Week 8 opened with a blowout win for the home team. It also included another game in London. The NFL’s only undefeated team nearly suffered their first loss of the year, but they ended up gutting out a win. There was even an in-game quarterback benching again this week.
Byes: Falcons, Cowboys, Chargers, and Titans
Get free start/sit and waiver wire advice for your fantasy team 
Dolphins 23 at Texans 42
The Dolphins kept things competitive most of the game, but the Texans widened their lead late and won going away. Miami’s injury-depleted receiving corps resulted in DeVante Parker being active, and he responded with a 6-134-0 line on nine targets. He’s a worthy add in all formats. Kenyan Drake and Frank Gore each received a dozen carries, but Drake was the more productive back rushing for 58 yards and a touchdown while also catching both of his targets for 37 yards and another score. He’s deserving of more touches, but he’s making the most of his opportunities of late with 75-plus yards from scrimmage in four straight and a touchdown in three games during that stretch. He’s an RB2, albeit one with a low floor.
Deshaun Watson took zero sacks. He’s taken only one sack in his last two games combined. The second-year signal caller passed for 239 yards and five (!) touchdowns while adding a rush for 14 yards. In a revenge game, Lamar Miller whooped his former employer for 133 yards rushing and a touchdown on 18 carries. Tight end Jordan Thomas caught all four of his targets for 29 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Both touchdown grabs came in the red zone. DeAndre Hopkins most impressive play might have been a reception that was overturned for offensive pass interference, but he was also responsible for a 6-82-2 line on seven targets. Will Fuller stole the show with a 5-124-1 line on six targets, but unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending injury. Keke Coutee was inactive for Thursday’s game, but now he’ll function as the clear-cut No. 2 receiver and should be universally rostered.
Eagles 24 at Jaguars 18
Carson Wentz threw only one touchdown pass in his first game of the year, but he’s since passed for multiple touchdowns in five straight including spinning three scores in London. He passed for 286 yards and an interception, and he added 28 yards on six runs. Philadelphia’s makeshift running attack was led by rookie Josh Adams with nine carries for 61 yards. He should be scooped up as the potential is there for him to lead the RBBC. Zach Ertz was targeted a season-low six times and caught four passes for 26 yards and a score. Rookie Dallas Goedert hauled in his only target for a 32-yard score. Goedert has scored a touchdown in back-to-back games and three of Wentz’s six starts. He’s a touchdown-or-bust bye-week fill in at tight end.
Blake Bortles managed to avoid another in-game benching, but he didn’t exactly light it up. He passed for 286 yards and a touchdown, and he led the team in rushing with 43 yards. Carlos Hyde was awful rushing for 11 yards on six carries. T.J. Yeldon carried the ball just two times for seven yards, but he led the team in receptions (seven), receiving yards (83), and targets (nine). The Jaguars are on bye in Week 9, and it’s widely believed Leonard Fournette will return after Jacksonville’s bye. High-priced free-agent addition Donte Moncrief caught four of seven targets for 54 yards and has bested 50 yards on four or more grabs in four of his last five games. In that other contest, however, he posted a bagel on three targets. Dede Westbrook found the end zone for the second time in the last three weeks, but he hasn’t cleared 40 yards receiving in any of those games.
Broncos 23 at Chiefs 30
With Chad Kelly’s release, Case Keenum’s leash has grown. He passed for 262 yards, but he also threw another touchdown and absorbed five more sacks. He’s thrown exactly one interception in seven straight following tossing a trio of them in the season opener. Keenum’s also taken multiple sacks in six straight. Using defenses against him is a solid move in daily games and season-long leagues. Royce Freeman was out with an ankle injury, and Phillip Lindsay totaled 95 yards rushing, three receptions, 17 yards receiving, and one rushing touchdown. Devontae Booker was surprisingly solid as well with 78 yards rushing and 23 yards receiving on four grabs. Rookie Courtland Sutton led the way in receiving yards with 78. He efficiently reeled in three of his four targets.
