Arizona Cardinals

Emari Demercado was a force on the field, playing on 78 percent of the Cardinals’ snaps. He dominated as the team’s primary ball carrier, out-rushing Damien Williams by an impressive 13-1 margin. Demercado also made an impact in the passing game, catching four passes for 17 yards. Surprisingly, Keaontay Ingram, who started last week, didn’t even see a single snap on offense.

Atlanta Falcons

Drake London has quickly become a favorite target for the Falcons’ offense, earning a 25 percent target share after Week 1. Although he didn’t make much of an impact in the Falcons’ opener, coach Arthur Smith has made it a priority to get the ball in London’s hands more often. London boasts an impressive .23 targets per route run and has been targeted a ridiculous 78 percent of the team’s end zone looks since Week 1.

Baltimore Ravens

Lamar Jackson showed off his skills with a second-place finish in EPA per dropback (.59) and fifth in completion percentage over expected (+11.1). If it weren’t for Patrick Mahomes’ standout performance against the Chargers, Jackson would have topped the charts in EPA per dropback last week. Despite ranking sixth in the NFL in dropped passes, Jackson still holds the eighth spot in EPA per play for the season. According to Pro Football Focus, he’s also their second-highest graded passer.

Buffalo Bills

Dalton Kincaid had a breakout game, setting a career-high in targets with eight. He excelled in various areas, including targets per route run (.28) and target share (22 percent). Kincaid had a perfect catch rate, reeling in all eight of his targets for 75 yards. With Dawson Knox sidelined due to wrist surgery, Kincaid will take on a prominent role as the Bills’ tight end until Knox returns.

Chicago Bears

Tyson Bagent impressed with a ninth-place finish in EPA per dropback (.24). Bagent played it safe against the Raiders, focusing on check-down passes with an average of only two air yards per attempt and 5.6 passing yards per throw. He managed to avoid interceptions and was only sacked once, resulting in a touchdown pass to running back D’Onta Foreman.

Cleveland Browns

Kareem Hunt proved his worth as the Browns’ go-to guy in the red zone, scoring two touchdowns on three goal line carries. With Jerome Ford sidelined by an ankle injury, Hunt stepped up and took over the goal line role and even participated in the two-minute drill for the first time this season. With Ford out for a few weeks, Hunt has the opportunity to put up RB2 numbers as the lead back in the Browns’ backfield.

Denver Broncos

Courtland Sutton has been a force in the end zone, ranking third in the NFL with seven targets. Sutton has seen a remarkable 44 percent of his team’s end zone opportunities per week, demonstrating his importance as a scoring threat. While he may not have the highest number of targets or air yards compared to Jerry Jeudy, his dominance in the red zone provides a significant advantage in fantasy football.

Detroit Lions

Jahmyr Gibbs has made a strong impact in his two starts, racking up 28 carries for 148 yards and a touchdown. He has also contributed in the passing game, recording 10 receptions for 60 yards. Gibbs has seen an increase in playing time, playing on 59 percent of the Lions’ snaps in his first start and an impressive 86 percent in his second start. He has emerged as the lead back, receiving the majority of carries and routes. In games where David Montgomery is absent, Gibbs should be considered an RB1.

Green Bay Packers

Jordan Love has struggled since Week 2, averaging a negative EPA per dropback (-.06). His CPOE sits at -4.1, which ranks 25th in the NFL over that period. Despite throwing six touchdowns with zero interceptions in his first two games, Love has struggled with four touchdowns and six interceptions in his past four games. However, he put up solid numbers in Week 7, though he had some luck on his side with two touchdowns that could have easily been interceptions.

