Here’s a look at the studs and duds of Week 8. We’ll look at one stud and one dud from each of the quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end positions. The purpose of this exercise is not simply to identify the best and worst at each position but to find players who had over- or underwhelming performances that warrant discussion.
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Quarterback
Stud: Derek Carr (OAK)
21/28; 244 Yards; Three Touchdowns; One Rushing TD
Derek Carr was not the best QB this week by any means. But he did have a crucial bounce-back game, even if his team did eventually lose. He stood tall in the face of pressure and took some chances downfield even when there were check down opportunities to be had. Sure, nobody is overly impressed by the Colts defense being dismantled, but Carr will take success wherever he can get it these days. You could tell that this was a statement outing for the young quarterback, and if any of this was Jon Gruden’s doing via the game plan, then that’s a great sign for Carr’s spot on this team in the future.
Dud: Baker Mayfield (CLE)
22/36; 180 Yards; Two TDs/One INT
Most longtime NFL viewers knew that Baker’s success from his Thursday Night Football debut against the Jets wouldn’t be sustainable. Teams would figure him out, and he and the Browns coaches would, in turn, need to counter those adjustments in order to have any long-term success this season. But that was over a month ago, and Mayfield has yet to deliver the signature performance that his believers have been waiting for. His completion percentage is comfortably under 60%, he’s only broken 300 yards passing once, and far too many Cleveland drives into enemy territory end in field goal attempts. Part of the blame belongs to the roster and its construction. Jarvis Landry really isn’t a top pass catcher, and everyone else is on their rookie contract. But those are the players Mayfield is stuck with barring a move at the trade deadline, and fantasy football doesn’t award any extra points for being surrounded by incompetence. Mayfield is obviously in dynasty consideration, but in redraft leagues, he shouldn’t be on anyone’s radar until summer time.
Running Back
Stud: Adrian Peterson (WAS)
26 for 149 Yards; One Touchdown; One Reception for Seven Yards and a Touchdown
Sure, AP was one big play away from another disappointing week, but it wasn’t the type of play that’s fair to arbitrarily remove from his stat line. It was a one-possession game at the time, and Peterson showcased impressive speed outrunning everyone on the Giants defense to put the game away. Peterson appeared on this list earlier in the season, and the analysis suggested trading him before the wheels fall off. This would be the ideal time to that, especially with how stagnant this Redskins offense has proven to be. Yes, he’s starting to make all of us think that he really does have enough in the tank to sustain a full season of success, but the wheels fall off quickly in these scenarios, and if it does happen it’ll be far too late to do anything about it. Running back isn’t as shallow as it was when the season kicked off, so if you’re one of Peterson’s owners who also hit on somebody like Kerryon Johnson, Nick Chubb, Marlon Mack, etc., then don’t be afraid to try and move him to another RB-desperate team.
Dud: Carlos Hyde (JAC)
Six Carries for 11 Yards
Nobody appears to know what the Jaguars were thinking when they traded for Carlos Hyde, including the Jaguars. It doesn’t hurt to have insurance for the much aligned Leonard Fournette, but weeks like this one are supposed to be exactly what Hyde is for. Even though he’s only been on the team for just over a week it’s his second game in the team’s uniform and running back typically isn’t all that difficult of a position to learn. And yet this week’s London game saw Hyde limited to six carries, and he finally got his passing game targets as the team was marching in the fourth quarter – right when he absolutely had no business taking snaps from T.J. Yeldon, whose pass-catching abilities and knowledge of the offense would have made him a much better option. Fournette is pegged to return in Week 10, but even if he goes down again there’s no guarantee that Hyde is worth playing or even owning.
Wide Receiver
Stud: Sammy Watkins (KC)
Eight Receptions for 107 Yards; Two Touchdowns
There’s both a glass half-full and half-empty way to view Watkins’s season prior to today. On one hand, he’s been a steady producer for his owners, which is the first time in the receiver’s career that anyone has called him consistent. On the other hand, he’s a piece of the most explosive offense in the league, and the fact that he hadn’t put up any monster games was concerning. Those concerns were alleviated this week, of course, as Watkins played the role of feature wideout for the first time all season, and the production was spectacular. He’ll be hard-pressed to replicate this level of success with all of the competition for targets on the Chiefs, but we knew the floor was there, and if this is his ceiling then Watkins can be started reliably in most leagues.
Dud: Kenny Golladay (DET)
One Reception for 12 Yards
Once upon a time, it appeared as though Kenny Golladay had supplanted Marvin Jones Jr. as the Lions’ premier outside receiving threat. Everyone is entitled to a bad game or two, but Golladay’s numbers are headed on a disturbing trajectory. In Week 7 Matthew Stafford only targeted him twice, and now in Week 8, he was targeted just one time. Not only did Jones steal all of his thunder this time, but in general Jones had been slightly more consistent than Golladay. All three of these receivers (including Golden Tate of course) are start-able in pretty much all formats, but you’re never going to know which of the three will deliver, with Tate having the highest floor and Jones and Golladay competing for the higher ceiling.
Tight End
Stud: Jack Doyle (IND)
Six Receptions for 70 Yards; One Touchdown
In an all-time terrible season for tight ends, can the Indianapolis Colts really sustain two fantasy relevant ones in one offense? Yes, apparently. Eric Ebron emerged as a major part of this offense while Doyle dealt with a five-game absence, but rather than just supplant him with Doyle, or vice-versa, the Colts decided to get both of them involved. And when you consider that the Colts only have one really “good” wide receiver, it makes sense for them to target both of these guys in the passing game. To be perfectly clear, Jack Doyle is still the preferred player of the two, as it didn’t look like he missed a beat despite the prolonged absence. Ebron will continue to get a few targets a game, including those ever-so-valuable red-zone looks, but it shouldn’t be enough to bother Doyle owners too badly.
Dud: Jimmy Graham (GB)
One Reception for 21 Yards
He was just a few inches shy of scoring a touchdown, and often that’s the difference between boom or bust for a tight end. The story after this game will be the fumble by Ty Montgomery on the kickoff return, and for good reason, but let’s not act like Aaron Rodgers and the Packers didn’t have plenty of opportunities towards the end of this game to take control. And even with all of those chances, Jimmy Graham was unable to build upon that one moment in the first quarter. It’s been said before, but it can’t hurt to say it again for good measure: Jimmy Graham is light years away from the player he once was, and the Packers haven’t been able to utilize tight ends in their offense for many years. This is not a good match, and frankly, it’s a miracle that Graham has been able to produce as much as he has. If you have him, you’re probably stuck with him, but if you can make a move to upgrade then you should.
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Shane McCormack is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Shane, check out his archive and follow him @ShaneMcCormack_.
