Bengals WR Tee Higgins posted a merely solid receiving line in Sunday's win over the 49ers. His 5 receptions and 69 yards, though, were each his second-highest marks of the season. His 6 targets ranked second on the team even though Higgins trailed Tyler Boyd for third in snaps and routes among Cincinnati WRs. Higgins' 11.5 yards per target against San Francisco checked in 4.1 higher than in any other game this season. Bet on a much better Higgins the rest of the way, now that he's off the injury report and his QB is healthier.
Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco rushed only 8 times for 40 yards in Sunday’s blowout loss to Denver. Game flow certainly stung in this one. The Chiefs also struggled in key situations, going 4 for 13 combined on 3rd and 4th downs. They failed to convert any of their three red zone trips into TDs. A healthier Patrick Mahomes (flu) figures to emerge for Week 9. That’ll keep Pacheco in the top-15 mix next week against a beatable Miami run D.
Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase caught 10 passes for 100 yards and 1 TD on 12 targets in Sunday's win over the 49ers. Even with Tee Higgins off the injury report, Chase claimed 37.5% of the team's targets and accounted for 35.3% of Cincinnati's receiving yards. Chase has rebounded from a quiet first two games to average 13.6 targets, 10 receptions, and 117.2 yards over the past five contests.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow threw almost as many TD passes as incompletions in Sunday's win over the 49ers. He went 28 of 32 for 283 yards and 3 TDs against a defense that entered the week ranked fifth in pass DVOA. His 134.8 passer rating marked a season high by a wide margin, as did Burrow's 43 rushing yards. The bye undoubtedly helped, even if only by allowing WR Tee Higgins (ribs) to get off the injury report. Burrow and his 7.1% TD rate over the past three games looks like a good weekly bet going forward. Week 9 holds a potential shootout at home vs. Buffalo.
Broncos RB Javonte Williams stayed busy with 27 carries in Week 8. He wasn’t efficient, mustering only 3.1 YPC against a Kansas City unit down LB Nick Bolton. Still, adding 3 targets, Williams easily set a season-high in touches. He even added a receiving score on a designed screen. With his health and role trending up, Williams profiles as a clear RB2 going forward. He’ll face Buffalo after a Week 9 bye.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes hit rock bottom against Denver, managing only 241 passing yards on 38 attempts. Mahomes targeted 11 different Chiefs on Sunday, with Travis Kelce again leading the way (6-58 on 9 targets). Skyy Moore dropped a would-be TD, but Mahomes also threw 2 INTs and lost 1 fumble. The star QB reportedly battled the flu, and he certainly didn’t look close to 100% in this one. Look for a bounce-back in Week 9 vs. Miami.
Bengals RB Joe Mixon ran for 87 yards and a TD on 16 carries (5.4 per rush) in Sunday's win over the 49ers. He added 23 yards on 3 receptions. It marked a season-high in yards per carry for Mixon and just the second time he has reached the end zone this season. The offense racked up a season-high 400 yards despite facing a defense that entered the day ranked sixth in DVOA. With Joe Burrow further removed from his calf injury and WR Tee Higgins off the injury report, this is likely the healthiest Cincinnati's offense has been in 2023. If the Bengals can continue like this, Mixon won't need to be overly efficient to deliver worthwhile fantasy scoring the rest of the way.
Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett caught 8 of 11 targets for a team-leading 81 yards and a TD in Week 8’s victory over the Browns. His teammate D.K. Metcalf was not nearly as efficient on his looks, logging just 5 catches on 14 targets for 67 yards. Rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba, however, made good use of his opportunities by catching 3 passes for 36 yards and a score in the contest. This trio of WRs combined for 75% of the Seahawks’ targets. It’s pretty clear who QB Geno Smith will look for in Week 9 vs. the Ravens.
Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III received 8 carries for 66 rushing yards in Week 8’s win vs. the Browns. His teammate Zach Charbonnet siphoned off a decent amount of work and performed well in the contest, totaling 53 rushing yards on 5 carries with 2 catches for 11 yards as a receiver. Unfortunately for both plays, WR Jake Bobo sniped a rushing TD on a 3-yard run on Sunday. Next week, Walker III will have an opportunity to bounce back against the Ravens.
Seahawks QB Geno Smith completed 23 of 37 passes for 254 yards with 2 TDs and 2 INTs in Week 8’s win vs. the Browns. Even had it not been for the pair of turnovers, Smith’s fantasy relevance wouldn’t have been on a week-winning level. He now sits as the QB23 on the season and Week 9’s matchup vs. the Ravens won’t be an easy task for Smith, either. The veteran is nothing more than a superflex starter until further notice.
Commanders WR Jahan Dotson enjoyed a Week 8 breakout with 8 grabs, 108 yards, and 1 score. Sam Howell chucked it 52 times, but Dotson’s target share still finished at an improved 19.2%. Terry McLaurin, meanwhile, led the team in targets (12), while he scored his second TD on the year. Washington’s leaky secondary could force more shootouts going forward. That’s just not a likely outcome next week against the low-scoring Patriots. After that comes a Week 10 date at Seattle.
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts delivered a huge fantasy line in Week 8 with 319 yards, 4 TDs, and 1 turnover. Hurts added just 6 rushing yards on 4 attempts – one of which included a fumble at the goal line. We also learned earlier in the day (per insider Jay Glazer) that Hurts has played through a left knee bruise. Perhaps that’ll keep the rush volume low in the short-term. But note that Hurts wasn’t even listed on Philly’s injury report. With a healthy group of pass-catchers, the 25-year-old will retain a top-3 ceiling next week vs. Dallas.
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.
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