Fantasy Football Week 7 Review

For the second straight Sunday, we witnessed big backfield performances dominate the narrative in fantasy football, as the Miami Dolphins' Jay Ajayi became just the fourth player in league history to post back-to-back 200-yard rushing outings, according to the league's research arm.

The San Diego Chargers' Melvin Gordon leads all players in fantasy points for the Week 7 slate in ESPN leagues thanks to an epic three-score outing. He leads NFL skill players in touchdowns and joins Ajayi as an elite second-year standout.

Today, we discuss these rousing rushing performances as well the significant injuries, emerging waiver assets and news and notes from the week in fantasy football.

Join us in canvassing the results of Week 7 with a specific eye on the fantasy football marketplace. As always, feel free to share your thoughts and questions about fantasy football in the comments below.

Star Signal-Callers

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Big box scores from quarterbacks can heavily influence matchups in fantasy football. In this section, we highlight the top quarterback performances of the Sunday slate.

Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts

Luck tops the leaderboard in ESPN points at signal-caller thanks to his fourth career game with at least 350 yards, three touchdowns and no picks. Luck moves to 8-0 in starts against the Tennessee Titans and has topped 20 fantasy points in three straight games. Without several key weapons for this game, Luck could shine down the stretch if Donte Moncrief and other skill assets return to the field after the team's Week 10 bye.

Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

We hadn't seen Brees perform with elite fantasy metrics outside of the Superdome since last season, as the Saints entered Week 7 scoring 68 percent more points per drive at home than on the road over this span. Sunday's trip to Arrowhead proved productive, as Brees became the first player in NFL history with 100 300-yard outings. His fantasy metrics place him just behind Luck on the leaderboard at the position.

Tyrod Taylor, Buffalo Bills

Taylor is emerging as a safe fantasy option thanks to his legs, as he has at least five rushes in all but one game this season and leads the position in rushing yardage. A rushing touchdown and his third passing score of at least 60 yards this season saw him net an awesome fantasy outing despite recording lackluster yardage in the passing phase. With at least 14 fantasy points in ESPN leagues in each game this season, Taylor provides a bankable floor with his running game.

Honorable Mentions

Andy Dalton and the Cincinnati Bengals enjoyed a get-right game against the Cleveland Browns, as the Red Rifle delivered a clean 20-point fantasy showing in the division win. The Tampa Bay Bucs' Jameis Winston now leads the NFL in touchdowns under pressure with seven on the season, per ESPN Stats & Info. The Bucs have an inviting home stretch coming up that could offer Winston enduring upside for the coming weeks.

Top Tailbacks

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A run for glory in fantasy football often involves helpful production from your running backs.

Jay Ajayi, Miami Dolphins

Ajayi entered Week 6 with 304 rushing yards and three touchdowns in 13 career games and now has 418 yards and three scores over the past two Sundays, as ESPN Stats & Info shared. He leads all NFL players with 59 fantasy points over the past two games and is suddenly a must-start commodity after weeks of floating on waiver wires on a murky Miami depth chart. The Dolphins have a bye this coming week, but shares of Ajayi could prove league-winning if his production continues.

Melvin Gordon, San Diego

From zero touchdowns as a rookie to leading the league as a sophomore, Gordon has scored in all but one game this season and is a uniquely valuable commodity on a depleted tailback market in fantasy football. With games against the Oakland Raiders and Cleveland Browns coming down the pivotal stretch in the fantasy playoffs, Gordon is also a league-winning candidate to consider.

Matt Forte, New York Jets

No one saw this coming, as Forte produced more than 150 yards from scrimmage and two scores against a previously stingy Baltimore Ravens front. He dominated snaps and touches after being mired in a timeshare with Bilal Powell for weeks. Trips to Cleveland and Miami in the next two weeks could see such his production continue.

LeGarrette Blount, New England Patriots

Blount became just the fifth back in franchise history with multiscore games with at least 100 yards rushing, according to ESPN Stats & Info. As the lead goal-line weapon on one of the league's top offenses, Blount has scored in all but one game this season and is a legitimate threat to lead the NFL in touchdowns this season.

Honorable Mentions

The Tennessee Titans' DeMarco Murray is trustworthy as a RB1 asset thanks to posting yet another game with at least 20 touches and 100 total yards. The Cincinnati Bengals' Jeremy Hill rumbled for 192 yards from scrimmage on just 11 touches, so it might be time to market him after such a huge outlier performance.

The Kansas City Chiefs' Spencer Ware is a legitimate RB1 at this stage; Jamaal Charles is slowly on the mend, and this bruising LSU product has thrived in his place. As for another star from scrimmage, the Arizona Cardinals' David Johnson is incomparable when it comes to total yardage, delivering yet another massive line (113 rushing yards, 58 receiving yards) even in the face of the stingy Seattle Seahawks defense.

Winning Wideouts

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In an increasingly pass-happy NFL, it's vital to find difference-making receiving performances. In this section, we identify the top receiving mavens of the week.

