The name of the game in fantasy football is volume. That's why it's so important to take note of which wide receivers are seeing a significant target market share and how each team splits up its backfield opportunities. Each week, Matt Harmon and Matt Franciscovich will break down the week's wide receiver targets and backfield touches leaders with takeaways you can use for your fantasy football teams going forward. We won't bore you with any more introductory comments here, let's dig into the good stuff from Week 7.
*NOTE: This article will be updated with data from the Sunday Night and Monday Night games the following day, so check back for more information as games wrap.
Arizona Cardinals
Touches: 12 | Carries: 11 | Receptions: 1
Adrian Peterson was hyped as an ideal play against a Rams defense that had allowed the most fantasy points per game to running backs heading into Week 7. But AP didn't come through for his owners, logging just 21 yards on his 11 rush attempts in London. It makes sense seeing as the Cardinals were shut out 33-0 and Carson Palmer left the game with what is being reported as a broken arm. Palmer's injury is a huge blow to the entire Arizona offense and makes it difficult to feel confident about anyone in this offense with Drew Stanton under center for the foreseeable future.
Honorable mention(s): For what it's worth, Peterson was the only running back in Arizona to log a rush attempt Sunday. Kerwynn Williams received two receptions and Andre Ellington was inactive.
Target share: 15.6% |Targets: 5 | Receptions: 2 | Yards: 37
Target share: 15.6% |Targets: 5 | Receptions: 2 | Yards: 35
With Carson Palmer suffering a broken arm and the rest of his season now in doubt, there is no reason to stay invested in this passing game. Larry Fitzgerald might collect enough volume to have some relevant weeks, but we're certainly no longer holding out hope for players like the Browns or J.J. Nelson.
Honorable mention(s): None.
Atlanta Falcons
Touches: 15 | Carries: 12 | Receptions: 3
Devonta Freeman totaled 90 yards from scrimmage on his 15 touches against the Patriots on Sunday night. Coming into the game, the matchup seemed much jucier, but the Falcons fell behind eary. Still, Freeman is one of the best players on the Atlanta offense, and it's odd that he didn't get the ball more. Freeman had a single touch in the second quarter, and then came out of the locker room after the half with 61 total yards in the third frame, helping move what was a stagnant offense. The Falcons offensive stragey is mysterious and it's concerning that they couldn't get on track against what was one of the worst defenses in the NFL coming into the game. Still, Freeman remains an elite fantasy option at running back, and has a decent matchup against the Jets in Week 8.
Honorable mention(s):Tevin Coleman logged six touches for 16 yards against the Patriots and was held without a catch. He played 19 snaps in the game compared to Freeman's 40 snaps. It was Coleman's lowest scoring fantasy game of the season, and he should bounce back to low-end flex status for PPR owners against the Jets next week.
Target share: 40.6% |Targets: 13 | Receptions: 9 | Yards: 99, TD
Even the most casual observer could tell that the sputtering Falcons offense wasn't getting the ball to their best player, Julio Jones, enough. It didn't help their overall offensive output on bit but they did at least get that right against New England. Jones tied a season-high in targets (13) and found the end zone for the first time all year. Atlanta's offense is a middling unit, at best, this year but they must continue to feed Jones as a feature piece if they want to approach anything close to their 2016 level. Jones draws a matchup with the Jets next week.
Honorable mention(s): With the Falcons offense continuing to fall off the rails, fantasy owners can start to divest from their ancillary players. Austin Hooper is a prime example. Despite going out fo 91 percent of the plays, Hooper only drew one target. Mohamed Sanu might be the only exception. He handled 10 targets tonight and has six-plus targets in every game outside of their loss to Buffalo, where he got hurt mid-way through.
Baltimore Ravens
Touches: 14 | Carries: 6 | Receptions: 8
Javorius Allen may have led the Ravens backfield in touches, but it didn't amount to much. He totaled 20 rush yards and just 29 receiving yards on eight receptions. If snap counts mattered for fantasy, Allen would be an RB1 as he played 40 snaps compared to Alex Collins' 18. But that's not the case. The fact of the matter is that the Ravens offense is bad, and Allen is being held back because of it. Allen will face the Dolphins on a short week on Thursday night but is nothing more than a low-end flex in PPR formats.
Honorable mention(s):Alex Collins had 10 carries for 30 yards but he's not getting enough snaps to be a reliable fantasy option.
Target share: 28.2% |Targets: 11 | Receptions: 8 | Yards: 29
Jeremy Maclin missed this game and Mike Wallace left early with a concussion. Joe Flacco continues to play the quarterback position with basement-level quality. Baltimore's passing offense is a wasteland for fantasy.
Honorable mention(s): None.
Buffalo Bills
Touches: 28 | Carries: 23 | Receptions: 5
Things were set up perfectly for LeSean McCoy to have a big game, and he came through as Week 7's RB2 in fantasy football. As the only real weapon in the Bills offense, he was loaded up with touches and collected 122 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns, logging his first trip into the paint this season. Shady led his team in rushing and receptions, which came as no surprise. Going forward, McCoy should continue to be a volume monster no matter the game script. He's locked in as an elite fantasy option, but you knew that already.
