NFL

NFL Fantasy Picks: Chase a strong selection at running back & receiver

By Sports Desk October 20, 2021

Time flies when you're having fun, as the old cliche goes, but you don't need to have been enjoying yourself to notice how quickly we got to Week 7 of the NFL season.

Fantasy managers who have enjoyed strong starts may already be casting their eyes towards the playoffs and a run at the title.

Meanwhile, those owners who are mired near the bottom of their league might be wondering where it all went wrong and paying a dwindling amount of attention to their line-up.

Either way, there are plenty of players with matchups this week who can help deliver a win for your squad. Stats Perform looks at four offensive players and a defense who are primed to make a significant impact in Week 7.

 

Quarterback: Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons @ Miami Dolphins

The Falcons have had the bye week to rest after their win over the New York Jets in London and now get the chance to exploit another vulnerable AFC East defense.

They face a Dolphins team that will be playing only seven days removed from their game in the United Kingdom, and a defense that gave up 319 passing yards in their loss to the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars.

Ryan has two 300-yard games to his name this year and has thrown for multiple scores in every game after drawing a blank in the season opener.

Atlanta and Miami look like two teams heading in different directions, expect Ryan and the Falcons to take advantage and the 2016 MVP to record a big fantasy day.

Running Back: Chase Edmonds, Arizona Cardinals vs. Houston Texans

Edmonds has been something of a frustrating case so far this season.

He is averaging six yards per carry but has not consistently received the workload to be a viable fantasy option.

That looks likely to change this week when the unbeaten Cardinals face the 1-5 Texans, who are allowing 4.74 yards per rush attempt, the fifth-worst average in the NFL.

With the Cardinals widely expected to get out to a big lead in a hurry, Arizona should be able to take the pressure off Kyler Murray and lean on their backs if the game gets out of hand, meaning Edmonds could be in store for plenty of garbage time yards.

Wide Receiver: Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens

Chase is a fully fledged fantasy darling having exploded out of the gates as a rookie for 553 yards and five touchdowns.

He might be expected to hit a block in the road against a Ravens defense that only gave up six points to the Los Angeles Chargers last week.

However, Chase is tied for the league lead with eight receiving plays of 25 yards or more and only six teams have allowed more passing plays of 20 yards or more than the Ravens (24).

Keep the faith and look for Joe Burrow and Chase to connect on at least one big one to vindicate his starting spot in fantasy line-ups.

Tight End: Dallas Goedert @ Las Vegas Raiders

With Zach Ertz out of the picture following his trade to the Arizona Cardinals, expect a bump in targets for Goedert, who is averaging 14.4 yards per reception this season.

That increase in his share of the workload could hardly come at a better time for Goedert fantasy owners, as he and the Philadelphia Eagles travel to visit a Raiders team allowing the most fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends.

Defense: New England Patriots vs. New York Jets

This one isn't too difficult. The Jets have committed nine giveaways this season, tied for sixth-most in the NFL, and four of those came from Zach Wilson interceptions against the Patriots at MetLife Stadium in Week 2.

Wilson and Co. have got themselves in the win column since then, but there is nothing to suggest that a Jets offense still without left tackle Mekhi Becton should succeed in avoiding turnovers in this week's return fixture in Foxborough.

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    Campbell's Lions lead the NFC North after going 9-3, inspired by an energetic running game and experienced quarterback Jared Goff, who made Super Bowl LII with the defeated Los Angeles Rams.

    Only C.J. Stroud (3,540), Sam Howell (3,466) and Tua Tagovailoa (3,457) have passed for more yards than Goff's 3,288, while the Lions' 1,648 rushing yards can only be bettered by the Chicago Bears, the Miami Dolphins and the Baltimore Ravens.

    Enjoying a fine season to date, Harmon – a Lion for a season in 2020 – lauded the qualities his former Detroit side have to offer in their quest for a first playoff berth since 2016.

    "What I've seen is a team that has taken the approach and the mindset of their head coach," Harmon, now of the Cleveland Browns, told Stats Perform.

    "A gritty team, a tough team, a team that will not quit, a team that will fight for all 60 minutes, and a team that is continually going to be on the rise this year and for years to come.

    "They have a great thing cooking in Detroit.

    "I was privileged enough to sit down with coach Campbell when he got hired. Right then and there, I knew they hired the right guy.

    "He said it was going to be a year-to-year thing, it wasn't what happened overnight. He understood that he understood the process that it was going to be."

