From studs to duds, sleepers and more, NFL.com breaks down the biggest fantasy stories of the week.
1. Miles Austin proves that he's no one-week wonder. Two weeks ago, I told fantasy owners that Austin wasn't going to put up another 250 yards like he did in his breakout game against the Chiefs. Well, I was right. He only had 171 yards this week! You have to be kidding me! The Cowboys' new star wide receiver hauled in six catches for the 171 yards and scored two more touchdowns in a win over the Falcons. In his last two games, Austin has posted a combined 66 fantasy points on NFL.com. Believe it or not, but he's now fifth in points among wide receivers for the season! That's right. Miles Austin, on the power of two games, has more fantasy points than Randy Moss. And Larry Fitzgerald. And Roddy White. And Wes Welker. And Calvin Johnson. Get the point? His presence has also done wonders for the once-fading stock of Tony Romo.
Romo had gone from a fantasy stud in Week 1 (32 fantasy points) to a dud in his next three games (combined 29 points). But when Roy Williams was forced to miss Week 5 with injured ribs, Austin was inserted into a prominent role and Romo thrived with 351 yards and two scores (both to Austin). In two games with Austin lining up as a starter, Romo has posted a combined 57 fantasy points.
That includes a 33-point outburst in Week 7. While Austin will be hard-pressed to continue this ridiculous statistical streak, it's almost impossible to bench him while he's this hot. Jump on board and enjoy the ride while it lasts, with both Austin and Romo. As for Williams, he's gone from a potential No. 2 fantasy wideout in the preseason to bench material. It's obvious that he and Romo aren't on the same page, as Williams was targeted just five times and posted a mere one reception. Until he shows signs of life, Williams needs to be reserved.
2. The combo of Carson Palmer to Chad Ochocinco is back. Back in the preseason, Palmer and Ochocinco were on NFL.com's list of the top potential value picks in all fantasy drafts. Well, the talented quarterback and his top wideout have made good on that prediction. Palmer, facing a Bears defense that had allowed just six touchdown passes on the season, completed 83 percent of his passes and recorded 233 yards and five scores. His monster performance moved him into the top 10 in points among quarterbacks. It also made owners remember the time when Palmer was considered one of fantasy's elite signal-callers. Part of Palmer's success, as in the past, is attributed to Ochocinco.
The wideout once known as Chad Johnson was second only to Austin in fantasy points in Week 7, recording 10 catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns. Now the second-most productive fantasy wide receiver on NFL.com, Ochocinco has been targeted 64 times this season. That's fourth at his position behind Andre Johnson, Randy Moss and New York's Steve Smith. At his current rate of production, Ochocinco will finish with 89 receptions, 1,309 yards and 11 touchdowns. Those are the type of numbers fantasy owners were used to from the Bengals wideout before last season, when Palmer missed several games and Ochocinco's numbers (and fantasy value) hit rock bottom. Now this duo is back. Clearly.
3. LaDainian Tomlinson showed why he's done in fantasy. The curse of 30 has struck again, and it's making it hard for fantasy leagues to trust Tomlinson. The 30-year old running back was considered a nice option against the Chiefs, who field one of the league's least formidable defenses. In the first half, it looked like L.T. would make good on the favorable matchup. Then came the truth of the matter. While he is without question one of the greatest running backs of all time, Tomlinson's time as an elite fantasy option is over. He finished the contest with a mere 71 yards on 23 carries (3.1 YPC) and scored a measly seven fantasy points. What made those numbers even worse was his lack of success near the goal line. Tomlinson saw an amazing eight carries inside the Chiefs' 5-yard line in the game, and he failed to score even one touchdown.
The veteran back did cross the goal line on one of those attempts, but a penalty nullified the touchdown. Tomlinson also didn't get any help from his offensive line, which wasn't able to make much of a push against a mediocre Kansas City defensive line. But watching the game, I couldn't help but think that the old L.T., the superstar, would have scored two or three times if given those opportunities. Based on his failure to execute, don't be shocked to see Darren Sproles get more goal-line work going forward. As for Tomlinson, he'll be active in most leagues in Week 8 against the hapless Oakland Raiders. But you just can't expect him to produce anymore, even against the worst opponents.
4. Owen Daniels is emerging as fantasy's best tight end. At the start of the season, the top tight ends in fantasy football were the obvious names like Jason Witten, Antonio Gates, Tony Gonzalez and Dallas Clark. But after seven weeks, Daniels has become the top fantasy player at his position. He's always been a good option in PPR leagues, but now Daniels is finding the end zone. He hauled in seven catches for 123 yards and scored a touchdown in a win over the 49ers. The score was his fifth of the season and equaled a career-best total. Daniels is now on pace to finish with 89 receptions, 1,136 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Daniels isn't the lone tight end to make a greater impact than expected this season. Vernon Davis hauled in seven catches for 93 yards and scored three touchdowns against Daniels and the Texans, who had entered the week as one of the tougher defenses against tight ends. The performance moved Davis into the second spot in fantasy points among tight ends on NFL.com, just six points behind Daniels. The one downfall for Davis, however, is his lack of consistent production. Out of the 70 fantasy points he's accrued, 48 of them have come in just two games (Weeks 3, 7). Still, he's firmly on the fantasy radar and has become a viable starting option in all formats.
