• Tank Bigsby is here to stay: With Travis Etienne sidelined, Bigsby showed he is deserving of the Jaguars' RB1 role behind 118 rushing yards, two touchdowns and 23.8 PPR points in London.
• Tank Dell posts a goose egg: The Texans wideout saw only three targets in Week 7, despite tying for the team lead in route run.
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Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes
BOOMS
RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
Gibbs put up a career-high 32.0 PPR points in an electric outing in the Lions' win against the previously undefeated Vikings, whose defense had allowed only 11 PPR points to opposing running backs per game before Week 7.
Although Gibbs saw a larger snap share due to David Montgomery suffering a knee injury, it was still an encouraging and impressive day for the second-year running back. He rushed for 116 yards on 15 attempts, with 74 yards coming after contact — the fourth most among running backs in Week 7. Gibbs also forced a league-high eight missed tackles, ranked second on the Lions in targets (four) and notched 43 receiving yards (53 after contact).
In addition to Gibbs' standout effort, Montgomery’s injury and lost fumble late in the game may help push the Lions' backfield split closer to 50-50 moving forward, if not sway it in Gibbs' direction.
Going Forward: Bona fide top-five RB for rest of season with a case for dynasty RB1
RB Tank Bigsby, Jacksonville Jaguars
Welcome to the Tank Show. Bigsby impressed in his RB1 debut with 118 rushing yards, two touchdowns and 23.8 PPR points in London to get fantasy managers off to a hot start Sunday morning.
Bigsby handled a league-leading 26 carries in Week 7, which equated to 66.7% of the Jaguars' rushing snaps on the day. He was stopped for a loss or no gain on only 7.7% of his carries, the seventh-lowest clip among 30 qualifying rushers.
Travis Etienne could return in Week 8, but Jacksonville would likely ease him back into action. Bigsby, meanwhile, has earned a much larger snap share. With Etienne trade rumors swirling and Bigsby outproducing him this season, it's Bigsby whom fantasy managers should focus on in Jacksonville's backfield.
Going Forward: High-end RB2 with upside
WR George Pickens, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pickens' fantasy managers let out a sigh of relief with Russell Wilson stepping in at quarterback in Week 7 for the Steelers, as the wideout recorded 111 receiving yards, one touchdown and a season-high 22.1 PPR points.
It was no surprise the deep and contested balls were more catchable with Wilson at the helm, albeit inaccurate at times.
George Pickens on contested targets
First 6 weeks: 3 / 11, 31 yards
Last night: 3 / 6, 92 yards, TD— Ben Linsey (@benlinsey_) October 21, 2024
Wilson was looking Pickens' way all night to the tune of nine targets. The next closest Steelers pass-catcher had four. Pickens saw six contested looks and was targeted 17.9 yards downfield on average.
If Wilson continues as the Steelers' QB1, Pickens must be slotted into fantasy lineups.
Going Forward: QB-dependent, high-end WR2
BUSTS
WR Tank Dell, Houston Texans
Goose egg alert.
Dell saw only three targets in Week 7, despite running the most routes on the team (25, tied with Stefon Diggs). It was a day to forget for the young wide receiver, who had two catchable targets — one of which was dropped and the other he did not get to.
The Texans' passing attack did not have an answer for the Packers' defense all day, with quarterback C.J. Stroud going 10-of-21 passing for only 86 yards.
Still, brighter days are ahead for Dell and Stroud managers. Don’t panic.
Temperature Check: Mid-range WR2; not panicking
WR Malik Nabers, New York Giants
Nabers' eight targets in Week 7 led to just 8.1 PPR points. That's not the worst floor for a rookie, but it’s not great for a receiver who has established himself as a top fantasy football asset.
Only four of Nabers' targets were deemed catchable, much to his chagrin.
Malik Nabers was asked if the Eagles' defense did anything differently in the first half that he hadn't seen on film:
"Watch the target tape. That was it. I was open." pic.twitter.com/QEVtCBzNBE
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) October 21, 2024
The Giants were ultimately blown out by the Eagles, whose defense was swarming and racked up eight sacks and 22 total quarterback pressures. Daniel Jones had no time to work in the pocket, and New York's starters eventually came out of the game early in the fourth quarter. There wasn't much hope for a huge day out of Nabers.
Temperature Check: Still a high-end WR1
RB Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
In what many thought would be a smash spot for Kamara, the current PPR RB1 put up 8.4 PPR points.
With the Saints missing Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed and Derek Carr, I fully expected the Spencer Rattler game plan to run through, well, the run game. That was not the case.
Kamara handled seven rushing attempts for just 10 yards, with Kendre Miller sneaking up and carrying the ball six times for 36 yards. The only saving grace from this being a complete bust week was that Kamara hauled in six passes.
Don't worry too much about Kamara going forward, but Miller's role ramping up is something to monitor.
Temperature Check: Still a high-end RB1; monitor Kendre Miller’s role
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