Trashman’s Fantasy Fallout Going Into Week 8 of the NFL Season

The fantasy landscape continues to shift by seismic proportions, as marquee players are succumbing to injuries, while others are finding new homes in surprising places. This is the fallout going into Week 8…

 

Saints – 34 @ Cardinals – 42

• The Saints are finding ways to get Shahid Raheed involved in the game plan, as he’s scored in back to back weeks on 40+ yard plays. That being said, he’s only averaging a target per game. You can’t add him outside of deep dynasty formats.

 

• Congrats if you had the foresight to start TE Juwan Johnson(5/32/2) on Thursday. He definitely capitalized on Adam Trautman being out and a top 2 TE matchup in the Cardinals. If Trautman sits this week, and/or neither Michael Thomas or Jarvis Landry are back on the field, Johnson is worth streaming again against the Raiders.

 

• Tre’Quan Smith(5/59) had 6 targets behind Chris Olave and makes for a deep PPR flex in Week 8, if there’s no Landry or Thomas again.

 

• Keaontay Ingram(11/37/1) got some run in this, but he wasn’t as effective as Eno Benjamin(16/113/1). James Conner is likely to return in Week 8, so it could all be a moot point. Benjamin is still unowned in 30% of leagues, so pick him up where you can, as it’s only a matter of time before Conner misses more time.

 

 

• So much for Rondale Moore(1/31) getting a bump with Marquise Brown going down. It was all De’Andre Hopkins on Thursday. Moore is only a low floor, deep league flex, even with Brown sitting.

 

 

Falcons – 17 @ Bengals – 35

• The Falcons passing attack, if you can even call it that, was anemic on Sunday with Marcus Mariota(8/124/1) only attempting 13 passes. Drake London has gone from averaging 8 targets in his first 4 games to 4 over his last 3. This approach is untenable for fantasy purposes or otherwise. The Desmond Ridder acolytes are sure to start raising a stink this week, and it might be time to start adding him on deep benches.

 

• Tyler Allgeier(16/50/1) had the edge over Caleb Huntley(6/22) in Week 7, touching the ball 10 more times. The Falcons are committed to the run in all situations it seems, so Allgeier makes for a decent flex in Week 8 versus the Panthers.

 

• The Bengals offense was legendary for the 1st 2 quarters on Sunday, and you’d have been happy to play any of the 3 starting WRs in fantasy. The only actionable thing you might be able to do at this point is add Tyler Boyd or Hayden Hurst, both of whom are unowned in 35% of leagues.

 

Colts – 10 @ Titans – 19

• The Colts have decided to bench Matt Ryan indefinitely, and I can hardly blame them. Ryan has been stone-footed and lead-armed for most of the season to this point. Sam Ehlinger will take over, and it’s up in the air whether that will be a good thing for the Colts’ receivers. Derrick Henry is going to get all the action he can handle.

 

• Parris Campbell(10/70/1) has had a new lease on fantasy life as Matt Ryan’s safety blanket. For the 2nd straight game, Campbell has garnered 11+ targets and makes for a solid PPR WR3 this week against Washington in this now dink and dunk Colts offense. Sam Ehlinger will need a safety blanket too.

 

• Austin Hooper(3/56) was the only Titans player other than Derrick Henry(33/138) to warrant any fantasy consideration on Sunday. Hooper is only getting 2 targets a game though, so you can leave him on the wire.

 

Browns – 20 @ Ravens – 23

• Donovan Peoples-Jones(6/71) has become a valid PPR flex, averaging 7 targets per game over his last 4 contests and picking up over 50 yards in each of them. He’s yet to score this season, but DPJ seems to have a solid floor in the Browns offense.

 

• The Ravens leaned heavily on Gus Edwards(16/66/2) in his first game this season, putting Kenyan Drake(11/5) in the back seat. Drake was a shadow of his Week 6 self too, running with indecisiveness and losing yards. He’s still worth holding onto though, as JK Dobbins is out the next 4-6 weeks and the Ravens are a particularly run-heavy team.

 

Buccaneers – 3 @ Panthers – 14

• Rachaad White(7/22) only had 2 fewer touches than Leonard Fournette(10/26) on Sunday, but neither back was able to do much against a stout Carolina front. White is one of the most valuable handcuffs in football, but that’s all he is for now.

 

• Interim HC Steve Wilks has already stated that PJ Walker(16/177/2) will be the starter in Week 8 after upsetting the Buccaneers in Week 7, regardless of whether Baker Mayfield or Sam Darnold are ready to play. Walker played noticeably better in Week 7 than he did in Week 6, and makes for an intriguing streamer in 2 QB leagues against a Falcons team that just got torched by Joe Burrow. DJ Moore also makes for a fine flex with upside.

 

• Apparently it takes 2 RBs to do the job of 1 Christian McCaffrey, as both D’Onta Foreman(17/145) and Chuba Hubbard(11/73/1) proved fantasy viable on Sunday. Foreman is a top waiver priority this week, as he’s unowned in over 50% of leagues, but Hubbard is also worth an add, especially in PPR formats.

 

Giants – 23 @ Jaguars – 17

• Darius Slayton(3/58/1) scored a week after you needed him to, but it was the continued uptick of action to Wan’Dale Robinson(6/50) that gets us excited in fantasy. Leading the team with 8 targets, Robinson is worth adding on all formats, especially with upstart TE Daniel Bellinger out for the foreseeable future with an upcoming eye surgery.

