NFL Week 8 Predictions: Which Players Will Have Breakout Performances?

Potential breakout players for Week 8 of the NFL season:

TE Jared Cook, Titans

The Colts contained Saints tight end Jimmy Graham on Sunday night—in the first half. Graham caught two touchdowns during the final 30 minutes of the Saints' 62-7 rout.

You shouldn't expect the Titans' offense to replicate what the Saints produced points-wise, but Cook should be able to feast on a defense that obviously has some issues. Cook is the kind of big, athletic target that Indianapolis struggled to contain. 

WR Antonio Brown, Steelers

Hines Ward likely won't play Sunday against the Patriots, and Brown is in line for his snaps if that's the case. He was seeing plenty of the field before the injury, but I'm not sure Brown is well-known just yet.

In what has the makings of a shootout, Brown will see targets from Ben Roethlisberger. He's a big play waiting to happen. 

RB Jackie Battle, Chiefs

Battle has produced over 200 yards of total offense in the past two weeks, but there's going to be very few who know who this guy is when the Chiefs and Chargers play before a national audience on Monday night.

Now the primary ball carrier for Kansas City, Battle has a chance to put his name on the NFL radar. He's a big runner and more athletic than he looks. 

WR Demaryius Thomas, Broncos

Thomas is a former first-rounder and also caught a touchdown pass from Tim Tebow last week, so you might know who he is in a general sense. However, he's in line to be one of Tebow's primary targets for this week and moving forward.

If the Broncos open up their offense like in the fourth quarter of Sunday's win, Thomas should be a name you hear more and more of.   

WR Titus Young, Lions

A second-round pick of the Lions this season, Young has emerged as one of Matt Stafford's favorite receivers. He's going to be out-shadowed by the likes of Calvin Johnson and Brandon Pettigrew most weeks, plus Nate Burelson remains in the mix, but Young is a guy who could catch fire in a hurry with the amount of passing the Lions do on a week-to-week basis.