Does Daniel Jones HAVE to Come Back? 😅

Serious question here. Have you seen some of the passes that Tyrod Taylor is just dropping into the bucket on deep passes these past few weeks?

What’s in store:

• Jerome Ford looks like he’ll be out for a bit. The current timetable suggests 1-2 weeks with a high ankle sprain.

• Could Dalton Kincaid have a golden opportunity? 🤔 Dawson Knox is set to have surgery, which could open a big door for the rookie TE.

• Tyler’s Week 8 waiver wire targets! It’s never a bad time to scoop up prospective talent before they explode.

• Darren Waller has looked like Darren Waller these past two weeks! Thank you very much for using him how he’s supposed to be, Tyrod Taylor.

• Browns RB Jerome Ford spotted wearing a protective boot following Cleveland’s road win at Indianapolis

  • Ford got off to a red-hot start on Sunday by taking the second of his first two carries to the end zone on a 69-yard rushing touchdown. From there, the momentum waned quickly – Ford put up just four more points on the afternoon before going down with an apparent ankle injury in the second half. The diagnosis has been revealed as a low-grade high ankle sprain, and there’s a real threat for him to miss Week 8 against the Seahawks in Seattle. If that would be the case, Kareem Hunt would be able to be fired up as a low-to-mid RB2, while Pierre Strong could find himself landing on the flex radar. The Browns have more injury problems on offense than just Ford – QB Deshaun Watson has also somewhat mysteriously been in and out of the lineup a good chunk of the year so far – but any time missed by Ford would be a tough blow to fantasy managers who were counting on him to be ready to go after a tough gauntlet of matchups these past few weeks.

• Bills TE Dawson Knox to have wrist surgery, miss indefinite amount of time in the coming weeks

  • This has the potential to open the door for an emergence from first-round rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid, who’s coming off easily his best performance as a pro after catching all eight of his targets for 75 yards in a losing effort against the Patriots. Up to Week 7, Kincaid hadn’t demonstrated an ability to consistently demand targets in a Bills offense that’s featured a heavy dose of Stefon Diggs and Josh Allen in the run game. However, he has suddenly become one of the more intriguing options at the position heading into Week 8 with his largest obstacle to snap share likely to miss significant time. Kincaid should be added off the waiver wire if he’s there in almost all leagues given the potential he has as a first-round pick, but he still profiles as a low-TE1 at best for the time being. Further news on Knox’s recovery time will give us a better idea of what we’re getting with Kincaid.

• Saints HC Dennis Allen says that RB Jamaal Williams was ‘on a pitch count’ last week vs Jaguars

  • The hope is that whatever pitch count Williams was on continues for the rest of the season. All jokes aside, it’s unlikely that we see Williams significantly affect Kamara’s overall production on a weekly basis even if he sees an uptick in carries, as Kamara’s wheelhouse has been and continues to be in the passing game. Kamara is clearly the better weapon in every way, shape, and form, but the Saints could be determined to utilize Williams as a change of pace back in an offense that could be relying a little too much on Kamara while they work out the kinks in the scheme. Even with this news, Kamara remains a locked-in RB1 heading into the Saints’ Sunday afternoon matchup with the Colts. Williams should be left out of lineups until further notice.

• Josh Downs (WR - Indianapolis Colts) - Downs is definitively Gardner Minshew's favorite target in the Colts' offense, now posting 5+ targets in each game where Minshew played while eclipsing 13+ points in 4 of those 5 games. He most recently went for 5 catches, 125 yards, and a TD (23.5 points) against a Browns offense that had allowed the fewest PPG to opposing WRs prior to Week 7. With 13+ points in four of his last five and a QB that looks to him consistently, Downs not only should be on rosters but also find ways into lineups going forward.

• Darrell Henderson (RB - Los Angeles Rams) - Welcome back Darrell Henderson to Los Angeles! In his first game back with LA (after being activated from the practice squad), Henderson served as the lead back for the Rams with the absences of Kyren Williams (ankle) and Ronnie Rivers (knee), drawing 18 carries for 61 yards and a TD against Pittsburgh. Going forward, it looks like Henderson will be the "1" for the Rams until Williams and/or Rivers return, which can come in Week 12 at the earliest. He's an RB3/FLEX for the foreseeable future.

• Tyjae Spears (RB - Tennessee Titans) - I'm not going to spend too much time here as he was a top option in last week's waiver wire recommendations and nothing changed with him on bye. RB is a very scarce position, especially right now. If Spears is somehow still on your waiver wire, he shouldn't be after this week. He's proven to be a very efficient RB, averaging 5.5 YPC this season and posting 7+ points in each of his last three games, even alongside Derrick Henry. You're not getting a lead back, but you are getting a solid depth option with extremely high potential should Henry miss any time.

• Dalton Kincaid (TE - Buffalo Bills) - Kincaid may have seen his breakout game after a slow start to his rookie season, posting season-highs in targets (8), catches (8), yards (75), and fantasy points (15.5) in his first game with a truly prominent role in the Bills' offense. In a position that's proven to be very scarce, I'd put a pretty notable priority on Kincaid if you don't have a top-5 TE already.

• Kendrick Bourne (WR - New England Patriots) - Bourne continues to be pretty involved in the Patriots' offense, drawing 5+ targets for the sixth time (of seven games) in Week 7 en route to posting a 6-63-1 (16.3 points) stat-lin in a surprise upset against Buffalo. You're not going to get consistency from him, barring a major change in the Patriots' passing attack, but his volume and upside make him a worthy stash and a potential WR3/FLEX play in matchup-dependent scenarios.

After an offseason of anticipation and hype for TE Darren Waller as the Giants’ top receiving weapon in 2023, the former Raider got out to a slow start in his first five games in the Big Apple. From Weeks 1-5, Waller was just the TE10 in fantasy points per game (9.4) and the TE9 in total points scored (46.9). He didn’t score a touchdown in any of those games – all of which were quarterbacked by Daniel Jones.

Fast forward to Weeks 6 and 7 – games quarterbacked by Tyrod Taylor while Jones has been out with injury – and Waller looks like the top-flight tight end he was supposed to be in 2023. He’s dominated target share in the Giants receiving room at 26% - no other Giants WR has a target share higher than 17% in that span. Waller has also caught the 2nd-most passes among all TEs in Weeks 6 and 7, behind only Travis Kelce.

Most importantly, though, is the turnaround in his fantasy production. Waller is averaging the second-most fantasy points at the position in that span (again, behind only Travis Kelce) while benefitting from higher-quality QB play from Tyrod Taylor. After averaging just a 79% catchable target rate over the first 5 weeks with Daniel Jones under center, Waller has seen that number increase to 87% with Taylor throwing the ball. Taylor also gave Waller his first two end zone targets of the season, one of which he caught this week for his first score as a Giant. He had zero previously in five games with Daniel Jones.

Bottom line: there’s no reason for the Giants to rush Daniel Jones back. Seriously.