In a few days, we'll be at the midpoint of the fantasy regular season for most managers. Week 7 has its own personality -- in the thick of bye-week chaos, in the midst of short- and long-term injuries to key players, and on the verge of the NFL trade deadline. Some of you are in must-win territory. Others are cruising. And others are wondering why you didn't pursue a career in dentistry.
There are 11 games tomorrow, plus Monday Night Football. As always, let's run through what I believe is the most important fantasy storyline for each team. Last Saturday's column touched on guys like Drake London ("Can he keep the good times rolling?"), CMC's uncomfortably high usage, Arizona's complex backfield ("Will Keaontay Ingram outperform Emari Demercado. And more importantly, will it even matter?"), and Carolina's spot-starting RB ("I've been banging the drum on Chuba Hubbard for weeks.").
The intention of these columns is to highlight players whose values could dramatically rise or fall before the next waiver period. Here are the guys I'm eyeing now:
Raiders (-2.5) at Bears -- Some of the rarest things in sports are an MLB perfect game, a 60-point performance in the NBA, and the Raiders playing on the road as favorites. But this where we are, with (if Brian Hoyer sits) two rookie QBs facing off. For Vegas, the seemingly disgruntled Davante Adams has a get-right game after collecting only nine targets these past two weeks (versus 33 the two weeks before). I expect Aidan O'Connell or Hoyer to force-feed him. But if poor QB play limits Adams' upside, his value could spiral with a tougher schedule on the horizon. And for Chicago, D'Onta Foreman should have another shot at muddying this backfield whenever Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson return. The values of the latter two hinge partly on how Foreman fares.
Browns (-3.5) at Colts -- Trust the Browns' D? It's looking that way. And notably, Deshaun Watson is expected to return. He's the key figure here. I'm anticipating a big return or a fantasy flop against the Jeckyll-and-Hyde Indy defense. And for the Colts, how much work will Jonathan Taylor get, and will we see glimpses of his past glory?
Bills (-8.5) at Patriots -- James Cook is tough to figure out. Was high on him this summer, and I remain high. He's currently the overall RB19, though managers probably feel like he's worse. The problem is that he had 17-22 touches in his first three games, but 8-14 these last three outings. His talent should keep him afloat. The question is whether he be more than just "decent." And for New England, is Rhamondre Stevenson officially ascending?
Giants (+3) vs. Commanders -- After seeing how well New York contained Buffalo last week, I'm inclined to pick the Giants to win outright tomorrow. All eyes should be on Saquon Barkley, who insists he doesn't want to be traded, but who might be playing his final game for this team. And for Washington, is Jahan Dotson droppable in deep leagues? The easy answer is "yes." But I wouldn't discard him yet. Washington's pushing for a postseason berth, and the 23-year-old former first-round pick isn't as bad as his recent numbers.
Buccaneers (-2.5) vs. Falcons -- Rachaad White is a fascinating fantasy RB. He's stumbling with 3.3 yards per carry, but his 17.2 touches per game are no joke. He's averaged as many fantasy points as Rhamondre Stevenson and is less than one-point-per-game below Joe Mixon. How will White do against one of the league's top run defenses? And for Atlanta, has the Kyle Pitts era officially begun? Last year he had 14+ points only once. But now he's done it two straight games. Desmond Ridder's ability to feed two receivers per week is key to Pitts' development as a weekly fantasy starter.
Lions (+3) at Ravens -- When Detroit beat K.C. on the road in Week 1, it signaled that this might be a special season for the Lions. Sure enough, they're 5-1 despite a rash of injuries to key playmakers on both sides of the ball. Tomorrow marks their biggest test since the Chiefs. Jameson Williams is the x-factor -- a role he'll probably assume in fantasy circles for the rest of the year. Either he's as good as advertised, or he's at least a year away from coming into his own. As for Baltimore, Justice Hill is poised (I believe) to topple Gus Edwards atop the depth chart. The normally dominant Edwards has looked pedestrian this season while averaging a career-low 1.2 yards after contact.
Rams (-3) vs. Steelers -- Who knows, but I believe L.A. will win by 12+. Who cares that they're scrounging for RB talent? The big story here is whether Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua can be must-starts every week. As a reminder, I couldn't have been more wrong about Nacua. Now the question is whether Matthew Stafford has everything he needs to be fantasy relevant. And for Pittsburgh, Diontae Johnson is on the verge of returning. We last saw him in Week 1. He last scored in Week 16 of the 2021 season. Yeah, it's been a while. He's a fascinating fantasy WR alongside the ascending George Pickens.
Seahawks (-7.5) vs. Cardinals -- Jaxon Smith-Njigba broke through in Week 6 after a couple of forgettable performances. Is this a sign of things to come? And once again, who will lead Arizona's backfield, and (most importantly) will it matter?
Broncos (+1) vs. Packers -- With Aaron Jones questionable, I'm leaning toward Denver to win. Tough call. The Broncos are obviously a mess. I'm wondering if anyone in their backfield will rise to prominence, or if they're cancel each other out. And for Green Bay, can Jordan Love rebound from an ugly performance. Basically, is Love as good as we saw earlier this year, or are defenses figuring him out?
Chargers (+5.5) at Chiefs -- Picking K.C. to win, though narrowly. As always, which of their WRs will step up, with Rashee Rice and Kadarius Toney as frontrunners. And for the Chargers, will we see vintage Austin Ekeler in a critically important divisional matchup?
Eagles (-2.5) vs. Dolphins -- Taking the home team in a possible Super Bowl preview. Philly's passing attack is missing something. Maybe it's former offensive coordinator Shane Steichen. Maybe opposing teams deserve more credit. Whatever the reasons, I'm locked in on DeVonta Smith, who continually seems like a bust-out candidate, but who managers have every reason to be worried about. And for Miami, Jeff Wilson and Salvon Ahmed will battle for usage behind the still-old (and great) Raheem Mostert. It's an RB battle with potentially big ramifications, at least until De'Von Achane returns.
Vikings (+6.5) vs. 49ers -- Taking San Francisco to win by a few points. It's tough to know how to play this with CMC and Deebo Samuel hobbled. If CMC returns, watch whether Elijah Mitchell or Jordan Mason backs him up. It's one of the most important handcuff jobs in fantasy. And for Minnesota, managers have to love Jordan Addison's touchdowns. But his volume remains a question mark. Will he become a true #1 WR with Justin Jefferson out?