Eagles WR DeVonta Smith broke out of a funk with 7 catches, 99 yards, and 1 score in Week 8. Smith got behind the Washington secondary for a 38-yard deep-ball score. Overall, he saw an 18.4% target share – just behind A.J. Brown’s tally (21%). While the Commanders supplied an ideal matchup, Sunday should serve as a reminder that Smith remains in the WR2/3 mix. He’ll face a stiffer test next week vs. Dallas.
Eagles WR A.J. Brown continued to roll in Sunday’s win over Washington, snagging all 8 targets for 130 yards and 2 scores. He’s now the first WR in league history to reach 125+ yards in six straight. Brown’s physical dominance really showed up, especially on a pair of end zone TDs. He’ll continue to rank as a top-three WR for Sunday’s showdown vs. Dallas.
Browns WR Amari Cooper hauled 6 of 11 targets for a team-high 89 receiving yards in Week 8’s loss vs. the Seahawks. TE David Njoku also performed well, logging 77 receiving yards and a TD on 4 catches in the contest. Njoku has now seen at least 5 targets and passed 45 receiving yards in three of the last four games. Both are a names to consider starting next week’s matchup vs. the Cardinals.
The Browns’ backfield is a bit of a cluster, though, at this point, it’s evident that RB Kareem Hunt is the leader. The veteran tallied 14 carries for 55 rushing yards in Week 8 vs. the Seahawks and punched in his fourth rushing TD over the past three games. Teammate Pierre Strong Jr. had a nice game spelling Hunt with 41 rushing yards on 10 carries and a long, 41-yard reception as a receiver in the contest. Though coming into Sunday with a sprained ankle, a fact that holds some weight, it’ll be curious to see if Jerome’s Ford diminished involvement (39 total yards, 10 touches) is a sign of things to come moving forward. Hunt will be our favorite fantasy start in Week 9 vs. the Cardinals.
Browns QB P.J. Walker completed 15 of 31 passes for 248 yards with 1 TD and 2 INTs in Week 8’s loss vs. the Seahawks. The backup also added 27 rushing yards on the ground in the contest. Despite his issues with turnovers, Walker was able to crack double-digit fantasy points. It remains to be seen whether or not he or QB Deshaun Watson will be under center in Week 9 vs. the Cardinals.
Chargers WR Josh Palmer hurt a knee on his first catch of Sunday night's game vs. the Bears. This is presumably the same knee that had him questionable coming in. We'll update Palmer's status when we know more, but it's tough to imagine him playing again tonight.
Update: Palmer had his knee re-taped and returned to the game.
Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa went off for 324 yards, 3 TDs, and 1 INT in Sunday's win over New England. Tua wasn’t perfect in this one, as he threw at least one pass that should have been picked off. He also lost a fumble. Still, when you’re firing 56% of your targets at Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, good things are bound to happen. Sure enough, that duo alone combined for 15 catches, 233 yards, and 2 TDs. Tua’s remaining score went to Cedric Wilson at the goal line. Keep the young QB in lineups for a potential Week 9 shootout vs. Kansas City.
Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Cardinals HC Jonathan Gannon announced QB Joshua Dobbs will be the starter in Week 9 against the Browns. By effect, this news delays the return of starter Kyler Murray, who is near the end of his ACL recovery, by at least another week. Murray practiced fully every day leading up to Sunday's contest vs. the Ravens before being listed as 'Doubtful' and subsequently ruled out for the game. Fantasy managers must stay patient and cross their fingers that we'll see Murray under center in Week 10 vs. the Falcons at the earliest.
Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins hauled 4 of 6 targets for 128 receiving yards and 3 TDs in Week 8’s win vs. the Falcons. The veteran connected well with rookie QB Will Levis and recorded his second 120+-yard performance over the past three games. As long as Hopkins isn’t dealt ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, he’ll be a quality WR2 option against a porous Steelers defense in Week 9.
Titans RB Derrick Henry posted 22 carries for 101 rushing yards in Week 8’s victory over the Falcons. The veteran also added 4 catches for 21 receiving yards on Sunday. His teammate Tyjae Spears was essentially an afterthought in the contest, tallying 6 total touches for a combined 36 yards. Conflicting reports have swirled regarding whether or not Henry will remain with the Titans following Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline. Regardless of where he suits up next week, he’ll be a solid fantasy starter. The Titans next play on Thursday night vs. the Steelers.
