Sports
Fantasy Football Week 8: Matt Camp’s Fantasy Big Board
0 of 7Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesAs the running back injuries continue to pile up, no one should be surprised.We came into Week 7 knowing Alvin Kamara would sit out with an ankle injury. In his place, Latavius Murray racked up a 100-yard effort en route to another impressive victory by the New Orleans Saints. The Arizona Cardinals…
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- Minnesota Vikings (vs. Washington Redskins)
- Los Angeles Rams (vs. Cincinnati Bengals)
- Houston Texans (vs. Oakland Raiders)
- Green Bay Packers (at Kansas City Chiefs)
- Seattle Seahawks (at Atlanta Falcons)
Christian Petersen/Getty Images
As the running back injuries continue to pile up, no one should be surprised.
We came into Week 7 knowing Alvin Kamara would sit out with an ankle injury. In his place, Latavius Murray racked up a 100-yard effort en route to another impressive victory by the New Orleans Saints.
The Arizona Cardinals decided to keep David Johnson on the active roster against the New York Giants. He took one carry before landing on the bench, and Chase Edmonds took over the rest of the game. With 150 total yards and three touchdowns, Edmonds came through for those who took a shot on him, while those who stuck with Johnson lived a fantasy nightmare.
Kerryon Johnson exited Week 7 with a knee injury and then found himself on the injured reserve following a procedure. We won't see him back until Week 16 at the earliest, so Ty Johnson's value went from short-term replacement to potential lead back in the second half of the season.
Here's my first look at point-per-reception (PPR) rankings for Week 8. These will change throughout the week and up to Sunday's action as we get more information about injuries and limitations, so make sure to bookmark this page for my full rankings in all scoring formats.
Still can't figure out your fantasy football lineup for the week? Check out Your Fantasy Fire Drill with Matt Camp, and he'll solve your problems live. Submit your questions and tune in every Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET, only on the B/R app.
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I present my top 100 players (minus quarterbacks) for the week as a way to help determine your flex spots. You may favor a certain position or player over another based on his role or your scoring rules.
As an additional tiebreaker, here are the teams I like as a whole this week based on their matchups:
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Better than Usual
Jared Goff, LAR (vs. CIN)
Because Goff is QB18 for the season, you may still need convincing to toss him into your starting lineup for Week 8.
Week 7 provided some evidence to back up the idea, as he finished QB5 with 25 fantasy points. He got the Atlanta Falcons for 268 yards and two touchdowns on 22-of-37 passing, and he added a one-yard rushing touchdown.
Over the last month, Goff is QB10, so recent returns have been good. He'll have a chance to post another big outing against a vulnerable Cincinnati Bengals defense. In the last four weeks, the Bengals have yielded the third-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Goff should inspire confidence for this trip across the pond.
Josh Allen, BUF (vs. PHI)
Allen came off a Week 6 bye with fairly high expectations as the Buffalo Bills drew a favorable matchup with the winless Miami Dolphins. If you put your faith in him, he paid it off by tying for QB9 with 21.3 fantasy points. That was a better finish than Deshaun Watson (QB16), Russell Wilson (QB18), Tom Brady (QB19), Carson Wentz (QB23) and Kyler Murray (QB25).
If you're expecting Allen to put up big passing numbers, he may let you down. His season high is 254 yards back in Week 1, and he has seven touchdowns to seven interceptions on the year. However, part of his value is what he does on the ground. He has at least 21 rushing yards in every game this season and has rushed for at least 30 yards three times, including in Week 7.
The Philadelphia Eagles have a below-average defense, specifically on the back end. Only the Houston Texans have allowed more passing yards through seven weeks. Play Allen with raised expectations Sunday afternoon.
Concern
Carson Wentz, PHI (at BUF)
Wentz didn't get much help around him in an ugly Week 7 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, but those who used him likely have no interest in excuses. He couldn't even muster a top-20 performance, scoring just 7.8 fantasy points. But even with the bad week, the Eagles signal-caller remains inside the top 10 fantasy quarterbacks for 2019.
Another bumpy road lies ahead of Wentz as the Eagles face a stingy Bills defense. In the last month, only the San Francisco 49ers have presented a tougher matchup for fantasy quarterbacks.
Wentz is certainly talented enough to overcome the matchup. But if you have to start him, you likely won't be getting a top-10 performance.
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Paul Sancya/Associated Press
Better Than Usual
Sony Michel, NE (vs. CLE)
Touchdowns can heal all wounds. Michel had one of his busiest games of the season against the New York Jets in Week 7 but managed only 42 yards on 19 carries. However, he found the end zone three times, which helped him get to 22.4 fantasy points and the RB6 spot for the week.
Michel comes into Week 8 averaging 12 fantasy points per game, which is around the back end of the RB2 conversation. Luckily, his opportunities have been meaningful on the league's best team. Michel is second in red-zone carries and first in both carries inside the 10 (19) and carries inside the 5 (10), which has led to six rushing touchdowns.
The Cleveland Browns will head to New England on Sunday with the third-worst defense against fantasy running backs over the last four weeks. Volume has been the name of the game for Michel, so you can expect more of it and more scoring chances when he takes on the Browns.
Ty Johnson, DET (vs. NYG)
Opportunity is knocking for Ty Johnson. Unfortunately, it comes at the expense of Kerryon Johnson, who will be out until at least Week 16 following a knee procedure that landed him on injured reserve.
When Kerryon exited during the first quarter in Week 7, Ty ended up playing a season-high 64.5 percent of the snaps with 10 carries for 29 yards and four receptions for 28 yards on four targets. J.D. McKissic turned three targets into two receptions for 31 yards and five carries for 29 yards on 25 percent of the snaps. McKissic played at least 23.6 percent of the snaps in each of the last three games.
