Tag: Tyler Higbee

Rams getting Jordan Fuller back from COVID-19 reserve, still awaiting Tyler Higbee’s return

The Rams are getting Jordan Fuller back from COVID-19 reserve Friday, but Tyler Higbee still needs to test negative in order to return

Jordan Fuller missed Week 15 against the Seahawks after he tested positive for COVID-19 and was unable to be activated before kickoff. However, he’s on the verge of returning to the field for the Rams, just in time for Sunday’s game against the Vikings.

Sean McVay said the Rams will get Fuller back from COVID-19 reserve on Friday after the safety spent the required 10 days on the list. That’s great news, but the Rams are still awaiting Tyler Higbee’s return.

Because Higbee was placed on COVID-19 reserve last Friday, he’s eligible to come off the list on Monday if he doesn’t test negative beforehand.

“Jordan will be back (Friday). His 10-day window expires. So, he’s back (Friday) regardless because he’s remained asymptomatic,” McVay said. “Definitely hopeful to be able to get Higbee back, worst-case scenario Monday would be his day. So, we’re kind of on pins and needles every time that his test results come back.”

If Higbee isn’t activated before Sunday, it’ll be his third missed game due to COVID-19. He missed Week 14 after landing on the reserve list for what was later deemed to be a false positive. He was then forced to sit out Tuesday’s game against Seattle after testing positive last Friday.

The Rams are extremely thin at tight end after losing Johnny Mundt to a torn ACL earlier this season, so third-string player Kendall Blanton has been filling in and he’s been backed up by Brycen Hopkins.

Higbee is an important player as a receiver and a blocker, so the Rams hope to get him back on the field in time for Sunday’s game.

Rob Havenstein, Tyler Higbee and Jordan Fuller out vs. Seahawks due to COVID-19

The Rams will be without three starters against the Seahawks due to COVID-19: Rob Havenstein, Tyler Higbee and Jordan Fuller.

The Rams fortunately got Von Miller, Jalen Ramsey, Odell Beckham Jr. and Darell Henderson Jr. back from COVID-19 reserve ahead of tonight’s game against the Seahawks, but they’ll still be without three starters.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that Rob Havenstein, Tyler Higbee and Jordan Fuller will not play against the Seahawks after they failed to test out of the league’s COVID-19 protocols. That’s disappointing news because all three are important players and almost never come off the field.

Even after today’s moves, the Rams still have 16 total players on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Among them are Joe Noteboom, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and Terrell Burgess, who stepped up against the Cardinals in Week 14.

Noteboom replaced Havenstein last week at right tackle and played well, but the Rams will need a new plan if he isn’t activated before kickoff. It’s possible Bobby Evans will get the start, or they could move Austin Corbett or David Edwards outside to tackle.

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Rams place Tyler Higbee back on COVID-19 reserve, along with 3 others

The Rams added four more players to COVID-19 reserve, including Tyler Higbee for the second time this week.

The list of Rams players who have tested positive for COVID-19 just keeps growing by the day.

On Friday afternoon, the Rams added four more players to the reserve/COVID-19 list, bringing the total up to 29. Tyler Higbee was among the players added Friday, which is his second time landing on COVID-19 reserve just this week.

Grant Haley, Justin Lawler and Jamil Demby were also placed on the list.

Higbee was put on COVID-19 reserve Monday, just hours before the Rams faced the Cardinals. He was then activated off the list on Tuesday after it was determined that his test was a false positive.

The Rams now have just one tight end on the active roster: Kendall Blanton. Higbee joins Brycen Hopkins, Johnny Mundt and Jared Pinkney as the four tight ends on COVID-19 reserve.

Demby and Haley are both practice squad players, as is Lawler. So Higbee is the only player to go from the active roster to COVID-19 reserve this time around.

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Rams add Jalen Ramsey and Tyler Higbee to COVID-19 reserve

The Rams have added Jalen Ramsey and Tyler Higbee to the growing list of starters on COVID-19 reserve.

Well, the Rams are officially in trouble. After already placing Darrell Henderson Jr., Rob Havenstein and Dont’e Deayon on COVID-19 reserve over the weekend, the Rams added two more starters to the list just hours before facing the Cardinals on Monday night.

They put Jalen Ramsey and Tyler Higbee on the reserve/COVID-19 list, bringing the total to five for Week 14. Since both players were added on Monday, they will miss the game.

Vaccinated players can return from COVID-19 reserve by returning two negative tests at least 24 hours apart. Ramsey and Higbee will be unable to do that before kickoff, of course. It still remains to be seen if Havenstein, Henderson or Deayon will be activated ahead of this game.

