Throughout the NFL regular season, we'll meet here on Thursdays to break down the film from a fantasy football perspective. I'm looking for trends and tendencies on both side of the ball to give fantasy managers a jump when they set their weekly lineups. Schemes matter. So does offensive deployment in weekly matchups. And remember, the game tape always tells us a story.
Today, we'll discuss a running back who jumped on the Week 6 tape in an offense where he'll see downhill and perimeter volume. There's a quarterback primed for a bounce-back week, too, and a wide receiver with PPR upside. I'll also highlight three players with question marks -- in tough Week 7 matchups -- and some rookie pass-catchers to monitor over the weekend.
All references to fantasy scoring are for PPR leagues unless otherwise noted.
Week 7 upgrades
Jerome Ford, RB, Cleveland Browns
Ford had 91 total yards on 19 touches in the Week 6 upset of the 49ers. And the tape really jumped here in the fourth quarter, when Ford had three rushes of 10 yards or more versus that San Francisco front seven. Even with Kareem Hunt seeing carries and operating as the pass-catching back for Cleveland, the Browns' run-game system is a positive for Ford. Perimeter schemes with pullers out in front, and the power concepts that give him daylight to attack inside the tackles. You can go with Ford this week as a solid RB2 versus a Colts defense allowing 23.3 PPG to opposing backs.