play1:06Why Eric Karabell says Rhamondre Stevenson is a strong flex optionEric Karabell details why Rhamondre Stevenson is the Patriots’ preferred running back and a strong fantasy flex option.
play1:04How Olave proved to be a top-20 fantasy WR in Week 7Tristan H. Cockcroft breaks down Chris Olave’s fantasy production in the Saints’ Week 7 loss.
play1:07Why Daniel Dopp says Rashee Rice has WR1 upside on any given weekDaniel Dopp congratulates fantasy managers who stashed Rashee Rice and highlights why he has WR1 upside on any given week.
What would Brian Thomas Jr. missing time mean for Travis Hunter in fantasy? (1:10)Eric Moody reacts to Travis Hunter’s nice fantasy game vs. the Rams and breaks down how he could potentially be firmly on the WR2 radar. (1:10)
Why Eric Karabell says Rhamondre Stevenson is a strong flex optionEric Karabell details why Rhamondre Stevenson is the Patriots’ preferred running back and a strong fantasy flex option.
Eric Karabell details why Rhamondre Stevenson is the Patriots’ preferred running back and a strong fantasy flex option.
How Olave proved to be a top-20 fantasy WR in Week 7Tristan H. Cockcroft breaks down Chris Olave’s fantasy production in the Saints’ Week 7 loss.
Why Daniel Dopp says Rashee Rice has WR1 upside on any given weekDaniel Dopp congratulates fantasy managers who stashed Rashee Rice and highlights why he has WR1 upside on any given week.
Daniel Dopp congratulates fantasy managers who stashed Rashee Rice and highlights why he has WR1 upside on any given week.
Moody’s Sunday Notebook: The stats and news behind the fantasy box scores
Sunday’s Early-Game Week 7 takeaways: Rice jumps right into the fray, looks like Chiefs’ WR1
Oct. 18: Evans, Egbuka game-time decisions, but Bucs optimistic
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 league.
Why Eric Karabell says Rhamondre Stevenson is a strong flex option
Alvin Kamara finished with 14 touches and just 5.9 fantasy points against the Bears, despite Kendre Miller exiting in the middle of the first quarter with a knee injury and being ruled out shortly before halftime. Kamara led the Saints’ backfield in snaps, routes run, and touches. It’s worth noting that sixth-round rookie Devin Neal did not rotate in after Miller’s departure. If Miller misses additional time, Kamara’s fantasy value should see a boost.
Tyjae Spears led the team with 22 rushing yards, but Tony Pollard dominated the backfield in snaps, including most of the third-down work. Pollard finished with 12.1 fantasy points compared to Spears’ 7.0. The Titans’ offensive line ranks 28th in run block win rate, and their schedule for running backs only gets tougher from here. Both Spears and Pollard are tough to trust in fantasy lineups right now.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. was more involved in the Giants’ backfield on Sunday against the Broncos. Cam Skattebo still led New York in snaps, routes run, touches (19), and fantasy points (18.4), but Tracy finished with nine touches and 10.6 fantasy points thanks to a rushing touchdown. He may continue to cut into Skattebo’s workload and bring this backfield closer to a 50-50 split. Something to monitor moving forward.
The split between Kimani Vidal and Hassan Haskins in Week 7 against the Colts was eerily similar to last week, with Vidal playing roughly twice as many snaps as Haskins. He dominated touches with 13 but wasn’t very effective. The Chargers could trade for a running back before the deadline, but as I mentioned on Fantasy Football Now, I expect rookie Omarion Hampton to lead the backfield once he returns from injured reserve.
Bam Knight led the Cardinals’ backfield in snaps, touches (17), and fantasy points (9.4). Michael Carter remained involved with nine touches and 5.6 fantasy points. Both Knight and Carter are on the FLEX radar in deeper leagues coming out of their Week 8 bye, as they’ll face the Cowboys in Week 9, a defense allowing the third-most fantasy points per game to running backs.
How Olave proved to be a top-20 fantasy WR in Week 7
Tristan H. Cockcroft breaks down Chris Olave’s fantasy production in the Saints’ Week 7 loss.
DJ Moore entered Sunday’s game dealing with hip and groin injuries, yet the only Bears receiver to log more snaps, routes, and targets was Rome Odunze. Even so, Moore (8.2) outscored Odunze (5.1) in fantasy points. As for Luther Burden III, despite the buzz, he’s still not seeing enough snaps or routes to be fantasy relevant.
The Jets offense sputtered without Garrett Wilson, who missed Week 7 with a knee injury. Josh Reynolds operated as the top receiver, leading the team with nine targets but managing only three catches for 29 yards. Justin Fields left early with an injury and briefly returned before being benched. Tyrod Taylor took over in the second half but didn’t fare much better and threw two interceptions. With the offense struggling, New York may turn back to Fields in Week 8.
