The third NFL Sunday is in the books, so let’s take a moment to reflect on the good (Tevin Coleman), bad (OBJ), and ugly (Le’Veon Bell) from a fantasy football point of view. Take note that fantasy scores are listed in terms of half PPR scoring, and you can see the complete player results over at the nifty FantasyPros sortable results page.
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STUDS
Aaron Jones (RB – GB): 38.1 FP
This isn’t the first time Jones has headlined this article, and it probably won’t be the last. The Green Bay running back posted an excellent performance on Sunday Night Football, taking 13 carries for 67 yards alongside seven receptions for 159 yards and two receiving touchdowns. That gave him 38.1 fantasy points (half PPR), which leads all players heading into Monday Night Football of Week 8.
Mike Evans (WR – TB): 37.3 FP
Evans has found himself on the “dud” list several times this season, but he had a monster resurgence on Sunday. The Tampa Bay receiver caught 11-of-12 targets for 198 yards and two touchdowns against the Titans. While it’s difficult to predict his blowup games, Evans should be considered a strong fantasy asset next week against a vulnerable Seahawks’ secondary.
Tevin Coleman (RB – SF): 36.8 FP
Usually, when a player runs for 100+ yards with four touchdowns, he’ll be the focal point of this article. However, Coleman checked in with the second-best running back performance of the week (behind Jones) while ranking third overall with 36.8 FP. Coleman’s efficiency was something unreal, as he only needed 11 carries to post 105 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. He then added two catches for 13 yards and another touchdown through the air. Carolina’s defense seemed respectable heading into this matchup, but Coleman and the 49ers’ offense had no problem finding the end-zone regularly.
Latavius Murray (RB – NO): 32.2 FP
This was the week of the running back. We normally have several quarterbacks featured in the “studs” section, but the other skill players stole the show in Week 8. Latavius Murray became an RB1 fantasy play when the news broke that Alvin Kamara will not play. Murray made the most of his increased workload last week, and that was the case again on Sunday, running for 102 yards on 21 carries (TD) with nine receptions for 55 yards against the Cardinals.
Also: Cooper Kupp (WR – LAR), Daniel Jones (QB – NYG), Deshaun Watson (QB – HOU), Aaron Rodgers (QB – GB)
OUT OF NOWHERE
Gardner Minshew (QB – JAX): 24.0 FP
Minshew found himself with a borderline top-five fantasy performance among quarterbacks in Week 8. The Jaguars’ rookie completed 22-of-34 passes for 279 yards and three touchdowns against the Jets, who are clearly becoming a defense to pick on for fantasy purposes. Adding to the randomness of Minshew’s fine day, his favorite receiver was Chris Conley, who posted four catches for 103 yards and a touchdown.
Kenny Golladay (WR – DET): 25.3 FP
Golladay came through in Week 8, piling up 123 yards and two touchdowns. Fantasy backers would argue that this type of performance had been coming for a long time, as Golladay had been mysteriously quiet in previous weeks despite QB Matthew Stafford enjoying success. The duo was finally able to make the connection against a reeling Giants’ defense.
Ryan Griffin (TE – NYJ): 22.6 FP
Ryan Griffin is your top fantasy tight end of Week 8. This is not a drill. Darren Fells was TE2 with 17.8 FP, and Jonnu Smith was TE3 with 13.8 FP. This position has been fluid all season, but Week 8 certainly takes the cake in that regard. Griffin went 4-66-2 while adding a two-point conversion, but his fantasy relevance may come to an end with Chris Herndon returning soon.
Miles Sanders (RB – PHI): 21.3 FP
The rookie finally broke through, piling up 118 total yards and a score on just six touches. However, Sanders left the game with a shoulder injury that needs to be monitored as the week passes by. Even if Sanders gets cleared, he’s a boom-or-bust fantasy asset who will continue to split time in Philadelphia’s backfield. However, flexing big-play ability against an otherwise stout Buffalo defense is a good sign.
Also: Darren Fells (TE – HOU), Chris Conley (WR – JAX), Darius Slayton (WR – NYG), Hunter Renfrow (WR – OAK)
DUDS
Le’Veon Bell (RB – NYJ): 3.5 FP
What happened to Bell on Sunday? We can usually rely on him seeing 20-25 touches every week, but the veteran running back took nine carries for 23 yards with three catches for 12 yards. That was it. However, fantasy backers shouldn’t panic, as a beautiful matchup against Miami stands on the horizon. Expect Bell to get back to his usual workload with room for a breakout game in that mouthwatering draw.
Ty Johnson (RB – DET): 3.8 FP
Many believed that Johnson would step up as Detroit’s primary running back with Kerryon Johnson landing on injured reserve. Tra Carson ended up with more touches despite Ty getting the start, as Johnson could only muster seven carries for 25 yards with a 13-yard reception to boot. It seems like the Detroit backfield can be safely avoided for the time being.
Zach Ertz (TE – PHI): 2.0 FP
Ertz continues to disappoint this season, although the matchup and overall game flow didn’t land in his favor on Sunday. Many expected the Philadelphia tight end to contend as one of the top fantasy players of his position in 2019, but his 8.4 fantasy points per contest barely lands him in the top 10.
Odell Beckham Jr. (WR – CLE): 5.2 FP
Sure, the playing conditions weren’t great on Sunday, but a bigger problem persists for Odell Beckham Jr. He hasn’t scored since Week 2, and a tough matchup against the Broncos awaits. Season-long fantasy backers are certainly feeling buyer’s remorse at this point, and OBJ’s salary will continue to plummet on daily fantasy sites.
Also: Jacoby Brissett (QB – IND), Brandin Cooks (WR – LAR), Marquez Valdes-Scantling (WR – GB), Gerald Everett (TE-LAR)
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Spencer Limbach is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Spencer, check out his archive and follow him @spencer_jl.