Honorable mention(s):Tyrod Taylor had 53 rush yards and Mike Tolbert logged three carries for 29 yards. It's McCoy's backfield and as long as he's healthy, there is no threat to his workload.
Target share: 28.1% |Targets: 9 | Receptions: 2 | Yards: 17
Zay Jones is now up to seven catches on the season ... on 32 targets. The second-round rookie has been completely overmatched as a starting outside No. 1 receiver. Buffalo just doesn't have many other options.
Honorable mention(s):Deonte Thompson signed with the team this week and ripped off a few big gains to finish with 107 yards. He was only on the field for 30 percent of Buffalo's plays. Jordan Matthews returned from a thumb injury and went out for 81 percent of the plays.
Carolina Panthers
Touches: 14 each | Carries: Stewart: 14, McCaffrey: 7 | Receptions: Stewart: 0, McCaffrey: 7
In a game where the Panthers put up just three points on offense, it makes sense that the team's running backs were not very effective as fantasy assets. Jonathan Stewart had 48 rush yards on his 14 carries and for the second straight week, he was out-rushed by Cam Newton (50 rush yards). Stewart had just two touches in the second half. He's been one of the most inefficient running backs in the league the last few games and is droppable at this point in shallow leagues.
Honorable mention(s):Christian McCaffrey's 14 touches amounted to just 46 yards from scrimmage against the Bears on Sunday. He led the Panther in receptions with seven, but it didn't really matter. He's a PPR starter only. The Panthers have a more favorable matchup against Tampa Bay in Week 8.
Target share: 26.5% |Targets: 9 | Receptions: 7 | Yards: 36
With the Panthers chasing Chicago all day, thanks to their own turnovers and overall poor offensive showing, Christian McCaffrey found himself in the perfect game script. He finished with seven catches on nine targets. McCaffrey has at least four catches in every game and is leading the team in targets with a 130-plus pace on the season. The passing game usage he carries gives him an awesome floor for PPR, despite the fact he's a near non-asset as a runner.
Honorable mention(s): With Cam Newton struggling, the production wasn't there for the Panthers wide receivers, but the usage signals were still strong with six targets for Kelvin Benjamin and eight for Devin Funchess. Despite coming into this game after missing multiple practices, Benjamin led the wide receiver group in playing time.
Chicago Bears
Touches: 21 | Carries: 21 | Receptions: 0
Jordan Howard played 89 percent of the Bears snaps and was the only player other than quarterback Mitchell Trubisky with a rush attempt against the Panthers on Sunday. Ten of Howards 21 carries came in the fourth quarter when Chicago had a big lead and was killing the clock. His longest run was an 11-yard carry on his last touch of the game, and he finished with just 65 yards on the ground. He nearly scored in the first half but the play was called back as his knee was down at the half-yard line. Still, Howard remains the workhorse of the Bears offense, as Trubisky has completed a total of just 12 passes over the last two games. It's a run-heavy team and Howard is getting all the work. He has a great matchup against the Saints in Week 8.
Honorable mention(s):Tarik Cohen played just six snaps for the Bears in Week 7, and touched the ball one time. That one touch was a 70-yard reception. He's explosive but needs to touch the ball to have fantasy value. His inconsistent playing time over the last few weeks makes him a fantasy bench warmer for the time being.
Chicago Bears
Target share: 42.9% |Targets: 3 | Receptions: 1 | Yards: 70
Target share: 42.9% |Targets: 3 | Receptions: 2 | Yards: 29
Mitchell Trubisky threw just seven passes today, which is obviously part of John Fox's fever dream for offense but is also due to the defense returning two takeaways for scores. That's always going to limit how many reps a scoring attack gets. With just three players getting in the box score, there are no takes to make here.
Honorable mention(s): None.
Cincinnati Bengals
Touches: 10 | Carries: 7 | Receptions: 3
Joe Mixon had 56 scrimmage yards in the first half against the Steelers and looked good. But for some reason, probably game script, Mixon touched the ball just twice in the second half. The Bengals fell behind and the Steelers dominated time of possession, so there were not a lot of backfield opportunities to go around for Cincinnati. With an upcoming matchup against the Colts at home next week, the Bengals run game (Mixon) should get back on track.
Honorable mention(s):Jeremy Hill had four carries for seven yards, and Giovani Bernard totaled seven yards on four touches. Like I said, there was not a lot of opportunity for this backfield. It might be time to drop Hill and Bernard in fantasy if you're still holding onto them.
Target share: 24.1% |Targets: 7 | Receptions: 4 | Yards: 28, TD
Brandon LaFell is routinely on the field for over 90 percent of the Bengals snaps but this is the first time he's done anything of consequence for fantasy all year. He's yet to crack 35 yards receiving. It should go without saying that this is not something to chase.
Honorable mention(s): At this point, Tyler Kroft is a perfect streaming tight end. He only saw four targets but was on the field for 98 percent of the team's plays and hauled in a red zone touchdown. The Bengals draw the Colts at home next week and Kroft should be a popular play.
