Week 7 of the NFL season comes to an end tonight as the 49ers battle the Vikings. There is plenty to consider with this fantasy-rich matchup, and I’ll have more on that below. But first, let’s consider what else we learned from Week 7 of the NFL Season.

The Ravens made a statement

The Ravens have been a solid team this season with a couple curious losses that had them sitting at 4-2. The Ravens want to establish themselves as a serious contender in the AFC and the team to beat in the AFC North. A home matchup against a red-hot Lions team was a great chance to do just that, and the Ravens took advantage. The Ravens scored 38 points, holding the Lions to just six in a 32-point victory. Lamar Jackson looked to be in MVP form, throwing for more than 300 yards and three touchdowns, rushing for another. The Ravens are rounding into shape and at 5-2 are among the best in the AFC.

The Chiefs are running away with the AFC West

Is it a surprise the Chiefs are atop the AFC West again? No, it’s not. But for the second off-season in a row, it seemed like the AFC West would be a loaded division. And yet, the AFC West has been middling at best. The Chiefs are an AFC-best 6-1, but the rest of the division is a shoulder shrug. The Chiefs beat the Chargers, knocking them to 2-4. The Raiders had a golden chance to move over .500 in Chicago and instead lost 30-12, falling to 3-4. And the Broncos have been a disaster so far under Sean Payton. Instead of a battle, it looks like the Chiefs may cruise to a division title.

Backup quarterbacks for the win(s)

We saw backups for the Bears (Tyson Bagent) and the Giants (Tyrod Taylor) get big wins for the 1-5 teams. And in the case of Taylor, he looked pretty impressive doing it. Then we had P.J. Walker come off the bench for the Browns and lead Cleveland to a huge 39-38 road win in Indianapolis. We’ve already seen a lot of reserve quarterbacks get the call and on Sunday three of them came up with huge team wins.

And now, on to Monday Night Football!

San Francisco 49ers (5-1) at Minnesota Vikings (2-4)

The 49ers are coming off their first loss of the season and come into the game beat up. The Vikings, meanwhile, got a win in Chicago in Week 6 but they already have as many losses in 2023 as they did in the regular season in 2022. The Vikings are desperate for a win if they want to stay in the race for the playoffs, while the 49ers are looking to bounce back from a down performance a week ago.

For fantasy, Deebo Samuel is out, which makes Brandon Aiyuk a great play. Jauan Jennings has some flex appeal for me, and I’m also hoping we see an uptick on targets for the great George Kittle at tight end. In the backfield, Christian McCaffrey is a game-time decision. If you’re holding out hope, be sure you have a backup plan. If he is a go, he’s in my lineup. If not, I like Elijah Mitchell. Brock Purdy is a QB2 for me.

For the Vikings, Kirk Cousins is a high-end QB2. Among his pass catchers, I like T.J. Hockenson as a start at tight end and Jordan Addison as a WR2. K.J. Osborn is more of a deep league play. In the backfield, Alexander Mattison is the player you want, however I’m not that bullish. He’s more of an RB3 for me.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.