AFC Week 7 overreactions: A few contenders (not named Chiefs, Bills) might be emerging
Tony Anderson ‘overreacts’ to the biggest AFC storylines from all the NFL action in Week 7.
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Impact players don’t suddenly emerge this far into an NFL season, but we may have found an exception in Baltimore.
After missing all of the 2021 season and spending the first seven weeks of 2022 on the Physically Unable to Perform list, the Ravens may finally have a workhorse — Gus Edwards — to pair with quarterback Lamar Jackson in the offensive backfield.
The Gus Bus has plenty of tread on the tires and looks more than ready to roll, which could help fantasy football managers better navigate the upcoming bye weeks.
These players saw their fantasy values increase or decrease most based on their performances in Week 7:
Sizzlers
RB Gus Edwards, Baltimore Ravens: There was no easing Edwards into the lineup in his first game back from knee surgery. He immediately contributed 16 carries for 66 yards and a pair of touchdowns in supplanting Kenyan Drake as the Ravens’ lead back.
RB Eno Benjamin, Arizona Cardinals: Benjamin passed the eye test as Arizona’s best option and ran wild Thursday night against the Saints. Unlike Edwards, who mainly contributes in the ground game, Benjamin had four receptions for 21 yards to go with 92 yards and a score on the ground.
RB Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders: The Raiders offense may be one-dimensional lately, but Jacobs has been up to the task. Over his last three outings, he’s averaging 174 total yards and two touchdowns per game.
WR Tyler Boyd, Cincinnati Bengals: The Cincinnati offense is finding its rhythm, and Boyd has become fantasy-relevant once again. He exploded against Atlanta, catching eight of nine targets for 155 yards and a touchdown. With defenses hyper-focused on Ja’Marr Chase, Boyd has exploited mismatches against less-skilled cornerbacks.
QB Daniel Jones, New York Giants: Jones consistently pads his passing statistics with healthy rushing numbers. Against Jacksonville, he ran 11 times for 107 yards and a touchdown in addition to throwing for 202 yards and another score.
WEEK 7 WINNERS, LOSERS: Bengals’ offense comes alive, Packers’ remains inept
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Fizzlers
TE Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons: Despite the Falcons playing from behind all day, Pitts wasn’t a factor in the game plan against Cincinnati with three receptions for just 9 yards.
WR Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys: Dallas may try to force the ball to Gallup eventually but QB Dak Prescott seems to prefer CeeDee Lamb and Dalton Schultz. In Prescott’s return, Gallup was targeted just twice, catching neither.
WR Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos: The last two weeks have not been kind to Sutton or his fantasy managers. With Russell Wilson nursing a variety of injuries, backup QB Brett Rypien connected with Sutton only three times on nine targets.
RB James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars: Robinson has been dealing with some knee soreness, but his usage has been on the decline lately anyway. In Week 7, he had no rushing attempts and one incomplete target.
RB AJ Dillon, Green Bay Packers: The struggling Packers leaned heavily on Aaron Jones in the receiving game Sunday. As a result, Dillon had just four carries for 15 yards.