Cleveland Browns
Touches: 21 | Carries: 17 | Receptions: 4
Isaiah Crowell managed 71 yards from scrimmage against the Titans Sunday. He had 35 rush yards and 36 receiving yards. It was yet another disappointing outing for The Crow, but at this point, we can't say that it comes as a shock. He has yet to find the end zone this season, and maxed out at 8.6 fantasy points in Week 1. He's not a startable running back in fantasy football, and especially not against the Vikings next week.
Honorable mention(s): After a slow Week 6, Duke Johnson had a mini bounce-back against the Titans in Week 7. He was the most targeted player in Cleveland's passing game and hauled in six catches for 45 yards, adding 26 rush yards. That's a decent outing in PPR formats, but it's concerning that Cody Kessler came in for DeShone Kizer in the second half. It seems like Kizer keeps Johnson's fantasy value afloat so if the Browns make another quarterback change, it could negatively affect the dynamic running back going forward. Either way, Johnson is a bench candidate against the Vikings in London next week.
Target share: 18.4% |Targets: 13 | Receptions: 7 | Yards: 73
Duke Johnson is on a 98-target pace for the season. With the passing game being completely broken and Hue Jackson having no handle on his quarterback situation, Johnson will be a candidate for a bulk of dump-off receptions every week.
Honorable mention(s): For whatever reason, David Njoku was on the field for just 39 percent of the plays this week. Despite being one of the lone bright spots on offense, his playing time has actually been trending down the last month. It's a decision that doesn't make any sense.
Dallas Cowboys
Touches: 27 | Carries: 26 | Receptions: 1
Ezekiel Elliott erupted on Sunday against the 49ers. He scored two touchdowns in the first quarter, and his first touch after halftime was a 72-yard catch and run into the end zone. Zeke took advantage of a leaky San Francisco rush defense finishing with 214 yards from scrimmage. He good. Elliott has another decent matchup against Washington in Week 8, but it's worth keeping an eye on his legal status as the week progresses.
Target share: 37% |Targets: 10 | Receptions: 7 | Yards: 63, TD
Once the Cowboys had the game in hand, they clearly made it a point to get Dez Bryant in position to tie the franchise record for receiving touchdowns. However, it's not as if feeding Bryant is something out of the ordinary for Dallas. He has just one game with fewer than eight targets on the season. Bryant didn't get to threaten for his first 100-yard game of the season with the 49ers failing to put up a fight, but with the volume completely locked in, he should push for it next week in a likely high-scoring affair in Washington.
Honorable mention(s):Dak Prescott only threw 25 passes in this contest and Dez Bryant absorbed the bulk of the aerial production. There wasn't much left for anyone else, although Jason Witten scored on a gorgeous one-handed catch.
Denver Broncos
Touches: 11 | Carries: 10 | Receptions: 1
For the second straight week, the Broncos offense could not move the ball, and C.J. Anderson's fantasy production struggled because of it. The Broncos were shut out and Anderson logged just 10 carries for 44 yards on the ground. After a strong start to the season, Anderson has just 61 rush yards in his last two games combined with no touchdowns. The state of Denver's offense is the most alarming issue here. They'll look to get back on track against Kansas City next week, but that won't be an easy task in Arrowhead.
Honorable mention(s):Jamaal Charles totaled eight touches for 22 yards and Devontae Booker had five touches for 28 yards.
Target share: 20% |Targets: 7 | Receptions: 6 | Yards: 66
A.J. Derby had some intriguing moments in the last few weeks heading into this game. He saw a season-high seven targets today but was still on the field for just 47 percent of the team's plays. With the Broncos offense looking broken at the moment, we probably won't crown Derby as a priority option anytime soon. However, it's nice to have another option on the streaming radar.
Honorable mention(s): We certainly didn't expect Demaryius Thomas to collect just six targets with Emmanuel Sanders out, especially with the team in negative game script all day. His two catches for nine yards look like a massive disappointment but do remember that he had a long catch and run called back on a somewhat nitpicky offensive pass interference.
Green Bay Packers
Touches: 20 | Carries: 17 | Receptions: 3
Aaron Jones came out of the gate hot with a 15-yard run on his first carry, and a 46-yard touchdown scamper on his fourth carry of the game against the Saints. Even though the Packers lost, and Jones had just two touches in the fourth quarter, he still managed 138 yards from scrimmage (131 rushing) and dominated the snap count playing on 78 percent of Green Bay's snaps. The Packers have a Week 8 bye, but it'd be hard to imagine Jones losing the starting role. With Brett Hundley under center, this could become a more run-heavy offense and Jones owners should benefit.
Honorable mention(s):Ty Montgomery played just six snaps the entire game compared to Jones' 38. He totaled 15 yards from scrimmage on five touches. This seems like Jones' job to lose, and his Week 7 performance has solidified his primary role.
Target share: 20% |Targets: 5 | Receptions: 2 | Yards: 12
Target share: 20% |Targets: 5 | Receptions: 3 | Yards: 7
Whether due to Brett Hundley's inexperience or the pregame rain, Green Bay scaled the offense back this week. The team doled out 21 carries to their running backs to 25 passes for Hundley. It's worth wondering if Aaron Jones becomes the engine of this offense going forward. Davante Adams leads the team in targets from Hundley through two weeks. Jordy Nelson is right behind him with four more today.
