NFL Studs and Duds for Week 7

In Week 7, there were some truly dominant fantasy football performances. As always, there were also some terribly disappointing performances.

The key to winning in fantasy football is finding the dominant performances and avoiding the disappointing ones. That's not always so easy, of course.

Some of the usual stars made the list this week, but there were also a few surprises. Which players won and lost games across the world in Week 7?

Stud: Chris Johnson, RB, Tennessee Titans

For the first time in a while, Chris Johnson's appearance here isn't in the dud category. Eighteen carries for 195 yards and two touchdowns will do that.

Playing against a terrible Buffalo defense, Johnson looked like the CJ2K of old, as he racked up yards at will. Moving forward, it will be interesting to see if Johnson can continue to look like the player he used to be.

Dud: Vernon Davis, TE, San Francisco 49ers

Without a single catch, Vernon Davis put up the elusive zero spot. The star tight end did literally nothing to propel his fantasy owners to victory.

Owners probably weren't expecting huge production from Davis, but a goose egg can often be deadly. A highly-drafted tight end not producing a single point may have cost several owners victories.

Stud: Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints

In a fantastic performance, Drew Brees tore up the Tampa Bay secondary. His 377 yards and four touchdowns make that pretty obvious.

Brees hasn't been quite himself in 2012, but this was a performance akin to the Brees fantasy owners know and love. No doubt this game made the difference in many fantasy contests.

Dud: Trent Richardson, RB, Cleveland Browns

With just 19 total yards, Trent Richardson did almost nothing to help out fantasy owners. After suffering a rib injury in Week 6, the lack of elite production wasn't shocking, but this was still much less than anticipated.

Going up against a terrible run defense, Richardson could have busted out with a huge game. Instead, he played just half the game with minimal production.

Stud: Vincent Jackson, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Vincent Jackson caught seven passes for 216 yards and a touchdown. That is not only an impressive yards-per-catch average, but also a fantastic performance.

Jackson isn't really a premier fantasy wideout, so this production comes from a somewhat unexpected spot. Production from a non-elite player is often what leads to fantasy football upsets.

Dud: Brandon Lloyd, WR, New England Patriots

Though he isn't a top-of-the-line fantasy player, Brandon Lloyd is expected to put up at least multiple points. One catch for six yards isn't exactly meeting those expectations.

The entire New England offense disappointed some against the Darrelle Revis-less Jets, but Lloyd's lack of production especially stood out. Lloyd owners were left hanging by the first-year Patriot.

Stud: Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers

Aaron Rodgers seems to be breaking out of his funk, as his last two dominant performances indicate. Rodgers completed 30 of his 37 passes for 342 yards and three touchdowns.

It's hard to ask for much more from a quarterback, even one of Rodgers' caliber. A performance like this gives an owner a huge step up over his opponent.

Dud: Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

Because of a foot injury, Maurice Jones-Drew was forced to leave the game early. Naturally, Jones-Drew's early exit led to an incredibly disappointing performance from the Jacksonville star.

Many owners are relying on Jones-Drew, and he was unable to provide in Week 7. This unfortunate injury likely led to many owners losing otherwise winnable games.

Stud: Josh Freeman, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

420 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions make for a pretty impressive fantasy performance. Surprisingly, Josh Freeman put up these huge numbers.

Playing against a horrible New Orleans defense, Freeman dominated. Any owner starting Freeman was rewarded with a huge, unexpected game.

Dud: Dez Bryant, WR, Dallas Cowboys

Dez Bryant has failed to meet rather high expectations, and he continued to struggle in Week 7. Two catches for 14 yards is far from a performance to brag about.

At this point, few owners are likely expecting big things, but this was, in all likelihood, a negligible point total. That's not what you're looking for from what should be a big producer.

Stud: Texans D/ST

A safety, two interceptions, a fumble and a defensive touchdown led to Houston's success here. The four sacks didn't hurt matters either.

The Texans defense absolutely dominated Baltimore's offense, forcing turnovers and making plays at will. The Ravens had been good offensively, so this was a bit unexpected and all the more crucial for it.

Dud: A.J. Green, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

Though he caught a touchdown, A.J. Green still produced under 10 points. That may be because his touchdown was his only catch of the game, and it went for just eight yards.

A typically dominant wideout, Green's lack of performance hurt many owners. At this point, owners have a right to expect big things from Green, and they were let down in Week 7.

Stud: Robert Griffin III, QB, Washington Redskins

Once again, Robert Griffin III proved his dual-threat value, as he passed for 258 yards and two touchdowns while adding 89 yards on the ground.

Griffin has put up big numbers week in, week out, and this was one of his bigger games. There aren't many better fantasy football quarterbacks in the NFL.

Dud: Andy Dalton, QB, Cincinnati Bengals

With just 105 passing yards and one touchdown, Andy Dalton didn't do much here. Dalton isn't exactly a hot-ticket start, but there were undoubtedly many people playing him this week.

Those owners with Dalton in the lineup were left disappointed, as he put up little in the way of points. In fact, few quarterbacks in the NFL didn't have better fantasy performances this week.

Stud: Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings

Adrian Peterson continued his miraculous recovery from a torn ACL, as he rushed for 153 yards and a touchdown on 23 attempts. He added two catches for points-per-reception leagues.

Because of his knee injury, Peterson fell in many drafts, but this was a reward for all of his owners. There's no doubt that AP is racking up the fantasy points.

Dud: Torrey Smith, WR, Baltimore Ravens

As the Ravens went down big, Torrey Smith struggled to make much of an impact. His four catches for 41 yards netted his owners little in the way of points.

Though this isn't exactly negligible, it certainly isn't the type of performance that helps owners win games either. The explosive wideout simply wasn't able to make it happen against the Texans.

Stud: Arian Foster, RB, Houston Texans

Despite not breaking 100 yards, Arian Foster had a huge fantasy football performance. That's because of the two touchdowns.

Foster rushed 19 times for 98 yards, also catching one pass. The yardage isn't great, but as any fantasy football owner knows, touchdowns are crucial.

Dud: Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona Cardinals

From a top-tier wideout, four catches for 29 yards is more than a little disappointing. In fact, it's downright awful and could lose many owners their fantasy football matchups.

Larry Fitzgerald wasn't going up against a great defense in the Vikings, but he was simply unable to make much happen. A performance like this from a top player is often fatal.

Stud: Randall Cobb, WR, Green Bay Packers

An explosive wide receiver, Randall Cobb dominated, especially in points-per-reception leagues. His eight catches, 89 yards and two touchdowns made for a huge performance.

Cobb is just starting to pick up momentum in fantasy football, and he likely wasn't starting in many leagues. Where he was starting, though, he made a rather noticeable impact.

Dud: Jermichael Finley, TE, Green Bay Packers

Jermichael Finley has disappointed all year, and his Week 7 performance didn't upset the trend. Two catches and 31 yards is hardly a productive game from a star tight end.

Finley's upside made him attractive in many drafts, but he hasn't lived up to the hype. Once again, a distinct lack of production from the tight end might have made the difference in numerous games.