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A discussion and analysis of last week's games, prognostication on the best plays for Week 7, and some lively chatter about news blurbs and trends to watch and/or act on. That is what's in store for this week's Fantasy Finish Line podcast with your hosts Jason & Dave Mike.

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Listen to the Fantasy Finish Line, 10/16/2019: Week 7 Preview: Trends, Blurbs, and The Lazard King

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It's Week 6 in the NFL, and while there have been a lot of ups and downs it looks like we're finally getting a grip on the season. Gardner Minshew is a top-10 play, Baker Mayfield is not startable, and Christian McCaffrey is on track for a historic fantasy season. Tyreek Hill is on his way back to WR1 status with Mahomes and Austin Hooper has been tearing it up. Just another fantasy season! Don't chase hgh performances, but take a look at the rankings we have up as a guideline on your way to the championship!

Pay attention to these rankings throughout the week, as they will continue to evolve based on the latest injury updates, news, and player/matchup analysis. Good luck this season and remember, you can tweet us @drinkfive with any of your lineup questions!

Welcome back to the Rookie Report! We’re another week deeper into the season and finally starting to get into the bye weeks where things can get a little dicey for your squads if you don’t have great depth. I wouldn’t expect to find much running back help from the rookie crop this week with David Montgomery, Josh Jacobs and Devin Singletary all on byes. Jacobs did put on a show across the pond on Sunday though. Week 5 also saw Kyler Murray get his first win, saw DK Metcalf and Marquise Brown each get back in the end zone, and saw another outstanding performance from Gardner Minshew albeit in a loss. The rookie running backs might have a bleak outlook this week, but there are plenty of other rookies to talk about. Let’s talk about what we can look forward to in week 6 from the rookie crop…

Rookies to Start:

QB Kyler Murray, ARI (Wk. 6: vs. Atl.): The Falcons’ defense has really struggled this year, especially since Keanu Neal went down late in the first half of their week 3 game. They rank 30^th in Football Outsiders’ pass defense DVOA stat and in the last 3 weeks they’ve allowed 963 passing yards and a 10:0 TD to INT ratio. They also allowed Marcus Mariota and Deshaun Watson to combine for 69 rushing yards (nice) in the last 2 weeks. Murray has started to use his legs as an asset, racking up 189 yards and 2 scores on the ground in his last 3 games. He may also get Christian Kirk back this week. The TDs will eventually come for Kyler. The Cardinals are tied for 4^th in the NFL with an average of 4 red zone trips per game. I expect Murray to be a top-8 QB this week.

WR Terry McLaurin, WAS (Wk. 6: @Mia.): Don’t be concerned about the coaching change in Washington when it comes to McLaurin. Offensive coordinator Bill Callahan is the guy taking over, so things shouldn’t change much. Former head coach Jay Gruden had a lot of control over the offense previously, so I would expect Callahan to put his own wrinkles in (most notably he’s talked about wanting to run more), but it should remain largely the same offense. The better news for McLaurin this week is that he should get Case Keenum back at QB. Keenum is much more willing to throw downfield than Colt McCoy. McLaurin also goes from facing the best defense in the league to one of the worst. Miami has been shredded by opposing WR1s so far, so McLaurin should be a safe WR3 in your lineups this week.

WR Marquise Brown, BAL (Wk. 6: vs. Cin.): Keep an eye on the injury report this week. Head coach John Harbaugh said Brown’s injury is nothing serious, but he isn’t practicing yet as of Thursday. If he does play and it sounds like he’ll be close to 100%, get him in your lineup. The Bengals rank 31^st in pass defense DVOA and have allowed the 3^rd-highest yards per attempt in the league to opposing passing attacks. Baltimore has an implied total of 29.5 points, so there should be plenty of offense for them in this one. Other deep threat receivers have fared well against Cincy. DK Metcalf posted 4-89, Marquise Goodwin went 3-77-1, and they also allowed long scores to Diontae Johnson and Tyler Lockett this year. Brown shouldn’t be on your bench unless the injury keeps him there.

Borderline Rookies:

QB Gardner Minshew, JAX (Wk. 6: vs. NO): I keep telling you to sit Minshew each week, and he keeps responding by making me look foolish. He’s continued to turn what look like limited upside matchups into efficient and strong QB2 performances. This week he has a matchup that actually does have some upside for him. Naturally, he’s going to inevitably lay an egg in the week that he should blow up because fantasy football likes to laugh at us, but this looks like a spot where he is a reasonable bye week fill-in and a must-start in 2QB formats. The Saints rank 20^th in pass defense DVOA and have allowed the 5^th-most points per game to opposing QBs on the year. 4 of the 5 QBs they’ve faced topped 20 fantasy points. Minshew is an interesting option in DFS cash games this week that could allow you to spend your money on the other positions. He’s the 25^th-highest priced QB on DraftKings ($5,000) but has yet to finish worse than the QB16 in any week this year.

