Week 7 Fantasy Football Instant Reactions: Christian McCaffrey wins battle of star RBs over Bijan Robinson on SNF

https://sports.yahoo.com/fantasy/article/week-7-fantasy-football-instant-reactions-christian-mccaffrey-wins-battle-of-star-rbs-over-bijan-robinson-on-snf-012721892.html

Fantasy football analyst Ray Garvin shares his thoughts on Week 7’s most noteworthy action.

Christian McCaffrey vs. Bijan Robinson — the old dog beats the young pup

The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Atlanta Falcons 20-10 on Sunday Night Football in a primetime matchup headlined by two of the best running backs in the NFL, Christian McCaffrey and Bijan Robinson. And while both flashed what makes them special, it was McCaffrey who dominated the night.

McCaffrey delivered his most complete rushing performance of the season. He carried the ball 24 times for 129 yards 5.4 YPC, scoring two touchdowns on the ground. Coming into this game, he hadn’t topped 69 rushing yards since Week 1, and his efficiency had hovered around three yards per carry. But against Atlanta, he ran with vision, burst and power, silencing concerns about wear and tear.

McCaffrey ran like the best RB in football.

Through seven games, McCaffrey has now totaled 108 carries and 46 receptions, already putting him at 154 touches for the season. That kind of workload often raises questions about durability, but the reality is clear: He is the 49ers offense. He led the team in targets (8), receptions (7) and receiving yards (72) on Sunday night. He’s not just their best runner, he’s their best receiver.

If this is the beginning of some so-called decline, he’s going to score a lot of fantasy points on the way down.

On the other side, Bijan Robinson didn’t find much room on the ground. He had 14 carries for just 40 yards but his ability in the receiving game continues to shine. He caught 6 of 8 targets for 52 yards and a touchdown, putting him up to 338 receiving yards on the season. While Christian McCaffrey leads the way with 444 yards on 46 catches, Bijan has done his damage with over half the receptions (24), showcasing elite efficiency and explosiveness. He’s a true dual-threat talent and continues to justify every bit of his fantasy draft capital.

Jauan Jennings went 4-31 as a secondary option for San Francisco and Kendrick Bourne, coming off back-to-back 140+ yard games, saw a reduced role with multiple pass catchers returning from injury. George Kittle burned you if you started him in his return from a hamstring injury this week. Kittle had two targets and 0 catches. He’ll get healthier and more involved but tonight was a goose egg.

Michael Penix Jr. finished with 241 yards and a touchdown in a game where he played within structure. Kyle Pitts (7 for 62 on 10 targets) continues to produce and while Drake London (4 for 42) couldn’t capitalize this time, he now has 10+ targets in three straight games and in four of six this season. That volume is going to pay off.

Instant reaction: This was a running back showcase. Don’t panic on George Kittle — better days are ahead.

Travis Hunter becomes Jags’ WR1 in Week 7

This was the arrival we’ve been waiting on.

Jacksonville got embarrassed in London; the Rams stomped them out, 35-7. Trevor Lawrence threw the ball 48 times, got sacked seven times and managed just one touchdown. They couldn’t run. The offense was flat. And still, Travis Hunter showed up like a star.

Fourteen targets. Eight receptions. 101 yards. First NFL touchdown.

That’s what it looks like when talent breaks through.

This wasn’t volume for volume’s sake — Hunter earned it. He looked explosive off the line. Created separation with ease. Reeled in tough grabs in traffic. Every time the ball found him, it felt like something could happen. The speed, the confidence, the feel for space — it all clicked.

And the role? Career-high 68 offensive snaps. He didn’t touch the field on defense until the second half. That tells you how committed the Jaguars were to feeding him.

Now the door’s wide open. Brian Thomas Jr. has been struggling. More drops, more missed chances. Not to mention, a shoulder injury that knocked him out of the game late. It’s a rough turn for a player who looked like the future last year, and I’m still a believer in the talent.

