By: Greg Landry | LineStar Chat: @glandry | Twitter: @GP_Landry

Welcome back to LineStar NFL Takeaways! For those of you new to the community here, this article is published every Tuesday and takes a position by position look at several players whose fantasy performance stood out (both good and bad) and what this might mean in the fantasy landscape as we start to prepare for the week ahead.

Against all odds and a raging global pandemic, the NFL has made it to the trade deadline today (I think there's also an election or something happening, I'm not sure....) The NFL trade deadline is a day that brings a lot of rumors and hype but typically ends in disappointment and very little movement. Perhaps this year will be different. Will the Patriots be sellers? Stephen Gilmore can change another team's defense in a hurry. Will the Texans sell off their receivers? Will John Ross get his wish and move on from the Bengals? Once the deadline ends, take a few minutes to look over any deals and consider the impact they may have on the fantasy landscape.

In addition to possible trades week eight, unfortunately, provided us another star-studded injury report with big names like Kenny Golladay, George Kittle, TY Hilton, and Jimmy Garoppolo all expected to miss multiple weeks. This should open up opportunities on several teams.

Lastly, in Green Bay, I have no idea who’s going to play running back on Thursday night. Aaron Jones has missed the last two weeks with an injury and now AJ Dillion has tested positive for COVID 19. Jamaal Williams is considered a close contact and maybe quarantined and also forced to miss the game. Between the 49ers injuries and COVID issues in Green Bay the Thursday Night showdown slate this week could be pretty interesting.

What Did We Learn?

Here we'll focus on some players at each position who stood out (both good and bad) and identify if there's any actionable information we can use when building our rosters going forward.

Quarterbacks

Patrick Mahomes: 31/42, 415 yards, 5 TD

Are we surprised by these numbers? In a literal sense, no, we are all well aware of what Patrick Mahomes is capable of. But, from a game theory perspective, much of the DFS public might be shocked by this result.  The reason? Game script. A good majority of the DFS public this week probably faded the Chiefs passing attack because they were 19.5 point favorites and wouldn’t need to pass the ball.  What everyone forgot though, is this is an Andy Reid offense.  He never takes his foot off the gas.  Kansas City got out to a lead, as expected (14-3 in the first quarter) and despite being in control throughout, they still had Mahomes throw the ball a whopping 42 times.  Why? Because Andy Reid just wants to score points. This is important for us, as DFS players, to remember because there could be an edge here in the future.  Even when heavy favorites, the Chiefs passing attack is always in play.  If you can get them at lower ownership, because the public assumes they will take their foot off the gas once they have the game in control, even better.  Always consider this offense.  Every single week.

Tua Tagovailoa: 12/22, 93 yards, 1 TD

Tua’s debut couldn’t have gone any better but it's not because he played particularly well. Instead, it's because the Dolphins defense and special teams came up big in this one taking the pressure off their rookie quarterback while allowing him to get some valuable snaps in. Miami’s defense had a 78 yard fumble return for a touchdown and then the special teams came up with an 88 yard punt return shortly after which basically put this game away for good. As far as Tua himself, he wasn’t overly impressive completing just 54% of his passes (on only 22 attempts). He didn’t throw an interception and took only one sack but also had a lost fumble. It’s going to take him some time to get up to speed. Not only is he a rookie in the NFL, but he hasn’t played football in quite a while due to his injury. I absolutely LOVE what Miami is doing (and that's painful for me to say as a Patriots fan). Brian Flores is the real deal as a coach, this team already has acquired quite a bit of talent, and they have a bunch of draft capital to spend over the next couple of seasons. The long term stock here couldn't be more promising. But, in the short term, expect a bumpy road. I do believe it will take Tua some time to get going. Consider this entire Miami offense a risky unit likely for the remainder of this season.