Indianapolis Colts

Josh Downs has thrived when Gardner Minshew has taken the majority of the snaps, averaging 14.7 PPR points. In five games with Minshew as the starter or coming in early in place of Anthony Richardson, Downs has recorded 5.6 receptions, 67.4 yards, and 0.4 touchdowns. While he still managed 11.4 PPR points in the two games with Richardson starting and finishing, Downs has undoubtedly shined alongside Minshew.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Calvin Ridley has had his fair share of struggles as a Jaguar, finishing outside of the top 45 receivers more times than he has finished as a top 25 receiver. Although Ridley has had two top-10 performances, he has had several underwhelming outings. Ridley has been on the field for over 90 percent of Trevor Lawrence’s dropbacks in five games this season, with two subpar games due to minor injuries. While Ridley’s boom weeks can be highly productive, his bust weeks can be equally painful.

Kansas City Chiefs

Rashee Rice showcased his potential with a career-high route rate of 65 percent. This is just the beginning for Rice, who has the potential for a massive breakout in the second half of the season. Among the Kansas City wide receivers, Rice ranks second in targets per route run (.28) and leads the team with 2.56 yards per route run. As his route participation increases, Rice could become a consistent fantasy option.

Las Vegas Raiders

Davante Adams had an impressive performance, averaging .36 targets per route run, the second-highest mark of the season. He also recorded a 27 percent target share, breaking his streak of games with less than 20 percent target share. After a brief slump, Adams is back on track as a WR1 for Week 8.

Los Angeles Chargers

Josh Palmer has seamlessly stepped into the role of field-stretcher for the Chargers, receiving 22 targets in three games without Mike Williams. Palmer has racked up an impressive 334 air yards and two end zone targets over the past three games. In Week 7, he had a standout game with 133 yards on five catches. With this level of involvement, Palmer is pushing for top-24 status among fantasy receivers.

Los Angeles Rams

Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua have become a dynamic duo for the Rams, combining for a 71 percent target share since Kupp’s return. The two receivers have accounted for an impressive 79 percent of the Rams’ air yards. For any other player on the roster to have significant fantasy value, they would need to monopolize targets and air yards not controlled by Kupp or Nacua. However, with the current distribution of opportunities, other players such as running backs, Tyler Higbee, and Tutu Atwell have to share the remaining targets and air yards.

Miami Dolphins

Raheem Mostert had a significant impact on the Dolphins’ rushing attack, accounting for 75 percent of the team’s carries. Despite having just his second game with single-digit PPR points, it’s important to note that this was Jeff Wilson’s first game of the season, so he didn’t take away from Mostert’s workload. Wilson didn’t receive a single carry, allowing Mostert to dominate the rushing workload and earn a season-high carry share.

Minnesota Vikings

Alexander Mattison had a slight dip in his workload, seeing only 38 percent of the Vikings’ carries. This marks a season-low for Mattison, who had previously seen 79 percent of the team’s carries before Week 7. Against the 49ers on Monday night, Cam Akers out-carried Mattison 10-8. In addition, Mattison ran a route on less than 50 percent of Kirk Cousins’ dropbacks. It appears that his role has slightly diminished in the Vikings’ offense.

New England Patriots

Kendrick Bourne has seen a consistent increase in his route participation, running a route on over 90 percent of his team’s dropbacks for three consecutive weeks. Despite DeVante Parker’s return, Bourne has earned a larger role in the offense. He has made the most of this opportunity, recording 16 catches for 152 yards over the past two weeks.

New Orleans Saints

Taysom Hill has seen a career-high in routes, running 42 routes in a game. This comes after setting a career-high in routes the previous week. With Juwan Johnson sidelined, the Saints have utilized Hill as a pass-catcher more than ever before. Hill has seen 13 targets over the past two games, even contributing with five carries and a rushing touchdown. This unique usage has made him a truly bizarre fantasy TE1.

New York Giants

Jalin Hyatt has emerged as a major deep threat for the Giants, earning 42 percent of the team’s air yards over the past two weeks. Hyatt has had a significant presence on the field, participating in 73 percent of the Giants’ passing plays. He also holds a 16 percent target share during this span. After gradually ramping up his involvement, Hyatt has become a starting outside receiver over Isaiah Hodgins in Brian Daboll’s offense.

Philadelphia Eagles

A.J.…

Reference