Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson tallied 50 total yards in Sunday’s loss to Miami. Stevenson ran hard in this one, breaking several tackles while churning out extra yardage. He saw a 58.8% carry share though, as Zeke Elliott retained a sizable role. Stevenson at least saw 100% of the team’s red zone rush attempts. The 25-year-old now heads home to face the Commanders.
Packers WR Romeo Doubs caught the team's lone TD in Sunday's loss to the Vikings, one of just 4 receptions for 18 yards. That marked a particularly inefficient performance for a team-high 9 targets. That makes 5 TD receptions on the season -- at an 18.5% TD rate -- and still just two games with more than 30 receiving yards. You should sell Doubs any time you encounter an opportunity.
Falcons HC Arthur Smith said after Sunday's loss to the Titans that QB Desmond Ridder wasn't removed from the game for "performance issues." It's unclear exactly what that means. Ridder was reportedly evaluated for a concussion but was cleared to return. No other injury was announced. “We've got a lot of confidence in Des," Smith added. We'll keep an eye on the situation this coming week. QB Taylor Heinicke played well in the second half today, completing 12 of 21 passes for 175 yards, one TDs, and 0 INTs.
Packers WR Christian Watson caught just three of 8 targets in Sunday's loss to the Vikings. He produced a mere 33 yards, ranking third on the team. Watson has now caught just 11 of 24 targets through four appearances, an ugly 45.8% catch rate. The good news is that he didn't miss time after hurting a knee late in Week 7. The bad news: QB Jordan Love appears likely to limit Watson's upside going forward. Next week holds a negative scoring matchup with the Rams, according to our adjusted fantasy points allowed. After that, though, come three straight positive matchups for WR scoring.
Panthers WR Adam Thielen ended Week 8’s contest vs. the Texans with 8 catches on 11 targets for a team-leading 72 receiving yards. The veteran has now exceeded the 70-yard mark for a fifth-straight game. His teammate Jonathan Mingo also had a fine outing, tallying 62 yards on 4 catches on Sunday. Thielen belongs entrenched in fantasy lineups as long as continues to dominate.
Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard out-touched teammate Miles Sanders 17 to 2 in Week 8 vs. the Texans. The veteran Sanders received 2 carries in the contest, only to be shut out completely in the fantasy box score. Hubbard, on the other hand, tallied 54 total yards on Sunday. This outcome is a bit of a surprise. While Sanders has dealt with injuries to his groin and shoulder early in 2023, it was reasonable to anticipate he’d be more involved coming off of the Panthers’ bye week presumably healthy. For now, it’s safe to operate with the understanding Hubbard will lead the way in Week 9 vs. the Colts.
Panthers QB Bryce Young completed 22 of 31 passes for 235 yards with 1 TD in Sunday’s victory over the Texans. The rookie also added 11 rushing yards in the Week 8 contest. There’s been little reason to start the 2023 No. 1 overall pick outside of superflex leagues, and his effort against Houston doesn’t inspire much of a reason to alter expectations. Young will be considered a low-end QB2 in Week 9 vs. the Colts.
Sunday saw a bit of a dud from the Texans’ passing game. WR Noah Brown hauled 3 of 5 targets for a team-high 57 receiving yards in Week 8’s loss vs. the Panthers. His teammate Nico Collins led Houston pass-catchers with 4 catches but only converted those opportunities into 30 receiving yards. Nary a Texans’ receiver exceeded double-digit PPR points in the contest. We’ll hope to see better efforts in Week 9 vs. the Buccaneers.
The Texans’ backfield remained a split committee in Week 8 vs. the Panthers. RB Dameon Pierce saw 12 carries with a team-leading 46 rushing yards on Sunday, while teammate Devin Singletary received 10 carries and went 2/2 on his targets for a combined 43 total yards. We’ll have more to dissect once the snap counts from this game become available. For now, it seems managers who took a speculative flier on Singletary off the waiver wire have stumbled into a deep-league flex/bye week filler. It’s reasonable to anticipate Pierce and Singletary will see a 50/50 share again in Week 9 vs. the Buccaneers.
After trailing teammate AJ Dillon in Week 7 usage while working back from his hamstring injury, Packers RB Aaron Jones climbed to basically even in Sunday's loss to the Vikings. His 7 carries led the team, producing 29 yards (4.1 per rush). Jones also tied Dillon at 5 targets. He caught four for 17 yards. Dillon caught all five of his to lead the team in receptions and posted 41 yards. Given the lackluster performance of Dillon overall, Jones should see further increases in his work. Non-scary matchups with the Rams, Steelers, and Chargers await over the next three weeks.