Running Backs

Jonathan Taylor: 11 carries, 22 yards

Yikes. Even worse for Taylor is his two running back mates both seized their opportunities which may very well turn this group into a committee again. While Taylor managed just two yards per carry against a weak Lions rush defense (23rd DVOA and yards allowed per carry), Jordan Wilkins received 20 carries which he turned into 89 yards and a touchdown. Nyheim Hines, meanwhile, was the Colts leading receiver with three receptions for 54 yards and two touchdowns. After T.Y. Hilton went down with an injury, the Colts spread the ball around a ton with five different players receiving a carry and eleven different players catching at least one pass. This was by far Philip Rivers best game as a Colt throwing three touchdowns and not turning the ball over. The question is, was getting all the running backs involved part of their game plan coming out of the bye week, or was it due to Taylor being unable to get anything going? What does this mean for future weeks? It’s tough to say with any certainty, as we don't want to react to just one game, but in the short term, I wouldn’t bank on Taylor being the workhorse back that we thought he might turn into.

Dalvin Cook: 30 carries, 163 yards, 3 TD, 2 receptions, 63 yards, 1 TD

Cook was literally the whole team. He accounted for 68% of the Vikings total yardage and scored all four of their touchdowns. He’s only the second running back this season to have 30 or more carries in a single game (Derrick Henry had 31 attempts in week one). The Packers knew they needed to stop the run. Quite frankly, every team who plays the Vikings knows they need to stop the run. Yet, Cook was able to do whatever he wanted in this game on the ground and then added insult to injury by being their leading receiver as well. He is a monster and he may be the one true workhorse left at the running back position right now (we’ll see what happens when Christian McCaffrey comes back). Minnesota wants to use Kirk Cousins sparingly, increasing his workload only when they have no choice. With Cook as their running back, they actually might be able to get away with that. Cook is pretty much a centerpiece in cash games now with his floor so incredibly high. In tournaments, it's going to come down to price and what value is available on the slate.

Damien Harris: 16 carries, 103 yards, 1 TD

It’s all about playing for next season now in New England, something the Patriots haven’t had to do for a VERY long time. With this loss to Buffalo, and also Miami’s surprise win over the Rams, New England’s reign over the AFC East will come to an end this season. You can blame a transition at quarterback, having the most players in the league opting out for COVID, very little salary cap space this season, or poor drafting over the years as the potential reasons for their fall from grace. At this point, it doesn't matter because you can't change the past. The bottom line here is the Patriots would be wise to use their remaining games to get some of their younger guys some valuable experience so they can figure out the next steps in their transition (or rebuild). Enter Damien Harris, who has been a healthy scratch most of his career since being drafted by the Patriots last season. With Sony Michel on IR (and constantly battling knee issues) and the Patriots passing game struggling (and also battling injuries), it may finally be Harris’s time to take over this backfield. As we’ve already discussed a few times in this article, any bet on this Patriots offense right now is a risky one, but this was an encouraging game from Harris and maybe the start of something bigger as we begin the second half of this season.

DeeJay Dallas: 18 carries, 41 yards, 1 TD, 5 receptions, 17 yards, 1 TD

With both Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde on the sideline, DeeJay Dallas (minus a couple of mistakes) took full advantage of his first true opportunity to showcase his skills. The most intriguing part of Dallas was his pass game involvement where he caught all five of his targets and converted a red zone opportunity. We know Seattle has been pass heavy this year putting the ball in the hands of the soon to be MVP and letting him move the offense downfield. A running back with pass catching abilities could add yet another weapon to an offense that doesn’t really need any help. This is just one game, however, so we'll see what happens with Chris Carson who is said to be 50/50 to play in the upcoming week. If Carson is back, he should take over (although Dallas may fill in on third down duties). If Carson misses again, Dallas could get another shot to prove himself. This is a name to stash away for now.

Wide Receivers

Jerry Jeudy: 4 receptions, 73 yards

The rookie receiver out of Alabama has been quiet up to this point in the season but managed to reach a career high in both targets (10) and yards (73) in this game. With Drew Lock looking healthy again and Courtland Sutton out for the season, Jeudy has a chance to break out in the second half of the year. This wasn’t an efficient game, catching only 40% of the passes, but the opportunities were there. He still needs some time to get on the same page with his new quarterback but look for this duo to improve as the season progresses. I’m bullish on the Broncos passing attack provided Lock avoids another injury.