But even with all that said, it’s Travis Hunter’s time now.

After the game, Jaguars legend Jimmy Smith said it best: “Hunter should be the No. 1 moving forward.”

And he’s right.

This is why you trade up. This is why you give up future capital to go get a difference-maker. Hunter’s not just a piece of this offense you play with — he should be the guy. The Jags have issues, no doubt, but WR1 is no longer on that list.

If Thomas misses time, Hunter’s a locked-in WR2. If he plays, you still have to consider Hunter a weekly starter. The breakout is real. The usage is legit.

Instant Reaction: Called it in the Week 7 Edition of Tale of the Take, and Hunter had his breakout. He’s officially a top-24 fantasy WR the rest of the way.

The Kansas City Chiefs are officially back

This was Thanos adding that final Infinity Stone into the gauntlet. Rashee Rice returned from his six-game suspension and the Kansas City Chiefs put belt to you-know-where versus the Las Vegas Raiders.

Final score: 31-0. It wasn’t just a win, it was a demolition. The Raiders managed 12 total completions, 11 rushing attempts and got thoroughly bullied off the field. Patrick Mahomes looked like an MVP front-runner again, finishing with 286 passing yards and three touchdowns while barely needing to move on the ground. For the first time in what feels like forever, he didn’t lead or finish second in rushing for Kansas City — that honor went to Isiah Pacheco, who turned 15 carries into 57 yards and a score.

The real headline, though, was the return of Rice.

You plugged him back in after the layoff and he delivered. Seven receptions, 42 yards, two touchdowns and a team-high 10 targets. That’s double the next closest Chief. It wasn’t the top-five week I called for in Tale of the Take, but Rice reasserted himself as the guy in this passing game. He didn’t look fully ramped yet but the offense made it a priority to get him going early and often.

And the impact went beyond the box score. Rice’s presence changed the structure. Travis Kelce was wide open for most of the day. Tyquan Thornton flashed with 39 yards on just two targets. Hollywood Brown scored. Xavier Worthy was involved both through the air and on the ground. Even Brashard Smith saw extended work with 14 carries — a nice sign for his role growing if this team continues steamrolling opponents.

Kansas City didn’t have to do much in the second half. Gardner Minshew II played the entire fourth quarter. But what the Chiefs showed while the starters were in. That’s the kind of versatility and explosiveness that makes them a Super Bowl favorite.

This offense is finally at full strength and that’s a problem for everyone else.

Instant Reaction: Rice just gave the Chiefs their final piece. He’s a locked and loaded fantasy WR1.

The Jets finally bench Justin Fields

Let’s rewind real quick.

Last week, Justin Fields completed nine passes against the Broncos and got sacked nine times. Fast forward to this week, and somehow, it feels worse. Fields made it through one half of football. Just six completions, 46 yards, 3.8 yards per attempt and 22 rushing yards. That was it. That was the day. He got benched after halftime.

The Jets finally did it.

Tyrod Taylor took over and completed 10 passes of his own with two interceptions and three sacks. It didn’t exactly ignite the offense, but at least they moved the ball a little. The Panthers walked out of MetLife Stadium with a 13-6 win, and they barely did anything. Bryce Young left late with an ankle injury and was replaced by Andy Dalton, but the Jets couldn’t capitalize.

Let’s not overthink this.

There’s no Garrett Wilson. No explosiveness. When your best weapon is Josh Reynolds or Mason Taylor, you’re cooked. Tyler Johnson led the team with three catches for 60 yards. That’s the list. Reynolds saw nine targets and came down with three. This is not how an NFL offense operates.

The Jets are 0-7. They’re 0-5 at home. This isn’t just a bad stretch — this is a rock-bottom year. They need to commit to Tyrod Taylor the rest of the way. It’s not pretty, but it’s necessary. And if Garrett Wilson can get healthy, there’s still a chance for a few pass catchers to matter down the stretch.

