Sunday Recap: Week 8

Bucs @ Falcons

The Falcons hurt themselves this weekend, with almost 500 yards of offense, yet just 20 points. Julio Jones had a monster day, posting a 12-162-1 line. He was one of the higher scoring wideouts this week, and if you paid up, you were rewarded. However, we would think there would be enough offense to go around to support both Freeman and Jones touchdowns, but it seems to be one of the other at the moment. Freeman still had a successful day, with 120 total yards, but lacked that touchdown. Jacob Tamme was the other star in this Falcons' offense this week, posting a 10-103-1 line. Tamme has these random weeks, and is the third option in the passing game. The Falcons have the weapons to post monster scores, but it just has not been happening of late.

It was an ugly day for the Bucs' in terms of fantasy points. Doug Martin had 71 yards on the ground, and just one catch in the passing game. Jameis Winston managed the game, and did not have a turnover. He linked with Cameron Brate, once again not relevant. Winston also ran for a touchdown. We thought Mike Evans was back, but he was held to three catches for 48 yards. He did see nine targets, which led the team, but left fantasy owners disappointed. Evans continues to be a boom-or-bust option, while Martin is a much stabler option at his value price.

Cardinals @ Browns

It was a slow start for the Cardinals, but they managed 24 second half points, and held the Browns scoreless in the second half. Carson Palmer had a big day, with 374 yards, and four scores. He found Michael Floyd, who we all love so much, for a 4-106-1 line. He saw eight targets, and this was a game where John Brown was active, but did not play. Larry Fitzgerald also had a bounce back week with a 9-84-1 line, and led the team in targets. Chris Johnson rushed 30 times for 109 yards, and if you are still uncertain of who the lead back is for Arizona, it is Johnson. The defense was probably the biggest disappointment for them this week, allowing 20 points, with not many positive stats.

Brian Hartline caught two touchdown passes this week, and this really sums up the odd week we had. He saw ten targets, which was a bit surprising. Gary Barnidge found the end zone yet again, and just continues to treat whoever rolls with him. He led the team in targets, and really is Josh McCown's go to guy. For a team that needed to catch up in the second half, two targets for Duke Johnson Jr. out of the backfield is disappointing, especially after he ripped off a big 52 yard gain.

49ers @ Rams

If you had any hopes of the 49ers offense doing anything, that surely went down the drain when Carlos Hyde and Anquan Boldin were ruled inactive. This made the Rams an even more popular play this week, and the 49ers offense looked inefficient yet again. Save yourself some time each week, and cross the 49ers off your research list.

The Todd Gurley show continued, with 133 yards of offense, and he found the end zone. He was untouched on his 71 TD scamper, and even got some rest towards the end of the game. The random Tavon Austin game happened this week, as he led the team in receiving, with a 4-98-1 line. He also rushed for 21 yards, and scored his second touchdown on the ground. Gurley should be in your lineups for the rest of the season, as he continues to dominate the league.

Giants @ Saints

Where do I even start? Realistically, this is the only game you could of used this week. 101 combined points, and it was a aerial showing. We will start with the winning team, and Drew Brees thrashing this Giants' secondary. This also adds to the home-away splits theory with Brees, which looks to be more extreme than we thought. He completed 40-50, for 511 yards, and seven touchdowns. We were all in agreement Brees would have a nice game, but seven touchdowns? Pairing up wide receivers with Brees is tough, but today it did not matter who you chose. Benjamin Watson led the team in yards, with a 9-147-1 line. Marques Colston decided to get in on the action, with an 8-114-1 line. Brandon Cooks and Willie Snead both had two touchdowns as well. New Orleans took stacking to a new level this week.

