Fantasy Football Week 7: Award Roundup for Busts and MVPs

The fantasy leaderboard worked out just like we thought it would in Week 7, with the Miami Dolphins' Lamar Miller posting more points before halftime than the Denver Broncos' C.J. Anderson has scored all season.

On top of that, known statistical superstar Kirk Cousins of the Washington Redskins tied for the top fantasy performance at quarterback with some guy named Tom Brady, who apparently plays for the New England Patriots. 

Each week is defined by some peerless performances and some deflating disappointments, all of which we seek to capture in this series. Please join us in discussing the biggest performances and busts from Week 7.

As always, feel free to share your picks for fantasy MVP and bust at each position.

Fantasy QB MVP: Tom Brady Is the Best of the Bunch

Charles Krupa/Associated Press

The Miami Dolphins' Ryan Tannehill just can't seem to overcome Tom Brady and his New England Patriots. The two signal-callers haven't squared off yet this season, but even when Tannehill posts a 94.7 completion percentage and four touchdowns, Brady still has to go and top him in fantasy production. 

While the Redskins' Kirk Cousins—Kurt, according to DeSean Jackson—tied Brady atop the fantasy leaderboard at the position, it's Brady and his impressive outing versus a sound New York Jets secondary that earns the Michigan product MVP honors among signal-callers for Week 7. 

Tannehill seems to have regained his lost luster under new coach Dan Campbell, suggesting he's once again a top-10 fantasy fixture at the position. In fact, Tannehill set the all-time NFL record for consecutive completions, per the Miami Dolphins.

Brady, meanwhile, continues to deserve consideration as the best fantasy asset behind center this season. As for Cousins, hopefully you played him in daily fantasy competition, but we're not expecting enduring success from him or his offense. The real lesson is to start your engines versus the Tampa Bay Bucs when possible. 

The San Diego Chargers' Philip Rivers is on pace for 5,607 passing yards and 34 touchdowns. With such a high-volume passing attack, these lofty milestones actually appear quite realistic. Fantasy managers can look at Rivers' upcoming schedule and envision the fantasy fun. 

The Indianapolis Colts' Andrew Luck looked awful in the first half against the New Orleans Saints, but he turned his fantasy fortunes around with a massive second frame en route to top-five fantasy numbers. There is still obvious concern in real football terms for Luck and his wayward ways, but fantasy investors can find value in the sheer volume of Luck's expected output. 

With the Arizona Cardinals' Carson Palmer set to thrive in prime time versus a hapless Baltimore Ravens defense that is allowing the most fantasy points per game to opposing arms, the leaderboard might be augmented after Monday night.

Eli Manning Joins His Brother Peyton in the Feeble Fantasy Football Club

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

Last week saw the Denver Broncos' struggling star signal-caller Peyton Manning net the distinction of biggest fantasy bust behind center. Now his younger brother is keeping the honor in the family with a lackluster outing versus Dallas. With just five more fantasy points than the Cleveland Browns' Johnny Manziel this past Sunday, we confidently deem Manning the key bust among quarterbacks this week. 

The San Francisco 49ers' Colin Kaepernick literally looks like he lost his keys when the ball is snapped. Maybe it's more dramatic than that, more like he left his keys in his car and it's rolling down a hill in the Mission District. Either way, the former Super Bowl starter is left to freelance far too often in the 49ers' loosely designed offense, felling any fantasy upside this rare athlete offers. With just four fantasy points in Week 7, Kaepernick is almost a weekly consideration as the top bust behind center. 

The St. Louis Rams' Nick Foles doesn't have many weapons to lean on like his best days for the Philadelphia Eagles. No matter the matchup, and even in deep and desperate scenarios, we'd hesitate to endorse Foles as a fantasy starter.

Top Tailback in Fantasy Football for Week 7: Lamar Miller Is Magnificent

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

The Miami Dolphins' Lamar Miller ranked 55th in fantasy points with just 4.5 per game while Joe Philbin was the team's head coach for the first four weeks this season. With Dan Campbell at the helm of the team, Miller is now averaging 26 fantasy points per game, tops among NFL backs over the past two weeks. With 236 total yards and two scores, Miller is undeniably the fantasy MVP at tailback for Week 7.