WR Mecole Hardman, KC (Wk. 6: vs. Hou.): I’d lean toward starting Mecole this week if you’ve got him, especially if Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins both sit out. As of Wednesday, it sounds like Hill will be a game-time call, and Watkins is probably on the wrong side of questionable. Houston has allowed the 9^th-most WR points per game on the year and the Chiefs have an implied total of 30 points. If Watkins and Hill both sit, 3-wide sets will consist of Hardman, Demarcus Robinson, and Byron Pringle. All 3 would have upside in this matchup, but I’d prefer Hardman over the other two. The return of Hill or Watkins would push him down to more of a WR4 this week.

WR Preston Williams, MIA (Wk. 6: vs. Was.): It feels awkward calling any Dolphin even as much as a borderline fantasy play, but Preston fits the bill this week. Washington has allowed the 3^rd-most WR points per game, and Williams has been the target on nearly a quarter of Josh Rosen’s pass attempts this season. Rosen being named the starter for the remainder of the year is unquestionably a positive thing for Williams’ fantasy outlook. Preston has topped 10 PPR points in 3 out his 4 games this year, and he did that against tougher opponents than Washington. Williams is a reasonable WR3/flex option if you’re dealing with injuries or byes at the position this week.

WR DK Metcalf, SEA (Wk. 6: @Cle.): Metcalf’s deep ball upside keeps him in play as a WR3/flex option, but this might not be the best week for him. The Browns have had a conservative approach on the back end of the defense, taking away the deep ball and letting teams beat them underneath. They’ve allowed just 12 passes of 20+ yards though 5 games. It only takes one big play for Metcalf but be aware that he’s a volatile option.

Rookies to Sit:

QB Daniel Jones, NYG (Wk. 6: @NE): Jones posted his worst start of the year in week 5, and things look unlikely to get much better this week. Saquon Barkley, Evan Engram, Sterling Shepard and Wayne Gallman have all been ruled out already for Thursday night’s game and the Giants have an implied total below 14 points. The Patriots rank 2^nd in pass defense DVOA and haven’t allowed at TD pass all year. They also have 11 interceptions through 5 games. This is the worst possible spot to start Jones.

QB Devlin Hodges, PIT (Wk. 6: @LAC): Hodges came into last Sunday’s game against the Ravens after an Earl Thomas hit knocked Mason Rudolph out cold, and he appears likely to get the starting nod this week. He didn’t look completely lost in his first NFL action, completing 7 of 9 passes for 68 yards and adding a 20-yard run, but there were some other incompletions (including an INT) that were negated by penalties. It would be a huge gamble to roll the dice on the undrafted rookie this week. The Chargers rank just 25^th in pass defense DVOA, but only Deshaun Watson has reached 20 fantasy points against them. The Steelers are likely to go with as run-heavy a game plan as they can this week.

QB Dwayne Haskins, WAS (Wk. 6: @Mia.): Bill Callahan made it clear after taking over as the new head coach that he shares Jay Gruden’s outlook for Haskins: they don’t want him starting right now. Callahan said Haskins may be inactive some weeks with Keenum and McCoy both healthy. There is no reason to hold onto Haskins in redraft leagues right now.

RB Miles Sanders, PHI (Wk. 6: @Min.): Sanders is a really dicey flex option this week after comments from Doug Pederson that Jordan Howard will get more carries going forward. Howard has been a more decisive runner and has taken advantage of the Eagles’ mauling offensive line more effectively than Sanders has. The rookie may have a saving grace this week with Darren Sproles sidelined. It should be Sanders working as the primary receiving back this week (unless Corey Clement pops up). The problem is that Minnesota has allowed the 2^nd-fewest RB receptions and receiving yards per game. I’d avoid playing Sanders this week unless you have to. Even if he still sees ok rushing volume, the Vikings rank 2^nd in run defense DVOA.

RB Tony Pollard, DAL (Wk. 6: @NYJ): There is a chance that Pollard actually has a nice week at the Meadowlands. Pollard averaged 11 touches per game in the Cowboys’ 3 easy wins to open the year, and then played just 7 combined offensive snaps in the two losses since. The Cowboys are a touchdown favorite on Sunday, so Pollard may get involved late. The reason I list him as a ‘rookie to sit’ is because the Jets do have a decent run defense (11^th in run defense DVOA) and I really don’t know what kind of league I would be desperate enough to play him in.

RB Alexander Mattison, MIN (Wk. 6: vs. Phi.): Mattison continued his trend of flashing in games with positive game script in week 5. He’s averaged 53 scrimmage yards per game in the Vikings’ 3 wins and just 19 yards in their 2 losses. Minnesota is a 3-point favorite this week, but I wouldn’t be looking for another 50-yard day out of Mattison. The Eagles have wiped out opposing running games, allowing less than 50 rushing yards per game to opposing backfields. Dalvin Cook might struggle to get to 50 yards on the ground in this one. I don’t expect there to be much left over for the rookie.

RB Justice Hill, BAL (Wk. 6: vs. Cin.): The matchup in week 6 is a juicy one for Baltimore’s backfield. The Bengals allow the 2^nd-most RB points per game and rank 26^th in run defense DVOA, but Hill has been an afterthought in this offense. He played the fewest snaps that he has all year in week 5. His DraftKings price tag is just $3,200, so you could roll the dice on him getting some extended run in a GPP tournament if you’re feeling feisty, but Gus Edwards is likely the biggest benefactor if the Ravens win in a rout.

