Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins hauled 4 of 6 targets for 128 receiving yards and 3 TDs in Week 8’s win vs. the Falcons. The veteran connected well with rookie QB Will Levis and recorded his second 120+-yard performance over the past three games. As long as Hopkins isn’t dealt ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, he’ll be a quality WR2 option against a porous Steelers defense in Week 9.
Titans RB Derrick Henry posted 22 carries for 101 rushing yards in Week 8’s victory over the Falcons. The veteran also added 4 catches for 21 receiving yards on Sunday. His teammate Tyjae Spears was essentially an afterthought in the contest, tallying 6 total touches for a combined 36 yards. Conflicting reports have swirled regarding whether or not Henry will remain with the Titans following Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline. Regardless of where he suits up next week, he’ll be a solid fantasy starter. The Titans next play on Thursday night vs. the Steelers.
In his first career NFL start, Titans QB Will Levis completed 19 of 29 passes for 238 yards with 4 TDs vs. the Falcons. The rookie split some reps with teammate Malik Willis, though his contributions came largely on the ground. Week 8 was essentially The Levis Show, and he shined through his rapport with WR DeAndre Hopkins, the recipient of 3 of the 4 scores thrown in the contest. Though it may be tough to trust Levis on a short week against the Steelers this coming Thursday, managers in 2QB or superflex leagues should make the first-year signal-caller a priority add off the waiver wire if he’s still available.
Falcons WR Drake London hauled 5 of his team-high 7 targets for 55 receiving yards in Week 8’s loss vs. the Titans. TEs Kyle Pitts and Jonnu Smith struggled on Sunday, however, with a combined 4 catches and 48 yards between them. It’s fair to estimate that perhaps some of these struggles can be attributed to the Falcons going from QB Desmond Ridder to backup Taylor Heinicke midway through the game. Still, this was not a particularly strong performance from Atlanta’s aerial attack. Projecting these pass-catchers for their upcoming matchup against the Vikings will be tough to do until we know who will be under center in Week 9.
Falcons RB Bijan Robinson rebounded in Week 8 vs. the Titans, tallying 62 rushing yards and a TD on 11 carries. The rookie also saw 5 targets in the contest but didn’t record a single reception. Overall, this level of involvement is a considerable improvement over last week’s dud vs. the Buccaneers. It seems wherever ailment prevented Robinson from seeing more touches in Week 7 is behind him. Fantasy managers should feel confident firing up the rookie in lineups next weekend vs. the Vikings.
Chargers TE Gerald Everett (hip) is inactive for tonight’s game vs. the Bears. That leaves Donald Parham as Los Angeles’ top TE – and an intriguing play in one-game DFS contests.
Chargers WR Josh Palmer (knee) is active for tonight’s game vs. the Bears. He only got in a limited practice on Friday, so it’s safe to assume he’ll be operating at less than 100% tonight.
Steelers WR George Pickens managed just 1 reception among 5 targets in Sunday's loss to the Jaguars. He did, at least, turn that catch into a 22-yard TD. Pickens saw just 1 target from Kenny Pickett before the QB left with a rib injury. That was eight fewer than WR Diontae Johnson's target total with Pickett. Mitchell Trubisky threw Pickens' way four times, though, just one fewer than he threw at Johnson. We wouldn't panic over Pickens' target count just yet. But we'll certainly be watching to see whether Johnson reclaims his role as clear top target.
Jets WR Garrett Wilson hauled 7 of 13 targets and put up a season-high 100 receiving yards on Sunday vs. the Giants. Through seven games, the second-year wideout has only failed to reach 10 PPR points twice. Even then, he totaled 9.8 (Week 3) and 8.4 (Week 5) in those outings. He's a model of consistency with a reasonably safe floor. Fantasy managers can confidently count on Wilson again next week vs. the Chargers.
Steelers WR Diontae Johnson led the team in targets (14), receptions (8), and receiving yards (85) in Sunday's loss to the Jaguars. He drew eight more looks than any other teammate and nine more than WR George Pickens. Most of that edge came before QB Kenny Pickett left the game. Johnson led the team with 5 targets from QB Mitchell Trubisky, but Pickens, TE Connor Heyward, RB Najee Harris, and RB Jaylen Warren each saw 4 Trubisky targets. That mean's Johnson's nine looks from Pickett constituted 56.3% of the QB's total attempts. We'll see about Pickett's injury (ribs) status for Week 9 and whether this was the start of Johnson reclaiming his favorite-target role. Or whether it's a one-game blip and he remains close with Pickens. Whoever lines up behind center for the Steelers in Week 9 will get a Tennessee defense that has played the run tough but also been a negative scoring matchup for QBs. The Titans have been positive for WR scoring, however.
