Daniel Dopp: Harold Fannin Jr. is a ‘must-start’ in Week 7 (1:02)Daniel Dopp, Field Yates and Mike Clay discuss Harold Fannin Jr.’s fantasy outlook for Week 7. (1:02)
How will gusty weather affect Dolphins, Browns on offense?
Injury updates: McLaurin ramping up activity, practice window opens for Kittle
London, Robinson shine on eventful Monday night in fantasy
Early Week 6 takeaways: Is red-hot Dowdle in line to leapfrog Hubbard in Panthers’ backfield?
Everything that happens in the NFL has some additional context when viewed from a fantasy football perspective. From position battles to injuries and so much more, the news cycle will constantly affect player values in fantasy football.
Our Fantasy Football Buzz file, with contributions from our ESPN fantasy writers and our NFL Nation reporters, aims to provide fantasy managers with the intel they need as news breaks around the NFL.
With the weather forecast in Cleveland calling for wind gusts of up to 40-60 mph, which has dropped the betting total in the Miami Dolphins-Cleveland Browns matchup from 40.5 to 36.5, we need to look at the fantasy football impact.
From a coaching perspective, severe weather, especially wind, impacts the call sheet. With quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa and Dillon Gabriel getting the start in this one — two rhythm and timing throwers who lack the arm strength to drive (or cut) the ball through the wind — the vertical pass game on Sunday will be unpredictable at best.
Yes, both the Dolphins and Browns can still scheme for verticals with max protection, but I would anticipate a game plan that focuses more on three-step concepts, screens and higher-percentage throws to the middle of the field while the rushing attacks take center stage.
Dolphins running back De’Von Achane remains a top-five play at the position this week due to his anticipated rushing volume plus the screens and swings that should rise on the call sheet. For Cleveland, Quinshon Judkins is built to handle a heavy workload as he has seen at least 18 carries in three of five games played. So let’s bump him to the lower-tier RB1 range for Sunday.
As I suggested above, with the expected passing structure, tight ends will carry more value. Browns rookie Harold Fannin Jr., who has posted back-to-back games of double-digit points, moves into the mid-tier TE1 range (as David Njoku is out with a knee injury), and Miami’s Darren Waller can be started in deeper leagues.
At wide receiver, the Dolphins’ Jaylen Waddle can still produce here due to his catch-and-run traits on quick tosses and screens, but I would bump him down to the WR2/flex line. Jerry Jeudy, who hasn’t produced double-digit points since Week 1, remains a wild card. The numbers are lacking, and the weather pushes him down the WR3 ranks. I’d find a better option for the lineup. Isaiah Bond remains a deeper league flier for Week 7.
With Tagovailoa and Gabriel, neither was expected to see fantasy lineups in shallow leagues, but for those who play in 2QB superflex formats, I would opt for better options.
Remember, rain and snow impact football games. We know that. But big-time wind gusts? That’s a game changer for all three phases. So plan accordingly when setting your lineups if you roster players on the Dolphins or Browns.
Tee Higgins finished second in snaps played, routes run and targets (10) among Bengals receivers. He set season highs in targets, receptions, receiving yards and fantasy points (21.6). Higgins’ and Chase’s fantasy outlooks have improved significantly with Flacco under center. Higgins is firmly back on the WR2 radar.
The Steelers’ backfield split between Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell was similar to what it has been in previous weeks. Warren finished with 20 touches and 19.8 fantasy points, leading the backfield in both snaps and routes run. Gainwell managed just five touches. Warren remains a low-end RB2 but faces a tough matchup in Week 8 against a Packers defense that allows the fifth-fewest fantasy points per game to running backs.
Deebo Samuel, WR, Commanders (heel): Samuel has been on the injury report since Week 4 with a bruised heel. He and the team have managed the condition by limiting his practice sessions during the week and he has been playing through it since. This week Samuel followed a familiar pattern by not practicing Wednesday and Thursday and returning to some level of participation on Friday.
Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Cardinals (concussion): In the second quarter of Sunday’s game against the Colts, Harrison’s head took a hard hit to the ground as he was tackled following a 21-yard reception. He was taken inside the blue tent for evaluation, as is common for an initial concussion screen; the results indicated further testing was warranted and Harrison was taken to the locker room. The Cardinals eventually announced he would not return because of a concussion.
Harrison is now in the concussion protocol and must not only pass the progressive phases to return to action, but also must be cleared by the team physician and an independent neurological consultant. While it is often the case that athletes miss at least one game following a concussion, it is not a time-based protocol but rather criterion-based.
