NFL Predictions Week 8: Fantasy Projections and Guide to Latest Vegas Odds

Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson tossed five touchdown passes (two to wideout DeAndre Hopkins) en route to leading his team to a 42-23 victory over the Miami Dolphins to kick off Week 8 NFL action.

The Texans set the fantasy bar high, but a few teams and players have the chance to top their marks.

Here's a look ahead at some Week 8 fantasy projections (based on point-per-reception scoring) and odds (via OddsShark).

Top 10 Quarterbacks

1. Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes vs. Denver Broncos: 350 passing yards, 20 rushing yards, 3 TD (28 points)

2. Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers at Los Angeles Rams: 375 passing yards, 3 TD (27 points)

3. Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger vs. Cleveland Browns: 375 passing yards, 3 TD (27 points)

4. Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins vs. New Orleans Saints: 350 passing yards, 3 TD (26 points)

5. Cincinnati Bengals QB Andy Dalton vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 325 passing yards, 3 TD (25 points)

6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston at Cincinnati Bengals: 300 passing yards, 3 TD (24 points)

7. New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees at Minnesota Vikings: 300 passing yards, 3 TD (24 points)

8. New England Patriots QB Tom Brady at Buffalo Bills: 300 passing yards, 3 TD (24 points)

9. Chicago Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky vs. New York Jets: 250 passing yards, 50 rushing yards, 2 TD (23 points)

10. Los Angeles Rams QB Jared Goff vs. Green Bay Packers: 325 passing yards, 2 TD (21 points)

The Chicago Bears' leading rusher last Sunday vs. the New England Patriots was quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, who ran for 81 yards on six carries in a 38-31 loss.

The second-year pro has been fantasy gold in his last three games, as he's thrown 11 touchdown passes, averaged 334 passing yards and rushed for 181 yards and an additional score.

Expect that trend to continue Sunday at home vs. the New York Jets, who are shorthanded on defense due to injuries in the secondary.

New York will also be without running back Bilal Powell and wide receiver Quincy Enunwa and may not have Robby Anderson, who is doubtful with an ankle injury. That could mean shorter drives and less time of possession for the Jets, leading to better scoring opportunities for Trubisky and the Bears.

Top 20 Running Backs

1. Los Angeles Rams RB Todd Gurley vs. Green Bay Packers: 220 yards from scrimmage, 6 catches, 3 TD (46 points)

2. New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley vs. Washington Redskins: 170 yards from scrimmage, 7 catches, 1 TD (30 points)

3. Pittsburgh Steelers RB James Conner vs. Cleveland Browns: 180 yards from scrimmage, 4 catches, 1 TD (28 points)

4. Kansas City Chiefs RB Kareem Hunt vs. Denver Broncos: 160 yards from scrimmage, 5 catches, 1 TD (27 points)

5. Arizona Cardinals RB David Johnson vs. San Francisco 49ers: 140 yards from scrimmage, 6 catches, 1 TD (26 points)

6. New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara at Minnesota Vikings: 120 yards from scrimmage, 7 catches, 1 TD (25 points)

7. Carolina Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey vs. Baltimore Ravens: 100 yards from scrimmage, 6 catches, 1 TD (22 points)

8. Detroit Lions RB Kerryon Johnson vs. Seattle Seahawks: 130 yards from scrimmage, 3 catches, 1 TD (22 points)

9. New England Patriots RB James White at Buffalo Bills: 80 yards from scrimmage, 8 catches, 1 TD (22 points)

10. Chicago Bears RB Tarik Cohen vs. New York Jets: 90 yards from scrimmage, 6 catches, 1 TD (21 points)

11. Denver Broncos RB Phillip Lindsay at Kansas City Chiefs: 80 yards from scrimmage, 5 catches, 1 TD (19 points)

12. Cincinnati Bengals RB Joe Mixon vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 100 yards from scrimmage, 3 catches, 1 TD (19 points)

13. San Francisco 49ers RB Matt Breida at Arizona Cardinals: 80 yards from scrimmage, 3 catches, 1 TD (17 points)

14. Seattle Seahawks RB Chris Carson at Detroit Lions: 90 yards from scrimmage, 2 catches, 1 TD (17 points)

15. New Orleans Saints RB Mark Ingram at Minnesota Vikings: 70 yards from scrimmage, 3 catches, 1 TD (16 points)

16. Oakland Raiders RB Jalen Richard vs. Indianapolis Colts: 90 yards from scrimmage, 7 catches (16 points)

17. Indianapolis Colts RB Marlon Mack at Oakland Raiders: 90 yards from scrimmage, 1 catch, 1 TD (16 points)

18. Green Bay Packers RB Aaron Jones at Los Angeles Rams: 60 yards from scrimmage, 2 catches, 1 TD (14 points)

19. Washington Redskins RB Adrian Peterson at New York Giants: 80 yards from scrimmage, 1 TD (14 points)

20. Minnesota Vikings RB Latavius Murray vs. New Orleans Saints: 60 yards from scrimmage, 2 catches, 1 TD (14 points)

Denver Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay should see more touches, as fellow rookie running back Royce Freeman is out this Sunday with an ankle injury. Freeman has averaged 10.1 rushes per game.

