2024 FTN NFL Power Rankings Through Week 15: Who Takes Over the Top Spot?
Daniel Kelley
Week 7 brought some quality upsets, as the Patriots beat the Bills, the Steelers won at the Rams, and the Bears as home underdogs upset the Raiders. Sunday Night Football brought us a fantastic matchup, with the Eagles earning a hard-fought 31-17 home victory over the Dolphins.
Each Sunday night, I will provide my five instant fantasy football reactions from the slate of games. What were the key performances, surprises and disappointments from across the NFL?
Let’s get into Week 7!
Reaction No. 1: Elite Teams Separating
Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Kansas City showed us all why they are among the league’s best teams this season. The Eagles responded to their Week 6 road upset at the Jets, to comfortably defeat Miami, 31-17. Quarterback Jalen Hurts accounted for three touchdowns, including this second quarter touchdown pass to A.J. Brown.
The Ravens proved they are still a legit Super Bowl contender with a 38-6 thrashing of the previously 5-1 Detroit Lions. Lamar Jackson was brilliant, totaling four touchdowns, including two to tight end Mark Andrews.
Kansas City entered Sunday’s matchup with the Chargers at just 1-5 ATS against Justin Herbert. The Chiefs had no such trouble with Los Angeles in Week 7, posting a comfortable 31-17 victory behind four touchdowns from quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Week 7 became Separation Sunday, as the best team in the NFL found a way to make a statement.
Reaction No. 2: Cleveland Wins Unconventionally
The Browns entered Week 7 with the best overall defense per DVOA. Many would have thought that allowing a whopping 38 points at Indianapolis, combined with losing quarterback Deshaun Watson to a concussion on the first drive, would have equated to a loss. However, the Browns gutted out a tough 39-38 victory over the Colts, behind three total touchdowns from running backs Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt.
While the Cleveland defense has their worst statistical performance of the season, they sacked Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew four times, forced three fumbles, and recorded an interception. The Browns move to 4-2 and trail Baltimore by just ½ game, eyeing their Week 10 matchup.
Reaction No. 3: What’s Wrong With The Bills?
Despite being an 8-point underdog for most of the week, Buffalo suffered a brutal 29-25 loss to rival New England. The Bills last three weeks have been uninspiring, with a loss to Jacksonville in England, a 14-9 struggling win against an undermanned Giants team at home, and now this loss to the Patriots.
Buffalo has a myriad of injuries to key defensive players, and have struggled all year to find a consistent No. 2 receiving option to All-Pro wideout Stefon Diggs. The turnovers continue to be a problem for Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen, who accounted for two against the Patriots. Allen now has seven interceptions and two lost fumbles on the season, continuing to put the Bills in difficult situations.
Reaction No. 4: The Winners of The RB Dead Zone
Entering the season, there was much debate about which running backs in the draft “dead zone” could actually produce. In Week 7, it was Kenneth Walker, James Cook, and Javonte Williams.
Walker enjoyed heavy volume with Zach Charbonnet ruled out prior to kickoff, and saw all 26 of Seattle rushing attempts, posting 105 rushing yards. James Cook continues to be one of the most versatile backs in the NFL, with three receptions, 102 total yards, and a touchdown. If Buffalo experiences a negative game script, Cook is a weekly superstar. Javonte Williams finally looked completely healthy and posted 82 rushing yards on just 15 attempts against Green Bay. With the Broncos passing game struggling, Williams could see a huge fantasy finish to the NFL season.
Reaction No. 5: Big Rookie WR Performances
The rookie wideouts took center stage in Week 7, posting huge performances for fantasy players. Third-round North Carolina product Josh Downs enjoyed his best day as a professional, catching five passes for 125 receiving yards and a touchdown.
With the Steelers focusing their entire defense on wideout Cooper Kupp, fifth-round BYU standout Puka Nacua led the Rams passing attack with 8 receptions and 154 receiving yards.
Finally, Seattle rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba took advantage of the absence of DK Metcalf to post his best stat line of the season, with four receptions, 63 receiving yards, and this touchdown.