Instant Reaction: Fields is done in New York this season. This was a move that had to happen — and it won’t be the last.

Eagles get off the schneid with statement win

Philly came into this one cold with two straight losses. The game plan looked obvious — run the ball. And the Eagles tried. Saquon Barkley got 18 carries after getting 18 total over the past two weeks. But he turned that volume into just 44 yards. It didn’t matter, because Jalen Hurts was back to being Jalen Hurts.

He only threw 23 times but made every one count — 326 yards, three touchdowns, no turnovers. DeVonta Smith was unstoppable. Eleven targets, 183 yards, one touchdown. Nearly 50% of the team’s targets. That’s alpha-level usage. A.J. Brown was quieter in volume, just four grabs, but two of them went for touchdowns. When they needed plays downfield or in the red zone, he delivered. That’s why you don’t panic. That’s why you live with the weekly variance in this passing game.

This was a reminder of how dangerous this offense can be when it doesn’t have to chuck it 40 times. The run game wasn’t there but they stayed committed to it. And Hurts punished the defense when they overcommitted to stop it. This wasn’t a get-right game — this was a message.

Saquon hasn’t hit yet. That’s a fact. He’s been one of the biggest letdowns relative to cost. But he’s healthy and getting the work. The big game is coming.

Instant Reaction: Hurts was lights out. Smith went nuclear. A.J. scored twice. Philly’s passing attack is back and Barkley’s bounce-back is next.

Bears find their thunder and lightning

Ben Johnson has found his backfield. D’Andre Swift and rookie Kyle Monangai gave Chicago exactly what it needed: balance, physicality and a whole lot of juice on the ground in a 26-14 win over the Saints.

Caleb Williams didn’t play his best ball. Just 15 completions, 172 yards, one pick and a QBR of 19. It wasn’t pretty. But when the passing game is off, you lean on your run game — and the Bears did exactly that. Swift was smooth. He looked explosive and shifty in space, and he finished runs with authority. Nineteen carries for 124 and a score, averaging 6.5 per carry — that’s lead-back work. But don’t sleep on the rookie.

Monangai, a seventh-round pick out of Rutgers, came in and set the tone with toughness. He ran hard through contact and gave this team a jolt. Thirteen carries for 81 yards and a touchdown, showing vision, burst and enough power to win at the second level. He didn’t just earn more touches — he earned trust.

Heading into Sunday Night Football, both Swift and Monangai were top-five fantasy backs in half-PPR for the week. Swift is locked into starting lineups moving forward, but Monangai? He’s now a must-roster in every league.

Instant Reaction: Monangai is the waiver wire add you need in Week 8.

Oronde Gadsden II is here to stay

If there were any remaining questions about whether Oronde Gadsden II is for real, they were answered in Week 7.

The Chargers rookie tight end didn’t just show up — he broke out. In a game where Justin Herbert threw the ball 55 times, Gadsden wasn’t peppered with volume, but he didn’t need to be. He commanded just a 17% target share — third on the team behind Keenan Allen (14 targets) and Ladd McConkey (15) — but he turned those nine looks into seven catches for 164 yards and a touchdown.

That 23.4 yards per reception were massive. Gadsden’s physicality after the catch and ability to work the seam gave Los Angeles the explosive vertical element this offense had been lacking from the tight end position. He looked like a future star — and maybe even their primary pass-game mismatch moving forward.

Veteran TE Will Dissly? He was a non-factor with just one target.

And the numbers back it all up. Heading into Sunday Night Football, Gadsden leads all tight ends in scoring for Week 7. If you lump him in with wide receivers, he’d sit as the No. 4 overall fantasy scorer among pass-catchers in half-PPR formats. His efficiency also pops — posting an elite 4.10 yards per route run, well above league average for tight ends.

I highlighted Gadsden on The Data Dump with Matt Harmon this week, emphasizing his rising usage and opportunity in an evolving Chargers offense. This was the week it clicked. We hope you were ahead of the curve.