Texans QB C.J. Stroud completed 16 of 24 passes for 140 passing yards with 0 TDs or INTs in Week 8’s loss vs. the Panthers. Fortunately for fantasy managers, the rookie salvaged his day somewhat by recording 13 rushing yards and a TD in the contest. Still, this wasn’t a stellar performance for the Texans’ offense as a whole. Sunday marked Stroud’s second game in a row with under 200 passing yards. Hopefully, he’ll have better luck next week vs. the Buccaneers.
Cowboys RB Tony Pollard stayed quiet in Week 8, posting 53 rushing yards on 12 attempts. He added 1 catch for 2 yards. Dallas won in a blowout, but it’s concerning to see Pollard’s target count drop to one (2.9%). Prior to Sunday, Pollard caught 3+ balls in five straight. Dallas simply leaned on CeeDee Lamb in this one, leading to a massive 12-158-2 line. Pollard will look to rebound next week against a strong Eagles run D.
Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson tallied 6 receptions for 88 yards and a TD in Sunday's win over the Packers. It marked the second straight week in which he set a season high for receiving yards and the first time he has found the end zone since Week 2. Unfortunately, the game also included a torn Achilles' tendon for QB Kirk Cousins, which makes Hockenson's outlook much bleaker the rest of the way. We'll see whether Minnesota addresses the position before Tuesday's NFL trade deadline.
Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb went off for 12 grabs, 158 yards, and 2 scores in Sunday’s win over the Rams. The first two figures set career highs. Lamb actually entered halftime with nearly 35 PPR points, as he overmatched a young LA secondary. Look for Lamb to continue rolling next Sunday at Philly.
Vikings WR Jordan Addison logged 7 receptions on 8 targets in Sunday's win over the Packers. He turned that into 82 yards and a TD. Unfortunately, he also lost QB Kirk Cousins to a late-game Achilles' tear. That will challenge Addison's ability to remain start-worthy in our fantasy football lineups. We'll see whether Minnesota moves to upgrade on rookie QB Jaren Hall before Tuesday's NFL trade deadline.
Rams WR Cooper Kupp mustered only 4 catches for 21 yards in Sunday’s loss at Dallas. Kupp led the team with 10 targets, but the big storyline here is the injury to Matt Stafford’s right thumb. He left in the second half and didn't finish the game, so we’ll track his status closely. Brett Rypien took over but looked overmatched on his 10 attempts. The Rams head to Green Bay for Week 9.
Vikings WR K.J. Osborn led the team in targets (10), receptions (8) and receiving yards (99) in Sunday's win over the Packers. It was the first time this year he has exceeded 5 receptions or 49 yards. This would be a more encouraging outing if the game didn't also include QB Kirk Cousins tearing his right Achilles'. Osborn has barely been relevant with Cousins in the lineup. It's tough to imagine him being usable with rookie Jaren Hall.
Vikings QB Kirk Cousins is feared to have torn his Achilles in Sunday's win over the Packers, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. It's typically easy for doctors to diagnose a torn Achilles without any imaging. We should get confirmation tomorrow, but Cousins' 2023 season is very likely over. His absence would leave Minnesota with QBs Jaren Hall and Sean Mannion. QB Nick Mullens is currently on IR with a back injury but is eligible to return. Regardless, Cousins' injury is horrible news for Minnesota's skill-position players.
Vikings RB Alexander Mattison worked behind RB Cam Akers early in Sunday's win over the Packers. Akers logged 8 first-half carries to Mattison's 4, as well as the only RB target before halftime. Mattison dominated second-half work, however, taking 12 rushes to just one for Akers. Neither guy did much with their touches. Mattison finished just 16-31 rushing and caught his lone target for a mere 2 yards. Akers scored the lone rushing TD but averaged just 2.1 yards per carry across his 9 attempts. He also didn't see a second-half target. It's best to avoid this backfield in fantasy as much as you can.
Commanders WR Curtis Samuel suffered a toe injury in the second half of Sunday's game vs. the Eagles and did not return. He was questionable heading into this one with a foot injury. It's unclear if the toe issue is related. We'll look for an update on Samuel's status.
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