geno Smith leads the NFL in passing, attempts, and yards, there’s reason to expect more from JSN. DK Metcalf is currently listed as “weekly” with a knee injury, which means the Seahawks will need to give JSN even more guidance next week against Buffalo. However, I became concerned that JSN never seemed to have any special talent at any point in his pro career. Shouldn’t we have looked at something electrical already?
• Tank Bigsby was a bell cow and was a strong back in the morning’s win over New England, but he’s still not part of the passing game (one goal). He has two catches on six targets in his career. I’d like to think the Jaguars can coach him in this area, but do I have a lot of faith in the staff in Jacksonville?
• Patriots fans keep getting what they want — Drake Maye looks precocious, but the team keeps losing. Let’s hope the shaky lines don’t start to warp his nerves and confidence. Hunter Henry has an 11-133-1 record in the two games Maye has started. So he will be a TE3 for that period of time.
• Remember that our game is about numbers, not names. His name is Patrick Mahomes. His numbers and weekly finishes are: QB14, QB14, QB15, QB17, QB20, QB15 (in progress). His last top-10 finish came during Thanksgiving week in 2023.
• A healthy David Njoku could be an impact fantasy player if Jameis Winston earns the starting job in Cleveland, and I expect him to be. But you have to be patient with Nick Chubb. He essentially did nothing on Sunday other than scoring a short touchdown (11 carries, 22 yards). What does patience mean here? I plan to reopen the Chubb case in 2025.
-Set the Jets, who have yet to surpass 24 points this season, to four consecutive losses. Yards per game, plays per game, yards per play are all below average. Breece Hall has stepped up nicely over the last two weeks, but Aaron Rodgers and Garrett Wilson haven’t been as impactful as I expected. It would have been unrealistic for Davante Adams to pull off a miracle in his first game with the Jets, but asking the 32-year-old veteran to start this offense may have been too much. New England’s rematch comes at the perfect time next week in Foxborough. At least another solo game in New York can be avoided.
• It’s been all kinds of porridge for Stefon Diggs since the Nico Collins injury — one hot game (WR13), one tepid game (WR29), and a cold game Sunday (WR44, Monday’s (It will definitely sink after the 4 team game). Diggs can still be a key member of the band, but now he’s the bassist rather than the lead guitarist. He shouldn’t be the centerpiece of a downfield passing attack. It was shocking to see CJ Stroud throw for just 86 yards against an average-ranked Green Bay defense entering Week 7.
• Tennessee doesn’t have a kingmaker in its quarterback room, but Calvin Ridley still has some explaining to do. He was WR5 in Week 2, which is great. He hasn’t finished in the top 40 any other week. He scored one touchdown. In 2020, he was once a fantasy star. Otherwise, he oscillates between being good, under the radar, and unavailable. And now he’s entering his age-30 season. When cheese goes bad, it’s usually a mistake to bet on it getting better.
• I’d like to say something nice about Jonnu Smith’s breakout game, but it’s shocking to see Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle basically doing nothing after Miami’s bye week. Lack of quarterback depth is part of the problem, but the best coaches at least give themselves a chance. Look at what Matt LaFleur did when Malik Willis was forced into the starting spot. Maybe Mike McDaniel isn’t the smart pants he’s meant to be. Tua Tagovailoa may be back next week, but even with him, Miami still feels like a house in the sand.
• Najee Harris will never be a superstar, but perfect is the enemy of good. With Justin Fields on the bench, he has more rights at the goal line, and Jalen Warren is just a space changer for now, not threatening the starting job. Tell this to Harris, he finished all his runs. His yards to contact stats are mediocre, but that’s probably not his fault. He’s not elusive by any means, but he’s above league average in yards after contact. He always moved mountains Sunday night against the Jets.
