Week 8 was unbelievable. It can be referred to as “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.” We’ll start with the ugly. The infallible beast Derrick Henry may be out for the rest of 2021. Jameis Winston is done for sure with a torn ACL. Perhaps potential ROS WR1 Calvin Ridley is finished with the NFL indefinitely due to personal battles. I cannnot distinguish what the difference is between the good or the bad, though. It is an inverted world that may be Kyrie Irving flat. All I know is Cooper Rush, Davis Mills and Geno Smith killed it last week. They were all QB1s. It gets better or worse but indeed more bizarre. Mike White was the overall QB1. No one saw that coming. Jamal Agnew was a top-12 wide receiver. Michael Carter was the RB1 by a mile, and his teammate Ty Johnson was the RB9. And they play for the Jets – one of the worst running attacks in the NFL up to this point. The Philadelphia Eagles scored the most points in Week 8, but Jalen Hurts recorded his worst fantasy outing of the year. Tom Brady essentially lost to Trevor Siemian. Yep, it was one of those kinds of fantasy weeks we have seen far too often this season. Unusual is the New Norm.
On the positive side, my QB streamer of the week was Carson Wentz, who was the overall QB9 and even better, my TE streamer of the week, Pat Freiermuth, or as the Steeler fans like. To scream Meuuuuth!!! was TE3 (excluding Monday Night’s results). So at least some things worked out.
But honestly. Don’t mind me. I’m still trying to process all that has happened right now. There’s a lot of unpacking.
Win $1 Million playing FanDuel’s NFL Sunday Million 
Quarterback Streamer of the Week: Tua Tagovailoa (QB – MIA) vs. Houston Texans
Tua Tagovailoa had a tough matchup last week but is rewarded with the Texans. Miami is not a terrible team despite their record. Houston is not the worst defense in the league but is in the top-12 worst defending quarterbacks. I see Miami bouncing back from their loss and winning their second game of the season easily. Despite the news of him being their future, Tua still needs to play as if his job is still to lose. I believe in talent. He got back DeVante Parker last week, which helps. Jaylen Waddle has been solid in his rookie campaign and will continue to improve. Mike Gesicki is always poised for a big day. Despite the disappointing 7:5 TD: INT ratio, Tua is playing with more tenacity and looks like less of a game manager. If the Dolphins can start running the ball more consistently and often, it will only benefit the Hawaiian we find endearing. Hopefully, Davis Mills continues to play well and doesn’t implode. If he does, Tua will get by with minimal use and put up only pedestrian numbers. If Mills can make a game of it for 2-3 quarters, then Tagovailoa will easily give you what you need to win your week.
Alternative Streamer of the Week: Taysom Hill (QB – NO) vs. Atlanta Falcons
It looks like New Orleans will pivot to their dual-threat quarterback for the rest of the season. Fill in Trevor Siemian did just enough to beat a shook Tom Brady and get the Saints the win. However, Siemian is not a very good quarterback and lacks the legs of Taysom Hill. Hill was said to be recovering from a concussion he faced a few weeks back. He should be good to go, and now it is his time to earn the money he is making. As good as New Orleans’ record indicates and as good as Jameis Winston was as not being Jameis Winston, Hill may be what the Saints need right now. It may not be what Alvin Kamara managers need or what hopeful Michael Thomas managers want, but Hill brings in a whole new dynamic. Despite being over 30 years old, Hill still looks spry and has a lot to prove, especially as a passer. Treat him like a seasoned Jalen Hurts. He may not be the answer down in Louisiana, but he has to be and brings some fantasy football gold for now. Last week, the Atlanta Falcons contained Sam Darnold, but we all know their defense is suspect at best. I see Hill transforming the Saints into an offense that may be better, and if not better, at least different. And the biggest beneficiary is Taysom Hill.
Dark Horse: Baker Mayfield (QB – CLE) @ Cincinnati Bengals
There are some decent quarterback options on bye. Baker Mayfield’s rostership is well below 50% in Yahoo Leagues. Mayfield has not been lighting it up as much as we hoped, but he plays a team that let Mike White and the New York Jets have their way. It is a division rival game. Both teams are poised to make the playoffs. It may be the most unusual division in football that all four teams make the playoffs, all of which have potential. Well, maybe Pittsburgh is just lucky… Speaking of which, Cleveland had a heart-breaking and ugly loss last week against the Steelers. The Bengals are also stinging after being upset. Both teams are seeking revenge and want and need a win desperately. I feel this one will be a high-scoring game with both quarterbacks playing out of their skin. Mayfield needs to prove this more than Joe Burrow.