A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals

Green has at least eight receptions, 169 yards and a touchdown in the team's three wins this season—fantasy investors are the real winners whenever the Bengals succeed. A matchup with Josh Norman is up next in Week 8, but Green remains a must-start asset.

Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Bucs

Evans is leading the league in targets per game and has a touchdown in all but one outing this season. Last season's weak metrics are the outlier in an otherwise special start to Evans' career. The Oakland Raiders' porous pass defense is next.

T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts

On pace for more than 1,600 yards as the top target of Andrew Luck, Hilton is a surefire WR1 and faces two exploitable secondaries in the weeks to come.

Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons

Leading the league in yardage with 830 yards, Jones is proving his two weak performances earlier this season are aberrations in an otherwise special year. The Green Bay Packers' depleted secondary is next for Jones.

Honorable Mentions

Michael Crabtree of the Oakland Raiders is the fantasy wideout to own on his team, as he's eighth in fantasy points per game at receiver compared to Amari Cooper, who is 19th. With a real red-zone rapport with Derek Carr, Crabtree's production appears enduring.

The San Diego Chargers' Tyrell Williams is 25th in fantasy points per game at the position, and while he hasn't been consistent, we now have two big games from him in the past three weeks to consider as a trend. Speaking of trends, rookie Michael Thomas of the New Orleans Saints has scored at least 10 fantasy points in four straight games and has become a bankable asset as a top target of Drew Brees.

Top Tight Ends and Defenses

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Tight end can be frustrating position given the variance we find in production for a player pool that often blocks in addition to running routes. That said, we should celebrate the top performances each week, given the fickle nature of the position.

Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots

Gronk was pleased to inform reporters he's at 68 career touchdowns, just one shy of one of his favorite number. What isn't a joke is Gronkowski's awesome rapport with Tom Brady and his perch atop the tight end totem pole in fantasy value.

Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans

Hauling in seven of his eight targets, Walker enjoyed a bounce-back outing after a no-show in Week 6. The Titans' passing attack funnels through Walker, so we can trust his upside for a stretch of upcoming games against soft secondaries.

Jack Doyle, Indianapolis Colts

"Doyle Rules," as Billy Madison might have heard in high school, with the Colts tight end thriving in place of an ailing Dwayne Allen. Doyle has touchdowns in consecutive weeks and could shine again next week, as Allen is likely to miss multiple games due to injury.

Honorable Mentions

The Washington Redskins' Vernon Davis is capably producing in Jordan Reed's route tree with the star sidelined with concussion issues. Davis enters the TE1 discussion if he nets another start in Cincinnati next week. The Cleveland Browns' Gary Barnidge, meanwhile, has enjoyed a strong pace since Week 3 that would equate to more than 80 catches and 1,000 yards if run over a full campaign.

Decisive Defenses

A pair of NFC East defenses enjoyed turnover-fueled outings, as the Philadelphia Eagles produced four takeaways and six sacks with a kick-return score as gravy. The New York Giants, meanwhile, netted four picks and three sacks in London on Sunday morning.

Fantasy Flops

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Not every player can deliver value every game, and some leave us in the lurch. The following crop of disappointing performances felled fantasy teams this week.

(For clarity, we don't count injuries in this section, as we don't blame players for getting hurt. We instead focus on poor performance and frustrating fantasy results.)

Quarterbacks

The Giant's Eli Manning returned to mediocrity, as Odell Beckham Jr. appeared limited throughout the game in London. The Giants enjoy a needed bye next week, but we don't blame you if cutting bait for stringing streaming options helps your roster.

Sticking in the NFC East, Carson Wentz truly looked like a rookie Sunday afternoon against the Minnesota Vikings. With multiple turnovers and a lack of vertical passing upside on a conservative offense, he is just a risky fantasy prospect as a professional freshman.

Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons lost in overtime at home, with Ryan being held to his lowest fantasy score of the season (12 points) despite engaging in a shootout with the San Diego Chargers. This is an outlier, as stronger games await Ryan at the helm of an elite offense.

What is truly disconcerting is Russell Wilson's sorry fantasy pace for the Seattle Seahawks, as he's now 27th in fantasy points per game among quarterbacks in ESPN leagues. Guys such as Wentz and the Minnesota Vikings' Sam Bradford rank ahead of him in per-game efficiency. With a game against the New Orleans Saints up next, get your buy-low bids in for Wilson now.

Running Backs

The Baltimore Ravens' Terrance West followed up last week's 23-point fantasy showing with just one point in a sorry showing against the New York Jets this week. With the team heading into the bye, it will be telling to see if talented rookie tailback Kenneth Dixon can assume a more meaningful role in Week 10.

Another sluggish showing from the Washington Redskins' Matt Jones raises a red flag, as he was essentially pulled from the game plan after a costly fumble in the loss to the Detroit Lions. We were also let down by the New York Jets' Bilal Powell in points-per-reception formats, as he was held without a catch for the first time this season. Moving on from Powell is acceptable with Matt Forte's revival.

Wide Receivers

The Oakland Raiders' Amari Cooper is still a top-20 fantasy wideout, but the breakout hasn't come to fruition this season thanks to a glaring lack of touchdown production and consistency. Buying low could make some sense, as he's still netting a sizable share of the offense.

