Week 7 wasn't quite so lucky for some top fantasy receivers or running backs ... unless you are DeMarco Murray, of course. As always, we're taking a look at some of the players who led the way in playmaking opportunities with an added twist this week -- some of the notable players who didn't see much action.
Targets
Welcome back, Roddy White! On a day when the Falcons couldn't do much offensively, it was nice to see their veteran receiver get back into the offensive mix -- including a touchdown. It will always be a struggle for White to return to his previous WR1 status as long as Julio Jones is hanging around, but if fantasy enthusiasts can get a few more weeks with close to double-digit targets, you won't hear many complaints.
Another refreshing development is the inclusion of Keenan Allen on this list. His 58 receiving yards might not look like much, but after just 52 total yards in Weeks 5 and 6 combined, it's a step in the right direction. I'd like to see another week of this type of attention from Philip Rivers before declaring that Allen is safe to start each and every week, but it was just enough to prevent me from completely pulling the 'chute after Week 7.
But it was not all sunshine and rainbows for some top pass-catchers. Jordy Nelson only had five targets. Fortunately Nelson believes in efficiency and turned those five targets into four catches for 80 yards and a touchdown. That was a theme for some brand-name players this week. Antonio Gates had five targets and Michael Floyd had only three. But both players were still able to snag a touchdown pass. Others were not so productive. Brandin Cooks had just three targets (two receptions) while his teammate Jimmy Graham saw two passes come his way with no catches at all.
Other notables:Rueben Randle (9), Kendall Wright (9), Mohamed Sanu (9), Demaryius Thomas (9), Andre Ellington (9)
Touches
Bruce Arians has said for the past couple of seasons that he'd like to have one workhorse runnig back. Andre Ellington has fit the bill nicely this year and carried the flag pretty effectively in Sunday's win over the Raiders. His numbers could have been even better if he hadn't tapped out for a play or two near the goal line. Touchdowns are fickle creatures. As long as Ellington keeps getting work, he'll grab a few more scores before the season ends.
DeMarco Murray. Carry on.
Justin Forsett had 23 carries on Sunday while no other Ravens running back had more than eight. Maybe Gary Kubiak is starting to wise up and figure out who is the team's best rushing option. It's been pretty apparent for the past few weeks that Forsett has been the most productive of all Baltimore's running backs, now the distribution of labor is starting to reflect that. Let's hope that it continues going forward.
Frank Gore's nine carries in Week 7 were partially a function of the 49ers falling behind so quickly. But it's also a pretty frequent pattern in how San Francisco runs its offense. As he's still the team's starter it's hard to advocate dropping him, but it's also getting harder to recommend that he's in your lineup each and every week. ... Remember when Matt Asiata was a thing? Now he's a thing to avoid after he saw just six rushing attempts while Jerick McKinnon took over as the star in Minnesota's backfield. ... Antone Smith gained attention as a big play guy for Atlanta. But it's hard to be that guy when you only have three carries and a pair of targets.
Other notables:Tre Mason (18+0), Alfred Morris (18+0), Bishop Sankey (16+1), Branden Oliver (15+2), Anthony Dixon (13+4)
Marcas Grant is a fantasy editor for NFL.com. Follow him on Twitter @MarcasG.