RB Ryquell Armstead, JAX (Wk. 6: vs. NO): Armstead followed up a strong performance in week 4 with a disappearing act in week 5. He’s got 12 touches on the year, and 9 of them were in that week 4 contest. He’s no more than a Leonard Fournette handcuff at this point with next to no standalone value.

RB Dexter Williams, GB (Wk. 6: vs. Det.): Dexter seemed to have a prime opportunity to step up last weekend with Jamaal Williams sidelined. Instead the Packers activated Tra Carson from their practice squad and let him serve as the #2 back. Apparently, Dexter’s pass blocking isn’t where it needs to be for the Packers to trust him on the field. There isn’t any reason to have him rostered in redraft formats.

WR Diontae Johnson, PIT (Wk. 6: @LAC): Johnson has had a healthy target share for the Steelers since Big Ben went down and the Chargers are in the middle of the pack when it comes to points allowed to WRs, but Devlin Hodges at QB means I’m not willing to trust Diontae in lineups this week, even with James Washington sidelined. Johnson also needs to fix his ball control issues going forward. He’s fumbled twice in as many weeks, and his playing time will start to go down if that continues.

WR Miles Boykin, BAL (Wk. 6: vs. Cin.): Boykin gets a decent matchup against the Bengals this week. As I mentioned with Hollywood Brown earlier, they rank 31^st in pass defense DVOA, and the Ravens have an implied team total of just under 30 points. Unfortunately for Boykin, he’s settled in as a guy playing right around 30% of the offensive snaps each week. That just isn’t enough playing time to trust him even in good matchups. This isn’t a bad week to hope he finds the end zone, but that’s really as much as you can hope for here unless Brown misses this game. If Brown is out, Boykin should get a little additional run but is still more of a dart throw than reliable option.

WR Andy Isabella, ARI (Wk. 6: vs. Atl.): Kliff Kingsbury stayed mostly true to his word last weekend and didn’t move Andy Isabella into the slot to replace Christian Kirk. Instead he used a rotation of Pharoh Cooper and his 2 tight ends (Maxx Williams & Charles Clay). Isabella did see a season-high 10 snaps, but he wasn’t targeted at all. He did get 2 rushing attempts. It sounds like Kirk will return this week, but even if he doesn’t, Isabella isn’t a guy to consider.

TE Irv Smith, MIN (Wk. 6: vs. Phi.): Smith played 51% of the Vikings’ offensive snaps last week…and wasn’t targeted even once. There will be weeks where the ball comes his way, but those weeks will be hard to predict in this low volume passing offense.

TE TJ Hockenson, DET (Wk. 6: @GB): The fact that the Lions had to come out after Hockenson’s concussion and say that he won’t be put on IR doesn’t make it sound like he’ll be back right away. Stunningly he was back at practice Wednesday & Thursday, but he is still in the concussion protocol. It seems like he’s trending in the right direction, but he could end up a game-time decision and the Packers have allowed the 6^th-fewest tight end points per game this year. Since Hock plays on Monday, there really won’t be a way to have backup plan if Hockenson sits at the last minute. You’d basically be choosing between Jesse James and Robert Tonyan in that scenario (unless you have Jimmy Graham). I’d much rather just play someone else rather than wait on Hockenson in a tougher matchup.

Rookies on Byes: RB David Montgomery, CHI, RB Josh Jacobs, OAK, RB Devin Singletary, BUF, WR Hunter Renfrow, OAK, WR Parris Campbell, IND, TE Dawson Knox, BUF, TE Foster Moreau, OAK

Deep League Sleepers, Stashes, and Cheap DFS Options:

RB Jon Hilliman, NYG (Wk. 6: @NE): With Gallman and Barkley ruled out, Hilliman is the default starting running back for the Giants this week. He doesn’t get an inviting matchup. The Patriots haven’t let any running back get into the end zone this year, and they allow the 2^nd-fewest RB fantasy points per game and rank 3^rd in run defense DVOA. With the game script expected to be very negative for the Giants, Hilliman will have to do work in the passing game to return a decent day. He did catch 36 passes in his last 2 college seasons despite not being a workhorse back, so he may not be a slouch as a receiver. I wouldn’t be too interested in him in redraft leagues, especially with Saquon looking like he’ll return next week, but a $3,200 price tag in DraftKings for a starting running back is at least intriguing in a GPP tournament.

RB Benny Snell, PIT (Wk. 6: @LAC): The Steelers only face one defense ranked higher than 23^rd in run defense DVOA in their next 7 games, and Jaylen Samuels is out for a month. Samuels had been mixing in behind Conner a decent amount, and while Snell isn’t nearly as versatile as Jaylen, the Steelers are very likely to focus on running the football while Devlin Hodges is at QB. Snell should work as a change of pace back behind Conner for the coming weeks and is worth scooping up in deeper formats.

