Fall is hands-down the best season. I thought it was summer when I was a kid, but I was dumb then. I’m dumber now, but at least I know Fall is better than the sweat-filled sauna months of the middle of the year. Football, weather, hoodies, stews. This is a football column, but it should be noted that the NBA is about to tip off, meaning we’ll have a day of NFL, NBA, NHL, and a World Series game right around the corner. So, cherish this beautiful season while we have it because winter is coming. Or, if you’re like my survivor pool, it has already come and frozen me out of any possible winnings. Oh well, on to the column!
10 Studs
- Travis Kelce - 179 yds. 1 TD
- Patrick Mahomes - 424 yds. 4 TDs
- D’Onta Foreman - 120 total yds. 3 TDs
- Lamar Jackson - 357 yds. 4 total TDs
- Mark Andrews - 63 yds. 2 TDs
- Gardner Minshew - 305 yds. 4 total TDs
- Josh Downs - 125 yds. 1 TD
- Jonathan Taylor - 120 total yds. 1 TD
- Jahmyr Gibbs - 126 total yds. 1 TD
- Darren Waller - 98 yds. 1 TD
Patrick Mahomes to Travis Kelce. Lamar Jackson to Mark Andrews. Those are the QB-to-TE combinations we’ve become accustomed to over the years, and we bank on them in our season-long and DFS stacks. On National Tight End Day, the combinations delivered and then some.
I admit it, I do this every year. I think the Chiefs look “underwhelming” and “disappointing.” I wonder “who they have besides Kelce?” It never matters. Mahomes dazzled with a 400+ yard game and, like clockwork, the Chiefs reminded everyone why they are, in fact, so impressive.
In Baltimore, Jackson is on pace for a career year after contract drama this off-season. His Ravens just dismantled a good Lions team. An AFC Championship collision course between KC and Baltimore? Stay tuned!
From healthy scratch to Week 7 fantasy RB1, the D’Onta Foreman story. Foreman is the lead back in Chicago out of necessity with injuries depleting the backfield, but his performances should get him more work and less healthy scratches. The Bears will likely ride him as long as Justin Fields is sidelined.
Nobody told the Indianapolis Colts they weren’t supposed to be this good. First-round QB pick Anthony Richardson had accuracy questions coming into the season and then went down to injury. Their supremely talented running back Jonathan Taylor wanted a new contract, then a trade, then had beef with the organization.
Everything was set up to be a question mark, and yet here we are. Backup QB Gardner Minshew made the most of his throws and showed off his own dual-threat ability with two passing and two rushing touchdowns.
Taylor split carries with Zack Moss but looks to be regaining playing form and is on the verge of being the alpha in the backfield again. Rookie receiver Josh Downs has shown he can complement or even outpace Michael Pittman. And Indy scored 38 in a losing effort against one of the NFL’s best defenses. There are brighter days ahead for this exciting team.
Jahmyr Gibbs, welcome to the party! So what if you did most of your damage in garbage time? I, personally, don’t believe in garbage time if there are fantasy points to be earned and/or money to be made. Gibbs operated as Detroit’s feature back while the Lions were getting manhandled by Baltimore and gave a boost to fantasy owners. He also saw 10 targets, which is perhaps a sign of things to come even when David Montgomery returns.
Let’s round the 10 studs out with another tight end to put the bow on National Tight Ends day. Darren Waller had his best game of the season by far and maybe is wondering if Daniel Jones should take some more time off. The Giants offense has looked better with Tyrod Taylor under center while Jones recovers from a neck injury. That’s a low bar, but some Giants fantasy assets like Waller finally look like startable pieces.
The Duds
While Bijan Robinson will be the written name here, the real dud is Falcons coach Arthur Smith. At some point between Saturday night and Sunday, Robinson apparently got a headache? And then Smith said he wasn’t feeling great when asked why he wasn’t on the field much? But then Robinson got one carry for 3 yards in the 4th quarter? None of it makes sense and I know fantasy mangers and bettors were enraged. Hey Artie, how about a heads-up next time?
Bills QB Josh Allen had a fine fantasy day, but the team’s reality is a lot less clear. A struggle against a bad Giants team last week followed by a loss to a bad Patriots team this week. Maybe Allen’s injury affected him? There were pedestrian numbers all around, but Gabe Davis’s one catch for six yards didn’t help anyone. The Bills have things to figure out.
Finally, I’ll include the Packers’ offense as a whole. Aaron Jones clearly isn’t right no matter how many times he’s declared “active.” It takes Green Bay and Jordan Love a whole first half of football to get going most games. They lost to the Broncos, who had been the league’s slump-buster. And they were coming off a bye. Not sure who you can trust in that offense right now.
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