This is the worst possible timing for the Rams, losing five starters just before facing the team with the best record in football. Add in Brian Allen, who’s doubtful to play with a knee injury, and the Rams will be severely short handed.

The Cardinals were previously 2.5-point favorites but that line could change with Ramsey and Higbee out.

Rams’ Jalen Ramsey and Tyer Higbee placed on COVID-19/reserve list

The Rams will be without Tyler Higbee and Jalen Ramsey against the Cardinals

The Los Angeles Rams’ task in their huge NFC West battle with the Arizona Cardinals took a sour twist on Monday.

The Rams will face the division leaders without their elite DB Jalen Ramsey and TE Tyler Higbee.

Both players have landed on the COVID-19/reverse list.

The loss of Ramsey is critical as he is arguably the best DB in the NFL and would have played a major role in diminishing passing options for Arizona and Kyler Murray.

Higbee has 44 catches for 395 yards with a trio of touchdown receptions in 2021.

 

Targets, Touches and TDs: Week 14

Examining the best and worse remaining schedules in fantasy football.

With fewer than 20 shopping days left before Christmas, many are searching for the perfect gifts for those on their lists.

Others, like loyal TT&T readers, also are seeking out the most advantageous matchups — while avoiding some of the scarier contests — for the looming fantasy playoffs.

In the majority of leagues, postseason play kicks off Week 15 and runs through Week 17 when most of the 2021 champions will be crowned.

With that very stretch under the microscope, this week’s TT&T is utilizing The Huddle’s extremely useful Fantasy Strength of Schedule tool and breaking down at the easiest and toughest postseason itineraries for each of the five main fantasy positions: quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end and team defense/special teams. The 10 easiest and 10 toughest schedules are listed for each, followed by some quick-hitting takeaways on what jumps out from the rankings.

All statistics and rankings are for point-per-reception formats through Week 13.

But one final and important note here:

When we’re talking about favorable matchups or tough fantasy schedules for players, we’re primarily referencing those flex, WR3 and second QB starting candidates — i.e. the borderline starters that fantasy general managers have been agonizing over weekly for most of the season.

A relatively tough fantasy postseason slate for Joe Mixon, for example, doesn’t mean you should be looking to bench fantasy’s third highest-scoring running back for any reason. Or, on the flip side, a tasty-looking playoff itinerary for Noah Fant doesn’t mean he should be automatically supplanting Travis Kelce as your starting tight end.

In short, the playoff matchups and fantasy strength of schedule should be used as tiebreaker for two or three similarly ranked players, not as start-or-sit rankings in themselves.

Quarterbacks

Easiest Week 15-17 fantasy QB schedules

1) Eagles, 2) Washington, 3) 49ers, 4) Dolphins, 5) Steelers, 6) Cardinals, 7) Giants, 8) Jets, 9) Cowboys, 10) Rams

Notable

  • Second-year Philly QB Jalen Hurts, who ranks eighth at the position with an average of 24.3 fantasy points per game, missed his first start of the season Sunday with an ankle injury and now has the Week 14 bye to get an extra week of rest of recovery. Hopefully that means he’ll be back at helm in Week 15 for the first of two matchups in three weeks against a Washington defense that been improved of late but is still surrendering the most fantasy points per contest (24.4) to opposing quarterbacks.
  • On the other side of the Keystone State, the reportedly retiring Ben Roethlisberger ranks only 24th among quarterbacks with an average of 18.4 fantasy points per outing. But the Huddle’s SOS tool also indicates that the Steelers have faced the toughest fantasy QB schedule to date. Big Ben, though, has picked things up of late, eclipsing his season average in three of his last four contests and now faces the fifth-easiest fantasy QB itinerary in the fantasy playoffs. He’ll most certainly be back in the QB2 conversation for the postseason.

Toughest Week 15-17 fantasy QB schedules

1) Falcons, 2) Patriots, 3) Colts, 4) Panthers, 5) Bills, 6) Texans, 7) Jaguars, 8) Chiefs, 9) Broncos, 10) Ravens

Notable

  • With the surging success of the Colts (four wins over their last five games) since Halloween, fantasy GMs might be tempted to stream Carson Wentz in a 12-team league or plug him as a second QB in a two-quarterback league following Indy’s Week 14 bye, but Wentz only ranks 23rd at the position over that Week 9-13 span with an average of 15.8 fantasy points per game. And, coming out of the bye, two of the four toughest fantasy QB matchups await in the Patriots and Cardinals.
  • With just three total TDs (all passing) and one 20-point-plus fantasy game over his last three contests, Ravens QB Lamar Jackson is slumping at the worst possible time for fantasy (and reality) purposes. Baltimore’s fantasy postseason itinerary doesn’t figure to offer any relief, either, as the Ravens face three bottom-half fantasy QB defenses (Packers, Bengals and Rams) during that stretch.

