NFL Fantasy Football Reactions: Week 8

After not seeing many injuries last week, this week was an unfortunate market correction. Injuries hit especially hard at QB. We also had injuries to higher-profile pass catchers (Darren Waller and Drake London). Hopefully, these are minor ailments. Let's look at Sunday's action.

Reactions

• Welcome to the NFL, Will Levis. The Titans' rookie had an amazing performance. He was wise to heavily lean upon his superstar receiver, DeAndre Hopkins. Levis threw for 238 yards and four touchdowns and Hopkins erupted for 128 yards and three of those scores on just six targets. It was also fantastic to see Derrick Henry rush for 101 yards against a dominant Atlanta run defense. Having the threat of a productive running game certainly benefited Levis. At least in the short term, it's difficult to see Tennessee moving away from the rookie quarterback. And with Levis' reliance upon Hopkins, the veteran receiver's fantasy value may rise rapidly. With many bad quarterbacks in the league, don't be surprised to see Levis ranked as a top-24 option some weeks while we learn if he can be consistent.
• The Cowboys looked fantastic coming out of their bye. They had a clear advantage against a Rams defense that has a sub-par secondary. With the offensive line holding up against the Los Angeles pass rush, Dak Prescott had his best game of the season. Prescott threw for 304 yards and four touchdowns while CeeDee Lamb posted 158 yards with a pair of scores. Meanwhile, Tony Pollard had another floor game. His 53 rushing yards were his most in five games. He also hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 1. Although the Dallas defense won't dominate every week, it will have a number of weeks like this when it puts up massive fantasy numbers. Bench the Cowboys' defense at your own risk.
• Even before Matthew Stafford left this game with a thumb injury, he was in major trouble. As we saw a few weeks ago against Cincinnati, when Stafford is under pressure, he's prone to weak fantasy performances. However, this was the first time that even in a bad performance, he was unable to lead any of his receivers to fantasy relevance. If his thumb injury causes him to miss time, the entire offense will suffer a massive downgrade.
• The Giants passed for -9 yards against the Jets, the fewest in the NFL since 2000 (Browns, -9). Before getting knocked out of the game, Tyrod Taylor produced eight passing yards. It was apparent that his backup, Tommy DeVito, didn't have the confidence of the coaching staff to throw downfield. His two screen passes to Saquon Barkley resulted in a one-yard loss. Sixteen sack yards dropped the team's net passing yards into negative territory. With Daniel Jones likely out at least another week and Taylor uncertain for next week's game, the Giants pass-catching options look completely unusable. Even if the team has a terrible situation at quarterback, Barkley still should be trusted as a volume-based fantasy option — he rushed 36 times for 128 yards.
• Wisely, the Giants' defense sold out to stop the Jets' running attack. Fortunately for the Jets, Breece Hall took a short pass 50 yards for a score, the only touchdown the team scored all day. Garrett Wilson made a few big catches late in the fourth quarter and in overtime to reach 100 yards. It's amazing that despite all the defensive attention they receive, along with the  subpar offensive line play, both Hall and Wilson remain solid weekly fantasy options. There's no other player on this team who can be started with confidence.
• After the Patriots' defense created some issues for Miami when these teams met in New England early in the season, things were different this time around. Both Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle topped 100 yards while scoring touchdowns, and Tua Tagovailoa threw for 324 yards and three touchdowns. A great takeaway from this game is that Mike McDaniel has proven to be excellent at making adjustments after a team has had success against his offense. Don't forget that we could see De'Von Achane (IR, knee) back soon. When that happens, it's going to be extremely difficult for defenses to deal with all of Miami's team speed.
• Even though the New England offense has shown occasional signs of life, this is mostly a fantasy wasteland. The only player who can be started with reasonable weekly expectations is Kendrick Bourne, but he injured a knee Sunday and is scheduled for an MRI. As long as expectations are realistic, Rhamondre Stevenson looks like a volume-based RB2 with little upside.
• During the fourth quarter of last week's game against the Rams, the Steelers played a brief period of good offensive football. That definitely didn't carry over at home against the Jaguars. Playing from behind the majority of the game, the offense was unable to sustain drives with any consistency. The only player to have a strong fantasy performance was Diontae Johnson, who caught eight passes for 85 yards. Aside from Johnson and George Pickens, it's difficult to have confidence in starting any Pittsburgh player in weekly fantasy lineups.
• Jacksonville had a difficult road matchup against the Steelers in a game in which it also rained quite a bit. Aside from Travis Etienne, who had 149 scrimmage yards and a touchdown, no other Jaguars player put up dominant fantasy numbers. As usual, there was a good baseline of production to go around for each of their offensive options. It was also good to see Calvin Ridley post 83 yards, but he still continues to be an inconsistent weekly player. Regardless of matchups, I find it difficult to recommend benching any of Jacksonville's key offensive players. Each has a solid blend of floor and ceiling scoring. The only one who looks like a league winner in this group is Etienne.