Congratulations to those who were patient with Miller or bought low on him before his breakout. He is poised to thrive with a volume of touches behind one of the better run-blocking groups by all metrics and measures this season. 

It appeared obvious that the St. Louis Rams' rare rookie running back Todd Gurley was going to run all over the Cleveland Browns at home in Week 7. The obvious occurred, which is actually more rare in fantasy football than it seems, with Gurley gashing the soft Browns front for big gains on his way to the second-best fantasy outing among tailbacks this week. Much like Miller, those who waited on Gurley to finally play and produce are enjoying RB1 output that appears entirely enduring. 

The Houston Texans' Arian Foster posted his best fantasy outing of the season, but Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com reports he suffered a torn Achilles in the process. As one of the best ambassadors for the game and a true fantasy legend over the past several seasons, we thank Foster for his awesome football efforts and wish him a positive recovery process. Sadly, we might have seen the end of his run as an elite football player. The fantasy fallout returns to the murky backfield breakdown we witnessed earlier this season in Houston, with Alfred Blue in line to consume fantasy-relevant duties. 

For a more encouraging Texas tailback angle, the Dallas Cowboys' Darren McFadden absolutely rolled on the New York Giants after fellow back Joseph Randle left with a back injury. While Christine Michael entered the week with all of the hype, McFadden may have left Week 7 with the starting gig. 

The Philadelphia Eagles' Ryan Mathews is again proving he's the best back on the team, while the Kansas City Chiefs finally found production past Jamaal Charles in Charcandrick West. Which top tailback helped you this week?

Despite Dion Lewis Missing the Game, the Pats' LeGarrette Blount Is a Big Bust

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

The picture above shows the New England Patriots' LeGarrette Blount running with the football. This picture is wholly inaccurate when depicting his Week 7 performance, considering he carried the ball just three times for negative yardage in the team's win over the division rival Jets. 

With Dion Lewis out of action due to injury, it was assumed Blount would inherit a massive every-down workload, or at least the majority of early-down and short-yardage duties.

Nope, we got Belichicked once again. The first rule of fantasy club, besides never talking about fantasy club, is to never trust a Bill Belichick backfield. This originally applied to Mike Shanahan as well. 

The San Francisco 49ers' Carlos Hyde produced another lackluster outing, with his amazing Week 1 performance pushed further into the distance. It's never a good sign when a starting tailback turns in one more fantasy point than the New York Jets' Tommy Bohanon (please look at his player page headshot, it's the best thing you'll see today). With a relatively brutal schedule ahead, selling Hyde for a reasonable return would be ideal at this stage.

Fantasy Investors Can Finally Say 'Thank You' to T.Y. Hilton

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A sluggish first half for the Indianapolis Colts offense gave way to big returns as the game progressed, with speedy wideout T.Y. Hilton producing two long scores en route to fantasy MVP honors at wideout. Even as Andrew Luck struggles to find consistent success, Hilton's revival as his top vertical target offers rousing upside going forward. 

The Houston Texans' Nate Washington netted a whopping 16 targets as star wideout DeAndre Hopkins was quintuple-team throughout. Maybe that's a tad dramatic, but Washington definitely benefited from solo coverage with Hopkins drawing so much attention his way. We don't buy into Washington as a steady statistical source, but he certainly merits consideration in points-per-reception formats given the team's pass-heavy attack. 

Second-year star Mike Evans of the Tampa Bay Bucs finally broke out with a big game, suggesting the bye week really helped his hamstring heal. The prospects for Evans going forward are great if he continues to consume such a high volume of targets.

Rare rookie breakout Amari Cooper of the Oakland Raiders countered a tough cornerback matchup in San Diego with a top fantasy outing, again proving he's a trustworthy must-start commodity. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers' Antonio Brown finally got back to producing quality fantasy numbers, and he is arguably the top PPR commodity going forward with Ben Roethlisberger on the mend.