 

• Travis Etienne(15/119/1) has taken over as the Jaguars lead back, apparently, as James Robinson literally didn’t touch the ball on Sunday. It’s a shocking development, and as the Jags lost the game, I’m not sure how permanent it is. In any case, Robinson can’t be started this week against the Broncos.

 

• Evan Engram(4/67) is averaging 7.6 targets over his last 3 games. The Jags seem to match the energy of their competition every week though, so I’m not expecting a major output from him against the Broncos this week.

 

Lions – 6 @ Cowboys – 24

• Khalif Raymond(5/75) led the Lions in receiving, but don’t read too much into it. Amon-Ra St. Brown left the game in the 1st quarter with concussion symptoms, though he didn’t technically have a concussion. ARSB is on track to play in Week 8.

 

• Noah Brown(5/50) surprisingly led the Cowboys in yards and targets(7) on Sunday. It probably won’t happen again this week, but it just goes to show that any starting WR on a Dak Prescott led offense is probably worth owning.

 

• I have to believe Michael Gallup‘s 2 target, 0 yard outing is an aberration. I’m targeting him in trades this week, as he’s a buy low.

 

Packers – 21 @ Commanders – 23

• AJ Dillon(4/15) is unusable in fantasy right now, especially with the Packers up against the Bills this week.

 

• Sammy Watkins tied for 3rd in targets for the Packers, catching 2 balls for 36 yards, in his first action since Week 2. If you’re into narratives, Watkins faces his former Bills team this week…

 

• The Commanders made a point to get Antonio Gibson(13/77/1) more touches this week, and it paid off. Gibson was also more efficient in his touches than Brian Robinson(22/86). Left for dead in a lot of fantasy circles, Gibson still has life left in PPR formats.

 

• As expected Taylor Heinicke was much better for Terry McLaurin(5/73/1) than Carson Wentz had been. McLaurin had his best fantasy game of the season in Heinicke’s first start, and hopefully the production is sustainable. McLaurin was on his way to fantasy mediocrity with Wentz at the helm.

 

Texans 20 @ Raiders – 38

• Phillip Dorsett(2/45/1) popped for the Texans, but it was on a day that 9 different Texans caught 3 or more balls, so it doesn’t move the needle.

 

• Hunter Renfrow(3/55) and Mack Hollins(2/44/1) ate into each other’s targets Sunday, with each player being targeted 3 times. It looks like they could limit each other’s fantasy potentials on a weekly basis.

 

Jets – 16 @ Broncos – 9

• Breece Hall‘s breakthrough rookie season has been cut short by a torn ACL. Michael Carter is a must add in all formats moving forward, and Ty Johnson can be added where you have the space. Perhaps the WR corps actually gets involved in the game plans now, in what could be a silver lining for them.

 

• Brett Rypien had a thud of a start in Week 7, throwing for 215 yards and a pick. He did target Greg Dulcich 9 times for 6/51 line, so maybe the rookie TE has some juice going into Week 8, if Rypien is forced to start again.

 

• Mike Boone has been placed on IR with a foot injury, leaving Latavius Murray and Melvin Gordon to man the backfield, along with newly acquired Marlon Mack. I feel like at this point in their careers, these are basically the same player in different bodies, and they’re interchangeable. That being said, Murray and Gordon need to be owned in all formats. Mack is a speculative add in deep leagues.

 

Seahawks – 37 @ Chargers – 23

• Marquise Goodwin(4/67/2) scored twice in the wake of DK Metcalf‘s knee scare. Metcalf seems to have avoided a major injury but should miss some time. Goodwin makes for a reasonable flex this week against the Giants on this bizarrely effective offense. DeeJay Dallas(8/41) could see a boost too.

 

• With a bye on the horizon in Week 8, there really aren’t any moves to be made in relation to the Chargers. Keenan Allen should return in Week 9 though.

 

Chiefs – 44 @ 49ers – 23

• Isiah Pacheco(8/43) started in Week 7, but Jerrick McKinnon(4/48) actually played the most snaps at 44% – Pacheco played 30%. Clyde Edwards-Helaire(6/32/1) played only 27% of snaps but he did manage to score. This is a 3-headed monster of a backfield, in which any one of the 3 could flash at any time. Pacheco needs to be owned though, as it seems that the Chiefs are going to give him every opportunity to take the lead.

 

• Mecole Hardman(6/62/3) has scored 4 TDs over the past 2 weeks, as the Chiefs go into their bye. That being said, it’s still a game of musical chairs behind JuJu Smith-Schuster. Hardman does make for a deep league upside flex in Week 9 against Tennessee though, as they’re historically kind to QBs. The same can be said for Marquez Valdes-Scantling(3/111), who managed to capitalize on his 4 targets.

 

• Jeff Wilson(7/54) was effective on the touches he got behind Christian McCaffrey(10/62), but I’m not bullish on his chances once CMC gets a week of practice behind him. Wilson is probably CMC insurance at best at this point, as Elijiah Mitchell is on his way back from injury.

 

Steelers – 10 @ Dolphins – 16

• Kenny Pickett is unstartable in fantasy, but he is at least keeping George Pickens(6/61/1) afloat. Even in a tough matchup with the Eagles, Pickens is enough of a ball hog to flex in most formats. He’s just that good.

 

• Chase Claypool(5/41) is getting targets – he’s gotten at least 6 in all but 1 game this season, but he’s not getting many that count, as he’s scored once this season and has only surpassed 50 yards once. He’s a PPR flex at best.

 

• Chase Edmonds(7/17) is on the verge of being droppable in most formats. If he can’t produce against the Lions this week, you can move on.