Week 8: Game Recap
Sorry for the quick hiatus! Back to business. Let’s take a look at what went down in Week 8 across the league.
Falcons vs. Panthers, 25-17
Todd Gurley hasn’t averaged more than 2.7 YPC since Week 5, but some guys just have a nose for the endzone. Personally, I’d rather chase volume efficiency over touchdown-reliancy, but the man keeps finding paydirt.
Calvin Ridley has taken a backseat to a healthy Julio Jones recently, though both should be considered top fifteen, maybe top ten plays when both are healthy.
The long-awaited return of Christian McCaffrey will be a much needed shot in the arm for a middling Panthers’ offense.
Chiefs vs. Jets, 35-9
I think we all expected some major garbage time work for CEH and Le’Veon Bell against the Jets, but Patrick Mahomes opted to light up the scoreboard with 5 TDs through the air.
Needless to say, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce should be started with confidence each and every Sunday. Beyond those two though, you’re really rolling the dice with Robinson and Hardman.
Even in the deepest of leagues, I’m not sure a single New York Jet (other than Jamison Crowder) warrants a fantasy start.
Vikings vs. Packers, 28-22
Don’t worry about Adam Thielen or Justin Jefferson - this was clearly a Dalvin Cook game.
Davante Adams is my WR1, and I don’t see it changing anytime soon. Even with Allen Lazard coming off IR.
Continue rolling out Jamaal Williams as a top ten running back for as long as Aaron Jones is out. With rookie AJ Dillon testing positive for COVID-19, if Jones misses Thursday’s matchup against the 49ers, then it’ll be the Jamaal Williams show once more.
Bengals vs. Titans, 31-20
We’re getting to the point where you can’t really afford to sit Corey Davis anymore. He’s played just as many games as A.J. Brown, and he’s been just as stellar.
The AJ Green excitement was short lived. This is the Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins show now.
Winter is coming. Does that mean Derrick Henry is due for yet another historic stretch of fantasy dominance?
Broncos vs. Chargers, 31-30
Not only should Justin Herbert excite Chargers fans, but fantasy owners as well. Coming off four straight 20+ point performances, he has an enticing schedule coming up; home against the Raiders, at Miami, then home against the Jets.
Keenan Allen’s market share and target efficiency has been nothing short of remarkable. A small aDOT lowers his ceiling, but few WRs have a higher floor.
The Philip Lindsay and Melvin Gordon situation is worth following. Gordon has never been a poster child for efficiency, and lately Lindsay has been doing a lot more with a lot less.
Saints vs. Bears, 26-23
Drew Brees still takes care of the ball, but his inability to stretch the field is concerning. Michael Thomas’s eventual return will help, but it’s been checkdown after checkdown recently (Kamara owners should be salivating).
David Montgomery has been getting RB1 volume all season long, but he and the Bears have logged just two games north of 4.3 YPC. He’s a must-start because volume like that can’t be replicated, but he’s a low to mid RB2 at this rate.
The strength of this team is clearly its WRs. Who knows, maybe Nagy and Foles cut it lose and start feeding Darnell Mooney and Anthony Miller more consistently.
Seahawks vs. 49ers, 37-27
The entire 49ers depth chart is made of glass. Jimmy G and George Kittle are both going to be sidelined for the foreseeable future with lower body injuries.
For as long as Deebo Samuel is out, Brandon Aiyuk is an enticing FLEX play with considerable upside.
As much as it pains me to say, DK Metcalf is a true monster who’ll warrant 2nd round status next season. In dynasty leagues, could he be worth the number one overall pick?
Eagles vs. Cowboys, 23-9
Yikes.
Dallas Cowboys owners need Andy Dalton back ASAP. Because no one on the team warrants confidence with Ben DiNucci at the helm.
Travis Fulgham might be the real deal. Even with Dallas Goedert and Jalen Reagor back in the lineup, Fulgham still paced the team with 6 catches for 78 yards and 1 TD.
Raiders vs. Browns, 16-6
Hello, Josh Jacobs! The second year tailback is second in the league in carries, but the efficiency hasn’t been there. Neither has the rumored “increased passing work” that so many of us hoped for back in August.
The wind was absolutely insane in Cleveland, so we can’t read too much into this game.
Bills vs. Patriots, 24-21
It wasn’t Josh Allen’s best day, but rainy weather likely had something to do with that.
With poor weather, the Bills committed to Devin Singletary and Zack Moss on the ground. I’ll continue to rank Singletary higher than Moss, though both could be considered as average FLEX plays.
By playing Cam Newton, you’re literally praying for a rushing touchdown. There’s been little reason for optimism when it comes to his work through the air. Similarly, no Patriots WR warrants a spot in your starting lineup.
Steelers vs. Ravens, 28-24
With Mark Ingram out, both J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards looked fantastic. That’s the problem though, at this point it seems like the ceiling for both players is a 50% timeshare. With a quarterback who’s also going to run the ball 10+ times per game.
The Steelers’ WR trio is just as exciting as it is frustrating. I feel like all three need to be started week in and week out, but it seems like one of the three is always going to be left out.
Colts vs. Lions, 41-21
Before you freak out and try to ship off Johnathan Taylor, you should know that Philip Rivers’ postgame interview seemed to indicate that the rookie got dinged up early in the game. It’s a situation worth monitoring, but that very well could explain why Jordan Wilkins received 20 carries to Taylor’s 11.
Kenny Golladay left the game early and is expected to miss Week 9 as well. With Detroit’s number one passing option on the sideline, expect Matt Stafford to look for TJ Hockenson and Marvin Jones more.
Dolphins vs. Rams, 28-17
In Tua Tagovailoa’s first NFL start, the Dolphins hardly needed the guy as their D/ST controlled the pace of the game.
Myles Gaskin has quietly been a really nice fantasy asset all season long. You can count on the guy for 15+ carries and 2+ catches every week.
Cooper Kupp drew 21 targets on Sunday as the Rams were forced to play catchup, and Robert Woods found the endzone twice. Both Kupp and Woods should be considered as low WR2’s in all formats.
Buccaneers vs. Giants, 25-23
Bruce Arians is a fantasy owner’s worst nightmare when it comes to RBs. RoJo fumbles, and Fournette takes over the backfield for the rest of the game. Your guess is as good as mine as to who’ll carry the load in Week 9.
Gronk is back. He moves like The Tin Man, but with the TE position being so shallow it’s hard to name five guys you like more.
Both Sterling Shephard and Darius Slayton were a few Daniel Jones’ misses away from posting awesome fantasy outputs. Both are awesome WR3’s, with Slayton offering a higher ceiling.
