Fantasy Football Studs and Stinkers of Week 8

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Every Monday, The Fantasy Footballers release the Studs & Stinkers podcast episode.  Andy, Mike, and Jason discuss the high highs and low lows from the weekend.  In this Studs & Stinkers article series, you can find the full list of Studs & Stinkers from the weekend and my favorite names from Monday Pun-day.  I also provide commentary on a handful of notable studs and stinkers worth highlighting. To get the full breakdown, don’t miss Episode #975: Week 8 Studs & Stinkers + The Pick-6 Plan, It’s Christmas Time

Monday Pun-day Power Ranking
  1. Robert Goods
  2. DeSlay Metcalf
  3. Clyde Edwards-Where the Helaire were you
  4. Clyde Edwards-Despair
  5. Clyde Edwards-Time Share
  6. De-YAY Dallas
  7. Jimmy God-awful-o
  8. Jonnu Whiff
  9. Score-y Davis
  10. Corey Yay-vis
  11. Zack Boss
  12. Jonathan Failure
  13. Tyreek Skill

What’s your favorite Monday Pun-day? You can find us on Twitter: The Fantasy Footballers (@TheFFBallers) and me (@TheFantasyEng).

Biggest Studs

Dalvin Cook
Week 8 @ GB: 30 rushes for 163 yards & 3 TD | 2 receptions on 2 targets for 63 yards & 1 TD
Upcoming Schedule: DET, @CHI, DAL
Cook had a career game, scoring four total touchdowns in Lambeau!  Cook has been elite when healthy for his entire career.  Fantasy GMs who roster Cook were unsure if he’d play on Sunday, and boy were they rewarded.  Cook has an incredible schedule for the rest of the season, and he remains an elite fantasy asset.

DeeJay Dallas
Week 8 vs SF: 18 rushes for 41 yards & 1 TD | 5 receptions on 5 targets for 17 yards & 1 TD
Upcoming Schedule: @BUF, @LAR, ARI
Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde were inactive in Week 8, but they were game-time decisions so fantasy GM’s had little time to put Dallas in their lineups if they wanted to take the risk.  If you did, the risk paid off.  Dallas was very inefficient with touches, but he scored two touchdowns so he had a nice fantasy day.  The Seattle backfield reminds me of San Francisco – it’s chaotic and filled with injuries, but whoever starts will be a fantasy gem.  Dallas likely had his only productive game of the season, but it’s possible his teammates will miss another game next week and Dallas once again gets the bulk of the carries.

D.K. Metcalf
Week 8 vs SF: 12 receptions on 15 targets for 161 yards & 2 TD
Upcoming Schedule: @BUF, @LAR, ARI
Metcalf is the alpha in Seattle.  He’s truly an exceptional athlete and elite fantasy option.  In both dynasty and redraft fantasy football formats, Metcalf is easily a top-5 wide receiver moving forward.  Plug him in and rest easy.

Corey Davis
Week 8 @ CIN: 8 receptions on 10 targets for 128 yards & 1 TD
Upcoming Schedule: CHI, IND, @BAL
Corey Davis is quietly the WR14 overall on the season (points-per-game basis).  He is averaging 6 receptions on 8 targets a game for 74 yards & 0.6 TD.  Davis has at least 9 fantasy points in each of the five games he’s played this season.  Davis should be viewed as a WR2 at this point, although the sample size is limited.  Davis has some difficult upcoming matchups, so we’ll see if this is a fluke or if he leveled up.

Biggest Stinkers

Jonathan Taylor
Week 8 @ DET: 11 rushes for 22 yards | 2 receptions on 3 targets for 9 yards
Upcoming Schedule: BAL, @TEN, GB
Taylor was primed for a monster game…and it just didn’t happen.  Meanwhile, the other Colts running backs Jordan Wilkins (19.8 fantasy pts) and Nyheim Hines (19.7 fantasy pts) had great games, which is like pouring salt in the wound.  Taylor was bad this week, averaging 2 yards per carry.  He doesn’t look like the flashy runner we had all expected at the start of the season.  What’s worse is that the Colts were coming off a bye, so many including myself expected to see a big workload with Taylor being the centerpiece of the offense.  Taylor has underperformed this season but still carries a lot of value due to workload and upside.  Keep in mind he’s still a rookie playing in the strangest NFL season we’ve seen to date.  I roster Taylor in my main league, and I don’t think he’s worth trading away right now.  Taylor faces a very difficult Baltimore defense next week, but then he has six straight games facing bottom-10 defenses against fantasy running backs.  Hopefully, better days are ahead, but you should be concerned.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire
Week 8 vs NYJ: 6 rushes for 21 yards | 3 receptions on 3 targets for 10 yards
Upcoming Schedule: CAR, BYE, @LV, @TB
The Chiefs beat the winless Jets 35-9 and CEH & Le’Veon Bell combined for 12 carries.  Wait, what?  I don’t think anyone saw this game going in this direction.  Many analysts like myself expected the Chiefs to get a lead and then run down the clock by handing carries to the running backs.  Instead, Mahomes threw for 416 yards & 5 touchdowns.  Better days are ahead for CEH, but there is growing concern that the Chiefs backfield is turning into an equal timeshare.

