Welcome to the Week 8 Fantasy Football Playbook!
This will be your game-by-game guide to the week's slate of NFL games, featuring score projections, over/unders, win probabilities and, of course, easily digestible fantasy advice for both season-long and DFS leagues. This guide should help you with all sorts of decision making, including sit/start decisions, last-minute waiver adds and lineup choices.
The advice is centered on 12-team PPR leagues with relatively standard scoring and lineup settings (1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 Flex, 1 K, 1 D/ST), although I'll often mention "shallow" or "deep" leagues for borderline starters. The charts show all players who have been projected for at least 6.0 fantasy points this week, as well as all D/STs. "Matchup" is automatically determined using a proprietary metric that factors in both raw and volume-adjusted fantasy points allowed to each position by the opposing defense this season.
(Editor's note: Projections and rankings will align almost perfectly, but sometimes when a projection is close, a player may be ranked slightly higher or lower due to other factors, including upside or risk. This column is subject to possible updates during the weekend, though at the very minimum, rankings will updated on the site and projections will always be updated inside the game leading up to kickoff.)
Carolina Panthers @ Atlanta Falcons
Lineup locks: Cordarrelle Patterson, DJ Moore, Calvin Ridley, Kyle Pitts
After averaging 23.7 fantasy points during his first four games, Sam Darnold has managed a total of 23.6 points during his last three outings. He has a terrific matchup this week but could be benched again if he struggles, so he's a risky QB2. Matt Ryan has shown a decent floor with 15.5-plus points in five straight games, but has only one top-10 fantasy outing this season. He's also a low-ceiling QB2.
Chuba Hubbard has racked up 65 carries and 16 targets in his four games since replacing Christian McCaffrey. That usage is terrific, but it hasn't translated to a single top-15 fantasy outing. He's no more than an RB2 play until CMC returns. Mike Davis' role was diminished after the team's Week 6 bye, as he was limited to four carries and zero targets on 38 snaps this past Sunday. He belongs on benches.
Over the last four weeks, Robby Anderson has turned 38 targets (sixth-most among wideouts) into a total of 101 yards and one score on 13 catches. That's unbelievably poor efficiency and makes him hard to trust as a WR3, but we can't completely ignore the heavy volume. Russell Gage returned from injury and was targeted seven times in Week 7. He belongs on benches, but could push for flex value.
Over/Under: 44.3 (11th highest in Week 8)
Win Prob: Panthers 54% (14th highest)
Miami Dolphins @ Buffalo Bills
Lineup locks: Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs
Tua Tagovailoa has produced a pair of top-12 fantasy weeks since returning from injury and has the look of a streaming option moving forward, but he should not be near lineups this week against the Bills' dominant defense.
Zack Moss put up a dud when we last saw him in Week 6, but he still out-snapped Devin Singletary and had produced 12-plus fantasy points in four straight contests prior to that outing. Moss remains a solid flex option, whereas Singletary is best left on benches. Malcolm Brown (33 carries, 5 targets, 120 snaps this season) was placed on injured reserve, which opens the door for more work for Myles Gaskin (54 carries, 36 targets, 226 snaps) and Salvon Ahmed (28 carries, 15 targets, 93 snaps). Gaskin remains the preferred flex choice.
Emmanuel Sanders has averaged 18.5 fantasy points over his last four outings and is in the weekly WR2/3 mix. Cole Beasley has a pair of top-12 fantasy weeks under his belt this season, but he's also finished outside the top 55 receivers three times. He's a flex option in a great matchup this week. Jaylen Waddle is fantasy's No. 3-scoring WR during Tagovailoa's three full games this season and should be in lineups despite this extremely tough matchup. DeVante Parker has missed Miami's last three games, but would be on the flex radar if he's back this week.
Mike Gesicki has posted four top-seven fantasy outings over his last five games and should remain in lineups against Buffalo. Tommy Sweeney will slide in for the injured Dawson Knox and is a starting option in two-TE leagues.
