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.
play1:16What Daniel Dopp would like to see from Quinshon Judkins in fantasyDaniel Dopp breaks down Quinshon Judkins’ big fantasy game vs. the Dolphins.
play1:10What would Brian Thomas Jr. missing time mean for Travis Hunter in fantasy?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.
Karabell: DeVonta Smith might be a little underrated in fantasy (1:10)Eric Karabell explains why the Eagles’ lack of a run game makes DeVonta Smith a must-start in Week 8 vs. the Giants. (1:10)
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.
What Daniel Dopp would like to see from Quinshon Judkins in fantasyDaniel Dopp breaks down Quinshon Judkins’ big fantasy game vs. the Dolphins.
What would Brian Thomas Jr. missing time mean for Travis Hunter in fantasy?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.
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.
Matt Bowen and Tristan H. CockcroftOct 19, 2025, 04:38 PM ET
Week 7 of the 2025 fantasy football season featured breakout performances by some names who have been quiet this season, as well as several disappointing season-low efforts.
Why Daniel Dopp says Rashee Rice has WR1 upside on any given week
What Daniel Dopp would like to see from Quinshon Judkins in fantasy
Daniel Dopp breaks down Quinshon Judkins’ big fantasy game vs. the Dolphins.
What we know: Daniels left the game in the second half versus Dallas after injuring his hamstring when he was sacked inside the pocket. He did not return. Daniels threw for 156 yards and a touchdown, plus he had 35 yards rushing and a score (17.74 points).
What’s next: If Daniels can’t play next week at Kansas City, Marcus Mariota would get the nod. Mariota averaged 18.8 PPG in two starts for an injured Daniels back in Week 3 and 4. However, due to the wide receiver injuries in Washington, and the matchup versus the Chiefs’ defense, Mariota would have limited fantasy value here. –Bowen
What would Brian Thomas Jr. missing time mean for Travis Hunter in fantasy?
What we know: He left Sunday’s game in London in the fourth quarter with a shoulder injury and was unable to return. Thomas appeared to be dealing with the injury for much of the game.
What’s next: Travis Hunter had a huge second-half performance, albeit in garbage time, scoring all 24.1 of his PPR fantasy points on 11 targets after halftime, and would vault to the top of the depth chart should Thomas need to miss more time. The Jaguars have a Week 8 bye, so we might not get a firmer read on the 2024 breakout star for another week or so. — Cockcroft
What we know: Young left Sunday’s game versus the Jets in the third quarter with an ankle injury, and he did not return. Before exiting, Young threw for 138 yards and a touchdown, and added 10 yards rushing (10.52 points).
What’s next: If Young can’t go for the Week 8 matchup versus Buffalo, veteran Andy Dalton would be in line to start. Dalton completed 4 of 7 passes for 50 yards in relief of Young on Sunday, and he would carry minimal value in deeper, 2QB Superflex formats. — Bowen
1. Bo Nix, QB, Denver Broncos: Nix’s 39.96 points in the comeback win over the Giants are a season-high for a quarterback. After a rough start, Nix took over in a 33 point fourth quarter for Denver, throwing for 174 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 46 yards rushing and two more scores in the final frame. Aggressive with the ball in the pass game here, while creating as runner on designed carries and scramble attempts. Nix finished 27 of 50 passing for 279 yards, and he gets the Dallas defense up next in Week 8. Lock him in as a lower-tier QB1 there. — Bowen
2. Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers: For the seventh consecutive week, he scored at least 22 fantasy points, and his 39.1 on Sunday Night Football represented his best single-game effort to date this season. McCaffrey was a one-man wrecking crew for the 49ers in their 20-10 victory, and he now has a league-leading 187.1 points for the season. That’s the most by any running back through his team’s first seven games since Alvin Kamara’s 195.7 in 2020, and it’s tied for the ninth-most at the position this century. McCaffrey will be hard-pressed to repeat the effort against a tough Houston Texans defense in Week 8, but he should still be a top-five option at his position for that game. — Cockcroft
3. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles: We can’t call the Eagles’ passing game disappointing anymore, as for the first time together, Brown and Smith each scored as many as 28 PPR fantasy points, Smith finishing with 33.3 and Brown with 28.1. Jalen Hurts delivered his best passing performance to date in the process, continuing to target both receivers on deep throws — all three touchdowns he threw to them (Brown two, Smith one) traveled at least 20 yards downfield — and frequently in the seams (two of the scores and six of their catches). Perhaps it’ll bring some momentum into their Week 8 meeting with the New York Giants, a team that contained both wide receivers in their Week 6 matchup, as Brown should be a borderline WR1 and Smith a low-end WR2. — Cockcroft
4. Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals: If Thursday’s game was representative of what fantasy managers can expect from Chase with Joe Flacco as his quarterback for most, if not all, of the remainder of 2025, color them thrilled. Flacco targeted Chase 23 times, a career high for the wide receiver and the third-most targets for any player in a game since the NFL began tracking them in 1992, resulting in 38.1 PPR fantasy points for the No. 1 pick on average in ESPN drafts. That came on the heels of a 25.1-point performance in Flacco’s Bengals debut in Week 6, back-to-back scores that are all the more remarkable if you consider that Chase, who has scored 21% of his career fantasy points on throws at least 20 yards downfield, hasn’t yet caught such a pass from his new quarterback and has seen only one target on those. There’s every reason to think that Chase’s potential as his position’s top scorer going forward has been restored following the trade. — Cockcroft
5. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts: For the third time in the past five weeks, Taylor exceeded 30 PPR fantasy points, scoring a season-best 34.2 against the Los Angeles Chargers. He’s quickly transforming into a prospective fantasy league-winner, despite being drafted at (or after) the Rounds 1-2 turn in ESPN leagues during the preseason. Taylor now has 179.2 points for the season, the most by any running back through his team’s first seven games since Derrick Henry in 2021 (186.5). Taylor should be in for a huge game next week in an extremely favorable matchup against the Tennessee Titans, against whom he tallied 32.8 points in Week 3. — Cockcroft
6. Matthew Stafford, QB; Davante Adams, WR, Los Angeles Rams: Without Puka Nacua (foot), both Stafford (27.38) and Adams (26.5) posted season-high points in the blowout win over the Jags. Stafford finished with only 182 yards passing, but he threw five touchdowns, with three of them going to Adams on end zone targets. And Adams reminded us just how good he is versus press coverage by being sudden and explosive off the release. With Nacua expected to return after the upcoming bye, Adams will slide back into the WR2 ranks for the Week 9 matchup versus the Saints, and I’ll have Stafford (25 or more points in three of his past four games) as a fringe QB1. — Bowen
8. Justin Herbert, QB, and Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers: Saddled with a 20-point deficit on the scoreboard entering the second half, Herbert attempted a whopping 55 passes, his most in a game in three years and two days, “volume-ing” his way to 27.9 fantasy points. He made effective use of Allen out of the slot, as the wide receiver scored 28.9 PPR fantasy points on 14 targets. It’s not something you should expect every week, as the Chargers, entering the week, had run only 36% of their offensive plays while trailing (any time and any amount in the game). Herbert has been made more of a focal point of the offense this season, however, so he’s a capable fantasy QB1 against a Minnesota Vikings offense that surrendered 326 yards and three touchdowns on only 23 passes by Jalen Hurts on Sunday. — Cockcroft
9. Jaxson Dart, QB, New York Giants: I was a little down on Dart heading into Week 7 because of the defensive matchup with the Broncos. However, Dart scored a season-high 28.42 points in the last second loss to Denver. Yes, Dart only completed 45.5% of his throws, and his 41 yards touchdown pass to Theo Johnson was off a deflection. But we are watching a quarterback with playmaking traits here. Dart finished with three touchdown throws in this one, plus a rushing score, and he has posted 19 or more points in three of his four pro starts. With his dual-threat ability, Dart should be played as a QB1 in 12 team leagues for the Week 8 game versus the Eagles. — Bowen
10. Trey McBride, TE, Arizona Cardinals: McBride had a season-high 29.4 points in the Week 7 loss to the Packers, catching 10 of a team-high 13 targets for 74 yards and two touchdowns. McBride now has over 20 points in back-to-back games – with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback – and at least one touchdown grab in each. Remember, McBride always carries a high-floor in the Arizona offense due to his consistent target volume (9.3 targets per game), but the touchdown production separates him as the top TE in fantasy. The Cardinals head into the bye next, and starting quarterback Kyker Murray (foot) should be expected to return for the Week 9 matchup versus Dallas, where McBride will be ranked as my overall TE1. — Bowen