Patrick Mahomes continues to add to his MVP resume after passing for 303 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. Kareem Hunt rushed for 50 yards on 16 carries, and he caught five of six targets for 36 yards and a score. Sammy Watkins was a monster erupting for 8-107-2 on nine targets, and Travis Kelce beat up on the Broncos yet again with a stellar 6-79-1 line on 10 targets. Tyreek Hill caught three of four targets for 70 yards, but he left the game early with a groin injury. If he’s forced to miss time, Watkins’ value would get a bump.
Browns 18 at Steelers 33
The Browns led 6-0 after the first quarter, but then the Steelers got rolling. Baker Mayfield picked up a garbage-time touchdown late to somewhat salvage his day, but his 180 yards passing, one interception and nine yards rushing with a pair of passing touchdowns were still nothing to write home about. David Njoku failed to make a box score appearance and wasn’t even targeted. Jarvis Landry posted a pre-2018 like line with 12 targets, eight receptions, and only 39 yards receiving. The closest thing to a bright spot on Cleveland’s offense was Nick Chubb rushing for 65 yards on 18 carries and hauling in a pair of receptions for 10 yards.
Ben Roethlisberger passed for 257 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He connected with Antonio Brown six times for 74 yards and both of his touchdowns. Juju Smith-Schuster was mostly quiet with four receptions for 33 yards. Vance McDonald caught all three of his targets for 47 yards. The standout player for the Steelers, though, was James Conner. He rushed the ball 24 times for 146 yards and two touchdowns, and he caught five of his six targets for 66 yards. Le’Veon who?
Buccaneers 34 at Bengals 37
Jameis Winston threw up all over himself. He threw four interceptions and took five sacks. He was benched in the fourth quarter, and Ryan Fitzpatrick promptly lit up the Bengals for 194 yards, two touchdowns, a two-point conversion, and 18 yards rushing. He entered the game with the Bucs trailing by 18 and knotted it up. The offense clearly functions at its best with Fitz running the show, yet head coach Dirk Koetter won’t commit to starting him at the time of writing this. Tampa Bay’s offense is explosive, and their defense is non-existent. That’s a recipe for a weekly high ceiling for Fitz if he’s named the starter again. Peyton Barber re-emerged with 85 yards rushing and a touchdown on 19 carries. Mike Evans went nuts and posted a 6-179-1 line on 13 targets. DeSean Jackson made the news by demanding a trade in advance of Sunday’s game, and then he caught three of eight targets for 68 yards and a score. O.J. Howard continues his breakout season after tallying a 4-68-1 line on four targets.
The Bengals bounced back from getting thrashed in Kansas City the week before. Andy Dalton passed for 280 yards and a pair of touchdowns while rushing for 10 yards on three carries. He avoided turnovers and took only two sacks. Joe Mixon dominated with 123 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 21 carries while securing three of four targets for 15 yards. A.J. Green caught five of seven targets for 76 yards and a score, but Tyler Boyd outperformed him with a 9-138-1 line on 10 targets. Cincinnati’s offensive usage is highly concentrated between Mixon, Green, and Boyd.
Jets 10 at Bears 24
The Jets couldn’t muster much on offense. Sam Darnold passed for 153 yards and a score while adding 22 yards on five carries. Isaiah Crowell was dreadful rushing for 25 yards on 13 carries with 13 yards on one reception. Jermaine Kearse parlayed 10 targets into a paltry 30 yards on three receptions. This is an offense to avoid for fantasy purposes.
Mitchell Trubisky passed for 220 yards and two touchdowns, and his rushing ability was again on display with 51 yards on six carries. Trubisky has thrown for multiple touchdowns in four straight and surpassed 45 yards rushing in each of those four games, too. He’s still a work in progress from a reality perspective, but he’s turning into a fantasy asset. Jordan Howard took advantage of a positive game script and carried the ball 22 times for 81 yards and a score, but he added nothing in the air. His value will be tied to game script, and with the emergence of Tarik Cohen (five rushes for 40 yards and one reception for a 70-yard touchdown), Howard’s floor and ceiling are both greatly reduced. Trubisky spread the ball around with Allen Robinson out, and Taylor Gabriel caught four of six targets for 52 yards while rookie Anthony Miller reeled in three of seven targets for 37 yards and a score. Miller also rushed once for seven yards. Trey Burton was non-factor with three receptions for 18 yards. It was his fourth time falling short of 25 yards receiving, but he salvaged two of those games by finding pay dirt.
