With another week of NFL games in the books, what were the big fantasy headlines? Which players stood out, and which do we need to take note of? Who should you keep an eye on as we approach the midpoint of the season?
Are the Ravens dead?
With Lamar Jackson AND Tyler Huntley being injured against the Buffalo Bills, the outlook for the Ravens doesn’t look great. Zay Flowers laid an egg, and the potential upside for their offense looks extremely limited. They can’t simply feed the ball to Derrick Henry 30 times a game, and their path forward for fantasy viability looks narrow.
Cancel the Jeremiyah Love hype
After another injury, it looks like one of the top offensive rookies is going to be a bit of a bust. Some of this is a bit of bad luck, but with the huge game from Tyler Allgeier, the Cardinals
aren’t likely to rush Love back. Allgeier can carry the load for now, and then a split backfield looks like it could be the path forward for the rest of the season.
Braelon Allen continues to impress
Another. Huge. Game. Allen has been the engine of the Jets offense in recent weeks, this time going for a career-high 147 rushing yards on 21 carries with a touchdown on the ground. With Breece Hall expected to return from injury in Week 9, what will the Jets do? They could be another team with a split backfield, but Allen is scorching hot right now, as this is his third 100-yard game in the last four weeks.
Michael Penix disaster
I’m willing to forgive players’ performances sometimes due to the weather and game environment, but this was a bridge too far. A total of 8 completions on 24 attempts for 125 yards and 4 interceptions. There’s no doubt he has flashed plenty of upside this season, but we’ve also seen some really low floors and inconsistent options. He’s surrounded by elite offensive options, and this needs to be remedied going forward.
Ashton Jeanty disappearing act?
I know it was Halloween weekend, but being an actual ghost is taking things a bit far by Jeanty. A total of 5 touches for 73 yards is not what you’d expect from a borderline elite running back. We saw Mike Washington Jr. lead the team with a whopping 25 carries, which is somewhat frightening. Maybe it was a part of the Raiders’ game plan to ease off Jeanty around the midpoint of the season, but it’s rather concerning seeing his usage severely diminished in an easy matchup.
Bhayshul Tuten masterclass
The offseason hype was right. Tuten is an elite fantasy running back, and he’s worth drafting. We’re seeing more and more of that, with Week 8 being his best performance yet. A total of 29.90 PPR points from 16 carries, 104 rushing yards, a rushing touchdown, 2 receptions, 55 receiving yards, and a touchdown. This is his fourth top-12 weekly finish, and with how the Jaguars offense looks right now, he’s got plenty more in the bag.
Geno Smith is a diamond in the rough
The Jets certainly have plenty of team-wide systemic issues, but Smith is sneaky solid right now. His third straight game with more than 250 passing yards, and second straight game with multiple passing touchdowns. Yes, he’s played the Dolphins and Raiders in these past two weeks, which isn’t exactly murderer's row on defense, but with a slew of bye weeks coming up, Geno Smith is a viable streamer if need be.
Justin Jefferson fails to produce
While the highlight touchdown grab by Jefferson was great, it was another lackluster fantasy performance overall. This was the dream matchup against a horrible Lions secondary, and he only managed that one touchdown, along with 5 catches for 33 yards. It’s clear that it’s not all his fault, but not having a single game over 100 receiving yards through eight weeks was not on my bingo card for JJ.
Jaylen Warren looks like a league winner
I can’t say enough good things about Jaylen Warren, who posted his third 100+ rushing yard performance in the last four weeks. Consistent work in the backfield – even with Rico Dowdle back – is great to see, as Warren has shown big upside in most matchups. He does have some clear down weeks, but seeing nearly 20 touches on a weekly basis has to be noted.
Harold Fannin posts another huge performance
Overall, the Cleveland Browns looked terrible on offense, but Harold Fannin was awesome. He ended the day with 10 catches for 154 receiving yards, vaulting him to clear TE1 status. Last week, he posted 91 yards, showing he has elite tight end upside, without having the name-brand value of Brock Bowers or Trey McBride. When the Browns fall behind, they turn to the pass game quickly, and Fannin is a clear top option in those situations.
Joe Burrow explosion
From a real-life perspective, it wasn’t pretty, but it was a huge fantasy day for Joe Burrow. Yes, three interceptions is bad, but he made up for it with a staggering 462 passing yards, 5 passing touchdowns, and a rushing touchdown, for 42.48 fantasy points. Burrow has always carried this type of upside, and sure, the wild game environment played a part in this, but Burrow posting his first 30+ point performance of the year is great to see. The duo of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins provides him with a nearly unlimited passing ceiling.
Trust Jonah Coleman
With RJ Harvey out and J.K. Dobbins incredibly inefficient, Jonah Coleman shined. Pick him up off waivers, trade for him, get him on your roster. The Broncos offense isn't great, but Box Nix loves to target running backs, and that led to Coleman leading the Broncos with 4 catches for 63 yards, while adding a team-high 11 carries for 41 yards and a touchdown. Seeing 15+ touches in a PPR format brings a nice ceiling, especially if you're dealing with injuries or bye weeks.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 12 fantasy football takeaways from Week 8