Eli Manning kept pace with Brees, and the Saints, by launching six touchdown passes of his own. Three of them went to Odell Beckham Jr. He finished with eight receptions for 130 yards. He was the dominant wideout today, and yet another one of the elite names to produce. Shane Vereen also found the end zone, and Dwayne Harris added two scores. PFF is probably having a hard time figuring out how to put the Saints' secondary grades lower. This Giants' offense has potential to put up monster games, but have disappointed so many times this season. I am still looking at them as GPP only plays, and will rely on Jones, and Hopkins for cash game wideouts.

Vikings @ Bears

This game kicks off the injury bug train, and it starts with Matt Forte. He left the game with a knee injury, and the news is uncertain. Jeremy Langford was the guy to fill in, and would be the guy going forward if anything serious comes out of this injury. The Vikings defense hung in there this game, and limited damage to all but Alshon Jeffery. He had a monster day, with a 10-116-1 line, on 15 targets. Expect this duo to keep producing, especially with the Bears playing from behind 90% of the time. Jeffrey's big day sums up the Bears' offense, with Cutler rushing for a touchdown of his own. We wait for the Forte news, and we could be adjusting with this offense.

The Vikings are up to 5-2, and while it was another ugly game, Minnesota comes out on top. Adrian Peterson had over 100 yards, but did not find the end zone. This has been the story with him this season, but we are unlikely going to see his salary dip, due to his name. It was the Stefon Diggs show yet again, and he dominated the Bears' secondary, as well as the Vikings' targets. It is clear him and Bridgewater have something special going on. However, all the other options are limited in our fake game.

Chargers @ Ravens

We all had this one circled for big fantasy points, but once again the injury bug hit. Steve Smith is done for the season, while Keenan Allen was generous to get a touchdown before leaving the game at halftime. The Chargers passing game was huge again, and it was the Rivers to Malcolm Floyd show this week. He had a 4-92-2 line, and Rivers spread the ball out this week. No receiver had over seven targets, and Danny Woodhead was disappointing, with just three targets. We also saw a different look from the Chargers, and that was Melvin Gordon rushing the ball 18 times. He had just 54 yards, and looked decent on certain carries. We will need to keep an eye on Allen, but he should be back next week.

The Ravens had 29 points, which should of meant some touchdowns for our Baltimore players. Wrong. Justin Tucker had 18 points to his leg, and Joe Flacco vultured Justin Forsett on the one. The moronic red zone play calling was alive and well this week. Forsett had four carries at the half, and finished with 17 for 69 yards. He was not featured in the passing game, which added even more disappointment to his name. He had a few chances in the red zone, but Flacco was a glory hound. Okay, I might be a little heated, because of my 100% ownership. Steve Smith left the game, and we know already he is done for the year. Kamar Aiken will step into the spotlight, but really Baltimore is lacking playmaking options.

Bengals @ Steelers

Big Ben was healthy, and Andy Dalton has been playing like an MVP player, which means all the fantasy points. We got the polar opposite this week, and we also saw Le'Veon Bell suffer a potential season ending injury. DeAngelo Williams looked good in his absence, but expect Antonio Brown to rack up receptions on receptions. This is a big blow for Pittsburgh, and we could probably call today, "Black Sunday." Heath Miller had a big game, with ten catches for 105 yards. Big Ben does look to Miller, but this is a game that rarely happens. Martavis Bryant and Antonio Brown combined for 20 targets, and will see these types targets for the rest of the season. They will take on the Raiders next week.

The Bengals are still undefeated, and this was an ugly win, and A.J. Green was the only notably name. He had a 11-118-1 line, and saw 17 targets. It was one of those weeks where the Bengals have one playmaker go off, and the others were stuck in the mud. Tyler Eifert had a down week, and was a popular play, but Pittsburgh keyed in on him. Jeremy Hill had 15 carries for 60 yards, which is encouraging given Cincy wants to continue to ride him.