Honorable mention(s):Martellus Bennett was on the field for 92 percent of the plays. That's excellent for a tight end but not going to amount to much if Hundley can't open up the offense.
Indianapolis Colts
Touches: 9 each | Carries: Gore: 9, Mack: 5 | Receptions: Gore: 0, Mack: 4
Frank Gore had five carries in the first quarter, but combined for just four touches in the remaining three quarters against the Jaguars on Sunday, totaling 34 yards. Indianapolis fell behind early and never managed to be competitive as they were blown out 27-0 in front of a home crowd. In favorable matchups, Gore is a low-end flex play. But with Jacoby Brissett struggling the past few weeks, the matchups might not even matter if the Colts can't stay in games. The Colts go on the road to face the Bengals next week where Gore will be nothing more than a desperation start with six teams on bye.
Honorable mention(s):Marlon Mack tied Gore with nine touches against the Jaguars, doing most of his damage as a receiver with 40 yards on four receptions, and added 26 rush yards on five carries. In a negative game script from the get-go, Mack ended up out-snapping Gore for the first time this season, by a count of 32-22. The rookie had one explosive play, a 34-yard catch-and-run down the sideline in the third quarter. He may be earning himself more playing time, especially with Robert Turbin out and Gore struggling. If he's available on the waiver wire, Mack is worth a bench stash with six teams on bye next week.
Target share: 29.6% |Targets: 8 | Receptions: 2 | Yards: 27
Jacoby Brissett took 10 sacks today and the Jaguars defense made life utterly unbearable for the entire Colts offense. Jacksonville registered 17 pressures against Jacoby Brissett today, the second-highest total of any Week 7 team so far. It's encouraging to see T.Y. Hilton come away as the team's clear target leader and we can hope he gets back on track next week against the Bengals.
Honorable mention(s): With the news this week that Andrew Luck suffered a setback, we can stop providing "when Luck returns" without analysis of Colts players. We should approach the rest of this season as if this is what we're going to get.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Touches: 17 | Carries: 17 | Receptions: 0
With Leonard Fournette (ankle) ruled out, Chris Ivory slotted in as the Jaguars starting running back against the Colts. He scored on a goal-line carry in the first half but finished the game with just 47 rush yards on his 17 totes. Fantasy owners who added Ivory ahead of Week 7 and started him probably came away wanting more. The Jaguars have a Week 8 bye, so hopefully Forunette can get healthy during that time.
Honorable mention(s):T.J. Yeldon is apparently back from his early-season trip to another planet. He landed in Indianapolis for his first game all season and played a backup role to Ivory. One of Yeldon's 11 touches in the game was a 58-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, leading him to 137 yards from scrimmage. At the start of the Sunday night game, Yeldon's 19.7 standard fantasy points ranked him as the RB5 for Week 7. That's what kind of day it was.
Target share: 29.6% |Targets: 8 | Receptions: 5 | Yards: 101
Blake Bortles went nuts today, somehow, which elevated the passing game. Both Marqise Lee and Allen Hurns earned solid volume and combined for 173 yards. It's not the first time we've seen this type of output from Bortles and company, but it's awfully hard to chase. Leonard Fournette will likely be back and healthy after the team's Week 8 bye.
Honorable mention(s):Marcedes Lewis snared another touchdown today, his first since his three-score eruption in London. He has just one catch in the three games sandwiched between those contests.
Kansas City Chiefs
Touches: 22 | Carries: 18 | Receptions: 4
Kareem Hunt's MVP campaign continues as he recorded his seventh straight game with at least 100 yards from scrimmage. He failed to find the end zone for the third game in a row, so those greedy Hunt fantasy owners are probably crying about it somewhere. His longest run was a 34-yarder in the first quarter against Oakland on Thursday night. Hunt remains a weekly RB1 as the Chiefs feature back and despite a tough matchup next Monday against the Broncos he's a must-start in all fantasy formats.
Honorable mention(s): None.
Target share: 22.2% |Targets: 8 | Receptions: 6 | Yards: 125, TD
Target share: 22.2% |Targets: 8 | Receptions: 5 | Yards: 69
Tyreek Hill saw eight targets on Thursday night, tied for his highest total on the year. It's not surprising that his three games with eight targets (versus Patriots, Chargers, Raiders) are his best fantasy outings. With a catch rate over 73 percent, Hill has been able to maintain some semblance of steady production despite the lack of elite-level volume. Despite Albert Wilson's return to the lineup, Demarcus Robinson still saw 98.4 percent of the team's snaps. He saw 90.7 percent last week against the Steelers. Robinson is an intriguing young talent seeing usage in one of the NFL's best offenses. That makes him worth monitoring, even if the Chiefs offense is too concentrated for ancillary players to consistently produce.
Honorable mention(s): As a reminder of that difficulty in trusting the non-primary Chiefs players, De'Anthony Thomas snagged a mere two-yard reception on his lone target of the day. Albert Wilson caught a 63-yard touchdown on a tipped pass but collected just two targets on the day. Even if Robinson ascends past these other pass-catchers, there's just not much volume to pick off the bone after Hill and Kelce.