RB Reggie Bonnafon, CAR (Wk. 6: @TB): For some inexplicable reason Jordan Scarlett is the highest priced rookie running back on DraftKings this week ($4,300) despite playing just 5 offensive snaps on the season. Anyone paying attention knows Bonnafon is the handcuff back here. Bonnafon played 11 snaps last weekend when Christian McCaffrey was dealing with cramps and he turned in a 5-80-1 line. I don’t suggest using Bonnafon this week as the Bucs rank #1 in the league in run defense DVOA. Bonnafon is worth scooping up as insurance in deep leagues if you have CMC.

WR AJ Brown, TEN (Wk. 6: @Den.): Brown has been the epitome of boom or bust this season. He’s has more PPR points in each of his two ‘boom’ games than he does in the other 3 combined. Chris Harris Jr. is likely to shadow Corey Davis this week, which should benefit Brown. Other notable number one receivers who have faced the Broncos include Allen Robinson (4-41), Davante Adams (4-56), DJ Chark (4-44) and Keenan Allen (4-18). Number 2 receivers have fared better – Marquez Valdes-Scantling (6-99-1), Dede Westbrook (5-66) and Mike Williams (6-74). Brown is in play this week in deep leagues and in DFS tournaments.

WR Deebo Samuel, SF (Wk. 6: @LAR): The 49ers have had one of the toughest WR groups to figure out for fantasy purposes. None of them were useful on Monday night as they blew the doors off the Browns. No receiver had more than 4 targets. This week’s game projects as more of a shootout with an over/under of 50. The 49ers should be forced to throw a little more, and the Rams rank 24^th in pass defense DVOA. San Francisco has tried to manufacture ways to get the ball into Deebo’s hands, so he’s the 49er receiver I’d be most likely to take a shot on having a big game this week.

WR KeeSean Johnson, ARI (Wk. 6: vs. Atl.): Johnson was basically a full-time player in week 5 with Christian Kirk out. Kirk might be out again this week, and Johnson was targeted 7 times in his absence on Sunday. The Falcons allow the 2^nd-most WR points per game, so there is legitimate upside for KeeSean this week if Kirk sits again.

WR Jakobi Meyers, NE (Wk. 6: vs. NYG): With Phillip Dorsett sidelined, Meyers will step in as the full time WR3 for the time being. That didn’t result in much fantasy production last week, but he should be more of a factor moving forward. If Dorsett misses several weeks Meyers should be a decent add in deep leagues. He gets a decent matchup with the Giants this week who rank 29^th in pass defense DVOA. He’s basically a dart throw this week in a game the Pats should run away with.

WR Darius Slayton, NYG (Wk. 6: @NE): Slayton doesn’t have a great matchup this week, but Daniel Jones will have to throw the ball somewhere and Slayton has been the guy he’s had the best connection with among the available options. He’s topped 11 PPR points in two of his last 3 games and costs just $100 more than the minimum on DraftKings. He has nice upside for a bottom of the barrel DFS tournament play, even in this brutal matchup.

TE Noah Fant, DEN (Wk. 6: vs. Ten.): Fant saw his lowest target total of the season last Sunday and was outscored by teammate Jeff Heuerman, but he remained right around the same snap share that he’s been playing (66%). The Broncos got an early lead and leaned on the run game against the Chargers. This week’s matchup is one to target with tight ends. The Titans have allowed a tight end score in 4 of 5 games this year and allowed a 9-130 line to Austin Hooper in the other game. Fant is a solid TD dart throw this week.

TE Josh Oliver, JAX (Wk. 6: vs. NO): I mention Oliver this week because the Jaguars’ starting tight end James O’Shaughnessy suffered a season-ending ACL tear this week. I wouldn’t be racing to the waiver wire to pick him up in any redraft formats, but he may be worth a flier in deep dynasty leagues, especially TE premium formats. Oliver was the team’s primary pass catcher as a senior at San Jose State last year, hauling in more than 21% of the team’s catches, and more than 22.5% of their receiving yards. Geoff Swaim and Seth DeValve are both likely ahead of Oliver on the depth chart, but Jacksonville has utilized 3 tight ends this season, and Oliver may be the best receiver of the healthy trio. DeValve had played at least 22% of the offensive snaps each of the past 3 weeks as the team’s TE3. DeValve hasn’t seen a single target this year, and Swaim has turned 15 targets into 12 catches for just 60 yards. Monitor how much Oliver is used this week. If he has an obvious passing game role, he should become a guy worth adding in redraft formats.

That’s all I’ve got for this week. Hopefully it helps you with your toughest decisions involving rookies this week. Keep a close eye on the injury report this week. There are a ton of injuries that could have an impact on these outlooks – Marquise Brown, Sammy Watkins, Tyreek Hill, Saquon Barkley, Christian Kirk, Phillip Dorsett, etc. Make sure you know what injuries may affect your lineup and have a backup plan ready for Sunday. As always: Good luck, trust your gut, and have fun. It’s just a game.