• Many fantasy managers hoped Taylor Heinicke would take over the Atlanta quarterback job. Heinicke finished Sunday's game after Desmond Ridder was checked for a concussion and held out. As we saw during his time in Washington, Heinicke still has accuracy issues. However, he did lead the team on a pair of scoring drives that gave the team a chance to win. It doesn't seem that he showed enough to be named the starter over a healthy Ridder, but if Ridder has concussion trouble this week, Heinicke could start against the Vikings next week. He'd be a lower-end QB2 in that scenario.
• The Texans could not have laid a bigger egg coming out of their bye week. Playing on the road against a terrible Panthers defense that struggles against both the run and the pass, they were unable to sustain success on the ground or through the air. Not a single player on the team had a solid fantasy performance. I'm inclined to throw this game out as an anomaly, but I'm also open to the fact that with tape out on C.J. Stroud, defenses might make adjustments that slow this unit. Next week's matchup against the Buccaneers will be an important data point in determining how we value Houston players as we near the stretch run toward the playoffs.
• Carolina got their first win of the season at home against the Texans. The main takeaway from this game is that Miles Sanders had two carries for zero yards while Chuba Hubbard dominated work with 17 touches. There was talk of a timeshare before the game, but I doubt many saw this coming. It's now nearly impossible to recommend Sanders for fantasy lineups. Hubbard will immediately move into the top-20 running back discussion if he indeed takes over this backfield. I have to think that this week's division of work is not going to be this lopsided. But for now, it looks like Hubbard's in the lead. Also, I think that Nico Collins might need a bit of a downgrade from where I viewed him a few weeks ago. In each of his last three games, he hasn't had one of the dominant performances that we saw earlier in the year. It makes sense to reframe him as a top-30 receiver with the hope that the team figures out how to get him back to the production we enjoyed during the first five weeks.
• Each of the top-three receiving options for the Vikings had excellent performances against the Packers. However, the lead story in this game is that Kirk Cousins suffered an Achilles injury late in the contest. Assuming Jaren Hall has to take over at quarterback, this offense will have to be seen in a completely different light. Even when Justin Jefferson returns, if this is the situation he returns to, he could struggle to be a top-12 receiver.
• The Green Bay offense is a total mess. Jordan Love doesn't appear capable of leading this offense to consistently strong scoring performances. Defenses know he struggles with accuracy to the intermediate and deep areas of the field. That allows teams to push the young quarterback into situations in which he's uncomfortable. None of Green Bay's skill-position players has much upside and all are touchdown dependent for fantasy.
• We were treated to an offensive explosion when the Saints dropped 38 points on the Colts. Alvin Kamara and Taysom Hill continue to see outstanding usage in their respective roles. Kamara is simply getting so much volume that he is one of the more reliable fantasy options in the entire league. Hill now has three consecutive big games, and he is nearly impossible to bench in fantasy leagues until his role diminishes. With all of the success he's had, I find it difficult to think that the team will go away from him anytime soon. Also, speedster Rashid Shaheed produced big plays on each of his three receptions, leading to 153 yards and a touchdown. Obviously, he'll remain a volatile fantasy option, though his upside is real. In deeper leagues, he's a perfect flex option.
• Rookie Josh Downs continues to be productive with Gardner Minshew at quarterback. For the third time in four games, Downs posted at least 77 yards. He's also been productive in consecutive games against strong defensive units. At this point, we need to consider him among the top-30 receivers each week. It was surprising to see Jonathan Taylor split work equally with Zack Moss yet again. The surprise was due to Moss having missed the entire week of practice with an elbow injury. Taylor had been seeing an increase in his usage each week since he returned to the lineup, but this week ended that trend. Taylor had most of his 95 rushing yards in the first half, and it didn't help that the Saints pulled away with a lead in the second half. Unless Taylor begins to dominate backfield touches, his weekly upside will be limited.
• D'Andre Swift made a selfish play. Fantasy managers were likely happy he did it, but his team had to be disappointed. With about two minutes left in the game, Swift ran for a first down that would have ended the contest, but instead of going down, he took the ball into the end zone to put the Eagles up by two scores. The Commanders came down the field and scored and then had a chance at an onside kick that could have allowed them to make the full comeback. Fortunately for Swift, the onside kick didn't work, and the Eagles hung on to win. Swift continues to have an excellent weekly scoring floor, and his role in the offense should ensure that he maintains that floor. It was also nice to see DeVonta Smith have his first good game in a while. He scored a touchdown on a busted coverage, but that may have been just what he needed to get back on track. He may continue to lack consistency in the short-term, but his talent and situation are outstanding, and I fully expect him to come around soon. Of course, it's sometimes hard for him to get involved with A.J. Brown dominating. Brown caught eight passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns for an NFL-record sixth consecutive game with at least 125 receiving yards. 
