Fantasy Football Week 8: Biggest Takeaways from Sunday
The curtain is closing on Week 8 of the fantasy football season. Some big games still need to be played—games that feature elite options such as Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton, Andrew Luck and more—but there were still plenty of takeaways from Sunday afternoon’s action.
The leading story is once again an unfortunate one: Le’Veon Bell injured his knee, and while there was initially hope he would be able to return this season, the outlook is grim. Bell’s injury comes just one week after Arian Foster was knocked out for the rest of the season. We’ll go over the impact Bell’s injury has from a fantasy perspective inside.
Sticking with running backs: We also learned more about Todd Gurley and Latavius Murray. There's more on those two rising players inside.
At the wide receiver position, a third viable fantasy option is emerging from the desert in Arizona’s Michael Floyd. Find out why he’s worth a look moving forward.
We’ll go over all of these takeaways and more, starting with Bell’s injury and what fantasy owners should expect from his backup, DeAngelo Williams.
Le’veon Bell’s Injury Opens Door for DeAngelo Williams
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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell suffered a knee injury in Week 8. There was initially reason for optimism. ProFootballTalk reported—citing a source—that the “initial exam of Le’Veon Bell’s knee has made team optimistic about status of ACL. They hope it’s MCL injury only.”
However, as Sunday wore on, a bleaker picture developed. Steelers Depot was first to report that Bell suffered a torn ACL and will likely miss the rest of the season. Final determination is expected to be made on Monday.
So what does that mean for Bell's backup—DeAngelo Williams?
Williams carried the ball nine times for 71 yards in Week 8 and reminded everyone that he’s a viable backup to Bell. When Bell was suspended for the first two games of the season, Williams carried the ball over 20 times in both games. He had 127 rushing yards in Week 1 and had three rushing touchdowns in Week 2. He has a high ceiling.
Williams is not an elite RB1 a la Bell, but he is still a tail-end RB1 option and can be trusted in fantasy lineups. He’s worth breaking the bank for in a blinded free-agent auction bid system. (Williams is worth all of your FAAB money at this point in the season.)
Todd Gurley Is the Most Valuable Player in Fantasy
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St. Louis Rams rookie running back Todd Gurley is stealing the show this season. He’s been praised at every corner—you don’t need to be told he’s the “real deal” anymore, because he obviously is—so we’ll try to bring you a fresh take on Gurley: He’s the most valuable player in fantasy heading into the home stretch.
For starters, Gurley plays running back, which is still the most valuable position in fantasy. Additionally, he has had at least 20 touches in four straight games (the only four games he’s really played in this season).
He also has over 125 rushing yards in four straight games and has scored three touchdowns in the past two weeks. His most recent score came via a 71-yard scamper, once again proving that he can score from anywhere on the field.
After Le’Veon Bell’s unfortunate injury in Week 8, Devonta Freeman is Gurley’s only real competition for “best fantasy player.” A quick Twitter poll conducted by yours truly suggests Gurley is the top dog in your eyes as well. Nearly 100 votes later, and 95 percent of you believe Gurley will be better than Freeman from a fantasy perspective for the rest of the season.
Bleacher Report's Ian Kenyon also asked Twitter: "Is Todd Gurley already the league's best running back?" and 54 percent of respondents say he is.
There might be some recency bias at play in these answers, but Gurley has quickly won over the fantasy community and general NFL fans alike.
Drew Brees Belongs in Starting Lineups
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Drew Brees exploded in Week 8 to the tune of 511 yards and seven touchdowns (tying the NFL record) against the New York Giants. While record-setting days are obviously not the norm, it was a friendly (or not so friendly, depending on your perspective) reminder that Drew Brees belongs in starting fantasy lineups.
Brees started the season off slow by throwing just two touchdowns over the first three weeks of the season (he missed Week 3). And while Brees’ touchdown rate didn’t pick up until Week 8, throwing for an abundance of yards is still no problem for Brees. He now has 300-plus yards in five of seven games played this season, and he has 250-plus yards in the other two games.