Welcome back to the Rookie Report! I hope you managed to avoid any landmines in your lineups last week and didn’t run into anyone starting Aaron Rodgers, Marvin Jones or Chase Edmonds.  It was a wild week 7, probably the most unpredictable week of the season so far. A number of players who seemed to be in prime matchups to set the world on fire last week fell flat instead – Kyler Murray, Matt Ryan, Carson Wentz. Daniel Jones, David Johnson, Phillip Lindsay, Devin Singletary, Larry Fitzgerald, Kenny Golladay, Michael Gallup, Zach Ertz, Evan Engram. It was a messy week to be sure, but it’s a good time for an important etiquette reminder:

If you’re upset about the performance of a player on your fantasy team, don’t go to their social media pages to let them know about it. The players and coaches do not and should not care about your fantasy teams. The players don’t owe you anything if they have a poor fantasy day. They get paid to help their team win, not yours. If their performance cost their own team a win, I assure you they feel worse about it than you do. There is no reason to rub that in.

With that PSA out of the way, let’s take a look at what to expect from the rookies in week 8…

Rookies to Start:

RB Josh Jacobs, OAK (Wk. 8: @Hou.): Keep a close eye on the injury report with Jacobs. Head coach Jon Gruden claims that he is truly ‘questionable’ for this week’s game with a shoulder injury despite returning to the game last week after suffering it. If he does play, he should be in your lineups unless you have multiple studs ahead of him. Jacobs is the RB12 on the year in terms of points per game and has at least 79 rushing yards in all but one contest. This matchup isn’t an ideal one. The Texans allow the 8^th-fewest RB points per game on the year and rank 5^th in Football Outsiders’ run defense DVOA stat, but the Raiders’ commitment to getting Jacobs the football should make him a fine RB2 again this week if he’s able to suit up.

WR Terry McLaurin, WAS (Wk. 8: @Min.): There was a time when Xavier Rhodes was a corner to be feared, but so far this year that hasn’t been the case. Rhodes has graded as just the 88^th-best corner in the league according to Pro Football Focus and the Vikings have given up the 10^th-most wide receiver points per game. They have been carved up by several perimeter receivers so far: Davante Adams (7-106), Allen Robinson (7-77), Darius Slayton (4-62-1), Alshon Jeffrey (10-76-1), and Marvin Jones (10-93-4). Fire up McLaurin this week as a WR2 and completely wipe the monsoon game last weekend from your memory.

Borderline Rookies:

QB Kyler Murray, ARI (Wk. 8: @NO): Coming off his worst passing game of the season, Murray gets to face a red-hot Saints defense that has held opposing QBs to just 13 fantasy points per game over the past 4 weeks. That would rank as the 5^th-best mark in the league if it were over the whole season. The Saints did show some vulnerability against running QBs early in the year, giving up rushing lines of 4-40-1 to Deshaun Watson and 7-51-2 to Russell Wilson. The Cardinals have an implied total just below 20 points this week, so Vegas doesn’t see a ton of upside for their offense as a whole. If I have a solid QB1 on my roster I’d probably be starting them over Murray this week.

QB Gardner Minshew, JAX (Wk. 8: vs. NYJ): Aside from a forgettable performance in week 6 against the Saints, Minshew has been a dependable QB2 every week with at least 16 points in every other game. This week’s matchup probably limits his upside a bit. There are 9 teams that average giving up more fantasy points to the QB than the Jets allowed in their worst outing of the year. Despite the matchup Gardner should be fine as a QB2 once again this week. The Jets rank just 17^th in pass defense DVOA despite how well they’ve limited QBs, so they aren’t likely to completely shut the mustachioed gunslinger down. With every solid outing he moves closer to keeping the job when Nick Foles returns.

RB David Montgomery, CHI (Wk. 8: vs. LAC): I’m sure if you got burned by Montgomery last week you’re unlikely to go back to that well again, but he was more of a victim of a poor game plan than his own poor performance. His first career fumble didn’t help him any, but he didn’t get his first carry of the game until the second half. That’s inexcusable for Matt Nagy and he knows it, saying after the game “I know we have to run the ball more. I’m not an idiot.” As comical as that quote is, it convinces me the Bears are going to get the ball to Monty much earlier and much more often this week. The Chargers are a porous run defense. They rank 24^th in run defense DVOA and have allowed 5 of the 7 lead backs they’ve faced to top 15 fantasy points (half PPR scoring). As we’ve seen this year Montgomery is never a sure thing, but I like his chances of posting a solid fantasy game this week.

RB Ty Johnson, DET (Wk. 8: vs. NYG): With Kerryon Johnson hitting injured reserve this week, Ty Johnson became the biggest priority waiver claim of the week. The Lions did sign Paul Perkins and could still bring in another runner (possibly CJ Anderson who opened the year with the team), but with just Johnson and JD McKissic available last week Johnson out-snapped JD 49-19 and out-touched him 14-7. It appears Johnson will be the lead back of the committee in the immediate future, and this week he faces a Giants team that has allowed the 5^th-most fantasy points per game to opposing running backs. The Lions are a touchdown favorite, so they should be able to keep running. Johnson has RB2 upside this week in a great matchup. Keep on eye on team updates and make sure Perkins won’t have a bigger role than expected before pulling the trigger on Johnson.

