Fantasy News & Analysis

Top fantasy takeaways from Week 8's action

DETROIT, MI - OCTOBER 29: Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster #19 of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs with the ball after a making a catch against cornerback Nevin Lawson #24 of the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on October 29, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Week 8 of the 2017 NFL season is nearly in the books and there are a number of major takeaways. Here’s what you need to know from every game on the Sunday slate.

Minnesota @ Cleveland

We had an Isaiah Crowell appearance.

It’s been a frustrating season for Crowell owners, but he showed on Sunday that he’s still worth a roster spot after putting up RB1 numbers with 88 scrimmage yards and a score. The touch volume still wasn’t quite elite level, but he did get his hands on the ball 15 times. Crowell will continue to be frustrating thanks to the Browns offensive struggles, but he should be owned in all formats and will have value as a matchup play down the stretch.

Oakland @ Buffalo

Amari Cooper comes back to earth.

On paper, this projected to be a tough matchup for the Raiders passing game, and that’s exactly how things worked out. Sure, Derek Carr topped 300 yards, but DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard combined for more receptions that Cooper and Michael Crabtree. Cooper notched just 48 yards on five catches, which is a big drop off from his Week 7 outburst. The moral of the story is that we can’t trust Cooper as anything more than a WR2 going forward.

Indianapolis @ Cincinnati

Joe Mixon goes off … kind of.

This is about as good as it’s going to get for Mixon this season, as the rookie managed to top 100 scrimmage yards. The problem is most of came on a 67-yard reception that he nearly took to the end zone. The Bengals continue to be unable to generate anything in the run game, with Mixon netting just 18 yards on 11 carries. However, he’s still the clear lead back with 35 snaps played compared to 14 for Giovani Bernard and seven for Jeremy Hill. Mixon is a high ceiling/low floor RB2 option.

LA Chargers @ New England

What happened to Hunter Henry?

Just when we thought the Chargers finally figured out how to use Henry, he goes out and puts up just two catches for 11 yards in what was supposed to be a fantastic matchup. So what’s going on here? Henry had big yardage numbers in each of the previous two weeks. In those contests, the Chargers ran two-tight end sets on 45 percent of their passing plays. This week, they had two tight ends on the field on just 13 percent of their passing plays. A case can still be made for Henry as a TE1 option, but his volatility will make him a risky play going forward.

Chicago @ New Orleans

Cut Willie Snead from your fantasy roster.

There were warning signs, but it seems to be official that the Saints prefer Brandon Coleman as their slot receiver. With Snead fully healthy, Coleman played 49-of-61 snaps with Snead on the field for just four snaps. At this point, it’s safe to cut Snead loose.

Atlanta @ NY Jets

Morris Claiborne shut out Julio Jones.

Yes, Jones did manage three catches for 74 yards, but none of them came in Claiborne’s coverage. The former Cowboys corner shadowed Jones and saw three targets thrown into coverage before exiting with an injury. Many Jones owners are upset by his lackluster performance over the first half of the season, but Jones still has an elite level fantasy ceiling. Perhaps the bigger takeaway here is that we should be paying closer attention to Claiborne as a matchup provided he’s healthy going forward.

San Francisco @ Philadelphia

Carson Wentz delivers despite the weather.

This was far from Wentz’s best performance of the season, but he still managed to toss for two scores in the poor conditions in Philly on Sunday. Wentz remains in play as a QB1, but fantasy owners should be aware that Denver looms next on the calendar for the Eagles.

Carolina @ Tampa Bay

Struggles across the board.

What looked to be one of the best contests for fantasy production ended up being one of the worst, as wind significantly impacted the passing game for both the Panthers and Bucs. That’s an important thing to note for Cam Newton and Jameis Winston owners. While their stat lines certainly don’t look good, this isn’t a reason to be concerned for either players’ fantasy prospects.

Houston @ Seattle

Deshaun Watson is an elite fantasy option.

Boy were we off on this one. The advice across the industry was fade Watson this week. The rookie then proceeded to torch one of the best secondaries in the league on the road in one of the worst places to play for opposing teams. So, yeah, he’s elite. As of now, there’s no situation where you bench Watson. None.

Dallas @ Washington

Dak Prescott has an off-week.

Weather impacted many contests this week, including this one. With slippery conditions in play, the Cowboys leaned on their run game, and fantasy owners were left with a dud from Prescott. Like the advice Newton and Winston, we shouldn’t read too much into this performance. Prescott still possesses a high fantasy ceiling and remains in the QB1 conversation for the rest of the season.

Pittsburgh @ Detroit

The JuJu Smith-Schuster breakout is official.

With Martavis Bryant inactive, the rookie receiver took full advantage of his opportunity and racked up a massive 193 yards and a score on seven catches. While a big chunk of this total came on a 97-yard score, Smith-Schuster was impressive throughout the contest, notching 10 targets – which was one more than Antonio Brown. The genie is out of the bottle with Smith-Schuster, and that’s great news for anyone who picked him up. He’s knocking on the WR2 door and should now be considered a high-upside WR3.

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