Ravens 21 at Panthers 36
The Ravens simply aren’t as good on the road as they are at home. They’ve suffered three of their four losses on the road, and Joe Flacco has a track record of stumbling in road games. Yesterday was no exception. He passed for 192 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Alex Collins was the top back again and rushed 11 times for 49 yards and a score. He also caught both of his targets for 14 yards. The box score shows Collins lost a fumble, but it was hardly his fault. The interior of the offensive line provided no blocking, and Collins was drilled almost simultaneously to being handed the ball by Flacco. Flacco’s struggles passing resulted in poor showings from Michael Crabtree (3-31-0) and John Brown (3-28-0).
Cam Newton was a beast. He passed for 219 yards and two touchdowns, and he rushed for 52 yards and a score. Christian McCaffrey rushed for 45 yards and a score on 14 carries, and he caught four of six targets for 11 yards and a score on a deflected pass. Greg Olsen made noise by catching all four of his targets for 56 yards and a score. Rookie DJ Moore had his best game of his young career reeling in five of six targets for 90 yards and rushing twice for 39 yards. Moore has come out of the Week 4 bye and cleared 65 yards from scrimmage in three of four games. His value is rising.
Redskins 20 at Giants 13
Earlier in the year, I told a friend that the Redskins reminded me of the pre-2017 Chiefs led by Alex Smith, and my stance hasn’t changed. They play good defense and ask Smith to merely manage games while leaning heavily on the running game. Adrian Peterson toted the rock 26 times for 149 yards and a touchdown. He also caught his only target for seven yards and a score. Jordan Reed was targeted a whopping 12 times, but whether gamers view his showing against the Giants as useful or not is 100% based on scoring format as he caught seven passes but totaled only 38 yards. Peterson is about the only useful fantasy option currently.
Generational talent Saquon Barkley rushed for 38 yards on 13 carries and caught nine of 10 targets for 73 yards in the Giants’ seventh loss in eight games. Eli Manning was hilariously bad and took seven sacks while throwing a pair of interceptions. I wonder if the Giants miss Geno Smith. Manning passed for 316 yards and a score thanks in large part to hucking the rock 47 times. Odell Beckham Jr. was targeted 11 times and caught eight passes for 136 yards.
Seahawks 28 at Lions 14
The Seahawks have settled into a nice groove leaning heavily on their rushing attack, but that didn’t prevent Russell Wilson from having a hell of a game on only 17 pass attempts. He completed 14 passes for 248 yards and three touchdowns, and he added a tiny bit more with 15 yards rushing on two carries. Chris Carson was a bell cow rushing 25 times for 105 yards and a touchdown and catching both of his targets for 19 yards.
Colts 42 at Raiders 28
The Colts went out west and handled business. The emergence of a potent rushing attack has helped ease the load on Andrew Luck. He attempted just 31 passes, but he made them count passing for 239 yards and three touchdowns. Luck avoided any sacks for the third straight game, and he’s been sacked only one time in his last four games. He’s on fire and has passed for three or more touchdowns in five straight games. He didn’t look sharp earlier this year, but he’s been a world beater for a month now. Circling back to the potent rushing attack, rookie Nyheim Hines was effective rushing for 78 yards on 11 carries while catching both of his targets for seven yards. However, he’s the clear change-of-pace option to Marlon Mack. Mack’s rejuvenated a lifeless rushing attack and stomped the Raiders for 132 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries, and he also caught two of four targets for 17 yards. He’s a legitimate RB1. Jack Doyle made his triumphant return with a 6-70-1 line on seen targets. T.Y. Hilton was quiet with one reception on five targets for 34 yards. Better days are ahead for Hilton, though, if the offensive line remains healthy and continues to play at an elite level. Even with Doyle back, Eric Ebron remained effective catching all three of his targets for 37 yards and a touchdown. Doyle and Ebron are both fantasy starters at tight end.