Titans @ Texans

It was another Zach Mattenberger day, so not much to report on the Tennessee offense. The only noteworthy mention here for the Titans is, Antonio Andrews logging 16 carries. I mean the Titans' running game is a mess, but it could be clearing out. I am really just trying to fill space here, so still avoid the Titans' backs. Delanie Walker had another somewhat productive day of being the check down man for his QB. He had six catches for 62 yards,

The Houston offense went back to life without Arian Foster, and it was a lot of trying to get Alfred Blue going, in addition to feeding DeAndre Hopkins. He had an 8-94-1 day, and his teammate Nate Washington hauled in a 42 yard touchdown pass. Washington finished with 74 yards, and left the game in the second half. They are already down Cecil Shorts, which would mean Jaelen Strong would be forced into the offense. Brian Hoyer had another productive day of being everybody's favorite value QB, but with some of the other passing days around the league, he wasn't winning you any tourneys.

Jets @ Raiders

The Raiders are 4-3, and are clicking right now on offense. Derek Carr had some swagger out there, and you have to like the looks of this Raiders' team. Carr finished with four touchdowns, and threw for over 300 yards. They avoided Darrelle Revis, and threw to Michael Crabtree, who had a 7-102-1 line. Andre Holmes also hauled in two touchdown passes. Latavius Murray rushed for 113 yards on 20 carries, and Oakland dropped 34 on one of the better defenses in the league. The passing game is usually low owned for Oakland, so they continue to make great tourney plays.

The Jets were on trouble from the start, as Ryan Fitzpatrick injured his hand in the opening minutes. The early reports have said he has ligament damage, and could possibly mean him being limited or out. Geno Smith took over, and well did Geno Smith things. He looked Brandon Marshall's way 18 times, completing nine passes for 108 yards. Marshall also limped off late in the game. If Smith is under center going forward, we can downgrade this entire offense most weeks.

Seahawks @ Cowboys

This was by far one of the less appealing fantasy games of the day. Dallas had just 219 yards of offense, and Dan Bailey was the only player to put points on the board. The defense kept them in it, but Matt Cassel struggled to get anything going. Darren McFadden saw 20 carries, and in a better matchup would of had bigger numbers. I believe we will see a big McFadden day again soon. Dez Bryant was shadowed by Richard Sherman, and is still getting back from injury, so no shocker he was held to two catches. We are still counting the days until Tony Romo comes back to use parts of this offense.

It was another field goal game for Seattle, although Russell Wilson did connect with Luke Wilson for a touchdown. Seattle's offensive line looked better, but the offense is still in a standstill. They did feed Marshawn Lynch, but he managed just 71 yards on 21 carries. Jimmy Graham saw ten targets, and had a 7-75-0 line. Encouraging I guess, but still there are better options out there at tight end. We will likely see a lot of ugly low scoring games from Seattle the rest of the way.

Packers @ Broncos

It was a battle of undefeated teams, although Denver looked like a dominant force. This was a game where neither QB threw a touchdown, and Aaron Rodgers was actually held to just 77 yards passing. This Denver defense made a statement this week. We already knew they were the best defense in the league, but now they took it to another level. They sacked Rodgers three times, and held the Packers to 90 yards on the ground. Eddie Lacy was the only Packers player to grab a touchdown, and he did see more carries than James Starks this week. They were trailing from behind early, so the running game was out of the picture. I am a sucker for Lacy, so we might actually see him carry a workload worth rostering for fantasy next week.

Peyton Manning threw for over 300 yards, but no touchdowns. The Denver running game was the key to success this week, and this is the first time I have said that all year. Ronnie Hillman saw 19 carries for 60 yards, and two touchdowns. C.J. Anderson also joined the party this year, with 101 yards, and a touchdown. Hillman was named the starter, but both saw tremendous production. Demaryius Thomas had eight catches for 168 yards, and was the only receiver to see double-digit targets. Only Emmanuel Sanders saw five, while everyone else was under. Denver still possesses so many weapons on offense, but if they get the run game working, this opens things up a ton. The bye week looks to have done wonders in Denver.