Fact or Fiction: Fantasy Football Outlooks for Russell Wilson, Javonte Williams, Rashod Bateman, Cedrick Wilson Jr., Jonnu Smith

Justin's fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks for Week 8 of 2024. He looks at surprising performances from Russell Wilson, Javonte Williams, Rashod Bateman, Cedrick Wilson Jr., Jonnu Smith.

Week 7 of the NFL is behind us, and it's time to look ahead to next week's action. There were some surprising performances in the seventh week of the season, but were those surprising performances a sign of things to come for players?

Every week, I'll examine five NFL players whose numbers from the previous week were better than expected. I'll analyze their games and consider what their showings mean in the larger scheme of things.

Below, you'll find an analysis of the biggest fantasy football surprises of Week 7. Are those surprising results a fact, i.e., a sign of good things to come, or a fiction, i.e., an anomalous result?

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• Tight end fantasy football rankings

Russell Wilson - QB, Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 7 stats: 16-of-29 for 264 yards and two touchdowns, three carries for three yards and one touchdown - overall QB3

I still don't know if I agree with Mike Tomlin's decision to start Russell Wilson over Justin Fields at quarterback this week, but I guess it worked out for the Steelers as they defeated the Jets 37-15.

Wilson was fairly good in the victory, throwing two touchdown passes and rushing for another. But Wilson also completed just 55.2% of his pass attempts, looking a bit rusty at times.

National media did more than question Tomlin’s decision to start Russell Wilson. Rewatch the clips and they were basically rooting against him.

One of the best role models and arguably a top 3 dual threat QB in NFL history. Glad he showed out against a top defense. pic.twitter.com/gjs4lbTOJo

— Cloud (@maestroxv_) October 21, 2024

And while Wilson found the end zone on the ground, he finished with just three rushing yards. Fields ran for more than that in each of his starts and had under 20 rushing yards just once.

Wilson had some good mobility earlier in his career, but he's now 35 years old and in his 13th year in the NFL. He's not going to be a major threat to run weekly, especially not in the way that Fields runs.

Maybe the Steelers can keep winning with Wilson, but his lack of rushing upside combined with the fact that he didn't look particularly accurate in his return to the field makes it hard to see him as a QB1 play in fantasy. He remains a low-end QB2 until we see more than one good game.

Verdict: Fiction

Javonte Williams - RB, Denver Broncos

Week 7 stats: 14 carries for 88 yards, two touchdowns, three receptions for 23 yards - overall RB6

It hasn't been a very good season for Javonte Williams, who hadn't found the end zone at all until Week 7 against the Saints when he carried the ball 14 times for 88 yards and two touchdowns.

It hasn't been that long since Williams looked like one of the league's up-and-coming young backs, but he's yet to break 1,000 rushing yards in a season. He's currently averaging a career-low 43.0 rushing yards per contest.

The Broncos offense looks like it's starting to figure some things out, so that should put Williams in better positions to score, but the fact that he's coming off a game as good as this one and is still posting some of his worst numbers just isn't super encouraging.

I do think Williams is trending up, but he's still just a mid-range RB2.

Verdict: Fiction, mostly

Rashod Bateman - WR, Baltimore Ravens

Week 7 stats: four catches for 121 yards and one touchdown - overall WR2

It's Year 4 for Rashod Bateman and it looks like he's finally putting some things together. He's already at his second-most receiving yards in a single season and his most touchdowns and he still has 10 games to go.

Bateman doesn't get a lot of volume. He has more than five targets just once all season and hasn't had more than four receptions in any game. He's relying on big plays, with a 20-plus yard reception in four of the seven games this year. He's also found the end zone three times already, including twice in the last three games.

Rashod Bateman is currently the WR10 in Fantasy Football over the last 3 weeks.
pic.twitter.com/rV6qTE3tQh

— Alfredo Brown (@AlfredoABrown) October 22, 2024

This week against the Buccaneers, Bateman caught four passes for 121 yards and a score, aided by a 59-yard grab and also a 49-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Like I said, big plays.

Bateman has a high ceiling each week, but the volume concerns create so many chances for him to bust. He feels like a good player to plug in if you have an injury or a bye week because he's always capable of snagging a big catch or two, but you don't want to trust him on a week-to-week basis.

Verdict: Fiction ... but I'm starting to believe

Cedrick Wilson Jr. - WR, New Orleans Saints

Week 7 stats: six receptions for 57 yards and a touchdown - overall WR11

With Rashid Shaheed out for the season, the Saints are looking for someone to step up as the No. 2 behind Chris Olave. In Week 7, Olave was also out with a concussion, so the Saints needed someone to succeed.

Cedrick Wilson Jr. was targeted seven times, catching six passes for 57 yards and a touchdown against Denver on Thursday night, so maybe he's going to step up and be that guy?

Ehh.Wilson is in his sixth season and has just one year with over 300 receiving yards. And while he found the end zone in Week 7, he trailed Mason Tipton in targets and played fewer snaps than Tipton and Bub Means.

I prefer Tipton if I'm taking a shot on a Saints receiver. There's a chance Wilson has more good games, but I'm not betting on it.

Verdict: Fiction

Jonnu Smith - TE, Miami Dolphins

Week 7 stats: seven receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown - overall TE1

As a longtime fan of Jonnu Smith and a believer that he was always just about to break out, it pains me to say that I don't believe his game is a harbinger of future success.

Aaron Brewer clearing the way for Jonnu Smith to score this touchdown. pic.twitter.com/mAZXgmuVco

— Chris Kouffman (@ckparrot) October 20, 2024

Sure, Smith has 15 targets over the past two games, but the Dolphins are about to get quarterback Tua Tagovailoa back. Tagovailoa will push the ball down the field more, minimizing the impact that the tight end has.

With Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle getting back to larger workloads with Tagovailoa under center, Smith will see a downturn in his production. He should be viewed as a low-end TE2 play in fantasy going forward.

Verdict: Fiction

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