It feels great to be back at the keyboard after spending late last week in the hospital with pneumonia and a nasty upper respiratory infection. Talk about getting knocked onto my keister! My recovery took a bit longer than that of San Francisco 49ers wideout Deebo Samuel, who was apparently dealing with similar symptoms. He catches passes; I catch viruses. Almost the same thing, right?
To everyone who sent well wishes while I was ‘shelved,’ thank you! My wife made sure I stayed sane and plugged into the latest league news so I was able to (thankfully) catch all of this weekend’s action.
Week 8 brought an uptick in scoring around the league, much to the delight of fantasy managers who could finally field full rosters without bye-week complications. So, which players stood out? Here are a few who caught my eye, for better or worse.
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Fantasy Football Studs & Duds: Week 8
Quarterback
STUD: Jalen Hurts (QB – PHI)
Scott Fish Bowl managers take a deep breath: your top pick has finally delivered. After a rather quiet start to the fantasy season-where Jalen Hurts hovered as a low-end QB1, partly due to A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith both missing time-Hurts has started to show signs of life.
On Sunday, Hurts’ overall volume remained modest with just 20 pass attempts, but he efficiently exploited a weak Bengals secondary, completing 80% of his passes for 236 yards and a touchdown. He added three rushing touchdowns on ten attempts for 37 yards, with the ‘tush push’ in full effect as head coach Nick Sirianni confidently dialled it up from the sidelines.
Philadelphia appears committed to a balanced offensive approach in 2024, with Saquon Barkley providing a spark out of the backfield. Hurts hasn’t attempted more than 30 passes since Week 4 against Tampa Bay, and it seems the team is content sticking to this game plan. While they have the weaponry to play catch-up if necessary, it’s unlikely Hurts will see the same volume as in recent seasons; he’s currently averaging just over 19 passes per game, compared to nearly 32 in 2023. For Hurts to maintain fantasy value, he’ll need to be highly efficient within this new, balanced approach.
Since Burrow’s massive Week 5 performance against Baltimore (392 passing yards and five touchdowns), he has consecutively finished as the QB13, QB16, and QB23-not the numbers his managers had hoped for.
Playing from behind after halftime, Burrow adopted a pass-heavy approach that typically would boost his stats. However, Philadelphia’s secondary effectively clamped down on deep passes, limiting Burrow to just 6.3 yards per attempt on 37 throws. Without Tee Higgins (quad injury), the Eagles focused coverage on Ja’Marr Chase, forcing Burrow to rely on his tight ends. The outcome was a hollow 234 passing yards with only one touchdown.
After the game, Burrow acknowledged that Cincinnati needs to play better to secure a 10-win season and a playoff spot. That finger should point squarely at the Bengals’ defense and ineffective run game, as both have left Burrow in less-than-ideal situations all season.
Running Back
STUD: James Cook (RB – BUF)
On a rainy day in Seattle, Buffalo wisely leaned on their ground game, placing much of the offensive load on James Cook. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady called Cook’s number early and often, resulting in 17 rush attempts for 111 yards and two touchdowns. Cook led Buffalo’s rushing attack, out-touching rookie Ray Davis 17-6 and consistently breaking tackles.
Notably, both of Cook’s touchdowns came at the goal line-a departure from the usual strategy of letting Josh Allen or Davis handle short-yardage carries. Cook scored from seven and two yards out, showing Buffalo’s increasing confidence in him near the end zone. Early this season, Cook led the committee approach over Davis, averaging over 4.6 YPC on 99 attempts. With both backs’ complementary skill sets, Buffalo has managed to keep each fresh and effective.
Looking ahead, Buffalo faces Miami and Indianapolis, two teams with suspect run defenses. Expect Cook’s upward trajectory to continue.
Gang Green is in full panic mode after another faceplant, dropping a winnable game against New England to fall to a dismal 2-6 record. Before this contest, Hall had back-to-back strong outings, finishing as the RB8 in consecutive weeks against Pittsburgh and Buffalo, and was our consensus RB1 start this week per ECR. Unfortunately, limited time of possession and an unexpectedly high number of touches for rookie Braelon Allen capped what could have been a much better day for Hall.
Hall managed 80 rushing yards on 16 carries, compared to Allen’s 32 yards on 12 attempts. Why the team insists on this kind of workload split is baffling. Focusing on the ground game is wise, as it leverages the Jets’ offensive line strengths and sets up play-action opportunities for Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams. But why not feature the more proven and talented option in the backfield? Unless Hall is dealing with an undisclosed injury, this decision is puzzling.
The Jets need to get it together quickly-this season is shaping up to be one of the most disappointing in recent memory.
Wide Receiver
STUD: CeeDee Lamb (WR – DAL)
He’s alive!
Sunday’s broadcast highlighted how, after last year’s bye week, the ‘lights went on’ between Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, with Prescott targeting him heavily on his way to a WR1 finish. Can we hope for the same in 2024? Fingers crossed.
Lamb posted his best totals of the season, catching 13 passes on 17 targets for 146 yards and two touchdowns, most of which came in ‘catch-up’ time in the second half.
With Rico Dowdle sidelined Dallas was left to rely on the remnants of Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook in the run game-a duo that combined for just 46 yards on 16 carries. Recognizing this, Dallas wisely pivoted to a pass-heavy approach with a simple mantra: ‘Throw it to Lamb, covered or not.’ It’s funny how effective that mindset is, right?
A battered, point-leaking defense will likely keep Dallas in this scenario weekly, and Lamb’s upcoming schedule is filled with matchups against mediocre secondaries.
He’s back.
In a game where Kirk Cousins completed 23 of 29 passes for 276 yards and four touchdowns against a struggling Tampa Bay secondary, one might have expected a much bigger day for Drake London.
However, London finished with just four receptions for 34 yards on six targets, playing third fiddle to Darnell Mooney and Kyle Pitts-both of whom topped 90 receiving yards and combined for three touchdowns.
My concern level with London remains low; prior to this game, he had scored five touchdowns in his last six outings and established a reliable floor of around six receptions and 60 yards. Atlanta has two favourable matchups on the horizon against Dallas and New Orleans-both secondaries have tackling issues and allow points to WR1s. Look for a short-term rebound for London before Atlanta faces Denver in Week 11 and heads into their bye.
Tight End
STUD: Cade Otton (TE – TB)
DID YOU KNOW THAT THIS IS NATIONAL TIGHT END WEEK? DID YOU? ARE YOU SURE? Oy vey.
At least Otton got the memo.
With Mike Evans (hamstring) and Chris Godwin (ankle) sidelined, Otton became one of the few trusted targets for quarterback Baker Mayfield. He responded with the best game of his career, catching 9 of 10 targets for 81 yards and two touchdowns. This is the second consecutive week Otton has finished within the top five at the position, and that trend doesn’t look to be changing anytime soon.
Double-digit targets are rare at tight end, and with Tampa Bay fighting to stay in contention in the NFC South, Otton should remain a focal point of the offense. In shallower leagues where he’s somehow still available, he’s the top waiver-wire grab this week.
DUD: Cole Kmet (TE – CHI)
Kmet was one of the few tight ends projected for a modest point total this week who failed to deliver, as his inconsistency in 2024 continues, largely due to sporadic usage from rookie Caleb Williams.
Chicago’s passing attack was mostly contained until late in the fourth quarter against a stout Washington Commanders secondary. Tasked more with chip-blocking than running routes, Kmet saw just one target in yet another forgettable performance. He has the talent to be a reliable short-yardage outlet for Williams, but Chicago has done a poor job of utilizing him effectively.
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