Los Angeles Chargers
Touches: 19 | Carries: 18 | Receptions: 1
Your expectations for Melvin Gordon should have been tempered coming into Week 7 in a matchup against Denver. He totaled just 44 yards from scrimmage on his 19 touches, and was a major let down for fantasy owners. It's not like he didn't have a chance to score though. In the first quarter, the Chargers were at Denver's 1-yard line and handed the ball off to Gordon on four straight plays. Frustrating everyone on the planet, he failed to convert. FOUR STRAIGHT goal line attempts, and he couldn't punch it in. It was hard to watch. Still, the volume is promising, and Gordon should have an easier go next week against the Patriots.
Honorable mention(s):Austin Ekeler had just as many rush yards (38) as Gordon, on 11 fewer attempts. He also had four receptions, one of which was a touchdown. This won't be a weekly occurrence, but the vulture scenario was as frustrating as it gets.
Target share: 28% |Targets: 7 | Receptions: 3 | Yards: 41
There wasn't much passing volume to go around in Los Angeles. With the defense pitching a shutout and Travis Benjamin scoring on two long plays, one return and a catch and run, the offense mounted just 12 drives.
Honorable mention(s):Hunter Henry had five targets today after earning eight and seven in the previous two. He was on the field for 80 percent of the team's plays. The talented young player has 70-plus yards and or a touchdown in each of the last four games. Henry is still a locked-in TE1.
Los Angeles Rams
Touches: 28 | Carries: 22 | Receptions: 4
The undisputed workhorse of the Rams backfield, Todd Gurley mashed once again in Week 7. He racked up 154 scrimmage yards on his 26 touches, with 106 rushing with a touchdown and 48 receiving yards. His rushing touchdown was highlight-reel worthy as he bounced what should have been an up-the-middle run outside and eluded at least four defenders on his way to the end zone. It was also his longest run of the game, an 18-yarder. Gurley owners will have to find a replacement for him in Week 8 as the Rams get a bye after their game across the pond.
Honorable mention(s):Malcolm Brown logged a season-high 11 carries for 48 yards, but the majority of them were in the fourth quarter when the Rams were winning a blowout over the Cardinals. Brown helped salt the clock in what ended up being a 33-0 victory for Los Angeles.
Target share: 27% |Targets: 10 | Receptions: 4 | Yards: 51, TD
No. 2 and slot receivers continue to bully the Cardinals this year. Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods combined for 110 yards and a score on nine catches. Sean McVay continues to show us weekly that this offense will be one that game plans for specific opponents and targets will get handed out based on the other team's defensive struggles. The entire passing attack's ceiling is starting to come down as it is given Jared Goff's poor play the last few games. Goff has just two touchdowns and averaged less than 6.5 yards per attempt in each of the last two weeks.
Honorable mention(s):Sammy Watkins had three catches Sunday, which was more than he had in the previous three games combined. It's probably worth exploring buying Watkins, if owners are willing to legitimately give him away, in the hopes that the team comes out of the bye with him more involved in the game plan. The opposing cornerback schedule is still quite stiff, however.
Miami Dolphins
Touches: 26 | Carries: 23 | Receptions: 3
Jay Ajayi found it to be tough sledding against the Jets, averaging just 2.2 yards per carry on his 23 attempts for 51 yards. He added 26 receiving yards on three receptions but failed to find the end zone. Despite the slow game, Ajayi is set up nicely with a Week 8 matchup against the Ravens who have been gashed by running backs in recent weeks. It's a short week as the Dolphins head to Baltimore on Thursday night, but Ajayi should have RB1 upside given his high-volume workload combined with the fact that six teams are on bye.
Honorable mention(s):Damien Williams had 20 yard on four touches. He's not worth owning.
Target leader: Jarvis Landry
Target share: 30.6% |Targets: 11 | Receptions: 7 | Yards: 93, TD
Hey, Jarvis Landry averaged over 10 yards per catch. It's the first time he's done so all season. It doesn't matter how you feel about his style of play, Landry remains an absolute volume monster. He has just one game with fewer than double-digit targets this season. DeVante Parker may be close to returning from injury, which will take a dig into Landry's ceiling.
Honorable mention(s):Julius Thomas had his best game of the season by catching three passes for 58 yards. He's steadily getting either four or five targets every week and even with Parker out, doesn't seem to have a path to more. Thomas was only on the field for 54 percent of the plays. All this to say: he's not a fantasy option. Which you probably didn't need anyone to tell you.
Minnesota Vikings
Touches: 18 | Carries: 18 | Receptions: 8
In our Week 7 bold predictions article, I predicted that Latavius Murray would out-score Jerick McKinnon and find the end zone for the first time this season. That actually happened. Murray logged 18 carries for 113 rush yards and found the end zone on a 29-yard run in the third quarter. The Ravens defense has been gashed by running backs in recent weeks and Sunday was no different. Murray is seeing consistent volume in the Vikings offense and will be a flex play in Week 8 against the Browns in London.
Honorable mention(s):Jerick McKinnon played a few more snaps than Murray, but wasn't as effective. He rushed for 47 yards on 14 carries and caught three passes for 10 yards. It was McKinnon's first slow game since Dalvin Cook's injury, and he should be able to bounce back next week against the Browns.
