Week 8 Takeaways

One of the most unusual Halloween weekends in the NFL brought a mixed bag of tricks and treats! We’re seeing backfields take shape, unexpected playmakers emerge, and some fantasy stars leave us wanting more. Let’s dive into my Week 8 takeaways and get a jump on Week 9!

Be sure to check out the latest tools on Razzball.com: Slot vs. Wide PPG Allowed | WR Slot vs. Wide| DEF Targets Allowed | Home vs. Away | Wins vs. Losses | TD Tool | RB Zone vs. Gap Rushing | DEF Zone vs. Gap Rushing |

Want more data-driven stats and tools to help you win your fantasy league? Check out the Razzball Fantasy Football premium subscriptions for $0.00 upfront with our 3-day free trial!

Quarterbacks

• Player: Joe Burrow 
• Game: vs. Titans 
• Stats: 38/48, 462 passing yards, 5 TDs, 3 INTs, and 1 rushing TD

In typical Bengals fashion, Burrow and Cincinnati started slowly but eventually found their footing. It took a career-best 462 passing yards and five passing touchdowns from Joey B to survive Tennessee in overtime. Burrow also added a rushing touchdown for good measure. Interestingly, the Titans had allowed just six passing touchdowns through their first seven games before Burrow hung five on them Sunday. That’s quite the afternoon for a quarterback who has thrown 13 passing touchdowns over his last three games.

Burrow gets another favorable opportunity in Week 9 against the Falcons. Atlanta just held Baker Mayfield to zero passing yards, but don’t let that performance scare you away. Before Sunday’s shutout, the Falcons had allowed opposing quarterbacks to average 19 fantasy points per game over their previous four contests. I’m not ready to let one bizarre game dictate my matchup expectations.

Notables:

Kirk Cousins continues to be a pleasant surprise in his first season with Las Vegas, recording his seventh game with multiple passing touchdowns in eight starts. Unfortunately, his streaming appeal could be running out of gas. His next four opponents are the 49ers (coming off their bye), Seahawks, Broncos and Browns. That’s a rough stretch for a quarterback whose fantasy value has been built on touchdown production.

Insert Rashee Rice back into the Kansas City lineup, and we witnessed a vintage Patrick Mahomes performance against arguably the toughest defense he’s faced this season. Denver entered the game without allowing a quarterback to throw for 300-plus yards and three touchdowns. Mahomes finished with 321 passing yards and three scores, snapping a two-week drought without a passing touchdown. 

Do we have a quarterback controversy in Arizona? Minshew Mania has officially arrived in the desert. Gardner Minshew came off the bench to throw three touchdowns and lead the Cardinals to an overtime comeback against Dallas. Jacoby Brissett was benched late in the third quarter, allowing Minshew to make his case for the starting job. Shoutout to Stiles for reminding us of the Cardinals’ undefeated record at Jerry World! Regardless of who starts, I’m not looking to trust Minshew as a Superflex option against Seattle in Week 9.

Trevor Lawrence made light work of the Colts, throwing three touchdowns in just three quarters of playing time. He’s now sporting a 10:2 passing TD-to-INT ratio in his last four games and will head into a Thursday night matchup against the Ravens. Baltimore has allowed consecutive opposing quarterbacks to finish inside the top three at the position, with Burrow finishing as QB1 in Week 7 and Josh Allen as QB3 in Week 8. Lawrence could be in line for another strong performance, although Jacksonville’s ability to put games away early remains a concern for his weekly volume.

Cam Ward gave us a glimpse of what’s possible with his best performance to date, throwing for a career-high 304 yards and two touchdowns against Cincinnati. He’ll head into the Week 9 bye with some momentum and look to carry it into Week 10 against the Jaguars in Nashville.

Running Backs

• Player: Tyler Allgeier
• Game: at Dallas
• Stats: 11 carries for 147 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD, 5 catches for 44 receiving yards with 1 receiving TD on 5 targets 

In what was supposed to be the anticipated return of Jeremiyah Love, things quickly went sideways for the Arizona backfield. Love exited with another ankle injury, and Bam Knight subsequently suffered a concussion, leaving Allgeier as the last man standing. The Cowboys have now allowed six running backs to score double-digit fantasy points, with Allgeier becoming the second to rush for more than 100 yards against them.