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Le’Veon Bell
Week 8 vs NYJ: 6 rushes for 7 yards | 3 receptions on 3 targets for 31 yards | 1 fumble
Upcoming Schedule: CAR, BYE, @LV, @TB
See CEH writeup, above.  I still believe in Le’Veon Bell.  I tweeted this out over the weekend, and Mr. Le’Veon Bell himself actually commented on this (made my night!).

Remember that volume is king.  Fun fact: Troymaine Pope (RB, LAC) saw more targets this weekend (7) than Bell has seen all season.  Bell is a great pass-catcher, and I hope they get him more involved as the season progresses.  I do still think Bell will carry value in fantasy, but I acknowledge that volume is a concern.

Other Studs

QB          
Patrick Mahomes vs NYJ — 31/42 for 416/5/0

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  • CAR, BYE, @LV, @TB

Russell Wilson vs SF — 27/37 for 261/4/0 — 6/23/0

  • @BUF, @LAR, ARI

**Honorable Mentions at QB

Aaron Rodgers vs MIN — 27/41 for 291/3/0 — 2/9/0 rushing

  • @SF, JAX, @IND

Matthew Stafford vs IND — 24/42 for 336/3/1 — 1/10/0 rushing

  • @MIN, WSH, @CAR

Philip Rivers @DET — 23/33 for 262/3/0

  • BAL, @TEN, GB

Justin Herbert @DEN — 29/43 for 278/3/2 — 3/21/0 rushing

  • LV, @MIA, NY

Drew Lock vs LAC — 26/41 for 248/3/1

  • @ATL, @LV, MIA


RB

Dalvin Cook @GB — 30/163/3 — 3 targets for 2/63/1

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  • DET, @CHI, DAL

**Honorable Mentions at RB

Giovani Bernard vs TEN — 15/62/1 — 4 targets for 3/16/1

  • BYE, @PIT, @WSH, NYG

Alvin Kamara @CHI — 12/67/0 — 13 targets for 9/96/0

  • @TB, SF, ATL

DeeJay Dallas vs SF — 18/41/1 — 5 targets for 5/17/1

  • @BUF, @LAR, ARI

Zack Moss vs NE — 14/81/2 — 1 target

  • SEA, @ARI, BYE, LAC

Jordan Wilkins @DET — 20/89/1 — 1 target for 1/24/0

  • BAL, @TEN, GB

Nyheim Hines @DET — 5/8/0 — 5 targets for 3/54/2

  • BAL, @TEN, GB

WR           

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D.K. Metcalf vs SF — 15 targets for 12/161/2