Running backs

Easiest Week 15-17 fantasy RB schedules

1) Jaguars, 2) Bears, 3) Lions, 4) Broncos, 5) Chiefs, 6) Rams, 7) Dolphins, 8) Colts, 9) Washington, 10) Texans

Notable

  • Broncos rookie RB Javonte Williams paced all Week 13 fantasy backs after piling up 29.8 points with a 178 total yards and a TD on 29 touches Sunday night in K.C. Coupled with the fourth-most-favorable fantasy RB playoff schedule, Williams has all the makings of a league winner, but do remember RB Melvin Gordon missed Sunday night’s game with a hip issue and that the veteran did average 14.2 touches to Williams’ 13.1 when they both were active over Denver’s first 11 contests. The genie likely is out of the bottle now with Williams, who should be the Broncos’ lead back going forward, but if healthy, Gordon will still be involved as well.
  • Chicago’s David Montgomery has been a low-end RB2 this season, averaging 14.5 fantasy points per game after finishing 2020 as the fourth-best fantasy back with 264.8 total points (17.7 per outing). But he did put up a season-high 28.1 points, including eight receptions for 51 yards, in Sunday’s loss to the Cardinals. That could be a sign of things to come with Da Bears owning the second-most-favorable fantasy postseason RB schedule with a three-week stretch, featuring games against the less-than-formidable run defenses of the Vikings, Seahawks and Giants.

Toughest Week 15-17 fantasy RB schedules

1) Panthers, 2) Raiders, 3) Saints, 4) Bengals, 5) Vikings, 6) Packers, 7) Steelers, 8) Patriots, 9) Ravens, 10) Cardinals

Notable

  • Fantasy GMs hoping to plug the Panthers’ Chuba Hubbard into lineups with Christian McCaffrey now out for year best beware that he would face easily the toughest fantasy postseason stretch with back-to-back-to-back games against the Bills (seventh toughest fantasy matchup for opposing RBs), Bucs (No. 14) and Saints (No. 1). Yikes …
  • The Raiders’ Josh Jacobs enjoyed his first 20-point game of the season Sunday with 24 in the loss to Washington, including a career-high nine receptions. No. 2 back Kenyan Drake also was lost for the remainder of the season Sunday with a fractured ankle, meaning the Silver & Black figure to lean on Jacobs even more down the stretch. However, that stretch won’t be an easy running back road with games against the Browns, Broncos and Colts — three of the 11 most unfavorable RB defenses — during the fantasy postseason.
  • With the second-most touches in the league with 274 to date, Steelers rookie RB Najee Harris is likely going to remain locked into fantasy playoff starting lineups. But expectations certainly need to be tempered. Harris’ production has slipped noticeably over his last five games with only two TDs and average of 14.7 fantasy points (16th at the position) during that span. Harris’ fantasy postseason itinerary doesn’t figure to help matters, either as he will be facing two of the eight toughest fantasy RB matchups (Titans and Browns) in Weeks 15 and 17, respectively.

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Wide receivers

Easiest Week 15-17 fantasy WR schedules

1) 49ers, 2) Jets, 3) Dolphins, 4) Eagles, 5) Titans, 6) Cardinals, 7) Bears, 8) Packers, 9) Rams, 10) Steelers

Notable

  • Among wideouts since Week 9, only Vikings stud sophomore Justin Jefferson (125.96) has accumulated more fantasy points than Elijah Moore (100.30), the Jets’ rookie second-round pick who has a position-most five scoring grabs during those five games. And with matchups against the Dolphins and Jaguars — two of the league’s seven most-permissible defenses when it comes to points allowed to fantasy wide receivers — to open the fantasy playoffs, Moore is primed to remain in smash mode.
  • Dolphins first-round pick Jaylen Waddle is another rookie wideout enjoying a late-season roll as he’s totaled the fifth-most fantasy points (93.7) since Week 9. And, like Moore, his fantasy playoff stretch sets up as a tasty one as well with matchups against the Jets, Saints and Titans — the latter two ranking among the five most favorable matchups for fantasy wideouts.
  • And speaking of Miami wide receivers and their favorable stretch-run schedules, don’t forget about DeVante Parker as a No. 3/flex option. Parker played in only this second game Sunday since Week 4 and caught all five of his targets for 62 yards. He has averaged 15.1 fantasy points per game over his last three outings.