WR DK Metcalf, SEA (Wk. 8: @Atl.): Metcalf has lived on the borderline this season. He’s made several big plays but limited overall volume for Seattle’s passing attack has prevented DK from becoming a weekly fantasy starter. Metcalf has finished in the top 30 receivers in PPR scoring 3 times this year but has not finished in the top 24 yet. Could this be the week? It’s definitely possible. The Falcons have been among the worst defenses in the league. They rank 31^st in pass defense DVOA and have coughed up the 5^th-most wide receiver points per game. They’re also tied for the 3^rd-most pass plays of 20+ yards allowed, which plays into Metcalf’s strengths as a deep threat. The upside is there, but his limited volume and 50% catch rate on the year will continue to cap his ceiling for the time being. He’s worth WR3 consideration this week.

WR Diontae Johnson, PIT (Wk. 8: vs. Mia.): The return of Mason Rudolph and a matchup with the sad sack Dolphins make Johnson a reasonable streamer this week if you’re looking for a fill-in wide receiver. Johnson and Juju Smith-Schuster have the same 21.3% target share with Rudolph at QB and the Dolphins have allowed 11 WR touchdowns in just 6 games. They’ve also given up the 9^th-most WR points per game and rank dead last in pass defense DVOA. The points allowed would be even worse if they weren’t frequently getting blown out. Johnson probably shouldn’t be that much behind Juju in the WR rankings this week.

TE TJ Hockenson, DET (Wk. 8: vs. NYG): The volume and overall production hasn’t exactly been there for Hockenson so far outside of week 1, and this looks like a tough matchup on paper, but I feel good about Hockenson’s chances of getting in the end zone in this one. The Giants have allowed the 5^th-fewest TE points per game on the year, but they’ve faced just about the least impressive lineup of tight ends imaginable so far. After giving up two scores to the Cowboys’ tight ends in week 1, they’ve faced off with Dawson Knox, OJ Howard, Jeremy Sprinkle, Kyle Rudolph, Ryan Izzo and Charles Clay. They gave up 3-66 to Howard, his best fantasy game of the year. Marvin Jones’ 4-TD outburst last week should draw more attention his way in the red zone, and the Lions have an implied total of more than 28 points and don’t have Kerryon to give the ball to at the goal line. We’ve seen the floor isn’t high for TJ, but the TE position is bad when you get outside the top 8 or so options. He’s worth streamer consideration this week.

Rookies to Sit:

QB Daniel Jones, NYG (Wk. 8: @Det.): I’ve expected good things from Jones a couple of times recently, and he hasn’t delivered since his sensational debut against the Bucs. In 4 games since, we’ve seen lackluster performances in good matchups and bad, and in situations where his weapons were healthy and where they weren’t healthy. The Lions are typically a defense to target with QBs, allowing multiple scores in 4 of 6 games and 280+ yards passing in 5 of 6, but Jones hasn’t reached even 13 fantasy points since his debut. I wouldn’t count on everything suddenly clicking this week and would look elsewhere even for a QB2.

RB Devin Singletary, BUF (Wk. 8: vs. Phi.): I wouldn’t be thrilled to take my chances with Singletary this week. The Eagles have been a dominant run defense for much of the year. Ezekiel Elliott broke through against them on Sunday night for a big game, but he was the first starting running back all year to average 3 yards per carry or better against Philly. They also haven’t allowed a single receiving score to an opposing back this year. There is a potential path to a decent game for Singletary. The Eagles have let two change of pace RB2s have success against them (Ito Smith 4-32, and Alexander Mattison 14-63), and they have allowed 4 different backs to post 6+ catches in just 7 games. If the Bills fall behind Singletary would be in line for a healthy receiving line. For what it’s worth, the Bills are a point and a half favorite in this game. I’d be inclined to think of Singletary as closer to borderline in PPR formats, and more of a guy to bench in non-PPR.

RB Miles Sanders, PHI (Wk. 8: @Buf.): On the other side of the Bills-Eagles tilt, Sanders has just 9 rushing attempts and 6 targets in the past 2 games. He’s clearly taken a back seat to Jordan Howard in the running game and Howard gets all the carries in close, so Sanders needs to make his biggest impact in the passing game. Thus far the Bills have only allowed 1 running back to reach 40 receiving yards (James White), and haven’t allowed a single RB receiving score. A long touchdown would give you the production you’re hoping for from Miles, but I would be looking for a safer bet for my lineups.

WR Jakobi Meyers, NE (Wk. 8: vs. Cle.): Despite Josh Gordon getting placed on injured reserve, it was not a good week for Meyers’ rest-of-season outlook. The Pats have traded for Mohamed Sanu and designated N’Keal Harry to return from IR. Harry can’t return until week 9 at the earliest, but Sanu can suit up this week. It’s hard to say what the WR rotation will look like this week. Sanu muddies things up enough that it’s tough to trust Meyers in any lineups. He has played well enough to earn more opportunity, catching all 9 of his targets over the past 2 weeks for 101 yards. I’m just not sure the playing time will continue to be there for him. He played just 51% of the offensive snaps last week without Sanu on the roster.

WR Mecole Hardman, KC (Wk. 8: vs. GB): Tyreek Hill was back to being a full-time player in week 7, and Hardman saw his lowest snap share of the season as a result. He also lost his starting QB for the time being which will cap the entire offense’s upside for the immediate future. Even if Sammy Watkins sits again, Hardman is no more than a big play dart throw with Matt Moore at QB.