Derek Carr didn’t seem to miss Amari Cooper, and he turned in one of his best days of the year passing for 244 yards and three touchdowns. He took zero sacks and didn’t turn it over. Doug Martin showed signs of life rushing for 72 yards on 13 carries and catching both of his targets for 17 yards. He did lose a fumble, though, and I remain skeptical. Jared Cook is the only trustworthy fantasy option, and he caught four of five targets for 74 yards and a touchdown. The oft-hyped tight end is well on his way to career highs across the board. As bad as Jordy Nelson was catching just one of four targets for 14 yards, Martavis Bryant was remarkably worse and failed to generate even a target. As a friendly reminder, the Raiders traded a third-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft for Bryant, cut him, and re-signed him. The Raiders are a rudderless ship, but at least they have Jon Gruden locked up to a 10-year contract.
49ers 15 at Cardinals 18
Football fans can be forgiven if they didn’t see much of (or any of) this contest. A more exciting NFC West team was playing at the same time in their own close contest. The 49ers led most of this game but came up short. They fell to the Cardinals for the second time this year (both of Arizona’s wins). Matt Breida keeps playing at less than 100%, and he rushed 16 times for 42 yards. Alfred Morris, Raheem Mostert, and Kyle Juszczyk all also carried the ball. George Kittle is the only member of the 49ers who’s a reliable weekly starting fantasy option, and he caught five of eight targets for 57 yards. He’s caught four or more passes in seven of eight games and bested 55 yards six times. Marquise Goodwin is a big-play dependent WR3/flex, and he delivered a big play on one of his four targets. He hauled in a 55-yard touchdown grab.
As Arizona’s scoring output suggests, new offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich didn’t cure all that ails their sickly offense. David Johnson carried the ball 16 times for 59 yards and caught all four of his targets for 41 yards. Larry Fitzgerald blew up for 8-102-1 on 12 targets, and rookie Christian Kirk was good again with a 3-42-1 line on seven targets. Rookie Josh Rosen set new highs in completions (23), pass attempts (40), passing yards (252), and touchdown passes (two). Overall, it’s a small step in the right direction.
Packers 27 at Rams 29
This game was “America’s Game of the Week” on FOX, and it was a fun one. Green Bay had the Rams on the ropes but couldn’t hand them their first loss of the season. Aaron Rodgers passed for 286 yards and one touchdown on 30 attempts. Green Bay’s receiving corps was fully healthy, but Davante Adams maintained his stranglehold on top receiver honors with a 5-133-0 line on seven targets. Rodgers targeted nine players. Trusting anyone beyond Adams is risky, but Jimmy Graham is probably the second best fantasy option in the passing attack when accounting for the fact he plays tight end. Graham wasn’t particularly good in this one, though, catching one of four targets for 21 yards and coming up just short of a touchdown after review confirmed he was down just short of the goal line. Mike McCarthy can’t get out of his own way. Aaron Jones rushed 86 yards at 7.2 yards per carry and scored on a 33-yard run, yet he carried the ball only a dozen times (he also caught both of his targets for zero yards). Jamaal Williams punched in a one-yard score following Graham’s overturned touchdown and rushed for just nine yards on four carries. Ty Montgomery carried the ball two times for six yards. Jones should be getting the ball 15-20 times a game, but McCarthy’s a fool.
Jared Goff hasn’t had many big games this year because of Todd Gurley’s nose for the end zone, but he’s been a high-floor option. Goff reminded us of his ceiling in this game, however, passing for 295 yards and three touchdowns. Circling back to the aforementioned Gurley, he rushed for 114 yards on 25 carries and led the team in receptions (6) and receiving yards (81) while adding a touchdown grab. Brandin Cooks caught three of eight targets for 74 yards and rushed twice for nine yards. Robert Woods caught five of seven targets for 70 yards. Josh Reynolds filled in admirably for Cooper Kupp and caught three of five targets for 42 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Import your team to My Playbook for instant Lineup & Trade advice
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher | SoundCloud | TuneIn | RSS
Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.