Over/Under: 45.6 (9th highest)
Win Prob: Bills 94% (Highest)
San Francisco 49ers @ Chicago Bears
Lineup locks: Deebo Samuel
Jimmy Garoppolo has delivered one top-20 fantasy showing this season and is on the verge of losing his starting job to Trey Lance. Meanwhile, Justin Fields has just one weekly finish better than 28th (18th in Week 6). Neither quarterback should be close to lineups.
Khalil Herbert outsnapped Damien Williams 51-10 and racked up 18 carries and five targets last week. He's reeled off back-to-back top-12 fantasy weeks and is a solid RB2 this week against the 49ers' terrific run defense. Elijah Mitchell has reached 17 carries in three of his four NFL games, two of which were top-15 fantasy showings. His lack of passing-game work is a problem (four total targets), but he's seeing enough work to justify one of your RB slots.
Chicago's horrific passing game has Darnell Mooney sitting 46th and Allen Robinson II 59th in WR fantasy points. Robinson has yet to deliver any top-45 weeks. Neither belong in lineups.
Cole Kmet is 17th in TE targets, but hasn't delivered any top-15 fantasy weeks. He shouldn't be in lineups.
Over/Under: 40.1 (15th highest)
Win Prob: 49ers 56% (12th highest)
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cleveland Browns
Lineup locks: Najee Harris, Nick Chubb, Diontae Johnson
Baker Mayfield had delivered one top-15 fantasy outing prior to missing Week 7 because of injury, so he (or possible replacement Case Keenum) should not be near lineups against a good Steelers defense this week. Ben Roethlisberger hasn't produced a weekly finish better than 18th and isn't a starting option even against a Browns defense allowing the most QB fantasy points over expected.
D'Ernest Johnson was outstanding last Thursday (168 yards on 24 touches), but he'll settle into a complementary role with Chubb back this week. Johnson will stay play a role (Kareem Hunt remains out), but he's a shaky flex against a Steelers defense that has allowed only one RB touchdown this season.
Chase Claypool has two top-20 fantasy outings under his belt this season -- as well as three finishes outside the top 50. Despite the boom/bust production, he's a WR3 play with JuJu Smith-Schuster no longer in the picture this season. Odell Beckham Jr. doesn't have a weekly finish better than 28th this season and is barely on the flex radar right now. Jarvis Landry produced 37 yards on seven targets in his Week 7 return and is best viewed as a deep-league flex option this week.
Pat Freiermuth was targeted seven times in the Steelers' first game without Smith-Schuster, so we aren't starting him yet. However, he is a player to monitor.
DFS Alert: Harris ($7,500) is the fourth-highest RB option at DraftKings this week, which is well below both Derrick Henry ($8,900) and Alvin Kamara ($8,700). The gap is too wide, making Harris a value play this week. Harris is averaging a massive 17.0 carries and 7.7 targets and, even after serving his bye, he sits sixth among backs in carries and OTD, second in targets and receptions, and third in touches. He's scored 19-plus fantasy points in five straight games, averaging 23.0 during the span. The Browns' run defense started off extremely well, but over the last three weeks has allowed 28-plus RB fantasy points to both the Chargers and Broncos.
Over/Under: 45.7 (8th highest)
Win Prob: Browns 58% (10th highest)
Philadelphia Eagles @ Detroit Lions
Lineup locks: Jalen Hurts, D'Andre Swift, T.J. Hockenson
Jared Goff was a top-15 scoring fantasy quarterback during Weeks 1 and 2, but hasn't posted any top-20 efforts since then. He shouldn't be in fantasy lineups.
Miles Sanders is expected to miss this week due to an ankle injury. Boston Scott (seven carries, two targets) seemed to take his place in Week 7, with Kenneth Gainwell (five carries, eight targets) seeing a boost in usage as well. Jordan Howard figures to handle some carries (and perhaps primary goal-line work) against Detroit, leaving Gainwell as the only recommended fantasy starter. Consider him as an RB2 against the Lions' poor defense.
