Pickups: Vidal steps up; Dart, Darnold being underrated

Eric Moody weighs in on Kimani Vidal’s impactful Week 6, and says fantasy managers should look to utilize him as an RB2 in Week 7. (1:10) The sixth Sunday of the NFL season featured another fantastic performance fromCarolina PanthersRBRico Dowdle, another touchdown fromDallas CowboysWRGeorge Pickens, and continued development from precociousNew England PatriotsQBDrake Mayeas a top-10 fantasy option. Oh, there were injuries, too, with excellent wide receiversPuka Nacua(ankle),Emeka Egbuka(hamstring) andMarvin Harrison Jr. (concussion) leaving games prematurely. Fantasy managers must monitor their status for the upcoming week. Each Monday, before the current NFL week ends, we will identify players available inat least 50%of ESPN standard leagues worthy of your attention, from standard formats to deeper options. The NFL is a weekly league, and player valuation and roles seldom remain stagnant. It does not matter how you acquire players for your fantasy rosters, just that you get them. Jaxson Dart,New York Giants(34.4% rostered):This is not the first time we have discussed Dart in this space, though fantasy managers remained rather tepid with interest. Dart was active in fewer than 10% of ESPN standard leagues in Week 6. That must change after Dart scored 23.6 points in a stunning win over the beleagueredPhiladelphia Eagles. Although Dart remains an unfinished product as a passer, he has notably rushed for more than 50 yards in each of his three starts, scoring touchdowns in two of them. That is enough to make him relevant in fantasy. A road game in Denver this week might not be as much fun as facing Philly, but Dart boasts undeniable QB1 potential in fantasy this season and should be rostered in many more leagues. Sam Darnold,Seattle Seahawks(23.1%):Some fantasy managers just refuse to believe in Darnold despite his solid numbers. Darnold scored 20.0 points on Sunday against theJacksonville Jaguars, and after a rough Week 1 outing, he is averaging nearly 20 PPG over his past five games. He and the Seahawks face theHouston Texansin Week 7. Given his numbers, it is hard to suggest anything but Darnold being underrated in fantasy. He showed us his ability last season with theMinnesota Vikings, and he is performing similarly this season. Although there is no shortage of veteran quarterbacks available for streaming in Week 7, the Jaguars’Trevor Lawrence(vs. LAR) and the Panthers’Bryce Young(at NYJ) do not have great matchups. So it is that we must recommendPittsburgh SteelersstarterAaron Rodgers(13.7%) for a road game against theCincinnati Bengals. The Bengals have not played great defense this season. Rodgers scored 17.5 points in Sunday’s win over theCleveland Browns, his best game since Week 1. TheArizona Cardinalsruled outKyler Murray(foot) and started longtime backupJacoby Brissettversus the Colts. Brissett (0.5%) scored 20.7 points, more than Murray has in any of his five games this season. We’ve seen Brissett fill in before with occasional success, but if Murray is out this week, there are surely better options since the Cardinals face theGreen Bay Packersthis week. If one is that desperate, note that new Bengals starterJoe Flaccoscored 18.76 points in his debut. He faces the Steelers this week. Kimani Vidal,Los Angeles Chargers(27.1%):Someone had to pick up the running back duties with starterOmarion Hampton(ankle) shelved, and we had a good idea it would be some combination of Vidal andHassan Haskins. Most sided with Haskins (49.7%), since he played at Michigan for Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh. Wrong choice! These coaches just keep everyone guessing! Vidal enjoyed a far greater performance, turning 21 touches into 138 yards and 22.8 points. Haskins had seven touches. Add Vidal for Week 7 against theIndianapolis Colts, while noting Hampton might miss more time than originally expected. Tyjae Spears,Tennessee Titans(23.6%):Spears (ankle) made his season debut in Week 5 with little statistical consequence. In Week 6, he turned nine touches into 50 yards and 9.0 points, outpacing starterTony Pollard, who scored 6.7 points on 12 touches. The elusive Spears does his best work catching passes, and perhaps the Titans will use him even more in Week 7 against the Patriots. For now, Pollard investors have little to worry about. Bam Knight, Cardinals (5.6%):We featuredMichael Carterin this space last week, as he appeared to be the Arizona running back of choice withJames ConnerandTrey Bensonsidelined. On Saturday, a day before facing the Colts, rather surprising word came that the Cardinals intended to give Knight, with his third NFL organization before his 25th birthday, a chance at first-team volume. Knight scored a touchdown and notched 12.4 points on his 12 touches Sunday, but he didn’t differentiate himself much from Carter, who scored 8.4 points on 11 touches. Knight is likely to be a bit overrated this week for the game against a tough Packers team.