Unfortunately, the Cardinals get a much tougher matchup against Seattle in Week 9. The Seahawks have yet to allow a 100-yard rusher, making Allgeier’s outlook considerably less appealing if Love or Knight returns. Meanwhile, Jonathan Taylor will get an opportunity to rebound against Dallas in Week 9.

Notables:

Is Mike Washington Jr. the new starting running back in Las Vegas? Washington out-touched Ashton Jeanty 25-5 and played more snaps, 38-25, against the Jets. Washington handled the early-down and goal-line work, while Jeanty was relegated primarily to passing situations. This is a situation worth monitoring VERY closely. Washington is a must-add in all formats until we know whether this backfield split is here to stay, even with a difficult upcoming schedule. 

Bhayshul Tuten finally went over the century mark on the ground for the first time in his career, delivering his best fantasy performance of the season. Tuten finished with 104 rushing yards, 55 receiving yards and two touchdowns against the Colts. His teammate Chris Rodriguez Jr. also found the end zone on the ground. I’m strongly recommending starting RB1s and RB2s against Indianapolis for the foreseeable future. 

In what was an unusual offensive performance, Bucky Irving (27-170-1) and Kenneth Gainwell (25-140) provided a rushing performance for the ages against Atlanta. The Buccaneers became the first team in more than 50 years to win a game without completing a pass. Meanwhile, Bijan Robinson was held to 76 yards on 19 carries. Atlanta gets Cincinnati in Week 9, and it’s possible Chase Brown delivers a season-best performance. I’m not quite ready to make that prediction, but the matchup deserves attention.

Jaylen Warren has rushed for 100-plus yards in four of his last six games, including a 143-yard performance against Cleveland in Week 8. Oddly enough, he failed to haul in a reception for the first time this season. It’s worth noting that Warren has only four 100-yard rushing performances across his first four NFL seasons, making this recent stretch particularly impressive. The Browns have now allowed three of their last four opposing lead running backs (Braelon Allen, Tony Pollard and Warren) to surpass 100 rushing yards. That makes the Saints’ backfield an intriguing option heading into Week 9. 

Braelon Allen received another start with Breece Hall sidelined and delivered a career-high performance. Allen rushed 21 times for 147 yards and a touchdown, giving him three 100-yard rushing performances in his last four games. He’s becoming increasingly difficult to ignore, especially with Hall missing his fifth consecutive game. Allen could be in line for another productive outing as a streamer against the Chiefs in Week 9.

The Broncos backfield is quickly becoming Jonah Coleman’s to lose. J.K. Dobbins was phased out of the rotation in the second half, while RJ Harvey landed on IR for at least four games. Coleman made the most of his opportunity, finishing with 41 rushing yards and a touchdown while adding four catches for 63 yards. His second-half workload, combined with the production, is the kind of performance that could earn him the starting job outright in Denver.

Ollie Gordon II four-game touchdown streak came to an end, but his continued workload suggests he’s emerging as Miami’s featured back. The opportunity is there, and fantasy managers should continue starting him with confidence.

Wide Receivers

• Player: Adonai Mitchell
• Game: vs. Raiders 
• Stats: 7 catches for 142 receiving yards with 1 receiving TD on 9 targets 

The Jets have now produced three different wide receivers with 100-plus receiving yards and a touchdown over the recent stretch from Weeks 5-8. Mitchell, fresh off his return from a finger injury, finally delivered the breakout performance many anticipated heading into the season. His nine targets and 142 receiving yards were a welcome sight after failing to record a catch on three targets in Week 7.

Oddly enough, after consecutive 100-yard and touchdown performances, Omar Cooper Jr. didn’t record a single target. Garrett Wilson remains the alpha in this passing game, evidenced by his team-high 12 targets, but this receiving corps could become a headache for fantasy shareholders if the inconsistency continues. Week 9 against the Chiefs will be a true test of which Jets receiver we can trust outside of Wilson on a weekly basis.