Instant Reaction: Gadsden is a weekly top-12 tight end from here on out. Go get him if he’s still somehow on your waiver wire.

The top two QBs of Week 7 are … Bo Nix and Jaxson Dart?!

If you had told me we’d have the QB1 and QB2 from the Denver Broncos-New York Giants game heading into Sunday Night Football, I would have called you a liar. No one would’ve believed it. But that’s exactly where we are. Bo Nix and Jaxson Dart both delivered massive fantasy performances in an unlikely back-and-forth affair.

Nix was spectacular in the fourth quarter, showing why Denver believes in him as the present and future. He threw for 279 yards and two touchdowns and added another 48 yards and two scores on the ground. Nix was in complete command late, leading a furious fourth-quarter rally that saw the Broncos drop 33 unanswered points to steal the win. He got the ball into the hands of his playmakers, with Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr. and Troy Franklin all making key plays.

Dart, on the other hand, matched him punch-for-punch. He threw three touchdown passes and added a rushing score of his own, finishing with 283 passing yards. The Giants offense leaned on him all day when the ground game never truly got going, and he responded in a big way. Dart’s dual-threat profile and the Giants’ tendency to find themselves in negative game script make him a viable weekly streamer with QB1 upside.

The Giants collapsed late, but the fantasy points were banked. Denver walks away with a 33-32 win, and fantasy managers who started either of these quarterbacks were rewarded handsomely.

Instant Reaction: Nix is a locked-in starter. Dart might be a top-12 fantasy QB option moving forward.

Trey McBride is thriving with Jacoby Brissett

In a season where tight ends have been frustratingly inconsistent, McBride continues to emerge as a weekly difference-maker. In the Cardinals’ narrow 27-23 loss to the Packers, McBride saw a team-high 13 targets, hauling in 10 catches for 74 yards and two touchdowns. Over the past two weeks with Jacoby Brissett under center, McBride has totaled 24 targets, 18 receptions, 156 yards and three touchdowns. That’s elite production.

The most important stat? He’s doubled up Marvin Harrison Jr. in targets in back-to-back weeks. The Arizona offense runs through McBride when Brissett is the starter and fantasy managers should hope that continues for as long as Kyler Murray is out.

Instant Reaction: McBride is playing like the top tight end in fantasy football with Brissett. Tight ends quietly ruled this game and fantasy managers should be paying attention.

Cowboys offense continues to fire on all cylinders

Even with CeeDee Lamb back in the lineup, this passing attack is spreading the ball around and still producing fantasy gold. Lamb’s explosive 74-yard reception highlighted a five-catch, 110-yard day, while Jake Ferguson did his best red-zone vulture impression, hauling in two touchdowns on seven receptions. He only went for 29 yards, but fantasy managers won’t care when you score twice.

George Pickens also delivered, catching four passes for 82 yards, showing his downfield chops once again. Importantly, even with Lamb commanding targets, Pickens remained involved and productive — a great sign moving forward.

Javonte Williams did his thing on the ground, rushing 19 times for 116 yards and a touchdown, giving Dallas needed balance. And Dak Prescott? Efficient and poised — 21-of-30 for 264 yards and three touchdowns. This offense looks in rhythm, deep with weapons and very fantasy-reliable.

On the Washington side, it was a tough outing. Jayden Daniels exited with a hamstring injury, and the offense never truly found its rhythm without its top two wideouts, Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel Sr. Jacory Croskey-Merritt was bottled up, and the passing game never gained traction.

Instant Reaction: The Cowboys offense can support all three of Lamb, Pickens and Ferguson, and they’re all weekly fantasy starters.

https://sports.yahoo.com/fantasy/article/week-7-fantasy-football-instant-reactions-christian-mccaffrey-wins-battle-of-star-rbs-over-bijan-robinson-on-snf-012721892.html