While both players still hold value, Ty will likely lead the way and should get a good chance to produce this week. The New York Giants have been the sixth-easiest matchup for running backs in the last four weeks. Johnson is immediately in the RB2 conversation.
Concerns
Frank Gore and Devin Singletary, BUF (vs. PHI)
The problem with backfield talent is if a team has too much, the fantasy production gets splintered. We saw that last week with the Bills in what should have been a productive outing against the Miami Dolphins. However, Gore had 11 carries for 55 yards and a reception for 11 yards on 53.6 percent of the snaps, while Singletary ran for 26 yards on seven carries with 39.3 percent of the snaps.
Gore still holds the lead in this backfield, and to be fair, he should stay in front. He's running well, and the team is winning (5-1). That might not sound great if you drafted Singletary with the expectation he'd lead the charge, but that's reality.
It's hard enough to put much faith in either player, but it's tougher with a good defense on deck in the Philadelphia Eagles. They've been a top-seven unit against running backs in the last month. Gore is a flex at best, while Singletary should probably be avoided if possible.
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Ron Schwane/Associated Press
Better Than Usual
John Brown, BUF (vs. PHI)
Brown's strong season continued after Buffalo's Week 6 bye. In Week 7, Brown got the Dolphins for five receptions, 83 yards and a touchdown, which was good for 19.3 fantasy points. He remains a strong WR2 at 15.5 fantasy points per game. The confidence in him could be even higher with a beatable Week 8 matchup.
Any Super Bowl aspirations the Philadelphia Eagles had were hurt by what may be the league's worst secondary. In the last month, the Eagles have been the third-easiest matchup for wide receivers, and for the season, no team has given up more fantasy points to the position. This is an ideal week for Brown to jump into WR1 territory.
DK Metcalf, SEA (at ATL)
There have been expected growing pains for Metcalf as a rookie, but there have also been plenty of opportunities. In the first game without Will Dissly (torn ACL), Metcalf saw a season-high nine targets, yet he managed just four receptions for 53 yards. Drops have been an issue for him, as he has a 50 percent catch rate, although his 40 targets are second on the team to Tyler Lockett's 48.
More chances will come for Metcalf with a great matchup against the terrible Atlanta Falcons defense on Sunday. No team has allowed more receptions or yards to wide receivers in the last four weeks. Even if Lockett is the clear top option, there should be more than enough to go around for Metcalf to have his best game.
Concerns
DJ Moore and Curtis Samuel, CAR (at SF)
The Carolina Panthers will stick with Kyle Allen for another week, for better or for worse. Regardless of who the Panthers went with at quarterback, this passing game was in trouble, with stiff competition coming in the form of the San Francisco 49ers defense.
Moore and Samuel will need to overcome a unit that has been the league's best in defending fantasy wide receivers over the last four weeks and second-best over the entire season. Both Moore and Samuel have been in the WR3 tier this season, although they should be on the lower end of that conversation for Week 8.
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Better Than Usual
Kyle Rudolph, MIN (vs. WAS)
Admittedly, I put Rudolph in my rearview mirror weeks ago. But at a position with a lack of reliable options, he may have come back on the radar.
With Adam Thielen sidelined for much of Week 7 due to a hamstring injury, Rudolph had his best game of the season with highs in every receiving category. He turned six targets into five receptions for 58 yards and his first touchdown of the year.
Rudolph was TE3 in Week 7 thanks to those efforts and could be right back in the mix Thursday night. Thielen's status remains in question on a short week, and Kirk Cousins could lean on Rudolph if the wide receiver is inactive or limited by his injury.
The Redskins are an average matchup for tight ends, so that's only helping his cause for Week 8. He's worth a look if you're struggling to fill that spot in your lineup.
Concerns and Pivots
Jared Cook, NO (vs. ARI)
Cook was unable to suit up for Week 7 due to an ankle injury that kept him out of practice all week. His status is one to watch because of the great matchup with the Arizona Cardinals. In addition to being the third-easiest opponent for tight ends over the last four weeks, they remain the easiest on the season.
If Cook can play, he's worth using. If he's out again, Josh Hill could be a deep sleeper.
Delanie Walker, TEN (vs. TB)
Walker's ankle issue was too bothersome for him to play through it against the Los Angeles Chargers, so the veteran wound up sidelined before the end of the first half. But much like Cook, he must be considered if he can play because the matchup is so good for Week 8.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the fifth-easiest matchup for tight ends in the last month and the second-easiest for the year. Consider trying Jonnu Smith if Walker is unable to play.
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Kyusung Gong/Associated Press
Best Streaming Option
Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. Miami Dolphins)
The Steelers offense isn't living up to expectations, but at least they can rely on their defense. That means you can rely on them in Week 8 with a great chance at a big week against the visiting Miami Dolphins. In the last month, the Dolphins allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to defenses with 11 sacks, four interceptions, a fumble recovery, one touchdown and just 47 points scored. Ryan Fitzpatrick makes Miami's offense slightly better, but this is still an ideal matchup to exploit.
Ownership percentage: ESPN, 34.4; Yahoo, 51.0
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Best Streaming Option
Chris Boswell, PIT (vs. MIA)
Due to the struggles of the Steelers offense, Boswell isn't having a big season, but no one can doubt his accuracy. He hasn't missed any of his 11 field-goal attempts or 12 extra-point attempts. His average of 8.2 fantasy points per game is just outside the top 12, so he's been a fringe starting option.
Look for Boswell to get more chances against a Dolphins team that yielded the fourth-most points to kickers in the last four weeks. With Pittsburgh possessing a solid defense and a below-average offense, the best chance for points may come from Boswell. That makes him a plug-and-play option in Week 8.
Ownership percentages: ESPN, 9.2; Yahoo, 6.0
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