None of the 32 NFL teams were on bye in Week 8. From a fantasy football perspective, this meant managers benefitted from full-strength lineups and easier fantasy start sit decisions. The result was a high-scoring day of exhilarating football. Superstars such as Jalen Hurts, De’Von Achane and Jahmyr Gibbs delivered on the promise that made them highly-selected assets in draft season.
Amid this fantasy football frenzy, there were nevertheless players that left much to be desired. This unforeseen lack of production can be caused by a multitude of factors. It may very well be an anomaly performance caused by poor game script and a stout defensive matchup. On the other hand, the player may be losing volume due to offensive scheme changes or depth chart fluctuations. These cases tend to be much more concerning as these struggles are more likely to persist long-term.
- Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Advice
- Weekly Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- Fantasy Football Start/Sit Advice
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
The following list highlights players who will likely see a change in perceived value following this week’s proceedings. For each riser and faller, I’ll outline the underlying causes of this recent shift in production as well as the player’s rest-of-season outlook.
NFL Players Trending Up & Down
Fantasy Football Risers
With Mike Evans and Chris Godwin both suffering long-term injuries in Week 7, it was anyone’s guess as to who would fill the massive pass-catching void in Tampa Bay’s offense. Most of the speculation was centered around the likes of Jalen McMillan, Sterling Shepard and Trey Palmer. However, Cade Otton emerged as Mayfield’s favorite target in Tampa Bay’s Week 8 loss against the Falcons. Otton led the team in targets, receptions and receiving yards.
In retrospect, the fantasy community should have perhaps expected Otton to earn primary pass-catching duties in the absence of Evans and Godwin. While the elite wide receiver tandem was healthy, Otton still played a featured role in this offense. The latter averaged 7.4 targets per game in the five games before Sunday’s contest. In the dire tight end landscape, this level of volume is a coveted asset.
Throughout his three-year NFL career, Otton has proven to be a sure-handed playmaker at the tight end position. His career average of 5.0 yards after catch per reception, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF), sheds some light on the young player’s ability. With Baker Mayfield enjoying some of the best football of his career, we can expect Otton to be given plenty of opportunities to succeed.
Otton’s Week 8 performance is a sign of things to come. This is an ascending talent who’s now been thrust into an elite level of volume in one of the league’s hottest offenses. Otton is a top-seven tight end option in the coming weeks.
Cedric Tillman had a quiet start to his career after being drafted by the Browns in 2023. The Tennessee alum struggled to make an impact as a rookie with Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore and David Njoku dominating the majority of targets in Cleveland.
However, the departure of Cooper has opened up a significant number of opportunities in the offense. Through two weeks, it’s become abundantly clear Tillman has emerged as the team’s new No. 1 WR. The sophomore has already accumulated 21 targets, 15 receptions and 180 receiving yards in the post-Cooper era.
Another important factor to consider is the appointment of Jameis Winston as the Browns’ starting quarterback. Simply put, this offense was horrific with Deshaun Watson under center. It consistently struggled to sustain drives and support reliable fantasy production from any of its surrounding pieces.
This doesn’t seem to be the case with Winston at the helm, as the team finally surpassed 20 points for the first time in Week 8. Despite any reservations people may have about Winston’s inconsistencies and turnover issues, he’s been a perennial source of fantasy football production. His risk-taking gunslinger approach will do wonders for Tillman and his growth as a solid NFL wide receiver.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!?? CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER TILLMAN!!!! pic.twitter.com/Cz4T4WNvoe
— Joshua Cho (@jbchoknows) October 27, 2024
A true sophomore breakout may be in the cards for Tillman. He should be ranked on the WR2/WR3 border in the coming weeks.
Fantasy Football Fallers
After a scintillating start to the 2024 season, Jayden Reed has cooled off over the past couple of weeks. He’s now failed to eclipse 60 receiving yards in three consecutive contests. What’s perhaps most concerning about Reed’s recent struggles is his decrease in volume.
What originally made Reed such an enticing fantasy asset was his ability to accumulate production through both the ground game and the receiving game. However, he hasn’t been given many looks as of late. He’s averaged an unimpressive 4.33 touches in the past three games.
To make matters worse, star quarterback Jordan Love suffered what appears to be a significant groin injury in the Packers’ Week 8 victory against the Jaguars. This will inevitably have a trickle-down effect on the surrounding pieces of this offense, who are all likely to see a decrease in production with backup Malik Willis under center. While Love was sidelined during Weeks 2-3, Reed averaged an uninspiring 7.3 half-PPR fantasy points.
It is nevertheless worth mentioning that Reed is a bona fide playmaker for this Packers offense. Per PFF, the sophomore receiver ranks third in yards after catch per reception and 10th in yards per route run among wide receivers with at least 20 targets. On the other hand, Matt LaFleur remains one of the sharpest offensive minds in the NFL. He’ll continue to make the most of Reed’s talent through effective play-calling and usage.
Reed’s undeniable talent and fruitful offensive ecosystem will provide him with a weekly baseline of fantasy football production. That said, the past weeks have shown that his upside is limited. There are plenty of mouths to feed in this offense that is now being led by a backup quarterback in Willis. Reed remains a risky WR2 option for the foreseeable future.
Michael Pittman Jr. (WR – IND)
Thus far, Michael Pittman Jr. has had a disastrous 2024 season. He’s currently the WR42 in half-PPR formats despite being a consensus fourth/fifth-round selection in drafts. He simply hasn’t been able to produce consistently with Anthony Richardson under center. With the quarterback showing very few signs of improvement, it’s looking highly unlikely Pittman will provide a reasonable return on investment in 2024.
Richardson certainly offers an intriguing combination of athleticism and raw arm talent. That said, he hasn’t addressed the accuracy issues that plagued him throughout his rookie season. He currently has an abysmal completion percentage of 44.4%.
Among QBs with at least 100 dropbacks, Richardson ranks 35th in passing grade, 37th in adjusted completion percentage and 37th in NFL passer rating, per PFF. Given how admirably Joe Flacco performed in the games Richardson missed due to injury, it’s clear that the sophomore signal-caller is holding back this passing attack.
At any rate, some of the onus has to fall on Pittman’s shoulders. The veteran wideout hasn’t made the most of the opportunity being presented to him. The likes of Alec Pierce and Josh Downs, while also enduring their fair share of inconsistencies, have managed to produce explosive plays and provide occasional fantasy-viable performances. The same cannot be said about Pittman.
The target volume that has made Pittman an invaluable fantasy asset in years past has not translated in 2024. It appears as though Downs, who’s earned 0.9 more targets per game, has usurped Pittman as the No. 1 WR in the Colts’ offense. Downs has also been the far more effective pass-catcher. According to PFF, he’s outperformed Pittman in terms of receiving grade, yards after the catch per reception and yards per route run.
Pittman finds himself in an inadequate passing attack where he no longer earns the lion’s share of targets. As long as Richardson is starting, the veteran wide receiver simply cannot be relied upon in any format when making fantasy football start decisions.
Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | TuneIn