Third-string back Devontae Booker could carry more of the backfield load, but the Broncos would be wise to give Lindsay the backfield keys and see where he goes. For the season, the rookie out of Colorado has gained 436 yards on 75 carries for a 5.8-yard average. He's also added 15 receptions.

Lindsay has proved to be one of the more efficient backs in the league. Could he continue that trend with more touches against the Kansas City Chiefs? The matchup is right, at least, as the Chiefs have allowed the third-most rushing yards per game to opposing running backs, per Football Outsiders.

Top 30 Wide Receivers

1. Minnesota Vikings WR Adam Thielen vs. New Orleans Saints: 12 catches, 160 yards, 2 TD (40 points)

2. Green Bay Packers WR Davante Adams at Los Angeles Rams: 12 catches, 170 yards, 1 TD (35 points)

3. Pittsburgh Steelers WR Antonio Brown vs. Cleveland Browns: 11 catches, 150 yards, 1 TD (32 points)

4. Cincinnati Bengals WR A.J. Green vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 8 catches, 110 yards, 2 TD (31 points)

5. Minnesota Vikings WR Stefon Diggs vs. New Orleans Saints: 9 catches, 100 yards, 1 TD (25 points)

6. Los Angeles Rams WR Brandin Cooks vs. Green Bay Packers: 6 catches, 120 yards, 1 TD (24 points)

7. Los Angeles Rams WR Robert Woods vs. Green Bay Packers: 7 catches, 100 yards, 1 TD (23 points)

8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Mike Evans at Cincinnati Bengals: 7 catches, 90 yards, 1 TD (22 points)

9. Detroit Lions WR Golden Tate vs. Seattle Seahawks: 8 catches, 80 yards, 1 TD (22 points)

10. Pittsburgh Steelers WR JuJu Smith-Schuster vs. Cleveland Browns: 6 catches, 90 yards, 1 TD (21 points)

11. Cincinnati Bengals WR Tyler Boyd vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 6 catches, 90 yards, 1 TD (21 points)

12. Baltimore Ravens WR John Brown at Carolina Panthers: 5 catches, 100 yards, 1 TD (21 points)

13. Kansas City Chiefs WR Sammy Watkins vs. Denver Broncos: 4 catches, 110 yards, 1 TD (21 points)

14. Denver Broncos WR Emmanuel Sanders at Kansas City Chiefs: 6 catches, 80 yards, 1 TD (20 points)

15. New England Patriots WR Josh Gordon at Buffalo Bills: 5 catches, 90 yards, 1 TD (20 points)

16. Kansas City Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill vs. Denver Broncos: 5 catches, 80 yards, 1 TD (19 points)

17. Chicago Bears WR Allen Robinson vs. New York Jets: 5 catches, 70 yards, 1 TD (18 points)

18. New Orleans Saints WR Michael Thomas at Minnesota Vikings: 5 catches, 70 yards, 1 TD (18 points)

19. Indianapolis Colts WR T.Y. Hilton at Oakland Raiders: 5 catches, 70 yards, 1 TD (18 points)

20. Oakland Raiders WR Jordy Nelson vs. Indianapolis Colts: 5 catches, 60 yards, 1 TD (17 points)

21. Detroit Lions WR Kenny Golladay vs. Seattle Seahawks: 4 catches, 60 yards, 1 TD (16 points)

22. New York Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. vs. Washington Redskins: 4 catches, 60 yards, 1 TD (16 points)

23. Seattle Seahawks WR Doug Baldwin at Detroit Lions: 5 catches, 50 yards, 1 TD (16 points)

24. New England Patriots WR Julian Edelman at Buffalo Bills: 8 catches, 80 yards (16 points)

25. Oakland Raiders WR Martavis Bryant vs. Indianapolis Colts: 4 catches, 50 yards, 1 TD (15 points)

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin at Cincinnati Bengals: 4 catches, 50 yards, 1 TD (15 points)

27. New Orleans Saints WR Tre'Quan Smith at Minnesota Vikings: 3 catches, 60 yards, 1 TD (15 points)

28. Arizona Cardinals WR Christian Kirk vs. San Francisco 49ers: 4 catches, 50 yards, 1 TD (15 points)

29. New York Giants WR Sterling Shepard vs. Washington Redskins: 6 catches, 80 yards (14 points)

30. Buffalo Bills WR Kelvin Benjamin vs. New England Patriots: 4 catches, 40 yards, 1 TD (14 points)

The Oakland Raiders no longer have wideout Amari Cooper, who was traded to the Dallas Cowboys. Running back Marshawn Lynch is on injured reserve with a groin injury.

