Eagles running back Miles Sanders injured his ankle early Sunday against the Raiders and was eventually carted off. In his absence, Kenneth Gainwell handled 50 percent of the Week 7 snaps, with five carries and eight targets. He went for 61 total yards and scored a TD, going for 14.1 fantasy points. He only saw one touch inside the 10-yard line, which is not ideal, but the overall volume is what matters most. Gainwell will see some ground work, but the bulk of the passing game work. The eight targets show that he will clearly be heavily involved. It doesn’t hurt that the Eagles have become the team that falls behind early and then attempts to come storming back late in the game. Situations like that should lead to a safe amount of targets going Gainwell’s way. He is the top add heading into Week 8. But, Boston Scott isn’t too far behind. Scott is the more traditional runner for Philly if Sanders is to miss time moving forward (NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reports Sanders is believed to have suffered a low ankle sprain and is undergoing more tests). He played 34 percent of the snaps in Week 7 with seven carries and two targets. He went for 29 total yards and scored a TD. He also saw three touches inside the 10-yard line in Week 7, including the TD he scored. Scott should see the heavier side of the ground game split and usage near the goal line, meaning he will be a flex option if Sanders sits in a great Week 8 matchup against the Lions.
Teams on Bye in Week 8: Ravens, Raiders
Do not drop: Patrick Mahomes, Julio Jones, Jerry Jeudy, DeVonta Smith, Odell Beckham, Allen Robinson (giving the last two another shot).
You can drop: Sam Darnold, Justin Fields, Mike Davis, Rhamondre Stevenson, Tyler Boyd, Trey Sermon, Jakobi Meyers, Tim Patrick, Brandon Aiyuk, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Robby Anderson, Darnell Mooney.
Quarterbacks
Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence was on bye in Week 7, but do not forget about the No. 1 pick. He was playing well before the bye, topping 15 fantasy points in each of his last three games including his first 20-point game. He was running more, going for over 20 rushing yards in four of five games. Lawrence also has two rushing TDs in his last three games and nearly added a third. Coming off the bye, the hope is that he can feel more comfortable and operate better in the passing game. He has topped 270 yards in two straight and topped the 300-yard mark in his last game. The issue has been he hasn’t thrown multiple passing TDs in a game since Week 1. But he has played better as of late and has a favorable matchup against the Seahawks in Week 8.
Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa has taken advantage of good matchups two weeks in a row. In Week 7, he threw for 291 yards, four touchdowns and two interception with 29 rushing yards. He scored over-26 fantasy points and was a top-five QB. He has now thrown for over 290 yards with multiple passing TDs, while rushing for over 20 yards and scoring over 21 fantasy points in his two games since returning from injured reserve (ribs). He has a tougher matchup in Week 8 against the Bills, but he gets the Texans after that. Tua has been putting up numbers and is worth taking an upside shot on.
Giants QB Daniel Jones threw for 203 yards and a touchdown against the Panthers but added 28 rushing yards. He finished with 17.52 fantasy points, enough to make him a QB1 for the week. It was good to see Jones get back on track after a down two weeks. He has now topped 17 fantasy points four times and over 20 in three games this season. But the real reason to get excited about him is his schedule as he gets the Chiefs and Raiders in the next two weeks. He is certainly a streaming option in Week 8.
Patriots QB Mac Jones had his best fantasy game in his young career in Week 7. Jones scored just over 22 fantasy points as he threw for 307 yards and two touchdowns against the Jets. It was his first career game with 300 passing yards, but he has thrown multiple passing TDs in three of the last four games. He has been playing well as of late, the issue has been the lack of passing game volume. He has the Chargers and Panthers the next two, but then gets a great stretch facing the Browns, Falcons and Titans. He will be in play as a bye week replacement in those weeks.
Texans QB Tyrod Taylor is nearing a return (he will return to practice Wednesday and head coach David Culley said he will start when healthy). The Texans clearly need him. Taylor scored over 23 fantasy points in Week 1 and was at nearly 17 before getting injured in Week 2. He brings a safe floor and some upside due to his rushing ability and is simply a better passer than Davis Mills at this point of their career. This is mostly for those who play in two-QB formats, but he is a nice stash candidate.