DeVonta Smith's production has been all over the map, but he has delivered four top-35 fantasy weeks and is handling a healthy 7.3 targets per game. He remains in the WR3 discussion. Kalif Raymond has been targeted six-plus times in four of his last five games and has hit double-digit fantasy points in all four contests. He's creeping toward flex status as Detroit's No. 1 wide receiver. None of the other wide receivers in this game are top-60 scorers for the season. They should not be in lineups.
In the Eagles' first game without Zach Ertz, Dallas Goedert played on 63 of 69 snaps and was targeted five times, which led to his third top-eight fantasy outing of the season. Goedert will be in the TE1 mix moving forward.
Over/Under: 44.3 (12th highest)
Win Prob: Eagles 57% (11th highest)
Tennessee Titans @ Indianapolis Colts
Lineup locks: Derrick Henry, Jonathan Taylor
Ryan Tannehill has managed only two weekly fantasy finishes better than 19th this season, but Tennessee has scored an unsustainable 62% of its touchdowns on the ground. As that regresses to the mean, Tannehill will flirt with QB1 status. He's a streaming option against the Colts this week. So is Carson Wentz, who hasn't shown much of a ceiling (his best finish is ninth), although he has put up 17-plus points in six out of seven games.
With Taylor stealing the show and Marlon Mack mixing in, Nyheim Hines hasn't had a top-45 fantasy outing since Week 3. He belongs on benches.
Following a very slow start to the season, A.J. Brown has been fourth in WR fantasy points over the last two weeks and has returned to lineup lock status. Michael Pittman Jr. looks the part, but he's been inconsistent, posting three top-15 fantasy weeks, but also five finishes outside the top 30. Targets are a concern, as he's totaled just seven of them over the last two weeks. T.Y. Hilton posted a 4-80-0 receiving line in his only game this season and will be on the flex radar if he's back from injury this week. Other than his 128-yard effort in Week 2, Julio Jones hasn't reached double-digit fantasy points in any game. He's a borderline flex right now.
Mo Alie-Cox now has four touchdowns in his last four games, although he's surpassed three targets only once this season. He remains no more than a boom/bust TE2.
Over/Under: 52.4 (3rd highest)
Win Prob: Titans 52% (15th highest)
Cincinnati Bengals @ New York Jets
Lineup locks: Joe Mixon, Ja'Marr Chase
Joe Burrow has produced three top-12 fantasy outings during his last four games and is up to QB9 for the season. He's a non-factor with his legs, but sits sixth in passing yards and fourth in touchdowns. That's enough to keep him in the streaming discussion against a Jets team that was shredded by Mac Jones and the Patriots last week. Speaking of those Jets, Mike White and newcomer Joe Flacco will hold down the QB fort while Zach Wilson is out. Neither should be close to lineups.
Michael Carter produced a career-high 16.4 fantasy points thanks, in part, to his seeing nine targets in Week 7. That's well above the three targets he had seen in each of his prior four games, but he has averaged 14.0 touches per game since Week 2. That's enough to keep him in the RB2/flex discussion.
Tee Higgins was targeted a career-high 15 times last week and, though he hasn't cleared 62 yards in any game this season, he remains a big part of the Bengals' passing attack. He can be viewed as a serviceable WR3. Tyler Boyd jumped back up to seven targets last week, but he's put up a grand total of 16.0 fantasy points in the three games since Higgins has returned from injury. Boyd shouldn't be in lineups. White hit Corey Davis for a touchdown last week, but it's tough to trust any of the Jets' wide receivers right now considering the QB situation. Davis is nonetheless your best flex option of the bunch.
C.J. Uzomah is doing his best "2020 Robert Tonyan" impression with five touchdowns on only 19 targets this season. Uzomah has surpassed three targets in only one game (Week 4) and is no more than a boom/bust TE2.