WR Darius Slayton, NYG (Wk. 8: @Det.): Slayton saw his targets drop dramatically with the Giants’ other primary weapons back. Slayton still worked as a full-time player, but with Engram and Saquon back in the lineup he was targeted just twice despite Daniel Jones throwing 35 times. The Lions are just a middling defense against wide receivers, but Slayton will be competing for scraps with Bennie Fowler and Cody Latimer after Tate, Engram and Barkley get theirs.

WR Deebo Samuel, SF (Wk. 8: vs. Car.): Samuel’s status for this week is still up in the air, but his status in your lineup shouldn’t be. Dante Pettis has led the WR group in snaps in each of the last 3 weeks, and the Manny Sanders trade should push Samuel down to fighting for snaps with Marquise Goodwin and Kendrick Bourne each week. He’s droppable in most season-long leagues. Sanders likely won’t need much ramp up time to learn the offense in San Francisco since his OC in Denver had spent 3 of the past 4 years coaching on Kyle Shanahan’s staff.

WRs Keelan Doss & Hunter Renfrow, OAK (Wk. 8: @Hou.): Renfrow is an easy call to sit since he still hasn’t topped 4 catches and 30 yards in a game this year. Doss had a nice day Sunday with Tyrell Williams ailing, posting a 3-54 line on just 29 offensive snaps. The matchup this week is decent with Houston allowing the 4^th-most WR points per game, but Tyrell is fully expected to return this week and there just isn’t enough volume to go around after Tyrell and Waller to trust any other Raiders’ pass catcher in fantasy.

WRs KeeSean Johnson & Andy Isabella, ARI (Wk. 8: @NO): Isabella collected his first 2 catches of the year last Sunday, but he and Johnson combined for just 15 snaps and Christian Kirk wasn’t even active. Kirk may return this week, but the rookie duo has given way to Damiere Byrd and Trent Sherfield for the time being. There isn’t any reason to look at them for your lineups even against a Saints team that allows the 7^th-most WR points per game.

WR Parris Campbell, IND (Wk. 8: vs. Den.): It sounds like Campbell may return this week from an abdominal injury, but he just hasn’t done enough so far this year to warrant consideration. He faces a Denver defense that has allowed the 7^th-fewest WR points per game, and Campbell has totaled just 10 catches on 13 targets through 5 games played and averages just 6.2 yards per catch. I need to see more from him before I consider him in lineups.

TE Irv Smith Jr, MIN (Wk. 8: vs. Was.): With Adam Thielen sidelined this week, the Vikings will have to look elsewhere in the passing game. Smith is coming off his best game as a pro with season-highs of 41 snaps, 5 catches and 60 yards. The absence of Thielen could result in an uptick in targets for Irv this week, but Washington has kept tight ends in check for the most part. They haven’t let any tight end reach 60 yards this season and they’ve faced Zach Ertz, Evan Engram and George Kittle. There is another Viking rookie pass catcher that I would be more inclined to look to this week. You can read more about him in the Sleeper section below. I’d look for other streaming options if considering Smith this week.

TE Noah Fant, DEN (Wk. 8: @Ind.): Fant gets a favorable matchup this week against a Colts’ defense that has allowed the 6^th-most tight end points per game, but he just hasn’t been productive enough to trust in lineups at this point. He’s reached 8 PPR points just once all year and has just 4 catches for 29 yards in the last 3 games combined. There are some positives for Fant. He set a season-high with 5 targets last week and could see increased opportunity with Emmanuel Sanders out of the picture, but that’s not enough for me to justify using him even in a seemingly good matchup. The Colts have allowed 4 tight ends to top 50 receiving yards this year, and all 4 were quality players (Kelce, Waller, Hooper and Hunter Henry).

TE Dawson Knox, BUF (Wk. 8: vs. Phi.): The Eagles are allowing just 41 receiving yards per game to opposing tight ends, and if you throw out Vernon Davis’s ridiculous hurdling touchdown from week 1 that number drops below 35 yards per game. Knox has seen his targets slowly go up as the season has gone on, but over his past two games he’s turned a total of 10 targets into just 4 catches for 34 yards. This is unlikely to be the week he gets it going again.

TE Foster Moreau, OAK (Wk. 8: @Hou.): Moreau continues to get a decent amount of playing time but will also continue to be a low upside option as long as Darren Waller is around. He’s been targeted 11 times in the last 3 games and turned them into 9-100-2 over that span. He’d need another touchdown this week to return value and the Texans have only allowed one to the tight end position on the season. Houston also has allowed the 7^th-fewest fantasy points per game to the position.

TE Josh Oliver, JAX (Wk. 8: vs. NYJ): Despite injuries to Geoff Swaim and James O’Shaughnessy in recent weeks, Oliver still served as the TE3 for the Jaguars last week behind Seth DeValve and Ben Koyack. He was not targeted in 25 snaps, and this week faces a defense that has allowed the 5^th-fewest tight end points per game. There is no reason to expect production from the San Jose State product this week.