Toughest Week 15-17 fantasy WR schedules

1) Falcons, 2) Colts, 3) Broncos, 4) Panthers, 5) Bengals, 6) Chargers, 7) Patriots, 8) Jaguars, 9) Bills, 10) Washington

Notable

  • After a hot first half of the season, the Colts’ Michael Pittman Jr. has averaged only 12 fantasy points since Week 9 to rank 27th among wide receivers. And his fantasy postseason itinerary isn’t going to lend itself to getting back on track with matchups against the Patriots, Cardinals and Raiders, who all rank among the 11 least-favorable matchups for fantasy wideouts.
  • In three games since Week 10, Broncos wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick have combined to total 24 receptions, 260 yards and no TDs for aggregate average of 16.8 total fantasy points per contest. And with one of the most rugged Week 15-17 schedule stretches (Bengals, Raiders, Chargers) for fantasy WRs, it’s going to be tough to trust any Denver wideout as a starter in the fantasy playoffs.

Tight ends

Easiest Week 15-17 fantasy TE schedules

1) Washington, 2) Broncos, 3) Cardinals, 4) Giants, 5) Rams, 6) Jets, 7) Browns, 8) Saints, 9) Bengals, 10) Bears

Notable

  • With opposing defenses figuring to focus on containing the Cardinals’ and Rams’ talented wide receiver corps, tight ends Zach Ertz and Tyler Higbee are two fringe TE1 starters who are set up to feast during the fantasy playoffs. The Cardinals have one favorable matchup (vs. the Colts in Week 16) and two neutral contests, while the Rams have two favorable games (vs. Seahawks in Week 15 and vs. the Ravens in Week 17) sandwiched around an unfavorable draw (vs. the Vikings in Week 16).

Toughest Week 15-17 fantasy TE schedules

1) Falcons, 2) Bills, 3) Titans, 4) Cowboys, 5) Colts, 6) Panthers, 7) Vikings, 8) Seahawks, 9) Dolphins, 10) Steelers

Notable

  • The Cowboys’ Dalton Schultz has been a surprise standout, ranking sixth at the position with 134 total fantasy points to date. But with the Cowboys’ trio of top wideouts finally looking to be healthy and intact for the stretch run, Schultz could see fewer passes headed his way in the coming weeks, especially with the fourth-toughest projected fantasy tight end playoff schedule.

Defensive/Special Teams

Easiest Week 15-17 fantasy D/ST schedules

1) Bengals, 2) 49ers, 3) Chargers, 4) Jaguars, 5) Bills, 6) Buccaneers, 7) Seahawks, 8) Dolphins, 9) Chiefs, 10) Broncos

Notable

  • This is where a fantasy strength of schedule lookahead is especially useful with the abundance of week-to-week defensive/special teams unit streaming.
  • Before the season, it would’ve been close to unthinkable that fantasy playoff matchups against the Ravens and Chiefs would be considered favorable, but K.C. and Baltimore both rank among the 12 most charitable offenses in terms of total giveaways on the season. Add those two in with a not-so-scary Week 15 matchup with the Broncos, and you have the Bengals team defense fantasy playoff schedule that ranks as the position’s most favorable.
  • The 49ers and Chargers currently rank 15th and 20th, respectively, in terms of team defense fantasy points per game, but both will play the Texans (the sixth most favorable matchup for team D/STs) in the fantasy playoffs while the Niners also face the Falcons (fourth) and the Bolts also get the Chiefs (seventh)

Toughest Week 15-17 fantasy D/ST schedules

1) Bears, 2) Browns, 3) Washington, 4) Panthers, 5) Eagles, 6) Rams, 7) Packers, 8) Cowboys, 9) Falcons, 10) Vikings

Notable

  • The Rams, fantasy’s second-best D/ST a year ago, certainly boast some of the league’s most recognizable defensive names in Aaron Donald, Von Miller and Jalen Ramsey. But do note that they open the fantasy playoffs with back-to-back games against the Seahawks and Vikings, two of the league’s six least favorable matchups for team defenses.
  • The Washington D/ST is playing better of late but has certainly been no great shakes all season, ranking 26th with an average of 4.3 fantasy points per outing. The Football Team’s fantasy postseason slate makes it even more unusable as it’s the only team D in the league with three unfavorable matchups (vs. the Eagles twice and Cowboys once) in the playoffs.