• Sam Howell impressed against the Eagles. After these teams met a few weeks ago, I expected the Eagles would adjust to put heavy pressure on the young quarterback and cause him to struggle. However, credit must go to Howell and offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy. The offense took advantage of the Philadelphia weakness against the pass. The play calling had the defense off balance. Until Howell slowed late in the game, they went punch for punch against the high-powered Philadelphia offense. Surprisingly, the leading receivers in this game were Jahan Dotson and Jamison Crowder (Curtis Samuel exited with an injury). I still think this offense will be difficult to trust from week to week, but it is definitely trending up. If it continues to make strides, this could be a dangerous offense when the fantasy playoffs begin.
• After a rough performance Monday night against the Vikings, Brock Purdy didn't look much better against the Bengals. Just like every other team in the league, the 49ers are dealing with injuries. It certainly hurts being without LT Trent Williams and Deebo Samuel, but the quarterback still has a trio of incredible weapons. The problem I've seen the last two games is that both defenses he faced threw confusing looks at him, and Purdy failed to overcome the circumstances. It's possible that as the team returns to health and some favorable matchups follow, that Purdy could return to being a high-floor fantasy option. It's definitely fair to question how dependent Purdy is on his supporting cast and coaching.
• The Cincinnati offense had a challenging matchup at San Francisco. With Joe Burrow looking completely healthy, we were reminded that elite quarterbacks often overcome strong defenses. There's no reason to think the Bengals won't return to the form we've seen the last couple years. This should remain a star-driven offense. Even though players like Tee Higgins and Joe Mixon will have occasional down weeks, their roles in the offense should earn them a spot in weekly fantasy lineups.
• Denver played almost the entire game against the Chiefs with the lead. That allowed the Broncos to run the ball and play keep away from Patrick Mahomes. Although Russell Wilson threw only 19 passes, he cashed in on a trio of red-zone touchdown passes. The entire passing attack remains difficult to trust, though Courtland Sutton has made the most of his few opportunities for more than a month now. The last three games, Javonte Williams has been playing at a high level. Although it's unlikely he has many huge fantasy performances, he's established a strong floor. It also appears that he has separated himself as the clear lead back in the offense.
• The only thing I can really say about the Chiefs is that they get a pass for their performance due to Patrick Mahomes playing with the flu. I don't think it's responsible to draw long-term conclusions from this game. 
• After the Ravens played an amazing game on offense last week, they definitely scored enough points to put away the Cardinals. It's never easy making a cross-country trip in a game when it's difficult to take the opponent seriously. It is a bit troubling that we didn't get a big fantasy performance from Lamar Jackson and his wide receivers. Part of being a great producer is taking advantage of weaker opponents. We've seen a number of games where Jackson put up good, but not great, numbers, which is a bit disappointing. He's an outstanding quarterback who knows how to lead his team to victory, but we're simply not getting the huge fantasy season we wanted. 
• Kyler Murray likely will be back under center soon for the Cardinals. The team also hopes to get James Conner back in the next couple weeks. The good news in Arizona's matchup against the Ravens is that it got solid performances from two younger players. Emari Demercado got heavy volume for the second week in a row and was solid with his opportunities. Although he didn't rush for four yards for carry, he was close. He appears to be a potentially solid backup when Conner returns. Also, Trey McBride posted 95 yards, scored a touchdown and led the team in targets. He could be a borderline starting tight end option.
• PJ Walker was in a difficult spot playing on the road against the Seahawks. Despite the tough matchup, he put together a solid showing that gave Cleveland a chance to win. A deflected interception he threw late in the fourth quarter kept the Browns from closing the game out. However, it was positive to see Walker help both Amari Cooper and David Njoku to strong fantasy performances. As long as Walker has the starting quarterback job, the entire offense will be difficult to trust for fantasy. We have seen extreme volatility during Walker's three games under center. I still recommend starting Cooper and Njoku, but keep expectations low and hope for some upside. 
• Seattle had a tough matchup against an outstanding Cleveland defense. The Seahawks used a team effort to grind out 24 points in the victory. Tyler Lockett had the best fantasy performance on the team, but each of their primary players showed a solid floor.  Kenneth Walker is usually the most trustworthy player in this offense, but he only had eight carries. It's possible that after Walker missed Wednesday and Thursday practices with a calf injury, the Seahawks limited his work to protect him. Lockett and DK Metcalf haven't been consistent this season, but each remains a solid weekly lineup option due to their roles in the offense. However, each should be seen as upside plays with reasonable scoring floors.

Injuries

The following players were injured and did not return:

• Darren Waller sustained a hamstring injury.
• Drake London suffered a groin injury.
• Kirk Cousins injured his Achilles and Jaren Hall took over.
• Matthew Stafford injured his thumb in the first half and continued to play until the injury became problematic in the second half. Once he was out, Brett Rypien took over.
• Kendrick Bourne suffered a knee injury and will undergo an MRI.
• Curtis Samuel sustained a toe injury, which allowed Jamison Crowder to move into the lineup and have a big performance.
• Odell Beckham was forced from the game with a stomach issue.
• Kenny Pickett was forced from the game with a rib injury, and Mitch Trubisky finished the contest.
• Tyrod Taylor injured his ribs, which led to Tommy DeVito stepping in.
• Desmond Ridder was checked for a concussion and cleared to return, but the team held him out anyway.