Eliminator Alert: The 5-2 Bengals are double-digit road favorites against the 1-5 Jets this week. Cincinnati checks in with an 89% win probability, which is second highest in the league this week behind only the Bills. This is the Bengals' highest projected win probability for the remainder of the season, so it's as good a time as any to burn them in your eliminator/survivor league. Check out our Eliminator Cheatsheet for the full weekly rundown.
Over/Under: 43.2 (14th highest)
Win Prob: Bengals 89% (2nd highest)
Los Angeles Rams @ Houston Texans
Lineup locks: Matthew Stafford, Darrell Henderson Jr., Cooper Kupp
Tyrod Taylor is expected back from injury this week and he could inject some life into the Houston offense. Consider that in roughly 1.5 games with Taylor, the Texans scored six offensive touchdowns. In roughly 5.5 games with Davis Mills, the Texans scored only five offensive touchdowns. Taylor will be a streaming play at times, but not this week against a good Rams defense.
David Johnson is Houston's top-scoring fantasy back and he's currently 45th overall, without a weekly finish better than 25th. That's not great, but the good news is that Mark Ingram II was traded, which opens the door for both Johnson and Phillip Lindsay to play a larger role. Johnson is now a more palatable flex, but Lindsay belongs on benches.
Brandin Cooks has four top-25 fantasy weeks to his name this season, but only one has come during his last four outings. He is averaging a career-high 9.1 targets per game and Taylor's return should help, so consider Cooks as a WR2. Van Jefferson saw a season-high seven targets and scored a touchdown last week, but he's been boom/bust with fewer than 8.5 fantasy points in four out of seven games. He belongs on benches.
Tyler Higbee's best weekly finish was TE8 back in Week 3. He's finished outside the top 15 in four of his last six games. He's only on the TE1 radar because Houston has allowed the fourth-most TE fantasy points and the most TE touchdowns this season.
DFS Alert: Kupp ($9,000) is the priciest wide receiver at DraftKings this week, but he's worth it. Kupp leads WR fantasy scoring by 40 points, which is roughly 5.2 fantasy points per game higher than the next-closest player. Kupp has already delivered four games with 30-plus fantasy points. He's been a zone beater, having produced 93 fantasy points against the zone. Consider that only 24 wide receivers have produced 93 fantasy points total. The Texans use the zone (primarily Cover 2) at the sixth-highest rate. Houston has faced the fifth-fewest WR targets this season, but ranks among the worst defenses against the position in terms of both yards per target (9.7) and catch rate allowed (69%).
Over/Under: 49.2 (6th highest)
Win Prob: Rams 88% (3rd highest)
New England Patriots @ Los Angeles Chargers
Lineup locks: Austin Ekeler, Mike Williams
Justin Herbert has been boom/bust this season with a pair of top-two fantasy weeks, but also finishes of 12th, 22nd, 22nd and 26th. He's too good to bench though, even against a Patriots defense not allowing much to the position. New England's Mac Jones was QB8 in fantasy points last week, but that was the first top-15 of his career. We'll need to see more before we can consider him a streaming option.
Damien Harris failed to clear 13 fantasy points during his first five games and seemed headed toward a reduced role. Instead, he's rebounded with 43 fantasy points over the last two weeks. Harris ran for over 100 yards and found the end zone in both games, but he continues to be limited as a receiver (14 yards, 3 targets during the span). Consider Harris as a back-end RB2 with limited upside. Brandon Bolden is the Patriots' current passing-down back, which allowed him a 6-79-1 receiving line last week. He's a non-factor as a rusher, though, and remains a shaky flex.
Keenan Allen has been a lineup lock for years, but he's trending the wrong way, having finished outside the top 30 in WR fantasy points in four of his last five games. His targets are still solid (9.5 per game), but touchdowns are lacking (only one in six games). Consider him as a WR2 this week. Jakobi Meyers is up to 126 career catches without a touchdown, but he's eighth at the position in receptions this season. He remains a viable WR3.