If Mayfield can get Jarvis Landry, Odell Beckham Jr., and one of his talented tight ends hot, Cleveland has a real good chance of winning. For them to do this, they will need to put up points. And with that comes fantasy points. Cincinnati’s offense is not led by Big Ben, who looks like an aging game-manager at best. Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd may be the best wide receiving tandem in the league. On the other side of the ball, the Bengals’ defense is looking less dominant at the moment. Mayfield is now or never Part (insert any number over 10) to prove that he can perform with the big boys and be more than the fun guy we see in the Progressive Insurance commercials. If he continues to be prosaic, he may end up selling what he advocates sooner rather than later. I still have hope for him. That’s why I am totally on board with endorsing him this week.
Tight End Streamer of the Week: Pat Freiermuth (TE – PIT) vs. Chicago Bears
Having Pat Friermuth as my top tight end streamer last week was a big win for me and hopefully for those of you that listened. Pro Football Network had C.J. Uzomah, Jared Cook, and Mo Alie-Cox ahead of him. USA Today had Uzomah, Alie-Cox, and Gerald Everett. PFF had Jonnu Smith as their top Week 8 streamer. CBS had Cook and Robert Tonyan as their top two. No one else that I could find on the Wide Wide Wide Interwebs had Freiermuth as their top recommendation. I love his talent and his fit in Pittsburgh long-term. More importantly, I love his fit in Pittsburgh for the remainder of this season and believe he is the tight end to pick up now (in case you didn’t last week) to hold on to the ROS. Big Ben has one of the worst yards per attempt.
JuJu Smith-Schuster is out. Eric Ebron has not panned out. It’s all about getting the ball out quickly for short to medium throws. Diontae Johnson, Najee Harris, and Pat Freiermuth will be the top beneficiaries every week. It is your chance to get in on the action. I’ll be bold as bold can be. Meuuuuth!!! is going to help managers win championships this season. There I said it. You have the chance to pick up Freiermuth off the waivers this week for a minimal cost. While others are breaking their FAAB on AP or Jeremy McNichols, you can spend a shilling and get a tight end – yes, a tight end that will help you dominant for the rest of 2021. The Chicago Bears are tough against tight ends because their linebackers are good, so don’t expect a monster week this week. Get him for long-term short-term in Redraft. And for heaven’s sake, look to acquire him in dynasty now before the price skyrockets.
Alternative Streamer of the Week: Tyler Conklin (TE – MIN) @ Baltimore Ravens
This is maybe the best choice for Week 8, but Tyler Conklin is still a risk. After Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen, it is either Tyler Conklin or wide receiver K.J. Osborn who becomes fantasy relevant. Last week it was Conklin. The only reason why I am high on him this week is he plays the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens defense has been middle of the road overall, which is to say they have been either dominant and unstoppable or horrific. One thing is for sure. They have been the worst against tight ends this entire NFL this season. This is enough to sway me into thinking Conklin will have two fantastic weeks in a row.
Dark Horse: Dan Arnold (TE – JAX) vs. Buffalo Bills
He is loved in Jacksonville and, like Pat Freiermuth, is a tight end to pick up this week with the hope that he will be all that you need for the rest of the season. The reason why he’s my dark horse is the matchup. The Bills are outstanding at defending tight ends. I also don’t think Arnold will be consistent from week to week in a Jacksonville offense that still does not know what it is ultimately doing with a rookie (albeit talented) under center. Hopefully, you have a better option on your roster for this week, but if you have room, I highly recommend you pick up Arnold if you can’t get Freiermuth. I feel confident that Freiermuth will be a pivotal pillar if the Steelers want to make the playoffs. With Arnold, I am less. But he will have spike weeks like in Week 8 when he had an impressive ten targets. But it is just hard to trust him because it is impossible to trust his HC Urban Legend.
Import your team to My Playbook for instant Lineup & Trade advice
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio
If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup, based on accurate consensus projections – to our Waiver Wire Assistant – that allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team, and by how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.
Marc Mathyk is a featured writer at FantasyPros and co-founder of Veridian Global, a fantasy football apparel company. For more from Marc, check out his archive and follow him @Masterjune70.