The Jacksonville Jaguars' Allen Robinson is 37th in fantasy points per game at receiver and is struggling with Blake Bortles' subpar play behind center. The buy-low window remains open but comes with real risk.

We would also get offers in for the New York Jets' Brandon Marshall, as his quiet Week 7 isn't in line with an otherwise productive share of the offense. With Eric Decker sidelined, Marshall is still a dominant target hog for the remainder of the season.

Concern is growing over the New England Patriots' Julian Edelman, as all eight of Tom Brady's touchdowns have gone to non-receivers this season. That said, Edelman's target share is still present, and some bigger box scores must be on the way, given the larger sample of success with him and Brady.

The Kansas City Chiefs' Jeremy Maclin was essentially a boom-or-bust asset last season and is again proving to be the same in 2016. The word "consistency" is often applied to his game, but his production pattern is actually rife with variance. The Minnesota Vikings' Stefon Diggs is likely a fine buy-low asset, as his stock is depressed, making him easy to acquire.

Tight Ends

We'd also shop for cheap shares of the Patriots' Martellus Bennett, as he wasn't part of the game plan in Pittsburgh on Sunday but remains a key weapon for an offense that often features multiple-tight end sets.

We'd avoid any pursuit of the Eagles' Zach Ertz, as he is just 32nd in fantasy points per game at tight end and hasn't earned meaningful targets or much separation since returning from injury. The fun could be over for the San Diego Chargers' Hunter Henry, as Antonio Gates took over the majority snap share and led the team in targets.

As for Travis Kelce of the Chiefs, his weak Week 7 (two points) appears to be an outlier in an otherwise steady production pattern, so depressed shares could prove profitable if you can pry him at a discount.

Impact Injuries

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Some backfield injuries top the news cycle after Week 7, as the Buffalo Bills' LeSean McCoy aggravated an already balky hamstring in the team's meeting with the Miami Dolphins. McCoy told reporters he felt some pain while he was running a route in the third quarter of the team's close division loss, per ESPN.com's Mike Rodak.

We'd speculatively add Mike Gillislee as the insurance policy behind McCoy, if you haven't already, as the team would be wise to prove patient this time around with the injury.

The Atlanta Falcons' Tevin Coleman was looking spry and productive in Week 7 before a hamstring injury slowed him down, as he was seen limping around the sideline and didn't return to action, per ESPN.com's Vaughn McClure. We'll need to wait for more clarity on his status, but Devonta Freeman becomes a surefire RB1 if Coleman misses any time.

The Cleveland Browns' Cody Kessler left Sunday's game with concussion symptoms, and Josh McCown appears likely to take over the gig in Week 8.

Waiver Watch: Top Pickups To Consider

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The following assets are available in at least 40 percent of ESPN leagues and are capable of building on strong Week 7 performances.

Quarterbacks

The Buffalo Bills' Tyrod Taylor leads the position in rushing and provides a high fantasy floor as a result, as he's tallied at least 14 fantasy points in each game and is the team's key playmaker with injuries depleting the backfield and receiving corps.

For those with the room to stash players in deeper leagues, the San Francisco 49ers' Colin Kaepernick faces the New Orleans Saints in Week 9 after the team's upcoming bye.

Running Backs

The Washington Redskins' Matt Jones' fumbling issues resurfaced in a critical way in Week 7, so we could see dynamic receiving back Chris Thompson earn a more meaningful role in the weeks ahead. Thompson is of particular interest in PPR formats. If you already own Thompson, take a chance on contrarian shares of Robert Kelley for Washington, as the team might audition the rookie for the early-down role.

LeSean McCoy suffered a setback with his ailing hamstring, so the Buffalo Bills' Mike Gillislee is a fine addition for those who are seeking help at tailback. We also dig cheap shares of Matt Asiata of the Minnesota Vikings, as the bruising back can help in PPR formats and has nice touchdown potential as the goal-line option of choice.

Wide Receivers

Davante Adams of the Green Bay Packers is 12th in fantasy points per game at receiver, while the Baltimore Ravens' Mike Wallace is 17th. Adams is proving his scoring rapport with Aaron Rodgers is real, while Wallace remains the Ravens' top vertical threat and could be a nice stash on the team's upcoming bye week.

The Redskins' Jamison Crowder sees increased work with Jordan Reed ailing, so he's a fine high-floor option in PPR formats for Week 8. Go ahead and speculatively add Corey Coleman of the Cleveland Browns as well. The talented rookie is on the mend from a hand injury and could be ready to produce as early as this coming week.

Tight Ends

The Indianapolis Colts' Jack Doyle is ninth at tight end in fantasy points per game in ESPN leagues and merits increased ownership as long as Dwayne Allen is sidelined. We also appreciate Vernon Davis of the Washington Redskins; he's been heavily targeted and has a strong touchdown pedigree in place of Reed, who could be out through the team's Week 10 bye.

Data such as targets, pressure rates and fantasy points sourced from an ESPN database.