This chart shows the Rams hardly ever change lineups on offense

The Rams have only used 52 unique lineups on offense, 70 fewer than the next-closest team. Sean McVay doesn’t like to change things up much.

The Los Angeles Rams offense revolves around Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Darrell Henderson Jr. and the same five offensive linemen. Robert Woods was a key cog in the offense as well before he went down with an unfortunate season-ending knee injury ahead of Week 10.

After seeing a graphic that shows the unique lineups that each team in the NFL has used on offense, it’s clear that Sean McVay isn’t a fan of making substitutions.

Los Angeles has used just 52 unique lineups on the offensive side of the ball, which is by far the fewest in the NFL. The next closest team is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with 122 unique lineups.

 

Additionally, the Rams have used their most common lineup on 34.46% of their plays so far. The Dallas Cowboys are in second place in that metric at 12.04%.

These numbers shouldn’t come as much of a surprise given McVay’s tendency to run 11 personnel at such a high clip. Through the first 10 weeks, the Rams run their offense out of 11 personnel at a league-high 87% of the time.

Ever since Johnny Mundt suffered a season-ending injury, Los Angeles has strayed away from 12 personnel in favor of having three wide receivers on the field at almost all times. Moving forward, we’ll likely see plenty of offensive sets that feature Henderson, Kupp, Van Jefferson, Odell Beckham Jr. and Tyler Higbee.

Injuries can be credited as part of the reason why the Rams have elected to maintain a small group of players on offense, as the team lacks depth at certain skill positions. While McVay’s offense will need to make improvements coming out of the bye week, just don’t expect many different pairings for the rest of the season.

Watch: Tyler Higbee bounces back from terrible drop with TD catch

Tyler Higbee dropped a pass that turned into a pick-six, but he then caught a touchdown pass of his own.

Tyler Higbee was the target on two touchdowns in the first half of Monday night’s Rams-49ers game, but only one of them benefitted the team he plays for. He dropped a pass on a quick screen in the first quarter, which was caught by Jimmie Ward and returned for a touchdown.

Then on the next drive, Higbee bounced back by catching a pass in traffic right at the goal line, getting in for a touchdown. That cut the 49ers’ lead in half, making it 14-7 early in the second quarter.

It’s Higbee’s third touchdown of the season, two shy of his total from 2020. He’s unquestionably the top tight end for the Rams and just about the only tight end who plays any meaningful snaps in Los Angeles.

Targets, Touches and TDs: Week 9

Examining surprises and disappointments through eight weeks.

Believe it or not — and ready or not — we’ve already crossed into the second half of the fantasy regular season.

It’s been an eventful journey so far to be certain, and there have been the usual surprises, disappointments, and revealing statistics compiled through eight weeks of action to date. So let’s take a moment to take stock in how fantasy 2021 has played out by highlighting three surprise players, three disappointing players and a second-half player to watch for each of the four main fantasy positions.

To be considered for the surprising and disappointing lists, players must have played in a minimum of four games, so that automatically weeds out many of the one- or two-week wonders and the unfortunate players who have already been bitten hard by the injury bug.

And, as a general rule, we’re training most of our focus on the top-25-ranked players (average fantasy points per game) and the top 25 players selected, on average, at the four positions in re-draft leagues.

Fantasy point totals, as usual, are all point-per-reception scoring.

That established, here goes, starting with …

QUARTERBACK

Surprises

  • Tom Brady — Sure, we heard about how Brady was more in tune with the offense after full offseason, etc., but few, if any, expected him to be leading the position with an average of 30.3 fantasy points per outing through eight games. It’s been a highly effective mix of volume and efficiency for Brady, who leads the league in attempts (343), completions (231), yards (2,650) and touchdown passes (25), total QB TDs (26) with a 108.6 passer rating (fifth) and a 69.5 QBR (second). And all at age 44, still with no signs of decline.
  • Matthew Stafford — The L.A. marriage with Rams coach Sean McVay has been even better than expected as Stafford has thrown for at least 365 yards or multiple TDs in seven of eight games and trails only Brady in passing yards (2,477) and TD tosses (22). He’s averaging a career-best 9.1 yards per attempt and has formed an elite, league-leading bond with wide receiver Cooper Kupp, who has caught 63-of-90 targets for 924 yards and 10 TDs to easily rank as fantasy’s No. 1 wideout.
  • Derek Carr — This Silver & Black veteran was the 21st quarterback to come off the board, on average, in drafts this summer, but he currently ranks 11th with an average of 23.5 fantasy points per game. Carr trails only Brady with an average of 324.1 passing yards per game while averaging a career-best 8.5 yards per attempt. If he can pick up his passing TD pace (12 in seven games so far), he’ll challenge for a mid-level QB1 finish.

