Fantasy Football Recap Week 7: 23 Things You Need To Know

Heading into the last two games of the week, 26 teams have completed their Week 7 contests, and half of them (exactly 13 teams) have scored at least 25 points. In fact, 10 teams scored at least 30 points so far this week, when we count Thursday Night football. Three teams scored more than 24 points and lost! Offenses are back, baby, and fantasy football managers couldn’t be happier.

But it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for fantasy football managers, as plenty of players disappointed in their performance or left their game early with injury. Some offenses reminded us of who they are this season and confirmed the fact that fantasy managers want nothing to do with them.

Before we get to the Week 7 Monday Night doubleheader with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers taking on the Detroit Lions and the Houston Texans visiting the Seattle Seahawks, let’s take a look at the good, the bad, and the injured from a wild Week 7 in the NFL.

Stud Players

Which players put up the best performances in Week 7?

Bo Nix just set a new bar for fantasy points in a single game this season. In Half-PPR formats, Bo Nix’s 40 fantasy points are now the best fantasy game of the season by any player at any position. He may have waited until the fourth quarter to work his magic against the New York Giants, but he did not disappoint. Nix finished the day with 279 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, 48 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, and two two-point conversions. According to ESPN, he became the first player to ever throw and rush for two scores all in one quarter. Incredible.

Jaxson Dart was on the other side of that Bo Nix game, and for about 2.5 hours, it looked like he was going to be the fantasy hero of the day. Going into a vicious road environment, the rookie Dart threw for 283 yards and three touchdowns of his own, while also adding another rushing touchdown. This was the first start that he did not run for at least 50 yards, but if he is going to be throwing these dimes to players like Theo Johnson and Daniel Bellinger, Dart is going to rise up the quarterback rankings very quickly.

Christian McCaffrey had his best game since 2023 on Sunday night, going for 129 rushing yards, 72 receiving yards, and two total touchdowns. McCaffrey had an incredible 32 opportunities in this game, as he just continues to get work at an overwhelming rate we have never seen before. Enjoy it while it lasts, because this is as good as it gets for fantasy football managers.

Quinshon Judkins was the latest running back to shred the Miami Dolphins’ porous run defense on Sunday. Judkins finished the day with only 84 rushing yards, but scored three times on his 25 rushing attempts. He didn’t have any passing work, but with how dominant the Browns were on Sunday, they only had to throw the ball 18 times in this game.

Devonta Smith and A.J. Brown were the top two scoring fantasy wide receivers heading into Monday Night Football. Against the Minnesota Vikings, Smith set a new career high with 183 yards on nine catches plus a touchdown. A.J. Brown was right behind him in fantasy points with 121 receiving yards and two touchdowns on the day. In a game where Minnesota pushed them offensively, the Eagles had to turn to their passing game, and Smith and Brown were handsomely rewarded.

Rashee Rice didn’t exactly get eased back into action after a six-game suspension, did he? Rice had 10 targets, seven receptions, 42 receiving yards, and two touchdowns. Rice saw multiple red zone targets and seemed to already be Patrick Mahomes’ favorite when a play must be made.

Oronde Gadsden is now a lock to be the most popular player taken on the waiver wire during this Bye-pocalypse week coming up. He was Justin Herbert’s favorite target and finished the loss against the Colts with nine targets, seven receptions, 164 yards, and a touchdown. His 164 yards set a new rookie record for tight ends.

Trey McBride equaled his touchdown total from all of 2024 in just one game this week. Backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett targeted McBride early and often, and he had 10 catches for 74 yards and two touchdowns on the day.

Dud Players

Which players disappointed fantasy managers the most in Week 7?

Caleb Williams was playing a New Orleans Saints defense at home and was projected to have a good game through the air. That absolutely did not happen, as he finished with 172 scoreless yards, negative two rushing yards, and an interception. This was Williams’ worst game of the season, but at least for now, it looks like an outlier performance considering the rest of the season.

Saquon Barkley caught the ugly side of the coin as the Eagles focused on their passing game, leaving Barkley once again with an underwhelming performance. Barkley rushed 18 times for 44 yards and also finished with negative receiving yards in the game. Some of his struggles this year are certainly due to game script, but we also can’t help but wonder if his efficiency is in the tank because of overwork last season.

Jaylen Waddle figures to get all the work he can handle going forward since it looks like Darren Waller will be joining Tyreek Hill on the injured reserve. But does it really matter what kind of role Waddle has if Tua Tagovailoa is throwing him the ball? More on Tua below, but Waddle was only able to catch one of four targets for 15 yards against Cleveland. I’m worried about Waddle moving forward, even with all the volume.

Harold Fannin Jr. was supposed to benefit from David Njoku not playing in Week 7 and the Miami defense coming to town. That didn’t exactly happen, as Fannin got just five targets after 10 last week. He caught four passes for 36 yards, but did nothing else except disappoint all those who picked him back up this week.

Thud Players

Which players can we shove off our fantasy rosters after Week 7?

Geno Smith just lost a game by 31 points, and yet somehow only managed 67 passing yards on 16 attempts. What were the Las Vegas Raiders doing to try and get back in this game? This is now three straight weeks with no more than nine fantasy points, and he only has one total touchdown in that time. Smith is a safe player to drop now as there are surely better options on the waiver wire.

Tua Tagovailoa was actually worse than Geno Smith this week, because at least Smith didn’t have any turnovers. Tagovailoa threw three interceptions and no touchdowns. He was replaced by rookie Quinn Ewers in the fourth quarter, and Ewers scored more fantasy points than Tagovailoa despite playing only about 20% of the game. Changes have to be coming to Miami soon, and I don’t want any part of Tua right now.

TreVeyon Henderson officially bottomed out on Sunday against Tennessee, so it’s welcome to dumpsville for the rookie running back. He rushed two times for five yards on Sunday, and those were his only two opportunities. Rhamondre Stevenon is now the starter and the bell cow, and Henderson can be let go without regrets.

The Ryan Flournoy experience was sure nice for those 15 targets over Weeks 5 and 6, but the party has come to an end. Ryan Flournoy did not receive one opportunity in the Week 7 game and did not see the field on offense based on early snap counts. He is safe to drop.

Bad Blood Players

Which players’ injuries are worth monitoring after Week 7?

Jayden Daniels left during the second half of the game against the Dallas Cowboys with a hamstring injury and did not return. The team has announced that Daniels will undergo an MRI on Monday, but fantasy managers should start preparing for the possibility that Daniels will miss some time moving forward.

Bryce Young’s ankle got twisted during a sack in the third quarter, and he was ruled out for the rest of the game, while backup Andy Dalton filled in. No updates came on Sunday night about the severity of the injury, so the team should announce something on Monday or Tuesday.

Brian Thomas Jr. has several videos going around from the Jacksonville game in London, where it appears he seems to be grabbing at his right shoulder. This is the same shoulder that he dislocated in college and has given him trouble this year. Being overseas, it might be a day or two before we hear any more definitive news.

Darren Waller caught an awful stroke of bad luck on Sunday as he left the game against Cleveland with a pectoral injury. The only comments have come from his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, who speculated that if this is a worst-case torn pectoral, it would be a season-ending injury. Waller had become an essential part of the Miami offense, and now he might be sidelined indefinitely.

Dontayvion Wicks was Questionable heading into Week 7 with an ankle injury, but apparently, it got the best of him sometime during the game. He finished the game with just one catch for five yards before being officially ruled out.