Jared Cook has found the end zone in two of his last three games and is a fringe TE1. The Chargers have allowed a TE touchdown in five out of six games this season, which helps support both Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith as potential deep-league options.
DFS Alert: The high-priced tight ends aren't super enticing at DraftKings this week, so we're looking to the bargain bin. Cook ($3,400) remains underpriced in daily fantasy, checking in at nearly half the cost of top-priced Kyle Pitts ($6,300). Cook's average of 5.5 targets per game is his highest since 2018 and he's seen seven-plus targets in three of his six games in the Chargers' high-scoring offense. The Patriots have allowed the second-fewest TE fantasy points, but check out the schedule. They've faced Miami, the Jets (twice), New Orleans, a Gronk-less Tampa Bay, Houston and Dallas. That's extremely light overall, and do note they most recently allowed a total of 36 points to the Texans' and Cowboys' tight ends.
Over/Under: 47.6 (7th highest)
Win Prob: Chargers 56% (13th highest)
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Seattle Seahawks
Lineup locks: James Robinson
Geno Smith has produced a total of 22 fantasy points in his two relief starts in place of Russell Wilson. He obviously shouldn't be in lineups. Trevor Lawrence reeled off a pair of top-15 fantasy outings prior to Jacksonville's Week 7 bye, but he hasn't finished any week better than 10th. He isn't quite on the streaming radar just yet.
Chris Carson remains out, so we can expect Alex Collins (16 carries, 22 snaps in Week 7) and Rashaad Penny (six carries, 20 snaps) to lead this backfield again this week. Neither is a super-enticing start, but Collins is the preferred flex.
DK Metcalf caught an 84-yard touchdown on Monday night, but otherwise had only 12 yards on four targets after posting a 6-58-0 receiving line in Smith's other start. Tyler Lockett, meanwhile, has 47 yards on 10 targets during Smith's two starts. Metcalf is best viewed as a WR2 and Lockett as a fringe WR3 against Jacksonville.
Dan Arnold (13 targets in two games with the Jaguars) is a better deep-league option than Gerald Everett (zero top-12 fantasy weeks). That said, neither are ideal TE1 plays.
Over/Under: 43.8 (13th highest)
Win Prob: Seahawks 64% (7th highest)
Washington @ Denver Broncos
Lineup locks: Terry McLaurin, Noah Fant
Teddy Bridgewater doesn't have any top-10 fantasy showings this season, but he's nonetheless a terrific streaming option with Washington's horrific pass defense on deck. Taylor Heinicke bounced back from a two-week slump with his fourth 20-plus point outing in Week 7. However, he is no more than a midrange QB2 against a good Denver defense.
After averaging 15.0 fantasy points during Weeks 1-5, Antonio Gibson has totaled just 12.0 points over the last two weeks. A non-factor as a receiver, Gibson has stumbled to mid-range RB2 territory. J.D. McKissic has outscored Gibson in four out of seven games this season and remains on the PPR flex radar. Javonte Williams posted his first weekly finish better than 25th against Cleveland (9th), but considering that he and Melvin Gordon III have just two top-20 outings this season combined, neither is more than a flex option. Gordon has out-snapped Williams in six consecutive games.
Jerry Jeudy is expected back from IR this week and figures to slide right back into the high-volume slot role that allowed him a 6-72-0 receiving line in Week 1. Courtland Sutton leads the NFL with 932 air yards and, while Jeudy's return could cost him a target or two, there's enough volume for both to provide WR2/3 production. Tim Patrick didn't manage a single top-20 fantasy week with Jeudy out, so he's no longer on the flex radar.
Ricky Seals-Jones has rattled off three consecutive top-10 fantasy weeks in place of Logan Thomas. He remains in the TE1 mix.