Target share: 38.7% |Targets: 12 | Receptions: 5 | Yards: 41
It didn't play out with a massive fantasy game, but Adam Thielen continues to be a volume monster with Stefon Diggs out. Thielen has a whopping 33 targets over the last three games with Diggs inactive or limited. He sports 65 targets on the season but still doesn't have a touchdown, which at some point is due for progression in the scoring department. Until then, he has one of the better floors among fantasy receivers with five or more catches in each contest through seven weeks.
Honorable mention(s): With Diggs and Michael Floyd out, Laquon Treadwell was on the field for 83 percent of the Vikings' plays. Unfortunately, he saw just four targets in a tough matchup with the Ravens secondary. Several mistakes and miscues throughout the day won't help him build momentum to get more playing time.
New England Patriots
Touches: 14 | Carries: 13 | Receptions: 1
Dion Lewis has taken over as the primary running back for the Patriots, and that's been clear over the last two games. He led the team with 76 rush yards on his 13 carries and has been efficient with his oppotunities in recent games, averaging 6.0 yards per carry over his last three contests. Lewis didn't find the end zone Sunday night, but he was on the field for 34 percent of the Patriots snaps, while the rest of the committee rotated in behind him. That 34 percent doesn't sound like a lot, but it's telling that even in a game script where the Patriots were shutting out the Falcons until late in the fourth quarter, Mike Gillislee still only had eight carries. Gillislee is an unstartable fantasy running back at this point.
Honorable mention(s):James White scored a receiving touchdown and was second behind Lewis in snaps with a 30 percent share. He remains a solid weekly play in PPR formats. Rex Burkhead was active but only played 13 snaps, though he touched the ball on seven of them and totaled 42 yards from scrimmage. Burkhead is a bench stash for now. The Patriots take on one of the bottom rush defenses in the league in the Chargers next week.
Target share: 24.1% |Targets: 7 | Receptions: 3 | Yards: 51
New England relied on their ground game tonight with the contest largely in hand throughout, doling out 31 carries to their four running backs to 29 pass attempts for Tom Brady. Their most targeted player was Rob Gronkowski with just seven. No pass-catcher hogged the volume. Chris Hogan didn't go off but got back on target with 71 yards on six targets after a fluky one catch game in Week 6. You can feel just fine about rolling with him the rest of the way.
Honorable mention(s):Danny Amendola may have been a victim of game script and the Patriots therefore only in 11-personnel (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WR) on 49.3 percent of their plays run. He was only on the field for 51.4 percent of the snaps but that's not too far off his norm. Amendola has played more than 70 percent just once this year. He does not have a floor you can count on, even in PPR formats, despite holding down the normally coveted Patriots slot receiver role.
New Orleans Saints
Touches: 26 | Carries: 22 | Receptions: 4
For the second straight week, Mark Ingram rushed for over 100 yards and found the end zone, this time against the Packers in Green Bay. Ingram was an absolute workhorse and helped the Saints kill the clock in the fourth quarter with nine touches in the last frame. Even on 56 percent of the snaps, splitting with Alvin Kamara, Ingram was the workhorse and his workload going forward is not in any danger. He'll continue to be an RB1 with all-purpose upside next week against the Bears.
Honorable mention(s): Rookie Alvin Kamara logged 14 touches, nine rushes and five receptions, for 107 yards from scrimmage on Sunday. He came up just short of the end zone on a second-half touch, but was unable to convert. He's electric in space and three of his first four touches were for double-digit yardage. Still, if you started Kamara in a PPR format, you're satisfied with his performance. He should continue to split the workload with Ingram, but is more of a flex play with upside in PPR leagues.
Target share: 28.9% |Targets: 11 | Receptions: 7 | Yards: 82
Michael Thomas drew a team-high 11 targets today, putting him on pace to finish with over 140 for the season. Thomas has a combined 56 yards from their game in Minnesota in Week 1 and their game last week where the offense mounted just 16 possessions. In his other four games, Thomas cleared 80 receiving yards and hauled in at least five catches.
Honorable mention(s):Coby Fleener was on the field for 27 percent of the team's plays, trailing Michael Hoomanawanui and Josh Hill among tight ends. Even with Willie Snead not back, Fleener is well off the fantasy radar.
New York Giants
Touches: 12 | Carries: 9 | Receptions: 3
After a shocking performance against Denver last week, Orleans Darkwa turned back into a pumpkin, and just in time for Halloween. He had just 35 rush yards on nine carries as the Giants offense struggled the entire game. This is more of what we should expect going forward, and not what we saw in Week 6. If you need to cut Darkwa to make room for a bye-week fill-in for Week 8, consider this my stamp of approval.
Honorable mention(s):Wayne Gallman had seven touches for 29 yards and Shane Vereen totaled six yards on five touches. It's time to wash your hands of the Giants backfield and look for fantasy production elsewhere.
Target share: 31.6% |Targets: 12 | Receptions: 6 | Yards: 60, TD
Evan Engram is on pace for 121 targets on the year and has 19 over the last two games following the Giants wide receiver decimation. The rules for rookie tight ends simply do not apply to this volume monster. With the state of the position, it would be an upset if he didn't finish inside the top-eight tight ends.