5. Miami's Wildcat has become a fantasy owner's dream come true. Backfield committees have become the bane of fantasy leaguers' existence this season, but at least one of those situations has been ultra-productive. That situation is in Miami, where Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams have both been solid fantasy options. Brown, a preseason breakout candidate on NFL.com, is on pace for career bests in rushing yards and total touchdowns. His success in the Wildcat formation has made him an even more dangerous back, both on the field and in fantasy circles. He's currently fifth in points at his position on NFL.com and has become a must-start runner in all formats.
While Brown's fast start to the season isn't a surprise, the numbers Williams is putting up have to be considered a shock. The veteran running back is also seeing time in the Wildcat formation, and it's help resurrect his value across the board. Against his former team, the Saints, Williams exploded for 80 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He has now found the end zone six times overall and is in the top 10 in points among runners in standard formats. This could be the perfect time to deal Williams, especially with six teams on a bye in Week 8 and so many other backs failing to meet expectations. The former Texas product is now a must-start flex option in most leagues.
News and notes
» Texans WR Andre Johnson was forced to leave Sunday's game against the 49ers with what was described as a chest contusion. Now it's being reported on the team's official website that he suffered a lung contusion. Coach Gary Kubiak calls Johnson "day to day," so the wideout could be a game-time decision in Week 8. If Johnson were to be declared inactive, WRs Kevin Walter, Andre Davis and Jacoby Jones would see an uptick in value for owners.
» Vikings WR Sidney Rice has clearly become the top option in the passing game for QB Brett Favre. Rice posted 11 catches for 136 yards in Sunday's loss to the Steelers and has recorded a combined 17 receptions for 312 yards in his last two games. He's also the most-targeted receiver on the team. After seven games, Rice has seen 48 looks from Favre. Fellow WR Bernard Berrian is second with 41 targets, followed by rookie Percy Harin's 39.
» It's time for fantasy owners to be worried about Saints RB Pierre Thomas. He saw just eight carries and had a mere four fantasy points in a win over the Dolphins, and RB Mike Bell was used down the stretch of the contest. In two games since Bell came back from an injured knee, Thomas has a combined 11 fantasy points on NFL.com and hasn't found the end zone. With RB Reggie Bush also in the mix, it's hard to trust Thomas as more than a flex starter.
» Chiefs RB Larry Johnson put up another stinker for fantasy owners in Week 7, despite a favorable matchup against the Chargers and their poor run defense. L.J. later made his displeasure with the offense and coach Todd Haley public, so don't be shocked if the troublesome runner loses his featured role in the team's backfield. In fact, I'd be looking to add RB Jamaal Charles off the waiver wire. His touches could be on the rise sooner, rather than later.
» Giants QB Eli Manning has been a second-half swooner at the NFL level. But is his 2009 swoon starting earlier than usual? He threw for 243 yards against the Cardinals, but had just one score and was picked off three times. In his last two games, he's recorded two touchdowns and five turnovers. It might be hard to deal him after his recent failures, but fantasy owners shouldn't expect Manning to be consistent down the stretch.
» 49ers WR Michael Crabtree scored just five fantasy points in his NFL debut, but he showed flashes of the skills that made him a first-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He started the contest in Houston and saw significant snaps both at split end and out of the slot. Overall, Crabtree saw six targets (five receptions) and showed a good knowledge of the offense for a rookie who missed training camp. He's well worth a roster spot in all leagues.
» Cowboys RB Felix Jones returned to action against the Falcons and has clearly moved back ahead of RB Tashard Choice on the team's depth chart. RB Marion Barber got the start, but Jones saw 10 touches to Choice's one. That was a surprise, considering owner Jerry Jones had earlier said Choice would see an increase in carries. This backfield has become a mess from a fantasy perspective, and Barber isn't producing like a first-round pick this season.
» Lost in the huge performance of Jets rookie RB Shonn Greene, who will be a hot name on the waiver wire this week, was another huge stat line from RB Thomas Jones. After a monster 210-yard performance against the Buffalo Bills, Jones rushed for 121 yards and scores his seventh touchdown of the season in a blowout win over the Raiders. Jones, who's value had fallen in fantasy drafts, is now fourth in fantasy points among running backs on NFL.com.
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on NFL.com. Have a burning question for Michael on anything fantasy football related? Leave it in our comments section or send it to **AskFabiano@nfl.com**!