DFS Alert: Bridgewater ($5,400) draws Washington this week and is thus the top QB value play at DraftKings. He ranks 17th out of 24 starting quarterbacks on the slate. Bridgewater hasn't had a high fantasy ceiling, but he's delivered 18-plus points in four games and 12-plus points in all six of his full games. That floor isn't far from what we'd need to pay off this price. Bridgewater sits 12th in the NFL in passing touchdowns, fourth in completion rate, and he also has the fourth-highest average depth of target. In addition, he gets star WR Jeudy back this week. The Washington defense has allowed the most QB fantasy points and touchdowns (19) this season. The unit has surrendered 23-plus points to six consecutive passers, all of whom finished among the top 10 QBs in their respective weeks.
Over/Under: 44.6 (10th highest)
Win Prob: Broncos 70% (6th highest)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New Orleans Saints
Lineup locks: Tom Brady, Alvin Kamara
It's #RevengeGame week for Jameis Winston, but he's hard to trust in lineups after posting a pair of top-five fantasy weeks and four finishes outside the top 15.
Leonard Fournette is bordering on lineup-lock status after four consecutive top-15 fantasy outings. However, his value takes a hit this week against a Saints defense allowing a league-low 2.8 YPC to running backs. He's still a fine RB2. The Saints traded for Mark Ingram this week and he figures to take some of the pressure off Kamara on early downs, but that's unlikely to lead to consistent fantasy value. Ingram shouldn't be near lineups.
With Antonio Brown out through at least Tampa Bay's Week 9 bye, Chris Godwin (who posted a season-high 25.1 fantasy points with Brown out last week) is in the WR1 mix. Mike Evans found the end zone three times last week and has produced a trio of top-10 fantasy weeks this season. Unfortunately, he's had a rough go of it against Marshon Lattimore since 2017 and gets the downgrade. (You can read about that matchup and more in this week's Shadow Report.) Tyler Johnson was a dud in place of Brown in Week 7, but he has some post-hype deep-league appeal after running 28 of a possible 39 routes.
Michael Thomas is not expected back this week, so Marquez Callaway remains in the flex mix. New Orleans' interim No. 1 WR has been targeted 15 times during his last two games, which included a two-TD game back in Week 5.
Rob Gronkowski is expected back from injury this week and immediately rejoins the TE1 mix. Gronkowski scored two touchdowns in both Weeks 1 and 2 before putting up 55 yards on seven targets in Week 3.
Over/Under: 50.5 (5th highest)
Win Prob: Buccaneers 60% (9th highest)
Dallas Cowboys @ Minnesota Vikings
Lineup locks: Dalvin Cook, Ezekiel Elliott, Justin Jefferson
Quarterbacks have combined for just two touchdowns against Minnesota over the last four weeks, but Dak Prescott has reached 20 fantasy points in five of six games this season. He remains a solid QB1 play. Kirk Cousins has produced four top-12 fantasy outings and is a solid streaming option in what projects to be a high-scoring affair.
Assuming Jefferson draws the Trevon Diggs shadow, Adam Thielen (who has a pair of top-five fantasy outings already this season) gets a matchup boost against Anthony Brown. He is in the WR1 mix. K.J. Osborn has a pair of top-15 fantasy outings under his belt, but they bookend three finishes no better than WR69. He's a deep-league flex.
Minnesota has allowed the second-fewest WR fantasy points over expected, but CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper should be in lineups in nearly all formats. Lamb has produced four top-25 fantasy outings in six games and even led the position in points when we last saw him in Week 6. Cooper hasn't finished any week better than 25th since his huge Week 1, but 7.2 targets per game in a high-speed, high-scoring offense keeps him in the WR2 discussion. Michael Gallup could be back from injury this week, but is no more than a flex for now.
Dalton Schultz has strung together four top-eight fantasy weeks and is a solid TE1. Tyler Conklin has just one top-15 fantasy outing this season and is only a starter in deep leagues.
