We are already seven weeks into the NFL season, with Week 7 of fantasy football in the books. There have been plenty of disappointing and breakout performances from players around the league. Let’s take a look at some players that are rising and falling in the rest of the season rankings.
Risers and Fallers – Week 7 Fantasy Football
RISERS
Joe Mixon – Houston Texans
Mixon has been proving the doubters wrong when healthy this season. He exploded again in Week 7 against the Packers, rushing 25 times for 115 yards and two touchdowns. Despite boasting an elite passing attack, it seems like the Texans’ offense can also run effectively through Mixon. He has finished as a top-3 fantasy running back in 3/4 games played this season and is averaging a career-high in yards per carry (5.2). Mixon can be viewed as a set-and-forget RB1 for the rest of the season and will continue seeing 20+ opportunities per game.
Hunter Henry – New England Patriots
Henry has benefited tremendously from a change at quarterback, as he has risen to fantasy relevance with rookie Drake Maye at the helm. Henry caught eight passes for 92 yards in Week 7 and also had a team-high 25% target share – a rare feat for a tight end. With Maye showing promise, Henry is now in the tight-end streaming conversation for fantasy. He is rostered in only 30% of leagues and should be a priority waiver wire add heading into Week 8.
George Pickens – Pittsburgh Steelers
Pickens had a standout performance on Sunday Night Football, recording five receptions on nine targets for 111 yards. He also scored his first touchdown of the season, reaping the rewards of Russell Wilson’s first game under center for the Steelers. The Steelers offense looked much more versatile in Week 7, with Wilson having the ability to stretch the field while also deploying an efficient rushing attack. Pickens should continue to see WR1 volume and has a higher ceiling now that Wilson is throwing him the ball.
Keon Coleman – Buffalo Bills
After an inconsistent start to his NFL career, Coleman had a breakout game in Week 7. Coleman had four receptions for 124 yards, exhibiting his yards-after-catch ability. While the addition of Amari Cooper was expected to hurt Coleman’s value, it has opened up more space in the Bills’ passing offense. Josh Allen also threw a season-high in pass attempts and yards, as the Bills now have more reliable pass-catchers. Coleman is a boom/bust flex option from a fantasy perspective, but his usage could be increasing and is worth monitoring over the next few weeks.
FALLERS
Alvin Kamara – New Orleans Saints
Kamara, along with the Saints, have seen some major regression in recent weeks. Kamara was stifled in Week 7 and rushed for only 10 yards, scoring 5.4 fantasy points. The overall RB2 has rushed for only 76 yards over the past three weeks. The Saints are currently decimated by injuries and have lost five straight games, which correlates with Kamara’s dip in performance. The return of Derek Carr in Week 8 or 9 should provide a much-needed boost to the offense, but it’s difficult to ignore the dire situation of late in New Orleans.
Patrick Mahomes – Kansas City Chiefs
Mahomes had another underwhelming fantasy outing in Week 7, throwing for only 154 yards and two interceptions. While Mahomes saved his day on the ground with 39 rushing yards and a touchdown, he has been an overall huge disappointment for fantasy this season. Despite the Chiefs remaining undefeated, Mahomes has only surpassed 15 fantasy points once this year. He currently ranks as the QB22 in half-PPR, while being drafted as a borderline top-5 quarterback. The lack of receiving weapons on the Chiefs has certainly hindered Mahomes’ upside, especially in the absence of Rashee Rice. Mahomes’ owners should strongly consider higher-upside options at quarterback for the rest of the season.
Devin Singletary – New York Giants
Singletary was a non-factor for fantasy football in Week 7, tallying just 21 scrimmage yards. After injuring his groin in Week 4, Singletary appears to have lost his starting role to explosive rookie Tyrone Tracy Jr. Singletary played only 21% of snaps in Week 7 compared to Tracy’s 67%, taking him off the fantasy radar. The Giants got blown out by the Eagles and will face the Steelers on MNF next week.
Josh Downs – Indianapolis Colts
Downs had a disappointing Week 7 with the return of Anthony Richardson at quarterback, recording only one catch for three yards. Downs has looked excellent over the last three weeks with Joe Flacco, reaching double-digit fantasy points in every game. While Downs has the talent to be a productive wide receiver, it is evident that the Colts‘ passing game is going to struggle with Richardson under center. Fantasy managers should view Downs as a risky fantasy option as long as Richardson is starting.
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