Each Saturday I dive into what I believe is the biggest fantasy pressure point for each Sunday team. What happens to these players tomorrow are likely to dramatically impact their short- and long-term fantasy values. Some values will solidify; others will experience massive shifts. So let's look at the upcoming team-by-team pressure points, and since Elizabeth Porter asked, I'll also include Monday's teams.
Jaguars -- Some news reports are more distracting than actionable. So when head coach Liam Coen expressed a desire earlier this week to get Travis Hunter more involved offensively, we might dismiss it as "coach-speak." But when we consider the #2 overall pick is on pace for a 57-558-0 rookie campaign, it would appear his fantasy value has nowhere to go but up.
Rams -- Matthew Stafford's resurgence is built on ("within?" "atop?") the hands of Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. If the former is inactive, it changes Ram's outlook, beginning with the presumably-still-fantasy-relevant 37-year-old quarterback.
Jets -- Who knows whether Breece Hall will still be in New York after the trade deadline, when Garrett Wilson will return, and if Justin Fields can keep his job. But the one potential constant appears to be ascending rookie Mason Taylor.
Panthers -- If this were a movie, Chuba Hubbard would be the small business owner who, before heading on vacation, let his friend Rico Dowdle manage his tiny store. A couple weeks later, the store is now a publicly traded company with 40 franchises nationwide.
Vikings -- This might be Carson Wentz' final NFL start until a semi-desperate team comes calling in the offseason. The journeyman has comfortably exceeded low expectations. If he plays well tomorrow -- and if Minnesota wins -- it might be hard for the team to re-install JJ McCarthy as the starter.
Eagles -- This team was/is supposed to be great. Some people are blaming the offensive line. Others blame AJ Brown. Others Jalen Hurts. I'm not blaming anyone. But I believe most people are missing the most obvious shortcoming: after racking up 482 touches last season, Saquon Barkley is struggling to move the chains, piles, etc. Unable to establish an effective running game, Philly cannot optimize their passing attack.
Chiefs -- The return of Rashee Rice. It seems the only people this will benefit fantasy-wise are Rice and Patrick Mahomes.
Raiders -- Tre Tucker has one monster performance (40.9 points) and is averaging only 9.1 on 4.8 targets in his other five contests. He remains the offensive wild card alongside the perennially good-yet-ceiling-capped Jakobi Meyers.
Titans -- With Tyjae Spears firmly back in the fold, some managers are bailing on Tony Pollard. Right now it makes sense, as an RBBC in a bottom-tier offense is a recipe for disaster, and Pollard is no longer a certifiable bell cow.
Patriots -- For the fourth or fifth time, it's Rhamondre Stevenson vs. TreVeyon Henderson. Managers have little choice but wait it out, or cut their investments. I'd prefer to wait it out. All 50-50 backfields have expiration dates.
Browns -- The last Cleveland WR to collect double-digit fantasy points was Cedric Tillman in Week 2.
Dolphins -- Should managers cut bait on every Miami player before their values tank?
Bears -- Is the revival of D'Andre Swift sustainable?
Saints -- With each passing game, Kendre Miller's value grows at Alvin Kamara's expense.
Chargers -- Was Kimani Vidal's Week 6 breakout a fluke?
Colts -- Daniel Jones is averaging 24.9 fantasy points in the three games where he's had at least one rushing score. He's averaging only 14.3 in his other three games.
Broncos -- Moderately fascinated by 31-year-old Evan Engram's solidifying target share, and how it might impact Denver's wideouts -- in particular, whether Box Nix will be able to feed more than one WR per game.
Giants -- Is Cam Skattebo as great as he appears to be? He's coming off a 338-touch campaign at Arizona State. Among the other 144 rookie RBs since 2021, only Ashton Jeanty and Woody Marks have entered the league immediately following a higher-touch collegiate season.
Cardinals -- Can managers trust Bam Knight and/or Michael Carter as streamers?
Packers -- As always, the rise of Matthew Golden, who perhaps is close to peaking in Year 1 in a normally spread-the-ball offense.
Cowboys -- Can George Pickens remain an easy must-start WR playing alongside a returning CeeDee Lamb?
Commanders -- I believed Jacory Croskey-Merritt was overvalued in July. When Washington sent Brian Robinson Jr., I still believed JCM was overvalued. When Austin Ekeler was knocked out for the year, I *still* believed JCM was overvalued. Now he's coming off back-to-back bell-cow outings while netting a sterling 5.7 yards per carry . . . and two turnovers (one of which arguably wasn't his fault). I'm still not sold that he can be "the guy" in Washington. Now he has a favorable matchup to once again prove me wrong.
49ers -- When Adam Thielen tied Calvin Johnson's NFL record with eight consecutive 100+ yard receiving games, he never exceeded 135. Kendrick Bourne now has back-to-back 142-yard performances despite never exceeding 100 in 114 previous games. This the textbook definition of "statistical outlier." This week's opponent, the Falcons, are yielding a league-low 139.4 receiving yards per game. If Bourne goes off again, Earth will never be the same.
Falcons -- Kyle Pitts is "enjoying" his most targets (barely) per game since 2022 and a career-high 82.1% catch rate, which is more than 20 percentage points above his career average. Yet he's ranked 31st red-zone fantasy points on only three targets, compared to 28th last year on 12 targets and 49th the year before on five targets. In other words, he remains a weekly fantasy dart throw with few signs of a significant shift.
Lions -- Compared to last season, Jameson Williams' targets, catches, touchdowns, and broken tackles are down, while his drops are up. The gaps aren't large enough to be overly concerned. But it's a less-than-ideal set of trends for a #2 WR in a plus offense.
Buccaneers -- Amidst all of the injury turmoil surrounding Tampa Bay, Rachaad White will earn at least one more start -- perhaps one more chance to carve out a meaningful 1B role when Bucky Irving returns.
Seahawks -- Zach Charbonnet isn't playing well enough to consistently challenge Kenneth Walker, and Walker isn't earning enough consistent volume to be a reliable fantasy starter.
Texans -- In his last game before Houston's Week 6 bye, Christian Kirk netted his most receptions (four) and receiving yards (59) in six games. Dalton Schultz hit 60 yards for only the third time in his previous 24 games. Monday night is an important test re: whether Kirk and/or Schultz are turning a corner.
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