    As the Lions continue in their search for a first Super Bowl triumph, Harmon lauded Campbell for restoring pride among a devoted Detroit faithful.

    He added: "I'm happy for what he has done for the city of Detroit because they have one of the most loyal fan bases in sports, not just in the NFL.

    "All they've ever wanted was a team to compete and a team that they can be proud of and Dan Campbell has given that to them – so hats off to him.

    "We still have a long season, but what they've been able to accomplish this year up to this point, and just over the last two years, it shows that they're heading in the right direction to compete for years to come."

    Touching further on Campbell's qualities, Harmon believes more NFL teams should follow suit in appointing former players looking to get into coaching.

    Former tight end Campbell played for the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys and the New Orleans Saints – as well as a spell with the Lions – in a playing career that ended in 2009.

    "It was a brief, probably 20-25 minute conversation, and the energy he gave off to me was, a lot of coaches say, I'll do any and everything for you, but you can just tell he meant it," Harmon continued.

    "Not only did he mean it because, obviously it was his chance to be a head coach, but because he could relate. He was in the player's shoes.

    "That's one thing that I think the NFL and these owners should start doing more is looking to hire former NFL players because they can relate.

    "They understand the grind, not only physically, but mentally. They understand what it means to be an NFL player.

    "What better way to have a head coach, who not only can motivate the players, but also relate? So they hired the right guy and we all see it. I wish him nothing but luck."

  • Jaguars QB Lawrence has high-ankle sprain, status for Week 14 uncertain Jaguars QB Lawrence has high-ankle sprain, status for Week 14 uncertain

    Trevor Lawrence sustained a right high-ankle sprain in Monday's night's 34-31 overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

    Jaguars coach Doug Person revealed the diagnosis while talking to reporters Tuesday.

    "Everything is stable," Pederson said. "Everything looks good and we'll see where he is in a couple of days."

    Jacksonville visits the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, and Pederson didn't rule out Lawrence from playing.

    "I'm not going to put that timetable on Trevor, not going to put him in a box like that," Pederson said.

     

    Lawrence was injured with about five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter when his his right leg bent awkwardly after being stepped on by teammate Walker Little as he was sacked. He went to the ground in obvious pain and needed to be helped off the field. X-rays taken at Jacksonville's stadium were negative.

    "The one last night looked worse than what it really was - very fortunate there," Pederson said. "But he seems to have a little bit of a knack (for avoiding serious injury)."

    If he can't play, it would be the first game the durable Lawrence would miss since the Jaguars selected him No. 1 overall in the 2021 NFL draft. 

    Backup C.J. Beathard would then make his 13th career start - and first since Week 17 of the 2020 season for the San Francisco 49ers. He is 2-10 as a starter in the NFL.

    Replacing Lawrence on Monday, Beathard completed 9-of-10 passes for 63 yards.

    "It's good to get C.J. a full week of preparation," Pederson said. "Trevor will stay mentally sharp and obviously see where he's at."

    Lawrence was enjoying another showing before the injury, completing 22-of-29 passes for 258 yards with a pair of touchdowns.

    In 12 games this season, he has 3,004 passing yards with 14 passing touchdowns and seven interceptions.

    While Lawrence's status is uncertain, Pederson announced that top wide receiver Christian Kirk will be sidelined for "some time" due to a core muscle injury that will likely require surgery.

    Kirk, who was injured on the first play from scrimmage against the Bengals, leads Jacksonville with 787 receiving yards on 57 receptions with three touchdown catches.

    With Monday's loss, the Jaguars dropped to 8-4 and their lead atop the AFC South shrunk to one game over the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans.

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    In just his second career start, Bengals quarterback Jake Browning threw for 354 yards and a touchdown while his counterpart Trevor Lawrence left the field late in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury.

    The Jaguars opened the scoring in the first quarter through running back Travis Etienne Jr before Cincinnati equalised at the start of the second with a six-yard touchdown run from Joe Mixon.

    A touchdown to Jacksonville’s Evan Engram and Mixon finding the end zone for his second saw the half-time score even at 14-14.

    Momentum continued to shift after the break, Cincinatti briefly taking the lead before the Jaguars entered the fourth quarter with a seven-point advantage.

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    The Cincinnati defence was almost able to wrap things up in regulation, but Jaguars kicker Brandon McManus was forced overtime in the final 30 seconds.

    With Lawrence out of the game, the Bengals were ultimately able to claim their sixth win of the season through McPherson’s 48-yard conversion.

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