-
Justin Fields QB | KC
Jets' Justin Fields: Uncertain to remain starter
Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said Monday that he has not yet decided whether Fields or Tyrod Taylor will draw the start at quarterback Sunday in Cincinnati.
Fields has turned in two straight disastrous performances under center for New York, culminating in his being benched after halftime this past Sunday during the team's 13-6 loss to the Panthers. Prior to being replaced by Taylor, Fields completed six of 12 passes for just 46 yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions, adding 22 yards on four carries. While part of Fields' struggles versus Carolina can be attributed to top target Garrett Wilson (knee) being inactive, he had performed even worse in a Week 6 loss to Denver in London, where he completed just nine of 17 pass attempts for 45 yards with zero touchdowns or interceptions while taking nine sacks. The Jets will continue to evaluate the quarterback position before announcing a Week 8 starter, but at this stage, even with his rushing upside, Fields will be difficult to trust for fantasy purposes if he remains in the lineup.
-
Michael Penix Jr. QB | ATL
Falcons' Michael Penix: Limited by 49ers
Penix completed 21 of 38 passes for 241 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in Sunday's 20-10 loss to the 49ers. He added two rushes for six yards and also lost a fumble.
Penix's stat line looks mediocre, but he struggled to move the Atlanta offense for most of the game. He threw for 128 yards in the first half, though 57 of them came in the final 32 seconds of the second quarter, when Penix managed to move the team into field-goal range only to squander the opportunity with an intentional grounding penalty. The second half followed a similar pattern, as Penix effectively led the Falcons on one drive early in the fourth quarter with long completions of 15 and 19 yards, only to have the possession stall deep in 49ers' territory on fourth down. This performance continued an inconsistent season for Penix, and he's now accounted for one or fewer total touchdowns in four of six contests.
-
Mac Jones QB | SF
49ers' Mac Jones: Gritty performance in win
Jones (knee/oblique) completed 17 of 26 pass attempts for 152 yards and an interception while recording five rush attempts for 11 yards in Sunday's 20-10 win over the Falcons.
Jones was asked to play the role of game manager Sunday, and he did just that, keeping drives alive for Christian McCaffrey to feast on Atlanta's defense for 200-plus yards and two touchdowns. The veteran backup threw an interception for the second week in a row and failed to record a touchdown in as many games. Jones has been a godsend for the 5-2 49ers, but the luster has worn off from a fantasy perspective following a hot start filling in for Brock Purdy (toe). The latter resumed practicing this week, so it wouldn't be shocking to see Jones resume his backup role against the Texans next Sunday.
-
Tyrod Taylor QB | GB
Jets' Tyrod Taylor: Enters in relief of Fields
Taylor completed 10 of 22 passes for 126 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions in Sunday's 13-6 loss to the Panthers. He added three rushes for 11 yards.
Taylor replaced Justin Fields to start the third quarter and brought some life to the offense, accounting for most of the Jets' offensive production. However, he was also intercepted twice while a comeback was still possible, negating his positive work. Despite the inconsistent results, Taylor could be in line for a Week 8 start against the Bengals, as coach Aaron Glenn stated he will evaluate the position throughout the week, per Rich Cimini of ESPN.
-
Marcus Mariota QB | WAS
Commanders' Marcus Mariota: Steps in for injured starter
Mariota completed four of 10 pass attempts for 63 yards and an interception while rushing twice for 34 yards in Sunday's 44-22 loss to Dallas.
Mariota stepped in for Jayden Daniels (hamstring) in the third quarter after Washington's starter exited the contest with an apparent hamstring injury. The 31-year-old Mariota flashed his mobility on a team-high 25-yard scramble, but he didn't do much else after entering the contest in the second half of a blowout loss. Daniels is set to undergo an MRI on his injured hamstring Monday, which should shed more light on the starter's availability for Week 8. If Daniels is unable to go, Mariota would become an enticing stream option against the Chiefs next Monday.
-
Cam Ward QB | TEN
Titans' Cam Ward: Encouraging performance in loss
Ward completed 25 of 34 passes for 255 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Sunday's 31-13 loss to the Patriots. He also lost a fumble.
Ward turned in the most efficient game of his career, averaging 7.5 yards per attempt. He also showed rapport with fellow rookie Chimere Dike, connecting on a 38-yard score late in the first quarter on a deep ball to the left corner of the end zone -- one of his four completions of at least 15 yards. There were still plenty of problems with the performance, including a pair of turnovers and five sacks, highlighting Ward's inconsistency.
-
Geno Smith QB | NYJ
Raiders' Geno Smith: Historically bad against Chiefs
Smith completed 10 of 16 passes for 67 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions in Sunday's 31-0 loss to the Chiefs. He added two rushes for one yard.
The futility of the Raiders offense can be stated in many different ways, and Smith was at the center of the lack of production. The unit ran only two offensive plays in Chiefs territory, totaled only three first downs, and ran only 30 offensive plays, the final of which was the second-fewest in the Super Bowl era, per Josh Dubow of The Associated Press. Needless to say, it was a disastrous fantasy performance, and Smith has now thrown for less than 200 yards in four of his seven starts and has zero scores in three contests. He was also replaced by Kenny Pickett late in the game due to the score, but there is no indication that the team is considering a change at quarterback.
-
Andy Dalton QB | PHI
Panthers' Andy Dalton: Closes win in Week 7
Dalton completed four of seven pass attempts for 60 yards and rushed twice for minus-2 yards in Sunday's 13-6 win over the Jets.
The veteran quarterback entered the Panthers' Week 7 win early in the fourth quarter after Bryce Young (ankle) went down with an injury. Dalton performed well in relief, completing four of seven pass attempts for 60 yards, highlighted by a 33-yard strike to Xavier Legette that helped seal Sunday's victory. Young's practice participation throughout the week will likely provide the best indication of his potential availability for the Week 8 matchup against the Bills. If he's forced to miss time, Dalton will likely take over as the Panthers' top signal caller.
-
Jacoby Brissett QB | ARI
Cardinals' Jacoby Brissett: Tosses two TDs in Week 7 start
Brissett completed 25 of 36 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Packers. He added 26 rushing yards on six carries and lost a fumble.
Making his second straight start in place of Kyler Murray (foot), Brissett had another productive performance as he connected with Trey McBride for a 15-yard score in the second quarter and a 12-yard strike in the third. The veteran QB has thrown for 599 yards in place of Murray -- the best two-game stretch of his career -- with a 4:1 TD:INT, but with Arizona on bye in Week 8, Brissett may be returning to the bench for a Week 9 tilt against the Cowboys' porous defense.
-
Bo Nix QB | DEN
Broncos' Bo Nix: Accounts for four TDs in win
Nix completed 27 of 50 pass attempts for 279 yards and two touchdowns while adding five carries for 48 yards and two more scores in Sunday's 33-32 win over the Giants.
Nix bounced back with a monstrous four-score game following a couple weeks of pedestrian stat lines. The 25-year-old fired off a season-high 50 pass attempts in the thrilling comeback victory, but it was his rushing production (5-48-2) that truly made his fantasy score stand out in Week 7. Nix had scored just one rushing touchdown while averaging 20.7 rushing yards over his previous six starts, so managers shouldn't expect gaudy rushing totals on a regular basis. That said, we could be in store for another strong fantasy performance from Nix next Sunday against the Cowboys' 32nd-ranked pass defense.