Corey Davis: 8 receptions, 128 yards, 1 TD

Davis saw ten targets for the second week in a row and scored a touchdown for the third time in his last four games.  If the recent opportunities and production aren’t enough, Adam Humphries took a nasty hit in this game and suffered a concussion.  Assuming he misses time, that leaves AJ Brown as the primary weapon in this passing attack and should allow Davis to continue the increase in his opportunities.  Keep in mind, the Titans don’t pass to their running backs at all which means more targets get filtered to wide receivers in Tennessee than on most teams. It's not out of the realm of possibility for Davis to find himself seeing seven or more targets consistently moving forward.  Anyone who’s chased the hype around Davis in fantasy football in the past has no doubt had their heart broken before, but I’m going to be cautiously optimistic here that he has a chance for a big second half of the season.

Marvin Hall: 4 receptions, 113 yards

Kenny Golladay left this game with a hip injury in the second quarter and did not return.  Details are fairly scarce but we should assume, given it’s a hip injury, that he’ll miss some time.  With Detroit being a fairly pass heavy team, Golladay averaging seven targets per game, and Golladay also being a primary red zone target, this should open up solid opportunities for his teammates. Hall had the most notable increase in workload, with seven targets after having a total of eight all season coming into this game.  It’s worth noting, however, that while Hall did a lot of the damage between the 20s, and the other Marvin (Jones) soaked up the red zone work with two touchdowns.  Both players should get a solid boost assuming Golladay misses time.

Tight Ends

Noah Fant: 7 receptions, 47 yards

Similar to Jeudy, Fant has been relatively quiet from a fantasy perspective having not found the end zone since week two. But with Lock appearing to be fully recovered from his shoulder injury and Fant now a couple of weeks removed from his ankle injury this passing attack is starting to find its legs again. Fant has now had at least six targets in four straight games. The yardage totals are nothing special, but again at the tight end position, it’s all about the opportunity.

Rob Gronkowski: 4 receptions, 41 yards, 1 TD

Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Well, I guess these aren’t really “new” tricks as this is what Gronkowski did his entire career in New England. After having little to no involvement in this offense the first few weeks, Gronk has now scored a touchdown in three straight games. He’s still losing some targets, and the occasional touchdown, to Cameron Brate which is limiting some of his upside. The question here is what happens when the Bucs have a healthy Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown on the field? I still think the tight ends eventually get squeezed out here but that's pure speculation on my part.

Key Injuries To Watch

In this section we'll take a look at some key injuries and what the potential impact may be for fantasy purposes.

Note: As a reminder, I’m writing this on Monday, so the news below may change depending on when you read this. Use the NFL beat writers Twitter feed (which is directly inside your LineStar account) as well as the news page to get up to speed.

Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, San Francisco 49ers

It’s the same ankle that he hurt before which is obviously not good news. He’s expected to miss time so look for Nick Mullens to get the start in week nine. Mullens has shown he can be serviceable in the past but I would consider this a downgrade to the offense.  

George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers

From bad to worse. The 49ers are cursed this season. The x-rays came back negative on Kittle’s foot but he’ll still likely miss some time. Jordan Reed is a candidate to return from IR this week and Ross Dwelley should also see plenty of work.

Kenny Golladay, WR, Detroit Lions

We talked about this a bit already, but Golladay went down with a hip injury. If he misses time, Marvin Hall will step in and Marvin Jones and T.J Hockenson should both see increased work.  

TY Hilton, WR, Indianapolis Colts

Hilton injured his groin in the first half and did not return. As we mentioned earlier, the Colts spread the ball around a ton and this could be the situation moving forward. Zach Pascal and Michael Pittman are the MOST likely to see an increase in targets but the Colts have been involving their trio of tight ends and running backs as well which makes it difficult to predict how the workload will shake out. If you like the Colts offense in a game, your safest bet is giving yourself exposure to Rivers who will in turn give you exposure to all the individual pieces, rather than guessing which player will see the most production.

Darrell Henderson, RB, Los Angeles Rams

Henderson left the game with a thigh injury and didn’t return. It looks like, based on what happened after the injury, this will be a split backfield between Malcolm Brown and Cam Akers. Ideally, we were hoping this might open the door for Akers but the Rams don’t seem interested in moving away from a committee anytime soon. As a result, there’s really not much actionable information here. 

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