Honorable mention(s):Tavarres King was on the field for 100 percent of the Giants plays, with Roger Lewis behind him at 84 percent. Lewis tied for the team-lead with six targets but only caught one. We'll need a better matchup to assess whether either of these players offers any fantasy worth, as they've run up against the Broncos and Seahawks the last two weeks.
New York Jets
Touches: 12 | Carries: 7 | Receptions: 5
For the second straight week, Matt Forte was a force in the Jets passing game, as he led the team with five receptions on five targets for 41 yards. He added 41 rush yards for 82 total in the game, and even with Bilal Powell back in action, Forte was the lead back playing 28 snaps compared to Powell's 17. He seems to be over the toe injury that kept him out for a few games, and has upside in PPR formats. He's a sneaky sleeper against the Falcons next week.
Honorable mention(s): As mentioned above, Bilal Powell returned after missing a few games with a calf injury. He totaled 83 yards from scrimmage, and led the backfield with nine rush attempts for 43 yards, adding 40 receiving yards on two catches. It seems Elijah McGuire has taken a backseat with Forte and Powell both healthy again. Powell has some PPR appeal next week in a home game against Atlanta.
Target share: 19.2% |Targets: 5 | Receptions: 3 | Yards: 21, TD
It wasn't a massive outing for Austin Seferian-Jenkins but he did come away with the touchdown. Seferian-Jenkins has scored in three straight games. His five targets from Sunday were his second lowest of the season. Everything about his profile remains one of an every-week starter at the tight end position.
Honorable mention(s):Jermaine Kearse and Robby Anderson both found the end zone today. Kearse was on the field more, going out for 90 percent of the plays but Anderson out-targeted him (five to four).
Oakland Raiders
Touches: 13 | Carries: 9 | Receptions: 4
It was a weird week for the Raiders running backs. Marshawn Lynch was ejected from the game in the first quarter for contacting a referee in a multi-player scrum after a hit on Derek Carr, so he finished the game with just two rush attempts. Oakland pivoted to Jalen Richard who finished the game with 76 yards from scrimmage on his 13 touches. He had 45 receiving yards on four receptions and 31 rush yards on nine carries. Richard will be a low-end flex if Lynch has to serve his one-game suspension, so keep an eye on that situation as the week progresses.
Honorable mention(s):DeAndre Washington logged one fewer touch than Richard, but Washington did find the end zone in the third quarter. He finished with 40 yards from scrimmage and the score. Washingon logged 23 snaps to Richards 24, signaling that the backfield would likely be a 50/50 split if Lynch does have to sit out a game. The Raiders face a tough matchup in Buffalo in Week 8, so neither back is an ideal option for fantasy purposes seeing as the split workload would cap both players' ceilings.
Target share: 38% |Targets: 19 | Receptions: 11 | Yards: 210, 2 TDs
Welcome to the 2017 season, Amari Cooper. In what might well have been the best slump-buster in NFL history, Cooper went off against the Chiefs for 210 yards and two touchdowns, both totals eclipsing what he had posted before Week 7. His 19 targets were the most of his career. It's impossible to know if this is the start of a new tone to Cooper's season but it's without question a good signal. We know Cooper is a good NFL player, so we can have a reasonable amount of confidence he's finally breaking out of some sort of funk and will get back to producing acceptable numbers.
Honorable mention(s):Jared Cook has just one game where he played less than 70 percent of the snaps. If the Raiders offense is back to firing on all cylinders, Cook will be a prime streaming option simply because he's on the field enough.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Touches: 38 | Carries: 35 | Receptions: 3
Le'Veon Bell had a massive workload once again in Week 7. He logged 38 touches, and now has at least 30 touches in three of his last four games. The Steelers' bell cow recorded 192 yards from scrimmage with 134 yards rushing and 58 receiving. He was basically the Steelers entire offense. The huge workload is a bit of concern for his long-term durability but fantasy owners aren't complaining, for now. The Steelers take on a Lions defense that was destroyed by the Saints running backs in Week 6, so Bell should eat once again.
Target share: 40% |Targets: 10 | Receptions: 4 | Yards: 65, TD
Antonio Brown already has 84 targets on the season. He's pacing to approach his career-high mark of 195 from 2015. In what was meant to be a packed high-flying passing offense, Brown has been the only consistent asset from the season's start.
Honorable mention(s): The squeaky wheel did not get the grease today, as Martavis Bryant saw just two targets and caught one for three yards. He was on the field for a season-low 16 pass plays against the Bengals.
Honorable mention(s):JuJu Smith-Schuster caught a touchdown, but had just three targets.
San Francisco 49ers
Touches: 18 | Carries: 14 | Receptions: 4
It was a rough game script for Carlos Hyde as the 49ers fell behind by a lot of points early on. He still had a sizeable workload and managed 88 yards from scrimmage and ran well with his opportunities. After dealing with a hip injury earlier in the season, Hyde looks fully healthy again. He faces the Eagles next week in Philadelphia, but should still be in line for a similar workload of about 20 or so touches. The overall offensive struggles of the 49ers are holding Hyde back from being anything more than an RB2 on a weekly basis.
