This is Week 7 NFL Takeaways! It certainly felt like the week of the “Mid RBs,” with D’Onta Foreman, Gus Edwards, and Jerome Ford all finishing with fantastic stat lines. On top of that, we saw some disappointing ones as well with the disappearing acts from Bijan Robinson, Calvin Ridley, and Josh Jacobs.
Overall, it was an action-packed week and there is much to discuss!
But first, it wouldn’t be a takeaway article without diving into the “Quick Takes Starting Lineup!”
Quick Takes Starting Lineup
QB: Four total TDs for Gardnew Minshew!? Definitely worth a roster spot if you are a QB needy team!
RB: We were right about Alvin Kamara. 153 total yards and 12 catches. Volume King!
RB: Jahmyr Gibbs SZN is here (at least while Montgomery is out.) 126 total yards, a TD and nine catches.
WR: Puka Nacua is here to stay. I will stop including him in all my guys you should trade away.
WR: Mike Evans continues to show that he is last year’s DK Metcalf considering where he was going in drafts this offseason.
TE: Did you know it was national tight end day?
FLEX: In a game where the Ravens put up 38 points, Gus Edwards was the leading receiver. I will stand by my, “Sell your ravens pass-catchers take.”
SFLEX: Is Tua only good against bad teams?
Takeaway No. 1: Go and Trade for Some Arizona Cardinals!
You read that right, and before you click away from this article just hear me out.
It has gone very unnoticed just how good of a job first-year head coach Jonathan Gannon and OC Drew Penzig have done with this Arizona offense. An offense, might I add, that many in the industry were avoiding due to the severe lack of talent.
Well, the Cardinals are currently No. 15 in YPG and No. 20 in PPG. Compare that to last season where they were No. 22 in YPG and No. 21 in PPG with much better talent. They had Kyler Murray (for most of the season), DeAndre Hopkins, James Conner, Marquise Brown and “offensive guru” Kliff Kingsbury.
Okay, the Kingsbury comment was a stretch. However, the point I’m trying to make is that this new Cardinals regime has vastly outperformed their expectations with seemingly less talent. And with Kyler Murray set to make his return in a couple weeks, I’m buying guys like Hollywood Brown, Zach Ertz and James Conner.
Joshua Dobbs
Now don’t get me wrong, Joshua Dobbs has been more than the Cardinals could have hoped for to start this season. However, he’s nowhere near the passer, nor the playmaker, that Kyler Murray is.
Might I remind you, in the six games that Brown and Murray played together last season, Brown averaged 10 targets, 7 catches, 80 yards and caught three TDs. Brown was WR8 in that span. Additionally, Murray was the QB8 in AVG PPG before he went down.
And Zach Ertz you ask? He was the TE4 before he went down with a torn ACL in Week 10. James Conner? He had 100 yards and a TD in two of the three games he played this season! Conner’s a big reason the Cardinals average the No. 6-most rushing yards in 2023.
So, get these Cardinals players while their price is still dirt cheap! You can probably get Brown for someone like Rashee Rice or Terry McLaurin. Zach Ertz, James Conner, and Michael Wilson you can probably get as throw-ins!
As Jordan Belfort would say,
“Oh, your fantasy team is 4-3, and you are desperate for some playmakers for the play-off push? Good! Pick up the phone and start dialing!
The managers in your league won’t know what hit them!
Takeaway No. 2: Just like Deion Sanders… These Guys are Coming
Josh Downs: Over the past three games, Downs is averaging 5.5 catches, 81 yards and has caught two TDs. If you can get this guy as a throw-in as a part of a redraft or dynasty trade, you have to do it now!
Dalton Kincaid: Kincaid had eight targets, eight catches, and 75 yards against the Patriots. It’s important to believe in the talent. The Bills traded up to get this guy. He’s a buy in dynasty for me until further notice.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba: He has more receiving yards in his last two games than he did in the first four games combined. Smith-Njigba also had his first career TD in Week 7. He’s a sneaky buy low in redraft. If you can get him for Zay Flowers straight up in dynasty, I’d definitely do it.
Jahan Dotson: This guy is 23 years old. He had a really solid rookie season. He’s five or more targets in five of six games this season. Much like DeVonta Smith, I truly believe that Dotson has just had some bad luck. Therefore, he’s a buy for me in dynasty if you can acquire him for someone like Tutu Atwell!
Takeaway No. 3: We May Finally Have a WR1 on the Chiefs!
If you have been reading this article since its origin at the beginning of the season, then you know I have been monitoring the wide receiver situation in Kansas City. Up to this point, it had really felt like Travis Kelce was the only pass catcher you could feel good about starting every week. However, it feels like Rashee Rice may be starting to emerge as the No. 2 option behind Kelce.
Rashee Rice has 75 yards receiving or a touchdown in each of his last three games. And while I acknowledge the fact that none of them have been monster games, it’s promising to see that Rice has double-digit PPR points in four of six games this season. You are also starting to hear rumblings from those in and around the team that Rice is only going to get better down the stretch.
When asked about Rice, Andy Reid said, “He’s been getting better every week… I think you guys see that. He’s explosive [and] strong after the catch. That’s why.”
ESPN’s Jermey Fowler also reported that “Rice’s profile could continue to grow,” and that “He’s building chemistry and earning trust with Patrick Mahomes.”
Playing Devil’s Advocate
And again, just to play devil’s advocate against myself, I know this could be just coach talk. We hear a lot of reports on players’ roles that ultimately don’t come to fruition. However, this type of praise was something we never got during Skyy Moore‘s rookie season last year after they spent second round draft capital on him in the 2022 draft.
We may have heard some praise during training camp, but in season praise and seeing the results actually play on the field are two completely different things. And through these seven weeks, Rice has clearly shown he’s not only a better player than Moore, but he’s the best and most talented wide receiver on this team.
If you are really lacking at receiver, or you’re in a league where you have a ton of starting roster spots, Rice could be your guy. We already know he’s consistent (which is a plus), but I believe there is a huge ceiling he has yet to access that could be coming any week.
Thank you for reading and make sure to come hang out on Monday Night at 7:30pm ET on the Player Profiler Youtube Channel for Monday Night Tailgate! I’ll be going more in depth on the topics in this article. Plus, come get some expert betting advice as I break down the Vikings vs 49ers.