Marvin Mims Jr. finished with a season-high seven targets and 15.8 fantasy points. This was his first time playing over 50% of the offensive snaps since Week 1. Denver was playing from behind, which led them to lean more heavily on 11 personnel. While Mims might look like an appealing waiver-wire pickup looking at the box score after finishing with six receptions for 85 yards and a 13-yard carry, his playing time will likely dip again moving forward.
The good news for his managers is that George Kittle led all 49ers tight ends in snaps and routes run. The bad news is that he failed to haul in either of his two targets, likely due to limited chemistry with Mac Jones. Once Brock Purdy returns under center, Kittle should be better positioned to deliver the kind of production fantasy managers have come to expect.
Cole Kmet suffered a back injury late in the third quarter against the Saints, was initially ruled doubtful, and did not return. Colston Loveland caught three of four targets for 24 yards, but the bigger takeaway is that it was the rookie that stepped in as Chicago’s full-time tight end, not Durham Smythe, and played 91% of the team’s final 23 snaps.
Harold Fannin Jr. finished with just 7.6 fantasy points, but his five targets were encouraging, especially in a game where Dillon Gabriel attempted only 18 passes. Fannin was on the field for 82% of Cleveland’s offensive snaps, a positive sign considering the Browns were without David Njoku, whose name continues to surface in trade rumors. According to Mike Clay’s strength of schedule projections, Cleveland’s rest-of-season outlook for tight ends gets much easier.
T.J. Hockenson has played 80% or more of the Vikings’ offensive snaps in four straight games. That’s an encouraging sign, as he’s seen at least five targets in each game, including a season-high nine on Sunday against the Eagles. Hockenson has also topped 10 fantasy points in three of those four games.
Oronde Gadsden II exploded in Week 7, catching seven of nine targets for 164 yards and a touchdown in the Chargers’ loss to the Colts, the most receiving yards by any tight end in a game this season. The rookie played nearly 79% of offensive snaps and has now produced 41.2 fantasy points over the last two weeks.
Why Daniel Dopp says Rashee Rice has WR1 upside on any given week
Rashee Rice showed no semblance of rust in his 2025 debut, effectively scoffing at the idea that he might need to work back to full speed after missing the season’s first six games while serving a suspension. He scored 23.2 PPR fantasy points, his fourth most in a single game, catching a pair of short touchdowns as his Kansas City Chiefs rolled to a 31-0 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
Consider Rice’s chances of a top-10 fantasy point total among wide receivers from this point forward excellent, and another big day might well be in store for him in a favorable Week 8 matchup against the Washington Commanders.
Big games from Stafford, Adams and Hunter in London: Another week, another poor performance from a team in a London game. Coming off a Week 6 that saw the New York Jets score 11 points while totaling 82 yards of offense, the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday were dominated by the Los Angeles Rams 35-7. The Jaguars began the game with a trio of punts and a missed field goal, totaling 58 yards over their first four possessions, and were down by three scores 19 minutes into the game.
Unlike last week’s game, however, this London contest had more fantasy goodness in it than the final score indicated:
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers certainly have their hands full with the injury report, most notably at the wide receiver position, but there is some positive news on the horizon.
Mike Evans, who has been out since Week 3 with a left hamstring injury, returned to practice this week and appears likely to play Monday night. Evans suffered what ESPN’s Jenna Laine reported to be a “mild to moderate” hamstring strain, also known as a Grade 1-2 injury. Given that he suffered a similar injury last year (albeit to the opposite side) and was sidelined for three games, Evans is familiar with the recovery pathway and the challenges in returning to full speed.
After putting in a limited practice Thursday (the team’s first session of the week because the Bucs play Monday night), Evans was held out Friday in a planned absence, as the team carefully structures his return to play. He was back at practice Saturday and is considered a game-time decision, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
With Chris Godwin Jr. (fibula) already ruled out for a second consecutive week, the Buccaneers would be happy to get Evans back in the mix.
Jordan Mason’s snap count has increased every week, culminating in a season-high 77% against the Eagles. He’s recorded at least 15 touches in five of six games this year and has scored 10 or more fantasy points in four straight. Mason’s production has come behind a Vikings offensive line that ranks fourth in run block win rate. With Aaron Jones Sr. expected to return in Week 8, Mason’s workload may dip, but he’s played well enough to force a near 50-50 split moving forward. According to Mike Clay’s strength of schedule data, the Vikings have one of the easiest remaining slates for running backs.