Week 7 actually was a fairly controlled amount of chaos. There weren’t enormous swings of value, and only one player of noted fantasy football value was lost for real time coming out of Sunday. (We are awaiting news on Jaylen Waddle.) That leaves us with a fairly normal-feeling list this week.

▶ Stock Up

Jordan Mason, Minnesota Vikings

It was only a matter of time – it’s always a matter of time at this point in Aaron Jones’ career. Jones left with a knee injury that threatens to set him back for a long period of time. That should put Mason in the driver’s seat for carries going forward.

Given the state of the Vikings passing game – I’ll get there in a few paragraphs – this is going to be a run-heavy club. The Vikings don’t project to have a real answer to the question “who is Jordan Mason’s No. 2 back?” They released Deejay Dallas on Friday, but seemed to want him back on the practice squad. They don’t seem to fully trust Demond Claiborne yet. Neither of those backs were getting real work as Jones’ backup.

That gives Mason a clear path to being the lead Vikings back for the time being and it doesn’t seem like there’s a real challenger. Perhaps a trade will come to fruition. It’s hard to count on that right now.

Kaelon Black, San Francisco 49ers

Black got the run game for a major portion of the 49ers’ loss to the Falcons as Christian McCaffrey dealt with a thigh injury. The rookie back just missed out-snapping McCaffrey, losing out 34-31.

With the 49ers heading to a bye, we don’t have a lot of reasons to believe that Black is going to start in Week 9 as things stand. Still, it’s worth noting that McCaffrey said his leg “just died on me,” which is not an ideal quote, but not something that forecasts major missed time.

Black has likely been scooped in most leagues at this point, but if you can find a desperate fantasy manager who needs some immediate help this week, I think he’s one of the highest-upside bench players in the league at this point.

Caleb Douglas, Miami Dolphins

Here we go again with the case of “Malik Willis can probably support at least one receiving option in fantasy football” versus “No He Can’t.” Douglas had two scores in his return from a long-term ankle injury. He also only had three targets, and one of the scores went 63 yards.

It is good news that Douglas immediately played 44 snaps, second-most among the team’s wideouts behind Malik Washington. The Dolphins also had a very rough slate of opposing defense to open the season. Their next three games are against the Patriots, Lions, and Colts.

This will never be an offense in 2026 that you’re excited to start players in, but Douglas may have been dropped in your league and he could be worthy of a FLEX play through the tough bye weeks.

Devin Singletary, New York Giants

You don’t have to like this recommendation – I sure don’t – but the facts are the facts. Najee Harris is cut. Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy each suffered hamstring injuries in Sunday’s win over the Texans. That left Singletary as the last healthy option at the position in overtime, and he cashed in with a 30-yard touchdown run to win the game.

I don’t quite think Singletary hits must-roster territory, and I wouldn’t be stashing him going into New York’s Week 8 bye. But there’s a non-zero chance that he can be a part of a rotation in Week 9 against the Eagles. Especially if Tracy, who sat most of the game after being hurt, is out and ceding primary passing-down duties to Singletary.

I know Singletary is older and not a sexy pickup, but he’s a reasonable option if the backfield continues to go this way. With the Giants embracing J.J. McCarthy and using him to help control the running game, whoever they run with has a little more upside than they did with Jameis Winston under center. At least until Winston comes in to take tush-push snaps, anyway.

▶ Stock Down

Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings

I’ve been waiting on this one for a few weeks, letting it marinate. It was early. Murray did miss the first two weeks. But it’s been four weeks now, and we have three touchdowns and zero games over 250 yards. The rushing upside is nice – 80 yards in two weeks – but if we’re not going to get any passing stats out of this scam it’s hard to see Murray becoming 2024 Jalen Hurts.

This was a Colts defense that didn’t have Sauce Gardner, and their offense was completely dunked on outside of one long Jonathan Taylor touchdown. Daniel Jones barely had a prayer. It didn’t matter. Justin Jefferson had more touchdowns with Carson Wentz in Week 1 than he’s had with Murray.

Could this change? Maybe. Murray has enough talent to be a good NFL starter and Kevin O’Connell, despite current prevailing J.J. McCarthy narratives, has been a good passing-game coordinator. But from where things are now, it’s hard to understand the major turning point that’s going to make Murray a star fantasy quarterback if he can’t even take advantage of matchups like this. He’s going to be a bottom-10 superflex starter without major improvement.

Nico Collins, Houston Texans

Two catches for six yards? This is rough. And here’s the thing: It’s a pattern, not a blip. Collins has 17 targets in his last three games. You could excuse some of that because the Texans blew out the Titans and didn’t need Collins involved in the fourth quarter, but the Jaguars and Giants games were All Offensive Hands On Deck and the Texans simply couldn’t figure out a way to get Collins more involved.

With Tank Dell joining Marvin Harrison Jr. in a crowded receiver room where players often sit plenty, I do think there’s a non-zero chance that Collins winds up continuing in this more-diminished role. I can tell you that I mostly believe Collins will be fine, and that there’s nothing about the way he’s played that looks bad. There’s certainly no reason to keep the ball away from him.

The Texans … have a lot to figure out over their Week 8 bye. They have to figure out their receiver pecking order and what their offensive identity should be. They have to figure out if David Montgomery deserves more snaps than Woody Marks. They have to come to terms with the fact that their offensive line sucks. Oh, and they need to fix their defense. You know, the best defense in the league according to everyone with eyes before the season? Yeah, not great so far. There are so many variables that it’s hard to square where this season is going. But I think we should be prepared with the idea that Collins could be a WR2 in fantasy circles after the bye week. It’s no sure thing; it’s definitely something that could happen.

J.K. Dobbins, Denver Broncos

Congratulations on the touchdown, J.K. Also your season is over.

Dobbins was roundly outsnapped by Jonah Coleman, 30-14. He was also outsnapped by RJ Harvey. For Coleman to do this in his first game off injured reserve is a dark, dark sign for the established platoon backs here. For Dobbins in particular, though, the fact that Coleman was trusted to close out this game with seven carries in the second half of a game where the Broncos were nursing a late lead rather than absolutely crushing the Cardinals is rough.

The best you can hope for is that Dobbins winds up carving out a role as the goal-line back. But it sure doesn’t feel like that’s something you can count on at this point. Coleman being used like this seems to point to Dobbins being the one losing more value than Harvey going forward.

Adonai Mitchell, New York Jets

Three catchless targets for the preseason hype king with the Jets in his return from a finger injury. Meanwhile, Omar Cooper Jr., who featured in this column last week, went for 5/115/1 on five targets. I’m afraid it’s a tough scene for the Mitchell believers.

I don’t quite think Mitchell is done as an option this year. It was his first game back, and Garrett Wilson being dragged down the last two weeks shows that this offense will go where defenses compel them to go. But if Cooper is going to be a real target here, and Mason Taylor is also around, and so is Kenyon Sadiq … you get the picture. We’re running out of reasons to believe that Mitchell is going to get a fantasy-worthy runout.

I like Mitchell and believe in the story, but given how this has gone, I don’t think he’s a must-keep if you were hanging on to him in an injury slot as bye weeks continue.