  • @BUF, @LAR, ARI

Davante Adams vs MIN — 12 targets for 7/53/3

  • @SF, JAX, @IND

Robert Woods @MIA — 8 targets for 7/85/1 — 2/9/1 rushing

  • BYE, SEA, @TB, SF

Tyreek Hill vs NYJ — 6 targets for 4/98/2

  • CAR, BYE, @LV, @TB

Corey Davis @CIN — 10 targets for 8/128/1

  • CHI, IND, @BAL

**Honorable Mentions at WR

Curtis Samuel vs ATL — 5 targets for 4/31/1 — 3/23/1 rushing

  • @KC, TB, DET

Mecole Hardman vs NYJ — 9 targets for 7/96/1

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  • CAR, BYE, @LV, @TB

Brandon Aiyuk @SEA — 11 targets for 8/91/1

  • GB, @NO, BYE, @LAR

TE           

Travis Kelce vs NYJ — 12 targets for 8/109/1

  • CAR, BYE, @LV, @TB

**Honorable Mentions at TE

Jared Cook @CHI — 7 targets for 5/51/1

  • @TB, SF, ATL

Eric Ebron @BAL — 5 targets for 4/48/1

  • @DAL, CIN, @JAX
Other Stinkers

QB   

Josh Allen vs NE — 11/18 for 154/0/1 — 10/23/1 rushing

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  • SEA, @ARI, BYE, LAC

Jared Goff @MIA — 35/61 for 355/1/2

  • BYE, SEA, @TB, SF

Carson Wentz vs DAL — 15/27 for 123/2/2 — 4/17/0 rushing

  • BYE, @NYG, @CLE, SEA

RB
Clyde Edwards-Helaire vs NYJ — 6/21/0 — 3 targets for 3/10/0

  • CAR, BYE, @LV, @TB

Ezekiel Elliott @ PHI — 19/63/0 — 2 targets for  1/10/0

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  • PIT, BYE, @MIN, WSH

Kareem Hunt vs LV — 14/66/0 — 3 targets for 2/7/0

  • BYE, HOU, PHI, @JAX

Jonathan Taylor @DET — 11 /22/0 — 3 targets for 2/9/0

  • BAL, @TEN, GB

Melvin Gordon vs LAC — 8/26/0 — 7 targets for 6/21/0

  • @ATL, @LV, MIA

Mike Davis vs ATL — 13/66/0 — 2 targets for 1/11/0

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  • @KC, TB, DET

D’Andre Swift vs IND — 6/1/0 — 4 targets for 3/22/0

  • @MIN, WSH, @CAR

**Honorable Mentions at RB

Joshua Kelley @DEN — 7/32/0 — 1 target for 1/-7/0

  • LV, @MIA, NY

Le’Veon Bell vs NYJ — 6/7/0 — 3 targets for 3/31/0 — 1 fumble

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  • CAR, BYE, @LV, @TB

WR           

Amari Cooper @PHI — 5 targets for 1/5/0

  • PIT, BYE, @MIN, WSH

Adam Thielen @GB — 4 targets for 3/27/0

  • DET, @CHI, DAL

Justin Jefferson @GB — 4 targets for 3/26/0

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  • DET, @CHI, DAL

Tyler Lockett vs SF — 5 targets for 4/33/0

  • @BUF, @LAR, ARI

D.J. Moore vs ATL — 6 targets for 2/55/0

  • @KC, TB, DET

Robby Anderson vs ATL — 8 targets for 5/48/0

  • @KC, TB, DET

Diontae Johnson @BAL — 3 targets for 1/6/0

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  • @DAL, CIN, @JAX

CeeDee Lamb @ PHI — 5 targets for 4/27/0

  • PIT, BYE, @MIN, WSH

**Honorable Mentions at WR

Jarvis Landry vs LV — 11 targets for 4/52/0

  • BYE, HOU, PHI, @JAX

Henry Ruggs @CLE — 4 targets for 2/8/0

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  • @LAC, DEN, KC

Nelson Agholor @CLE — 2 targets, zero catches

  • @LAC, DEN, KC

Jason Moore @DEN — zero targets

  • LV, @MIA, NYJ

TE           

Mark Andrews vs PIT — 6 targets for 3/32/0 — 1 fumble

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  • @IND, @NE, TEN

Darren Waller @CLE — 6 targets for 5/28/0

  • @LAC, DEN, KC

Jonnu Smith @CIN — 2 targets for 2/29/0

  • CHI, IND, @BAL

Hunter Henry @DEN — 4 targets for 4/33/0

  • LV, @MIA, NYJ

Dallas Goedert vs DAL — 1 target for 1/16/0

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  • BYE, @NYG, @CLE

**Honorable Mentions**   at TE

Jimmy Graham vs NO — 7 targets for 2/13/0

  • @TEN, MIN, BYE, @GB

Mike Gesicki vs LAR — 2 targets for 1/8/0

  • @ARI, LAC, @DEN

Richard Rodgers vs DAL — zero targets 

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  • BYE, @NYG, @CLE, SEA

Tyler Higbee @MIA — 4 targets for 2/14/0

  • BYE, SEA, @TB, SF

Gerald Everett @MIA — 9 targets for 5/32/0

  • BYE, SEA, @TB, SF
Cheat Sheet (2019 Baseline)

Whether this is your first fantasy football season or you’re a veteran, it’s helpful to place fantasy football production in context.  Last season, there were only 11 total fantasy performances of 40+ points from quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends.  To put that into perspective, there were 79 such instances of 30+ points and 423 such instances of 20+ points.  What does that tell us?  A 40+ point game is legendary.  30+ games are great, and we should expect five or so players to reach this mark every week.  And finally, we should expect about 25 players every week to eclipse the 20+ point mark.  The table below summarizes the fantasy football stud games among QB, RB, WR, and TE in 2019.

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