Fantasy News & Analysis

Premium Content Sign Up

How to deal with the notable injuries of Week 8

SEATTLE, WA - SEPTEMBER 25: Quarterback Russell Wilson #3 of the Seattle Seahawks walks on the sidelines with his knee wrapped after coming out of the game in the second half against the San Francisco 49ers at CenturyLink Field on September 25, 2016 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

A sure thing. That’s what fantasy football players long for. We know nothing is guaranteed, but there are some players in particular situations that beg to be played.

  • Julio Jones at home against the Green Bay cornerbacks.
  • Spencer Ware against the Indianapolis Colts.
  • Jimmy Graham at the New Orleans Saints.

I could go on, but after just listing three, we’re all feeling some sort of pain. Let’s put it this way, Halloween weekend was terrifying in the worst way possible for anyone who loves fantasy. There are no sure things.

So let’s take a deeper dive into the crazy Week 8 that was, and see what we can salvage moving forward into Week 9.

Most concerning… Russell Wilson’s injuries

This conversation started after Week 1 and it’s only gotten worse. In fact, after Week 3 I officially declared Wilson a streaming quarterback, only. I also said if you had to drop him, then do it and feel fine about it.

Why? Injuries. Wilson’s entire career has been filled with success based on his ability to scramble and make things happen on the run. So far this season he’s dealt with an ankle and knee injuries and now a pectoral injury.

In 2014, Wilson used play action on 30.8 percent of his dropbacks, second most in the league. In 2015, he used play action in 24.3 percent of his dropbacks, sixth-most. This year, he’s only used play action in 14.6 percent of his dropbacks, 25th-most in the league. Even Drew Brees and Eli Manning have used play action more than Wilson.

DOMINATE FANTASY FOOTBALL & BETTING WITH AI-POWERED DATA & TOOLS TRUSTED BY ALL 32

Unlimited Fantasy League Sync
Fantasy Start/Sit Line-Up Optimizer & Waiver Wire
WR-CB & OL-DL Matchups, PFF Player Grades, & Premium Stats 2.0 Tools
Nathan Jahnkes Rankings - #1 Most Accurate Last 70 Weeks
PFF Best Bets, Player Props, & Power Ranking Tools
NFL Mock Draft Sim with Trades & Draft Grades

Already have a subscription? Log In

Subscriptions

Unlock the 2023 Fantasy Draft Kit, with League Sync, Live Draft Assistant, PFF Grades & Data Platform that powers all 32 Pro Teams

$31 Draft Kit Fee + $8.99/mo
OR
$89.88/yr + FREE Draft Kit