Jets RB Breece Hall couldn’t get much going on the ground in Week 8 vs. the Giants. The second-year back finished the contest with 17 rushing yards on 12 carries. Fortunately, he was effective as a pass-catcher, totaling 76 yards and a TD on 6 receptions. This is now the third game in a row since HC Robert Saleh lifted Hall’s ACL recovery-related workload cap that he’s posted 20+ PPR points. Week 9’s matchup vs. the Chargers presents a solid opportunity for Hall to ball out again.
Jets QB Zach Wilson completed 17 of 36 passes for 240 yards with 1 TD in Week 8’s win vs. the Giants. He also contributed a team-leading 25 rushing yards in the contest. Sunday’s performance marked only the second time this season that Wilson has surpassed 200 passing yards in a game. Don’t be looking to start him in Week 9 vs. the Chargers outside of superflex leagues.
RB Saquon Barkley essentially served as the Giants’ entire offense in Week 8 vs. the Jets, totaling 36 carries for 128 rushing yards with 3 catches. The team had to pivot early on after starting QB Tyrod Taylor (ribs) and TE Darren Waller (hamstring) left in the second quarter due to injury and settled on pounding the rock all the way through OT. It’s difficult to draw any meaningful fantasy-based conclusions from this game due to the dire circumstances. Keep an eye on the practice reports this coming week to see who’ll be available to suit up vs. the Raiders in Week 9.
Ravens WR Odell Beckham is questionable to return to Sunday's game vs. the Cardinals with a stomach contusion. He took a knee to the gut when he went up to make a catch in the third quarter. We'll update Beckham's status when we know more.
Update: Beckham returned in the fourth quarter.
Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert cashed in a goal line rushing score against New England. That proved critical, as he gained only 46 yards on 13 carries. Despite 45 passes from Tua Tagovailoa, the veteran RB wasn't targeted. Also note: Jeff Wilson mixed in for 5 attempts (25% of the team RB total), while Salvon Ahmed saw 2 (10%). De’Von Achane won’t return until Week 11 at the earliest, so keep Mostert in lineups as a no-doubt fantasy starter. Next up is a matchup with Kansas City.
Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence threw for 292 yards in Sunday's win over the Steelers, his second-largest yardage total of the season. Lawrence managed just 1 TD pass, however, his sixth game among eight with fewer than 2 TDs. Lawrence added just one rush for 10 yards. Lawrence -- who entered the week 16th among QBs in fantasy points per game (depending on your format) -- sat just 12th among QBs in ESPN scoring through Sunday's early games. He gets a Week 9 bye that should provide some welcome rest for his banged-up knee.
Jaguars WR Calvin Ridley made 6 receptions for 83 yards among 10 targets in Sunday's win over the Steelers. He tied TE Evan Engram for the team lead in targets while tallying his third-most catches and yards of the season. Ridley gets a Week 9 bye and then a pair of matchups (San Francisco and Tennessee) that favor passing. WR Christian Kirk was limited to a 4-46 receiving line on 5 targets in Sunday's win.
Jaguars TE Evan Engram caught all 10 of his targets for a team-high 88 yards in Sunday's win at Pittsburgh. That pushes his season catch rate to 83.6%, nearly 10 percentage points higher than last season. That 74.5% in Engram's first year with the Jaguars set a career high. His 8.5 yards per reception, though, marks a career low -- 2.0 short of last year's mark. Matchups with San Francisco and Tennessee after the Week 9 bye favor passing, which can obviously only help Engram.
Jaguars RB Travis Etienne racked up another 24 carries in Sunday's win at Pittsburgh. He turned that into a mere 79 yards (3.3 per rush), though. That brings Etienne just under 3.9 yards per carry for the season. Etienne gave his fantasy line a big boost with a 56-yard catch-and-run TD. He totaled 3 receptions for 70 yards among 6 targets, third-most on the team. The league's carry leader gets a Week 9 bye, then tough matchups with the 49ers and Titans the following two weeks.
Patriots WR Kendrick Bourne is believed to be dealing with an MCL injury, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Bourne is scheduled for a Monday MRI to get a better look at the damage. We should learn more tomorrow.
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