Disappointments

  • Aaron Rodgers –– Rodgers and the Pack are doing just fine — tied for the league’s best record at 7-1 — but there has been some definite (and expected) fantasy regression as Rodgers’ numbers are down across the board from his MVP season of 2020. Most notably his TD-passes-per-game average (2.1 from 3.0) and yards-per-attempt average (6.6 from his league-leading 9.1) have fallen off. As a result, he’s more of a QB2 (14th with 22.4 fantasy points per game) and not the QB1 he was drafted to be (ADP of 5th at the position) this summer.
  • Ryan Tannehill –– The Titans’ starter is another ADP QB1 who ranks in QB2 territory (15th among QBs who have played at least four games with 21.8 fantasy points per outing) as he’s thrown one or fewer TD passes in six of his eight games. Tannehill’s volume certainly should increase with the brutal Derrick Henry injury news that dropped Monday, but at the same time his efficiency very well could take a dip with opposing defenses’ no longer having to worry about the league’s best running back.
  • Justin Fields –– There were certainly high fantasy hopes for the Bears’ prized rookie, who was drafted 19th among quarterbacks this summer, but he’s only averaged 14.2 fantasy points in his six starts — and that includes Sunday’s season-best 29.1-point outing against the 49ers. Fields is only averaging 153.5 passing yards per start with a 3:6 TD pass-to-interception ratio during that span, but an encouraging sign came Sunday with his season-high 10 rushes for 103 yards and a TD, helping power his first 20-fantasy-point-plus day.

Second half QB to watch: Joe Burrow

The second-year Cincy QB is currently 10th at the position with an average of 24.4 fantasy points and he’s thrown for two more TD passes in all eight of his games. However, that average has jumped to 28.4 over the last three weeks with a trio of scoring tosses in every outing. His young cast of weapons is on the upswing as well, so don’t be surprised if Burrow winds up finishing as an upper-echelon QB1 when all is said and done this season.

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RUNNING BACK

Surprises

  • Cordarrelle Patterson — Undrafted in the summer, this well-traveled, ninth-year veteran shockingly ranks seventh among running backs with an average of 19.2 fantasy points per game. He’s played only 46 percent of the Falcons’ offensive snaps and ranks 26th in the league with 96 total touches — an average of 13.7 per game — but they’ve most certainly been high-efficiency touches as he ranks third at the position with an average of 6.3 yards per touch, is second among RBs with 333 receiving yards (on 32 catches) and is tied for seventh overall with seven total TDs. If anything, peg Patterson for a few more touches going forward with WR Calvin Ridley’s announcement Sunday that he’s taking an indefinite mental-health break.
  • D’Andre Swift — So with the likes of Dalvin Cook, Aaron Jones and David Montgomery also residing in the division, who had this second-year player for the winless Lions as the highest-ranking NFC North running back (eighth with 18.4 fantasy points per game) eight weeks into the season? Yet, here we are with Swift, who has been a PPR stud, leading all backs with 57 targets, 47 receptions and 415 receiving yards to account for 68.2 percent of his 147.4 total fantasy points.
  • Elijah Mitchell — As detailed a couple weeks ago in our fantasy rookie review, this 49ers sixth-round draft pick and owner of a preseason ADP of 81 among RBs has been a revelation, ranking 21st at the position so far with an average of 13.7 fantasy points per outing. Kyle Shanahan’s Niners have been known for their RB playing time volatility, but in the five games (out of the team’s seven) that Mitchell has been healthy, he’s handled 70.8 percent of the team’s running back touches.