DeAndre Hopkins Suffers a Sorry Outing in South Beach

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

The Houston Texans' DeAndre Hopkins is still on pace for an amazing season, but with just five fantasy points after earning heaps of hype and praise entering the weekend slate, Nuk is the Bust of the Week among wideouts. Despite accruing 12 targets, signal-caller Brian Hoyer struggled to find his top weapon throughout the game, as the Dolphins rolled heavy coverage his way on every route. 

The New York Giants' Odell Beckham Jr. posted just three more fantasy points than OBJ Sr. this Sunday. There is now a troubling stretch of sorry production from the LSU star since the second half of Week 6. We'd suggest readying offers for his services, as he makes for an ideal buy-low asset given recent struggles. 

Drops have plagued the New England Patriots' Julian Edelman over the past several weeks, with the former college quarterback dropping what was surely a touchdown versus the Jets in Week 7. We still trust Edelman's rapport with Tom Brady and suggest you pursue this small buy-low window while it's open. 

The Washington Redskins' Jordan Reed Reels in MVP Honors

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

When he's healthy, which sadly isn't that often, Washington Redskins tight end Jordan Reed is a bona fide fantasy star. Reed flashed his awesome ability in drubbing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense, a group that entered Week 7 having allowed the fewest yards and fantasy points to the position. For such a productive Sunday, Reed is the MVP at tight end for Week 7. 

In a piece from ESPN.com's John Keim, Reed's teammate Dashon Goldson praised his rare receiving skills: "He’s a wide receiver in a tight end’s body. A lot of people underestimate his speed and ability when he’s out there. You can see it on film, but it’s tough when you get out there in a game situation and you have to guard a guy.

Still widely available given his litany of injury concerns, Reed is on pace for 800 yards and seven scores despite missing time. 

The irrepressible Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots produced yet another stellar statistical showing, proving he's truly a first-round asset. The San Diego Chargers' love for tight ends continued as Ladarius Green produced another great outing. Don't look now—actually, we want you to look right now and have no idea why this saying is so often used—but Green is a top-10 fantasy tight end in ESPN leagues and has already produced alongside Antonio Gates this season. 

It was a rich week at the position, with six players producing double-digit fantasy points.

The Dolphins' Jordan Cameron Can't Catch a Break...or a Ball

Tim Ireland/Associated Press

It's only fitting that a tight end named Jordan wins the fantasy MVP award at the position this week while the Miami Dolphins' Jordan Cameron nets the dubious distinction of biggest bust at the position. While his signal-caller, Ryan Tannehill, posted the second-most fantasy points among quarterbacks so far this week, Cameron netted only two fantasy points in the process, leaving investors looking for more. 

As one of the only healthy starting skill players to make the trip to London, the Buffalo Bills' Charles Clay let down hopeful investors with a two-point outing. Considering EJ Manuel was behind center, we can forgive Clay's struggles, with the return of Tyrod Taylor in Week 9 proving important for his stock. 

The Seattle Seahawks' Jimmy Graham is still waiting for Drew Brees to text him back, while fantasy managers are still waiting for the Saints' version of Graham to show up more than once per season. Variant usage in a weak passing game has felled Graham's output so far, and we're not encouraged a breakout is on the way.

Aaron Donald and the St. Louis Rams Earn Defensive MVP Honors

Tom Gannam/Associated Press

The Jacksonville Jaguars defense feasted on fantasy points in London Sunday morning, but given that they were so rarely deployed in fantasy competition, we're giving top billing to a comparably elite outing from the St. Louis Rams' talented group. Pitt product Aaron Donald might be the best defensive force in the league. And yes, we realize J.J. Watt is still playing. 

As for disappointing defensive days, the San Diego Chargers produced negative fantasy production in hosting the Raiders, while the Washington Redskins offered evidence we shouldn't trust D/ST groups based solely on matchup metrics.