NFL Sunday Fantasy Football Studs and Duds

In what has been one of the wildest Sundays of NFL action in recent memory, players generally thought of as the best in fantasy football have hit new lows, while others who have spent the last seven weeks as afterthoughts emerged as some of the most dominant fantasy scorers of the day.

In the following slides, I will detail five players that likely helped you on your way to a fantasy victory, and five others who have managed only to disappoint, with their poor stats and low point totals causing nothing but frustration.

Stud: St. Louis Rams RB Steven Jackson

St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson has been held down first by injury and then by overall poor play by the Rams offense that saw them relying heavily on the pass while constantly playing from behind.

Jackson entered the season as one of the most impressive fantasy running backs but has done little more than frustrate his owners—until today.

The Rams ran their way to their first victory of the season, defeating the New Orleans Saints 31-21, thanks to the efforts of Jackson. Jackson had 25 carries for 159 yards and two touchdowns, giving your fantasy team at least 30 points single-handedly.

Dud: New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees

The Saints' Drew Brees is one of the most reliable fantasy quarterbacks of the season, so his performance today was a major shock to his owners.

He completed 30 of his 44 passes, for 269 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in his team's shocking loss to the then-winless St. Louis Rams.

Brees' numbers were kept low due to his offensive line—especially his right tackles—being beaten all day long by the Rams defense. That's certainly no comfort to Brees' owners, who got a season-low 12 to 13 points from the leader of what has been the highest-scoring offense in the NFL.

Stud: Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton only continues to impress with each passing week of his rookie season, and that streak continued this week in his team's 24-21 loss to the Minnesota Vikings this Sunday.

While Newton does everything he can to bring his team a victory while the rest of the Panthers' roster fails to follow suit, that doesn't matter to your fantasy team should you have Newton as your starting quarterback.

Newton completed 22 of his 35 passes, for 290 yards and three touchdowns, and he rushed six time for 53 yards. He threw no picks for the second week in a row, as the unlikeliest of all fantasy starting quarterbacks continues to be one of the strongest, most consistent players you could have on your roster.

Dud: Tennessee Titans RB Chris Johnson

Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson wasn't close to his 2009 stats in 2010, but he got a major payday regardless. Whether that payday, or some other issue, is holding him back in 2011 is unclear. But one thing is known: CJ2K has become CJ2.8YPC and one of the biggest fantasy duds of the season, let alone Week 8.

In this week's 27-10 win over the Indianapolis Colts, Johnson rushed 14 times for 34 yards and had three receptions for 17 yards. He was outplayed by backup Javon Ringer so thoroughly that Johnson was benched in favor of Ringer and may just have lost his starting job.

Regardless of Johnson's status from here on out, it's about time to relegate Johnson to your bench or ditch him altogether. Past performance clearly does not indicate future success, indeed.

Stud: Buffalo Bills TE Scott Chandler

Bills tight end Scott Chandler appeared to be the one player on the team's offense that hasn't been touched by the golden hand that has blessed those around him. That changed this week in his team's 23-0 trouncing of the Washington Redskins.

Chandler's stats at first glance don't seem that impressive: two catches for 35 yards. But those two catches resulted in two touchdowns, elevating his fantasy points to over 15 on the day.

What's becoming clear is that beyond quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and running back Fred Jackson, there are few reliable fantasy starters on the Bills offense. But if you were one of the lucky ones who started Chandler to replace a bye-week tight end or the injured Jermaine Gresham, you were rewarded for taking that risk.

Dud: New England Patriots WR Wes Welker

Patriots' wide receiver Wes Welker is one of the highest-scoring fantasy starters this season, period. Regardless of position, Welker's numbers have been extraordinary. But as the weeks pass, it's clear that all it takes is the right defense to stymie the usually-reliable Welker-Brady connection.

Last week against the Dallas Cowboys, Welker was held to just 45 yards and one score on six catches; this Sunday, against the Pittsburgh Steelers and their top-rated pass defense, he again caught six balls. Only this time, it was for just 39 yards, and he was scoreless on the day.

Welker certainly isn't in any danger of being recommended for benching. But keep in mind that as the season wears on, opposing defenses are going to figure out ways to stop Welker. He's not unstoppable, as today's performance proves. His fantasy total on the day was just under four points.

Stud: Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger

If there's any question that the Pittsburgh Steelers have shifted to being a pass-heavy offense, they've certainly been wiped clean with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's performances this season, capped off with today's 365-yard showing, in which he completed 36-of-50 passes and threw two touchdowns to one interception.

He's clearly benefiting from his impressive cadre of fast receivers, and it's their respective performances that have elevated Roethlisberger to an every week must-start fantasy quarterback.

The early season issues with the offensive line seem to have worked themselves out, giving Roethlisberger ample time to make big plays. With nearly 22 fantasy points on the day, he's obviously one of the biggest fantasy studs in Week 8.

Dud: Indianapolis Colts WR Reggie Wayne

Without Peyton Manning under center, it's clear that Reggie Wayne's fantasy value is indeed... waning. With zero touchdowns since Week 1, he's struggling to get the kind of quality targets quarterback Curtis Painter is giving fellow receiver Pierre Garcon and tight end Dallas Clark.

Wayne had five catches for 61 yards, with 14 targets—the majority of which came while the team rushed to catch up from their double-digit deficit against the Tennessee Titans this afternoon.

They didn't manage the comeback, and now, the once-reliable fantasy wide receiver might not manage to remain on your roster much longer either.

Stud: Baltimore Ravens RB Ray Rice

Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice was a first-round fantasy draft pick this year, and while he's had his frustrating moments this season, his performance today in his team's come-from-behind win over the Arizona Cardinals was one of the best of the week.

Rice rushed 18 times for 63 yards and an astounding three touchdowns (all courtesy of pass interference penalties that led to the three short scores) and caught seven passes for 36 yards.

He's clearly the crown jewel of the otherwise struggling Ravens offense, and as long as he keeps up this performance, he should be good for more days like this down the line. He netted on average 28 points for his fantasy teams today.

Dud: Seattle Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch

Marshawn Lynch isn't truly a must-start fantasy running back in normal circumstances, but the combination of a number of injuries at running back and the backs on the bye this week have elevated Lynch into a reluctant Week 8 start.

He didn't manage much against the stout Cincinnati Bengals defense today, with 16 rushes for just 24 yards. He salvaged a few points with a single touchdown but also lost a fumble which damaged his fantasy bottom line.

There's little need to give Lynch a start unless you're in dire need; his six fantasy points on the day today are a great example as to why.