Disappointments

  • Saquon Barkley — After missing most of 2020 with a knee injury, Barkley did start the season with games of 3.7 and 8.9 fantasy points but was just rounding into form with back-to-back 21-plus-point fantasy games in Weeks 3 and 4 before injury struck again early in Week 5. It was initially classified a low-grade ankle sprain, but Barkley hasn’t practiced or played in the three weeks since, and with the team slated for Week 10 bye, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the wait for Barkley’s return extended to Week 11.
  • Antonio Gibson — This Washington back was the 12th running back off the board on average in fantasy drafts this preseason as a big leap was anticipated in Year 2. But it hasn’t come to fruition so far as Gibson ranks 28th at the position with an average of 12.4 fantasy points. He’s been dealing with a shin stress fracture for a month now, but despite still practicing and starting as if all is OK, his recent numbers are saying otherwise. Gibson has now had three straight games with 8.4 fantasy points or fewer, including Sunday’s loss in Denver when he hit season lows in touches (11) and offensive snap share (33 percent) while sharing the backfield duties with J.D. McKissic and rookie Jaret Patterson.
  • Miles Sanders — With an ADP of RB18, Sanders wasn’t drafted as high as Gibson, but he ranks far lower at 43rd with an average of 8.7 fantasy points per outing. He had only one game of at least 10.2 points before injuring his ankle early in Week 7 and landing on injured reserve. One of the primary issues has been simple a decline in usage (11.7 touches per game) after averaging 14.3 and 16, respectively, over the previous two seasons.

Second half RB to watch: Christian McCaffrey

McCaffrey could come off IR and end a five-game absence as early as this coming Sunday in Week 9, but will we see the same old Run CMC step right back in to his usual monster workload? In his only two full games before injuring a hamstring in Week 3, McCaffrey totaled 59 touches and averaged 26.2 fantasy points. The Panthers have gone 1-4 since after that 3-0 start with rookie Chuba Hubbard averaging 20.4 touches and 13.3 fantasy points per outing during that five-game span. Seeing the missed games piling up, it’s very likely that McCaffrey will see a reduced workload with Hubbard spelling him more frequently going forward. But that could prove to be a boon down the stretch for McCaffrey’s fantasy teams if it helps keep him on the field and off the IR list.

WIDE RECEIVER

Surprises

  • Cooper Kupp — As aforementioned, he’s fantasy’s No. 1 wideout with 214.9 total points (26.9 per game), which is 27.8 more fantasy points than any other non-quarterback in the league and has posted at least 23.8 points in six of eight games. And through those eight contests, Kupp has already surpassed his season-long fantasy points totals in three of his previous four years. He is pacing the league in targets (90), receiving yards (924) and receiving scores (10) while ranking second with 63 receptions. Not bad at all for a player drafted to be a low-end WR2.
  • Deebo Samuel — Right behind Kupp and second-place Tyreek Hill (25.7 fantasy points per game) is this 49ers third-year wideout who’s averaging 22.6 fantasy points and has already established a new career season high with 819 receiving yards in only seven games. Samuel has an impressive 34 percent team target share and has accounted for a whopping 46 percent of San Francisco’s receiving yards so far. Just two months ago, Samuel was the 36th wideout being selected in fantasy drafts, on average.
  • Ja’Marr Chase — Running only behind the Stafford-Kupp connection is the Burrow-Chase duo, which has accounted for 38 completions for 786 yards (a league-leading 20.7 yards per catch) and seven TDs. If you were able to snag him in the middle rounds as the 23rd wide receiver off the board in late August, give weekly thanks to Chase’s preseason drop issues, which knocked the LSU rookie down a few rounds.

Disappointments

  • Allen Robinson — This Bears veteran had an ADP of 12 among wide receivers but somehow currently finds himself as WR75 with an average of 7.4 fantasy points per contest. He only has 44 targets, 26 receptions, 271 yards and one TD through eight games, which puts him on track for 55 catches and 576 yards — 17-game numbers that would barely exceed his 10-game rookie totals (48 for 548) from 2014 with the Jaguars. Truly a disappointment among disappointments.
  • Brandon Aiyuk — While his teammate Samuel has soared, this second-year Niners wide receiver has floundered in the team doghouse with all of 23 targets and 13 receptions for 141 yards and one TD through seven games. That ranks him 106th with a 4.9 point-per-game average — brutal numbers for the wideout with a positional ADP of 24, just one spot behind Chase.
  • Stefon Diggs — Diggs, of course, enjoyed a career year a season ago, leading the league in targets (166), receptions (127) and receiving yards (1,535) while totaling 328.6 fantasy points — third at the position. And that precisely was his WR ADP this summer. However, he currently can be found 19th among wideouts with an average of 15.8 fantasy points per contest. Even with the extra game this season, Diggs is on pace for 158 targets, 102 catches and, most significantly, 1,222 yards — all short of his 16-game totals from 2020 — as QB Josh Allen’s target tree looks to have sprouted a few more branches this season.