Their touches and targets have to go somewhere. For Lynch, expect Doug Martin to assume his carries while Jalen Richard gets more looks in the passing game. For Cooper, expect a mixture of Jordy Nelson, Seth Roberts, Martavis Bryant and tight end Jared Cook to absorb his targets.

Nelson and Bryant, in particular, are now the team's No. 1 and No. 2 receivers, respectively.

Nelson has seen success with quarterback David Carr, scoring touchdowns in the two games where he's received eight targets (he's had just one touchdown in the other four but never saw more than four targets in a matchup).

Bryant is a deep threat who hasn't been as successful with Carr (14 catches for 220 yards), but he only needs one long pass to pay off to make a good fantasy impact.

Top 10 Tight Ends

1. New England Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski at Buffalo Bills: 9 catches, 130 yards, 2 TD (34 points)

2. Philadelphia Eagles TE Zach Ertz at Jacksonville Jaguars in Wembley Stadium, London: 10 catches, 120 yards, 1 TD (28 points)

3. Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce vs. Denver Broncos: 8 catches, 100 yards, 1 TD (24 points)

4. Green Bay Packers TE Jimmy Graham at Los Angeles Rams: 6 catches, 80 yards, 1 TD (20 points)

5. Oakland Raiders TE Jared Cook vs. Indianapolis Colts: 6 catches, 70 yards, 1 TD (19 points)

6. Chicago Bears TE Trey Burton vs. New York Jets: 5 catches, 60 yards, 1 TD (17 points)

7. Indianapolis Colts TE Eric Ebron at Oakland Raiders: 5 catches, 50 yards, 1 TD (16 points)

8. San Francisco 49ers TE George Kittle at Arizona Cardinals: 4 catches, 50 yards, 1 TD (15 points)

9. Cincinnati Bengals TE C.J. Uzomah vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 4 catches, 50 yards, 1 TD (15 points)

10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers TE O.J. Howard at Cincinnati Bengals: 4 catches, 40 yards, 1 TD (14 points)

The trick with the New England Patriots every week is to figure out which skill-position player will shine. Some weeks it's tight end Rob Gronkowski, who can put up 100 receiving yards and a touchdown with ease. On other days, however, Gronk is double-teamed and can't get much separation, leading to other players breaking free.

The guess here is that Gronkowski has a monster game this Monday, however, as he has a penchant for dominating the Buffalo Bills on the road. The Western New York native had four catches for 54 yards and two scores in his first game there. Since then, his lowest yardage output was 94 yards.

There's no real reason to bet against another great Gronk performance, so expect to see that here even though he's been practicing on a limited basis with ankle and back injuries.

Vegas Odds

Philadelphia Eagles (-3, 43 O/U) at Jacksonville Jaguars in Wembley Stadium, London: Eagles -3 and -175

Baltimore Ravens (-2.5, 44 O/U) at Carolina Panthers: Ravens -2.5 and -150

Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers (-8, 49 O/U): Steelers -8 and -340

Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs (-9.5, 53.5 O/U): Chiefs -9.5 and -425

New York Jets at Chicago Bears (-8, 44 O/U): Bears -8 and -355

Seattle Seahawks at Detroit Lions (-3, 49 O/U): Lions -3 and -157

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals (-3.5, 54.5 O/U): Bengals -3.5 and -175

Washington Redskins (-1, 43.5 O/U) at New York Giants: Redskins -1 and -115

Indianapolis Colts (-3, 50.5 O/U) at Oakland Raiders: Colts -3 and -150

Green Bay Packers at Los Angeles Rams (-9, 57 O/U): Packers +9 and +330

San Francisco 49ers (-1, 41.5 O/U) at Arizona Cardinals: Cardinals +1 and +105

New Orleans Saints (-1.5, 52.5 O/U) at Minnesota Vikings: Saints -1.5 and -125

New England Patriots (-13.5, 44 O/U) at Buffalo Bills: Patriots -13.5 and -1100

The toughest game to read on the odds ledger is the Baltimore Ravens at Carolina Panthers matchup. On one hand, quarterback Cam Newton and running back Christian McCaffrey could lead the Panthers to a home win thanks to a fantastic rushing attack and short-passing game. On the other hand, quarterback Joe Flacco could toss a few rainbows to No. 1 wideout John Brown for touchdowns to break everything wide-open.

Both teams have won four games and have excellent defensive talent. The Ravens have the edge in the kicking game over every team in the league thanks to Justin Tucker, but Panthers kicker Graham Gano sliced a 63-yard field goal through the uprights with one second left to beat the New York Giants. He can come through in the clutch.

In sum, the only recommendation for that game would be to avoid it. But if you feel like placing a friendly wager, consider the Ravens minus the points, as Brown's speed may be a tough matchup for the Panthers secondary.