Over/Under: 53.1 (2nd highest)
Win Prob: Cowboys 60% (8th highest)
New York Giants @ Kansas City Chiefs
Lineup locks: Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce
You have to feel for Daniel Jones, who has willed himself to five top-15 fantasy outings this season despite tons of injuries around him. That includes a 14th-place showing last week without his top three wide receivers and Saquon Barkley. Jones could have some of those teammates back this week and he has an A-plus matchup against a Chiefs defense allowing the second-most QB fantasy points (while also ranking last in sacks). Jones is a good streaming option.
Barkley will return to the RB1 discussion if he's back from injury this week. If not, Devontae Booker has produced a pair of top-25 fantasy weeks in his place and would be a latter-half RB2. Darrel Williams had a rough go of it (along with the rest of the Chiefs offense) last week, but he's handled 26 of 29 carries and eight of 16 targets by Chiefs backs since Clyde Edwards-Helaire landed on IR. Williams' volume makes him a rebound candidate in a great matchup this week.
The Giants' WR situation is a major headache this week. In addition to the various injuries, this game is on Monday night, so we may not know who will play until all the other games are complete. Sterling Shepard and Kadarius Toney are must-starts if it appears they will play, but this is a situation to monitor as long as you can. By the way, if you're invested in Shepard, Toney or Kenny Golladay, Darius Slayton isn't a bad player to keep rostered as a fallback plan for Monday.
Evan Engram's 10.4 fantasy points in Week 7 were a season high. However, he'll only be a deep-league option if those three injured wideouts are sidelined again.
Over/Under: 52.3 (4th highest)
Win Prob: Chiefs 72% (5th highest)
Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals
Lineup lock: Kyler Murray
Aaron Rodgers checks in lower than usual in the rankings this week, as he'll be missing both Davante Adams and Allen Lazard and is set to face an Arizona defense allowing the fewest QB fantasy points over expected this season. The unit has allowed only one weekly finish better than 17th (Kirk Cousins). Still, Rodgers has 19-plus fantasy points in six straight games, so he's still a back-end QB1.
Should we be worried about Aaron Jones? Green Bay's lead back scored four of his six touchdowns in one game. Take that one out of the mix and his average weekly fantasy finish is outside the top 25. He ranks 10th in touches and yards, though, so continued RB1 production is likely. This week will be tough, however, against an Arizona defense allowing the sixth-fewest RB fantasy points -- including only one touchdown to the position. Jones is a fringe RB1, whereas running mate AJ Dillon should be on benches after last week's 8-yard effort.
Chase Edmonds out-carried James Conner last week for the first time this season and holds a 33-6 edge in targets. Expect some touchdowns to go Edmonds' way, as well, as he has zero scores with a 2.3 OTD, compared to six scores with a 4.3 OTD for Conner. Edmonds is an RB2 and Conner more of a flex.
DeAndre Hopkins' targets and yards are way down this season, but his touchdowns (7, after scoring just 6 in 2020) are bailing him out. He has a good matchup against rookie Eric Stokes this week and is a fringe WR1. Arizona's secondary receivers continue to cause headaches, as none are ranked higher than 48th at the position in targets, but all three continue to deliver splash plays and elite efficiency. Christian Kirk is the preferred flex, but they're all risky, especially against a Green Bay defense that has only allowed three receivers to clear 16 fantasy points this season.
The Packers' WR room certainly looks different with Adams and Lazard out. If he gets activated from IR, Marquez Valdes-Scantling is your best deep-league flex, with Randall Cobb also checking in as an option in PPR formats.
Robert Tonyan scored four touchdowns in the two games missed by Adams last season and is a good bet for a boost in usage this week. Arizona has allowed the fewest TE fantasy points this season, but their schedule has been alarmingly light. Tonyan is in the TE1 discussion, as is Zach Ertz. In his Cardinals debut last week, he ran routes on 19 of Arizona's 32 passing plays. He ended up turning one carry and five targets into 66 yards and a touchdown.
Over/Under: 54.2 (Highest in Week 8)
Win Prob: Cardinals 79% (4th-highest)