Notables:

Michael Wilson (8-111-1) played through broken ribs and was one of four wide receivers to record 100-plus receiving yards and a touchdown in Week 8. The rash of injuries to Arizona’s receiving corps should keep his usage elevated, even against a difficult Seahawks secondary. The Cardinals don’t have many other reliable options available.

DeMario Douglas has become Drake Maye’s most trusted wide receiver, scoring at least 16 PPR points in three of his last four games. He’s predominantly operated as the slot receiver in 11 personnel but saw an increased role in 12 personnel against Miami. With New England dealing with injuries across its receiving corps, Douglas should remain involved and can be trusted as a deeper-league option against Green Bay in Week 9.

Rashee Rice returned to action after missing the previous three games with a hamstring injury. He was immediately featured in the offense, catching seven of eight targets for 53 yards and a touchdown despite playing just 52% of the snaps. Rice wasted no time reminding fantasy managers what they’ve been missing. He’s back in the WR1 conversation.

DJ Moore returned to action after missing time with a shoulder injury and immediately made his presence felt as Josh Allen’s WR1. Moore caught four of seven targets for 82 yards and a touchdown against Baltimore. Monitor his new knee injury heading into Week 9, but his return is a welcome development for Buffalo’s passing game. Khalil Shakir has quietly produced at least 60 receiving yards or a touchdown in four consecutive games and would be the biggest beneficiary if Moore misses additional time.

Brian Thomas Jr. was Jacksonville’s highest-scoring wide receiver, catching one pass for a 12-yard touchdown. After being held without a reception in each of his previous two games, it’s at least a small step in the right direction. Maybe he’s safe from trade talks this week? 

Flournoy could be in line for additional opportunities if George Pickens’ injuries continue to pile up and force him to miss time. Flournoy caught the Cowboys’ only receiving touchdown, giving him a potential path to a larger role if Pickens is sidelined.

Tight Ends

• Player: Harold Fannin Jr.
• Game: at Pittsburgh
• Stats: 10 catches for 154 receiving yards on 12 targets 

Fannin delivered career highs in receptions, receiving yards, and targets in a positive game script against Pittsburgh. After a slow start and some inconsistent production, he’s now strung together his two best performances of the season. He’ll get the Saints in Week 9, which looks like his most favorable matchup on paper through the first nine weeks. Fannin is quickly becoming a reliable option at the thinnest position in fanatsy, 

Notables:

Brock Bowers is about as matchup-proof as it gets at the tight end position. He hauled in two more touchdowns against the Jets, bringing his season total to five in six games. His next two matchups against San Francisco and Seattle look difficult on paper, but Bowers remains a safe bet to finish among the top three fantasy tight ends in either contest. 

T.J. Hockenson continued the season-long theme of starting tight ends against Detroit, finishing with four catches for 58 yards and a touchdown. The Lions have consistently provided opportunities for opposing tight ends, making Greg Dulcich an intriguing streaming option heading into his Week 9 matchup against Detroit.

Gunnar Helm led all Titans pass catchers with nine targets, finishing with a season-high 76 receiving yards against Cincinnati.  Kyle Pitts, meanwhile, should be looking forward to his upcoming matchup against Cincinnati. 

Coming out of the bye week, Oronde Gadsden caught all five of his targets for 52 yards against the Rams while running the third most routes of any Charger pass catcher. Let’s hope this is an indication of changes made over the bye week. 

Dalton Kincaid reminded us of his early-season form with a 4-86-1 performance against Baltimore. After two encouraging performances, he’ll get a difficult matchup against the Vikings, who limited Sam LaPorta to three catches for 33 yards. 

Since you are here, check out more fantasy goodness at Razzball. Follow me on Twitter/X @Jefferson__21. Like and subscribe for more fantasy football content on YouTube @RazzballFantasy. Don’t forget to drop a comment or question down below.

Cheers!