Give New Orleans Saints quarterback Teddy Bridgewater loads of credit for replacing an injured Drew Brees and leading his team to victory in every single one of his starts, including Sunday's impressive road win against the defensively minded Chicago Bears. That said, things seem likely to change in Week 8. Brees, who needed surgery on his right (throwing) thumb for a ligament tear suffered in Week 2 against the Los Angeles Rams, could get clearance to play as soon as Monday, with an appealing home meeting against Kyler Murray and the underwhelming Arizona Cardinals defense on tap in Week 8.
This would be welcome news for fantasy managers. The Cardinals are not particularly difficult to throw on and Brees -- a future Hall of Famer -- is better than Bridgewater, capable of amplifying the performance of skill players around him, especially in home games. After all, Brees has finished each of the past 15 seasons among the top-10 QB scorers in terms of total fantasy points (although not necessarily in average points per game). The pool of surefire fantasy starters seems to thin each week, mainly due to injury. The New Orleans schedule is also attractive until December, featuring November matchups with the one-win Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Of course, Brees is far from the only member of the Saints whom fantasy managers are eagerly awaiting word on for health reasons. RB Alvin Kamara missed the win over the Bears with knee and ankle injuries, ceding work to backup Latavius Murray, who performed marvelously and remains someone to roster whether Kamara plays or not. Murray enjoyed his 32 touches in Chicago, turning them into 150 total yards and a pair of touchdowns -- good for a cool 32 PPR points. Then again, Murray entered play with only 35.5 PPR points in six games. So, not only was Kamara not sharing the volume much, Murray was barely worth rostering. Kamara's injury makes him a must-roster, a top handcuff choice, and an RB1 if Kamara were to sit again.
There is one more situation to monitor, though. TE Jared Cook, a huge disappointment in fantasy this season, missed Sunday's game with an ankle injury. His replacement, Josh Hill, scored against the Bears. Every NFL tight end eagerly lines up to play against Arizona, by far the league's worst defense against the position. From Detroit Lions rookie T.J. Hockenson in Week 1 (25.1 PPR points) to New York Giants veteran Rhett Ellison (11.3 PPR points on Sunday), and San Francisco 49ers star George Kittle is a definite trade target thanks to pending matchups with Arizona in Weeks 9 and 11. Cook, despite averaging a mere 7.3 PPR points in his games this season, would warrant starting value if he is healthy enough to play.
Here are more fantasy themes to watch in Week 8:
A need-to-know basis
Meanwhile, the Cardinals come to New Orleans this Sunday riding a three-game winning streak -- but with their own health issues to watch for fantasy purposes. Yes, it was a Cardinals running back who dominated the Giants on Sunday for 150 total yards and a trio of rushing touchdowns. However, it was not David Johnson, a first-round selection in myriad leagues. Johnson was indeed active for the game after a week of speculation regarding his ankle injury. Unfortunately, he played on a few snaps for Arizona's first drive and then watched in frustration (even though he apparently knew it was coming) as the unheralded Chase Edmonds ran wild.
Edmonds will be one of the most popular pickups of the coming week -- and he should be, for he has now scored in three consecutive games. Still, there is likely no timeshare to be found here. In addition, in Week 8, the Cardinals will not be facing the Giants again. The Saints defend well. Coach Kliff Kingsbury told reporters postgame that Johnson had been active only in the event of a need-based situation. Against the Giants, there was no need. Tortured fantasy managers could have used that information Sunday morning! Still, Johnson's health should dictate Edmonds' value for Week 8. Add Edmonds to your teams but, much like the Saints' Murray, do not assume that you'll have to start him.
Miss me much?
It was one thing when Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins lit up a decimated Philadelphia Eagles secondary in Week 6 for 333 passing yards, four touchdowns and 27.3 total fantasy points. To do it again in Week 7 -- in Detroit and against a solid secondary -- would be far more impressive and signal that perhaps Cousins can be once again considered as trustworthy by fantasy managers. Well, he did it again. Cousins overcame the loss of Adam Thielen and threw for 337 yards, another four touchdowns and 29.2 total fantasy points. In Week 8 on Thursday night, his team hosts his former team, the beleaguered, one-win Washington Redskins.
Cousins ought to have another big game -- not because he is extra motivated to embarrass his former mates, but because Washington is so bad. Either way, solid numbers should be forthcoming. Stop short of trusting Cousins as a weekly play, though. The big Vikings story for the next few days should be about Thielen, the top-10 fantasy wide receiver who hurt his right hamstring on an impressive TD catch but did not return to the game. An MRI, as always, is pending. His status going forward will necessarily impact his quarterback's long-term value.
As for Washington's sad QB situation, Case Keenum -- who led the Vikings to the NFC title game just two seasons ago but got the proverbial boot for Cousins -- threw for all of 77 yards in the shutout home loss to the unbeaten 49ers on Sunday. If you roster him in any fantasy league (even in a multi-QB format), you really must do better. Then again, he should be motivated against his old mates, too.
Replacing Pat with Matt
The Week 8 Sunday night game should be featuring Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers matching up with his TV commercial pal Patrick Mahomes, but the Kansas City Chiefs wunderkind suffered a dislocated kneecap in last Thursday's game in Denver and will not play. (We covered the implications of that injury and potential QB replacements on Friday.) Perhaps Mahomes returns in as soon as three weeks. Maybe he has to wait until after the bye in Week 13. Regardless, veteran Matt Moore has neither faced Rodgers nor the Packers. He played capably against the Broncos, but Green Bay boasts a better defense than Denver, and Moore does not come recommended for fantasy. WR Tyreek Hill and TE Travis Kelce remain worthy fantasy options, but not quite as worthy as before, though it is hard to see how a fantasy manager would sit either player.
Meanwhile, Rodgers entered Week 7 as a top-10 quarterback more for the matchup than for his underwhelming statistical work this season. His 6-TD performance (five passing, one rushing) on Sunday is more reflective of the underwhelming Oakland Raiders defense than some harbinger of more statistical largesse to come. In other words, don't be too concerned about Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson as he gets to face the Raiders in Week 8. Rodgers and fantasy managers still dearly miss top weapon WR Davante Adams, who last performed in Week 4 before suffering a turf toe injury, though he could return this week. Rodgers threw his scoring passes to RBs Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams, TE Jimmy Graham and WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Jake Kumerow. However, unless you're playing in a deep league, Jones is the only one worthy of Week 8 fantasy interest.