Brees will need more three-touchdown performances to reestablish himself as one of the top three fantasy quarterbacks (Week 8 was his first three-plus touchdown game of the season), but he clearly still “has it.”
Additionally, Brees’ schedule from here on out is a breeze: He’ll play against the Tennessee Titans and Washington Redskins before having a bye in Week 11. Then he’ll play the Houston Texans, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Detroit Lions and Jacksonville Jaguars to close out the fantasy season (through Week 16). Only the Carolina Panthers present an especially tough matchup.
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Kamar Aiken Steps into Flex Territory Following Steve Smith Injury
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One of the most unfortunate news items to come out of Week 8 was the confirmation—via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport—that Baltimore Ravens wideout Steve Smith suffered a torn Achilles and is out for the rest of the season.
Smith had been a strong (albeit inconsistent) fantasy option this season, and his injury will certainly leave a hole in rosters across fantasy land.
The injury does, however, open the door for Kamar Aiken to assume more responsibility. He has already made some noise—Aiken had a season-high six receptions in Week 8 and has gone for over 60 yards in four of eight games this season—but the additional targets means Aiken should be considered for a flex spot in fantasy leagues.
Aiken has had several strong games this season but has yet to truly break out. That could change in the coming weeks. He’ll be off next week (bye week), but he returns to face the Jacksonville Jaguars, St. Louis Rams and Cleveland Browns. His coming-out party figures to be in there somewhere.
Latavius Murray Still a Buy-Low Candidate
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Oakland Raiders running back Latavius Murray started the 2015 season off strong by rushing for two touchdowns in the first three games. He also went for 139 yards in 26 carries in Week 3.
Since then, however, Murray has been quiet. He ran for under 50 yards in each of his next two games and then had a bye week. Fantasy owners grew somewhat disenchanted with Murray in that span.
In Week 7, Murray went for 85 yards (on 15 rushes) and scored a touchdown. In Week 8, he turned 20 carries into 113 yards, and while he didn’t score, it was his first 100-plus yard game since Week 3. Additionally, his big Week 8 came against the usually stout New York Jets defense.
Murray has now strung together two straight solid games, but he had the touchdown in Week 7 and the big yards in Week 8. The fact he hasn't pieced the yards and touchdowns together yet means he's still flying somewhat under the radar. That’s especially true considering the performance Derek Carr just had (four touchdowns in Week 8).
Murray is trending in the right direction, however. He's a great buy-low candidate in a trade.
Michael Floyd Emerges as Viable Fantasy Wideout
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Larry Fitzgerald turned back the clock for the Arizona Cardinals this season, but Michael Floyd has been stealing the show over the past several weeks.
Fitzgerald hasn’t disappeared (he caught nine passes for 84 yards and a touchdown in Week 8), but Floyd has thrust himself into fantasy relevancy. He now has three straight games with at least 50 receiving yards and a score. He also went for over 100 yards for the first time this season in Week 8.
Floyd’s big Sunday was no doubt benefited by the fact that John Brown did nothing for the Cardinals in Week 8, but the fact that Floyd has scored a touchdown in three straight games speaks to his staying power.
Floyd should be considered a strong flex player from here on out.
Mike Evans Is a Mere Flex Option
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Heading into the 2015 season, Tampa Bay’s second-year wideout Mike Evans was heralded as one of the game’s best young wide receivers. That's still true (he’s only 22 years old), but his 2015 season has not gone according to plan.
He is not the tail-end WR1 everyone thought he would be. Evans' ceiling is as high as anyone’s, but his low fantasy floor makes him more of a weak WR2 or solid flex option.
Evans showed us his ceiling in Week 7, catching eight passes for 164 yards and a touchdown, before showing us his floor in Week 8 (three catches for 48 yards). Every wide receiver is going to have down games here and there, but Evans now has three games this season with just three receptions and under 50 yards. He has only played in five games.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers appear to be moving in the right direction, but Evans is simply not a reliable fantasy option at this point. He still belongs in starting lineups given his high ceiling, but he shouldn’t be leaned on as a cornerstone of your fantasy squad.
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