Rookies on byes in week 8: RB Justice Hill, BAL, RB Tony Pollard, DAL, WR Marquise Brown, BAL, WR Miles Boykin, BAL

Deep League Sleepers, Stashes, and Cheap DFS Options:

RB Darrell Henderson, LAR (Wk. 8: vs. Cin.): Malcolm Brown will be sidelined again this week, and the Rams are a 13-point favorite against the hapless Bengals, who allow the most RB fantasy points per game. Todd Gurley should still work as the lead back, but Henderson will likely wind up in the 12-15 touch range if the game goes as expected. Against Cincinnati that’s enough work to put a running back firmly on the flex radar. He’s a great upside option now that Brown has been officially ruled out.

RB Benny Snell, PIT (Wk. 8: vs. Mia.): The Steelers will be without Jaylen Samuels in this one, and they are a heavy favorite against the league-worst Dolphins. James Conner should get plenty of work early, but the Pittsburgh RB2 role has averaged more than 13 touches per game over the last 3. Some of that is skewed by Conner’s injury against the Chargers, but I can’t imagine the Steelers won’t turn to Snell once they get control of the game. Snell impressed ahead of the team’s bye with 75 yards on 17 carries against the Bolts. The Dolphins rank dead last in the NFL in run defense DVOA and give up the 2^nd-most RB points per game. Snell could be in play as a flex option for deeper leagues.

RB Alexander Mattison, MIN (Wk. 8: vs. Was.): Week 7 was the first time all season that Mattison was held below 49 yards in a Minnesota win, but he’s still had at least 7 carries in each. This week is the easiest to predict win for the Vikings that they’ll have had thus far (assuming they get it). Minnesota is favored by more than 2 touchdowns, so there is a great chance at a runaway victory. That means extended run for Mattison. Washington is a below average run defense, ranking 18^th in run defense DVOA. Mattison is best used in deeper non-PPR leagues since he’ll give you nothing in the passing game, but he’s a good bet for 50+ yards and a possible garbage time score this week.

WR AJ Brown, TEN (Wk. 8: vs. TB): For at least one week, Ryan Tannehill seemed to be just what the doctor ordered to fix the Titans’ broken passing game. Corey Davis was the biggest beneficiary of the change but Brown set season-highs with 8 targets and 6 catches. This week he faces a Tampa defense that has allowed 5 different wide receivers to reach 20 fantasy points (half-PPR) in the past 4 games. We’ve already seen Brown be a DFS week winner when he went 3-94-2 in week 4 against Atlanta. The Bucs give up more WR points per game than Atlanta does. At just $4,100 in DraftKings this is another good week to take a shot on Brown in GPP tournaments.

WR Olabisi Johnson, MIN (Wk. 8: vs. Was.): The Vikings are without Adam Thielen on Thursday night, so Johnson should slot in as the Vikings’ number 2 wide receiver. Washington has been bad against WRs overall, allowing the 9^th-most points per game to the position, but oddly they rank 1^st in pass defense DVOA on throws to the opposing number 1 wide receiver and dead last in DVOA on throws to the number 2 receiver. The Vikings have a healthy implied total of 29 points, and Johnson was targeted 8 times last week. I like him if you’re scouring the waiver wire for a fill in WR in deep leagues. He’ll have to produce his points before the Vikes put the game out of reach, but that hasn’t been a problem for most teams against Washington.

WR Preston Williams, MIA (Wk. 8: @Pit.): Williams posted a surprisingly strong performance last week against the stingy Bills secondary, posting 6-82 on 8 targets. He did lose a fumble, but this was the 4^th time in 6 games that Williams has either found the end zone or topped 60 yards. It was nice to see him perform well with Fitzpatrick at QB. DeVante Parker has been visiting the end zone more frequently than Williams with touchdowns in 3 straight, but that may just mean Williams is due for one. The Steelers are a decent pass defense, ranking 10^th in pass defense DVOA, but they are just a middling defense when it comes to limiting WR points (18^th most WR points allowed). Williams is an option in the deepest of leagues and as a DFS dart throw.

WR Scotty Miller, TB (Wk. 8: @Ten.): A lot of folks may have forgotten about Miller since Tampa was on a bye last week, but against Carolina in London Miller played 60% of the Bucs’ offensive snaps and was targeted 7 times. He isn’t a guy I would roll out in lineups this week against a Titans team that allows the 6^th-fewest WR points per game, but he is worth stashing in deeper leagues in case that usage continues. He could eventually be the Adam Humphries replacement the Tampa offense has been missing. At the bare minimum cost on DraftKings, there is an argument to be made for him in GPP tournaments. The Titans don’t give up a ton of WR points, but they rank just 23rd in pass defense DVOA.

That’s all I’ve got for this week. Hopefully it helps you with the tougher lineup decisions you have involving the rookies. Keep an eye on the injury report throughout the week to make sure there are no big changes that affect your fantasy team. If you want to yell at me about anything written above or have any specific questions, feel free to hit me up on twitter and let me know (@Shawn_Foss). As always: Good luck, trust your gut, and have fun. It’s just a game.