In his first career NFL start, Titans QB Will Levis completed 19 of 29 passes for 238 yards with 4 TDs vs. the Falcons. The rookie split some reps with teammate Malik Willis, though his contributions came largely on the ground. Week 8 was essentially The Levis Show, and he shined through his rapport with WR DeAndre Hopkins, the recipient of 3 of the 4 scores thrown in the contest. Though it may be tough to trust Levis on a short week against the Steelers this coming Thursday, managers in 2QB or superflex leagues should make the first-year signal-caller a priority add off the waiver wire if he’s still available.
Falcons WR Drake London hauled 5 of his team-high 7 targets for 55 receiving yards in Week 8’s loss vs. the Titans. TEs Kyle Pitts and Jonnu Smith struggled on Sunday, however, with a combined 4 catches and 48 yards between them. It’s fair to estimate that perhaps some of these struggles can be attributed to the Falcons going from QB Desmond Ridder to backup Taylor Heinicke midway through the game. Still, this was not a particularly strong performance from Atlanta’s aerial attack. Projecting these pass-catchers for their upcoming matchup against the Vikings will be tough to do until we know who will be under center in Week 9.
Falcons RB Bijan Robinson rebounded in Week 8 vs. the Titans, tallying 62 rushing yards and a TD on 11 carries. The rookie also saw 5 targets in the contest but didn’t record a single reception. Overall, this level of involvement is a considerable improvement over last week’s dud vs. the Buccaneers. It seems wherever ailment prevented Robinson from seeing more touches in Week 7 is behind him. Fantasy managers should feel confident firing up the rookie in lineups next weekend vs. the Vikings.
Chargers TE Gerald Everett (hip) is inactive for tonight’s game vs. the Bears. That leaves Donald Parham as Los Angeles’ top TE – and an intriguing play in one-game DFS contests.
Chargers WR Josh Palmer (knee) is active for tonight’s game vs. the Bears. He only got in a limited practice on Friday, so it’s safe to assume he’ll be operating at less than 100% tonight.
Steelers WR George Pickens managed just 1 reception among 5 targets in Sunday's loss to the Jaguars. He did, at least, turn that catch into a 22-yard TD. Pickens saw just 1 target from Kenny Pickett before the QB left with a rib injury. That was eight fewer than WR Diontae Johnson's target total with Pickett. Mitchell Trubisky threw Pickens' way four times, though, just one fewer than he threw at Johnson. We wouldn't panic over Pickens' target count just yet. But we'll certainly be watching to see whether Johnson reclaims his role as clear top target.
Jets WR Garrett Wilson hauled 7 of 13 targets and put up a season-high 100 receiving yards on Sunday vs. the Giants. Through seven games, the second-year wideout has only failed to reach 10 PPR points twice. Even then, he totaled 9.8 (Week 3) and 8.4 (Week 5) in those outings. He's a model of consistency with a reasonably safe floor. Fantasy managers can confidently count on Wilson again next week vs. the Chargers.
Steelers WR Diontae Johnson led the team in targets (14), receptions (8), and receiving yards (85) in Sunday's loss to the Jaguars. He drew eight more looks than any other teammate and nine more than WR George Pickens. Most of that edge came before QB Kenny Pickett left the game. Johnson led the team with 5 targets from QB Mitchell Trubisky, but Pickens, TE Connor Heyward, RB Najee Harris, and RB Jaylen Warren each saw 4 Trubisky targets. That mean's Johnson's nine looks from Pickett constituted 56.3% of the QB's total attempts. We'll see about Pickett's injury (ribs) status for Week 9 and whether this was the start of Johnson reclaiming his favorite-target role. Or whether it's a one-game blip and he remains close with Pickens. Whoever lines up behind center for the Steelers in Week 9 will get a Tennessee defense that has played the run tough but also been a negative scoring matchup for QBs. The Titans have been positive for WR scoring, however.
Jets RB Breece Hall couldn’t get much going on the ground in Week 8 vs. the Giants. The second-year back finished the contest with 17 rushing yards on 12 carries. Fortunately, he was effective as a pass-catcher, totaling 76 yards and a TD on 6 receptions. This is now the third game in a row since HC Robert Saleh lifted Hall’s ACL recovery-related workload cap that he’s posted 20+ PPR points. Week 9’s matchup vs. the Chargers presents a solid opportunity for Hall to ball out again.
Jets QB Zach Wilson completed 17 of 36 passes for 240 yards with 1 TD in Week 8’s win vs. the Giants. He also contributed a team-leading 25 rushing yards in the contest. Sunday’s performance marked only the second time this season that Wilson has surpassed 200 passing yards in a game. Don’t be looking to start him in Week 9 vs. the Chargers outside of superflex leagues.
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