Emeka Egbuka, WR, Buccaneers (hamstring): Egbuka, in his first game serving as the No. 1 wide receiver with Mike Evans (hamstring) and Chris Godwin Jr. (fibula) out, exited the game against San Francisco in the second quarter with a hamstring strain. It didn’t take long for the team to rule out his return.
After the game, coach Todd Bowles told reporters Egbuka was still being evaluated. An MRI is often used to better evaluate the specific size, location and depth of the injury, which helps shape rehab timeframes and treatment. There is no prognosis yet on the timeline for Egbuka, but if the injury is truly not serious, it could range from no missed time to 1-3 weeks.
Calvin Ridley, WR, Titans (hamstring): Just when Ridley seemed to have found his groove with a strong Week 5 performance, he suffered a hamstring injury Sunday after just one catch for 18 yards. According to coach Brian Callahan, Ridley had “a hamstring that popped up early and [he] couldn’t get through, couldn’t open up and run.”
It is unclear what the severity of Ridley’s injury is, but more details will hopefully be forthcoming after he undergoes additional evaluation at the start of the week.
Dowdle found the end zone and rumbled his way to triple-digit yardage serving as the replacement for Chuba Hubbard for the second consecutive week. The former Dallas Cowboy touched the ball 34 times, logging 239 scrimmage yards and a receiving touchdown while facing his old team. Dowdle has now cleared 22 rushing attempts and collected at least three balls in back-to-back outings.
Carolina will travel to the Meadowlands in Week 7, taking on a Jets defense that gave up 78 rushing yards on 26 attempts versus the Broncos in London. Assuming Hubbard remains sidelined, Dowdle projects as a top-15 fantasy play at the position. He might have very well gained control of the backfield’s top spot even if Hubbard is healthy enough to suit up.
Omarion Hampton’s absence created a flurry of speculation as to which backup would take charge of the Bolts’ rushing opportunities. Vidal came away the clear winner, registering 18 carries for 124 rushing yards while converting three of four targets for 14 receiving yards. With volume on his side, the second-year RB took advantage of a plus matchup against Miami’s bottom-ranked run defense, posting 22.8 fantasy points in Week 6. He’ll take on an above-average Indianapolis Colts squad in Week 7.
Despite being stuffed at the goal line in the game’s first half, Henry rebounded Sunday. The Ravens fed the vet early and often, helping him reach 90 rushing yards before halftime. Despite the Ravens falling to the Rams 17-3, Henry averaged 5.1 YPC, clearing 100 rushing yards for the first time since Week 1. Baltimore goes on bye in Week 7, but Henry’s production should continue to pick up from there, especially if Lamar Jackson returns in Week 8.
Harrison suffered what was being reported as concussion-like symptoms in the first half of Arizona’s game at Indianapolis. Jacoby Brissett (who was starting in the stead of Kyler Murray) focused the bulk of his efforts on Trey McBride (8-72-1), Zay Jones (5-79) and Michael Wilson (4-44). Fantasy managers should brace for both Harrison and Murray sitting out next Sunday’s tilt versus Green Bay.
Ja’Marr Chase’s 38.1 fantasy points positioned the 99.9% of managers who started him in an excellent spot to win their Week 7 matchups. It also gave managers a sigh of relief that the elite fantasy performances they’ve come to expect from Chase could materialize with veteran quarterback Joe Flacco under center. Chase led the Bengals’ receiver room in snaps played, routes run and targets. His 23 targets were tied for the most in a game by any player since 2010, and his 16 receptions set a Bengals franchise record. Chase also became the fifth-fastest player in NFL history to reach 6,000 career receiving yards. He and the Bengals will face the Jets in Week 8, and Cincinnati’s rest-of-season schedule is the sixth easiest for wide receivers, according to Mike Clay’s strength of schedule data.
The Bengals’ running game came alive, as Chase Brown finished with a season-high 108 rushing yards on 11 attempts. Cincinnati’s running back rotation prior to Week 7 revolved around Brown dominating early downs and Samaje Perine handling third downs and the two-minute drill. However, there was a small adjustment on Thursday night, as Perine played more snaps on second-and-long. It’s something to monitor, but Brown’s strong showing against the Steelers reinforces his status as the Bengals’ lead back.
This downturn in status after attempting to ramp up the intensity of his work serves to underscore how the rehab trajectory often has speed bumps along the way that limit progression. While not always indicative of a setback, it can simply reinforce that a player may require more time in a particular phase of recovery before returning to play. Certain elements of playing at full speed are more demanding than others (as I noted in this space Thursday) and the team is wise to avoid risking further injury by holding McLaurin back, frustrating as that may be for all involved.