Second-half WR to watch: A.J. Brown

The Titans’ Brown got off to a brutally slow, injury-addled start, totaling all of 23.3 fantasy points over Tennessee’s first five games. But over the last three contests, Brown has compiled 74.9 points, looking much more like the top-15 fantasy wideout he was a season ago and the wide receiver drafted ninth overall, on average, at the position last summer. With Henry expected to miss the rest of the season, and fellow wideout Julio Jones battling nagging hamstring injuries on the downside of his brilliant career, Brown is now the unquestioned No. 1 playmaker and offensive option in the Music City.

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TIGHT END

Surprises

  • Dawson Knox — One reason why Diggs is seeing fewer targets this season is the emergence of pass-catchers such as Knox, who in six games has reeled in 21-of-27 targets for 286 yards and a tight end-leading five TDs — numbers, which are approaching or exceeding his full-season totals from his previous two years. Knox should be back soon from the hand injury he suffered in Week 6 and currently owns the fifth-highest fantasy scoring average (13.3 points) at the position after owning the 28th highest tight end ADP this summer.
  • Dalton Schultz — The Cowboys’ Schultz ranks a couple of rungs lower (seventh) than Knox with a 12.6-fantasy-point average. Schultz largely went undrafted as the TE35 this offseason — nine spots lower than Dallas TE teammate Blake Jarwin — and has capitalized on the defensive focus paid to the Cowboys’ ground game and talented wide receivers with 33 receptions for 370 yards and three TDs on 44 targets.
  • C.J. Uzomah — In his previous six seasons, the Bengals’ Uzomah had a combined eight scoring receptions, but so far this season, he’s matching Knox with a position-high five TD grabs. And he’s done so on only 23 targets and 21 receptions. Uzomah, though, is also averaging 13.8 yards per catch — fifth among tight ends — so there’s more to his game than just a high TD rate.

Disappointments

  • George Kittle — The Niners’ tight end missed half of the season a year ago due to injury, and here he is again having played in only four of San Francisco’s seven games due to a calf issue that currently has him on injured reserve. In the four contests in which he has played, the production has been mediocre with 19 catches for 227 yards and no TDs on 28 targets — certainly so far not worth the TE3 ADP pricetag most paid in drafts.
  • Jonnu Smith — Smith appeared on more than a few tight end sleeper lists this summer with his move over the Patriots, but he’s averaging only 5.8 fantasy points so far through eight games and that ranks way down at 30th at the position. Fellow New England offseason TE addition Hunter Henry has been significantly better with four TD catches to Smith’s one while averaging 9.8 fantasy points per outing.
  • Tyler Higbee — With Stafford’s arrival and the departure of fellow tight end Gerald Everett, many had sleeper tight end draft designs on Higbee, who wound up with a positional ADP of 12. But aside from two double-digit fantasy-point outings in the first three weeks, it hasn’t exactly gone according to plan with Higbee currently ranking 18th at the position with an average of 8.7 fantasy points per outing.

Second-half TE to watch: Pat Freiermuth

The Steelers’ rookie ranks only 22nd among tight ends with a 7.7 fantasy-point average, but his two best outings (12.8 and 14.4 points) have come in the Steelers’ two most recent games as they’ve looked for ways to replace injured-and-out-for-the-season wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. Freiermuth has been targeted seven times in each of those games, catching 11 of those 14 for 102 yards and TD. That kind of volume and productivity is top-five worthy at a position of continued fantasy scarcity, so the rookie is definitely worth swooping up off the waiver wire if the rest of your league has been slow to notice.

4 players to watch in Rams vs. Texans on Sunday

Who are four Rams players fans should be watching in Week 8 versus the Texans?

Emotions were running high for the Los Angeles Rams last week when they hosted the Detroit Lions at SoFi Stadium. It was Matthew Stafford’s first game against the Lions, while the Rams faced their former quarterback in Jared Goff.

Los Angeles would be able to secure a win over Detroit, improving their record to 6-1 on the season. After defeating the winless Lions, the Rams will not get an opportunity to square off with the 1-6 Houston Texans in Week 8.

With the Arizona Cardinals losing on Thursday night to the Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles can’t afford to let Sunday’s game be a trap game versus Houston. Even though the Cardinals would hold the lead over the Rams due to them beating Los Angeles in Week 4, Los Angeles could inch closer to seizing the division lead with a win on Sunday.

Just like last week, the Rams are massive favorites versus the Texans on the road. Los Angeles began the week as the biggest favorite of any NFL team in Week 8, and that has held true as they enter Sunday as 14.5-point favorites. In a game where the Rams should be able to dominate throughout, here are four players to watch against the Texans.