Honorable mention(s):Matt Breida logged three carries for five yards. He's just a Hyde handcuff at this point.
Target share: 21.6% |Targets: 8 | Receptions: 4 | Yards: 80
Target share: 21.6% |Targets: 8 | Receptions: 4 | Yards: 20
We didn't get to learn much about how the 49ers will distribute the ball with C.J. Beathard under center, as they were behind the eight-ball all day with Dallas steamrolling their defense. None of their offensive skill-position players were on the field for more than 70 percent of the plays. We have enough data by now to know what this offense is, and nothing from today changed that assessment.
Honorable mention(s): None.
Seattle Seahawks
Touches: 12 each | Carries: 11 each | Receptions: 1 each
The Seattle backfield is not fun for fantasy purposes. The workload was split down the middle between Thomas Rawls and Eddie Lacy and neither had more than 36 yards rushing. For what it's worth, Rawls played 26 snaps to Lacy's 22, but it didn't seem to matter. Going forward, the Seattle running backs should be avoided for fantasy, if possible. It's more about the Seattle offensive line than the players' talent. There's always the chance that one of them has a big game eventually, but that's not going to happen next week when they play the Texans. Don't go chasing either back on the waiver wire, please.
Honorable mention(s):C.J. Prosise was active after missing a few games, but after playing just two snaps, he was immediately injured and ruled out. Prosise simply can't stay healthy. J.D. McKissic had five touches for 33 yards and falls under the same "don't chase on the waiver wire" category as his teammates.
Target share: 32.4% |Targets: 12 | Receptions: 9 | Yards: 92, TD
Doug Baldwin recorded 12 targets in this game, the second-highest total of his season. While he's a near lock for a strong season-end finish, he's once again been a volatile producer in fantasy. Baldwin has three games with less than 50 receiving yards, one with 62 and two more with 90-plus yards and a touchdown.
Honorable mention(s):Jimmy Graham scored the final touchdown for Seattle but remains a rocky fantasy asset. He has just one game with over 70 receiving yards and was on the field for just 59 percent of the team's plays.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Touches: 22 | Carries: 20 | Receptions: 2
Doug Martin had a tough matchup against the Bills on Sunday. He rushed for just 49 yards on 20 carries and added 31 receiving yards. So 80 yards from scrimmage isn't horrible but a touchdown would have been nice. Either way, he's the clear-cut primary back and has been ever since he returned from his suspension. Chalk this one up as a decent performance in an unfavorable matchup and bank the eight fantasy points. Martin will have another tough matchup against the Panthers next week before his schedule opens up with games against the Saints, Jets, Dolphins and Falcons in November.
Honorable mention(s): None.
Target share: 22.7% |Targets: 10 | Receptions: 7 | Yards: 88, TD
Mike Evans once again led the team in targets. He's on pace for 152 yards this season, which is 23 fewer than what he had last season. While 150-plus targets is nothing to sneeze at, the small drop-off in overall volume is why Evans' ceiling is depressed from what we saw last season when he led all wide receivers in standard fantasy points. Evans has yet to cross the century mark in yards in any game this season.
Honorable mention(s):O.J. Howard came away with a massive game, including two touchdowns. His second score came on a busted coverage where he had over 18 yards of separation from the nearest Bills defender, per Next Gen Stats. Nevertheless, this should not dampen our optimism for Cameron Brate. He still had nine targets on the day and came away with a solid six catches for 60 yards.
Tennessee Titans
Touches: 21 | Carries: 18 | Receptions: 3
With a bum hamstring, apparently, DeMarco Murray was handed an 18-carry workload against the Browns. Unfortunately, he managed just 59 yards on the ground and added 17 receiving yards. The Titans offense, on the whole, was surprisingly unproductive in Cleveland. The good news is that the Titan's wouldn't have given Murray that kind of workload had he not been healthy, so maybe he's turning the corner on the hamstring injury that's ailed him since August. The Titans won in overtime, and it wasn't pretty. They'll rest on a bye in Week 8.
Honorable mention(s): Some thought Derrick Henry was in for a bigger workload against the Browns after his solid performance in Week 6. But that was not the case. Henry did finish the game with 15 touches but was shockingly inefficient with just 13 yards on 13 carries on the ground. He once again took a backseat to Murray who, for now, remains the leader of this tandem. If you're interested in the snap count, Murray beat Henry by a count of 41 to 28.
Target share: 29.4% |Targets: 10 | Receptions: 7 | Yards: 63
The Titans offense was miserable today in Cleveland; completely unable to move the ball with any sort of consistency. Delanie Walker was the only player who came away with a decent outing but was unfortunately injured late in the game. He was seen on crutches and was unable to put weight on his ankle when walking off. The Titans have a bye next week but Walker could still be in danger of missing their next contest. Explosive rookie Jonnu Smith would likely draw the start and went out for 66 percent of the plays today.
Honorable mention(s):Eric Decker threw up a goose egg despite taking 91 percent of the plays, leading the wide receiver corps. Taywan Taylor was on the field for 47 percent of the plays but saw four targets.
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-- Follow Matt Harmon on Twitter _@MattHarmonBYB_ and Matt Franciscovich @MattFranchise.
