Goal Line Stand: Week 8 Rankings
You knew Doug Martin was back, but did you know he already has more 47 rushing yards (541) than he did in all of 2014? And on 25 fewer carries? In five fewer games and 135 fewer snaps, Martin also surpassed his 2014 reception, receiving and touchdown totals. This isn’t some surface-level “back.” Martin is back back.
Looking almost Sproles-ian quick, Martin has saved his career, and put himself in line for a nice payday next offseason. Involved in all phases of the offense even as Charles Sims averages 10.5 touches, Martin has ripped good (Carolina), bad (Jacksonville) and average (Washington) defenses alike.
For Week 8 he gets Atlanta’s shaky unit. The Falcons are allowing just 3.7 yards per carry and 79 rushing yards per game, but have been smashed for a league-worst 10 touchdowns. And though Dan Quinn’s defense has largely bottled up backs on the ground, it’s been eviscerated by them through the air, coughing up 64 receptions to runners. No one else has allowed more than 48. On the whole, only the Browns and Chargers have allowed more fantasy points to enemy backs.
The RB29 by average draft position, Martin enters Week 8 No. 4 in rushing yards per game (90.2), and No. 11 in yards per carry (4.96). Now there’s a pick who could win you a league.
Editor’s Note: Play against our writers in the Rotoworld Football Championship – a series of one-week fantasy contests on FanDuel with $20K in FREE prizes! Enter the Week 8 contest before it fills.
Week 8 Quarterbacks
QB Notes: On pace for a league-record 5,605 passing yards, Philip Rivers is averaging 44 attempts per game. He’s thrown the ball at least 48 times in three straight contests. Now he gets a Ravens defense allowing the second most fantasy points to quarterbacks. Rankings are rarely this easy. … Tom Brady is averaging 3.2 more fantasy points than any other quarterback, but has a stiff short week test in the Dolphins’ rejuvenated defense. The ‘Fins still have one of the league’s shakiest secondaries, but are one of only eight teams holding signal callers to a sub-60.0 completion percentage. Miami’s QB rating against is a solid 86.6. No one shuts Brady down, especially at home, but he should be slowed enough that he won’t be this week’s top play. … Can Andy Dalton finally get some respect? The QB2, Dalton has tossed multiple scores in 5-of-6 starts, and is completing 67.4 percent of his throws while averaging over nine yards per attempt. Fresh off Cincinnati’s bye, he has a delightful matchup in the Steelers’ bottom-six (by yardage) pass defense.
Carson Palmer has yet to be held below 20.0 fantasy points. In complete command of one of the league’s best receiver corps, Palmer is close to matchup proof. … Ben Roethlisberger’s return from his four-game absence isn’t a given, but he’ll immediately slide in as a top-five option if he starts against Cincinnati. Big Ben has averaged 360 yards in his two complete games, which is all the more impressive considering he did it without Le’Veon Bell and Martavis Bryant. Ben was carving up the Rams’ ferocious defense upon going down in Week 3. Roethlisberger could be a league-winner down the stretch. … Cam Newton is 26th in passing yards … and sixth in average fantasy points. Newton is on pace for 11 rushing scores, which would be his highest total since his rookie season. Newton’s lack of a receiver corps matters not for roto purposes. … This is low for Aaron Rodgers — perhaps too low, and something I’ll continue to mull as the week progresses — but the Broncos’ defense has obliterated everything in its path this season. Opposing passers have posted a 5:9 TD:INT ratio in six games, and mustered a 69.6 QB rating. Rodgers is always capable of making something happen, but has a low Week 8 ceiling.
Drew Brees is dinking and dunking more than ever, but has cleared 300 yards in 4-of-6 starts, and yet to throw for fewer than 255. Still a dynamo at home, Brees will be hosting a Giants defense allowing a weekly 288 through the air. … Merely the QB23 by average points, Eli Manning has been held below 200 yards in back-to-back games, and three times in seven starts. 24.8 percent of his yardage came against the hapless 49ers in Week 5. Manning remains a QB1 for a juicy matchup with the Saints — who are allowing the most fantasy points to enemy quarterbacks — but is starting to lose the benefit of the doubt. … No. 10 could be argued as either too high or too low for Ryan Tannehill. Too high because he’s on a short week against Bill Belichick. Too low because he’s coming off one of the best starts by any quarterback this season, and is quietly the QB10 on the year. It’s come against two bad teams, but Tannehill is averaging 26.6 fantasy points since Dan Campbell took over as head coach.
The good: Andrew Luck has tossed multiple touchdowns in 4-of-5 starts. The bad: The same is true of picks. The confusing: Through it all, he’s the QB4. The Panthers have played arguably the league’s best pass defense, but no matter his real-life struggles, Luck simply can’t be left outside the top 12. … Sandwiched between Joe Flacco and Derek Carr in average points, Matt Ryan’s QB1 status can no longer be assumed. Ryan has nearly as many turnovers (eight) as scores (nine). For Week 8, his saving grace is a home matchup with a Bucs defense that’s allowed 15 passing touchdowns in six games. … Russell Wilson has one multiple touchdown performance in seven starts. It feels like a fluke — Wilson is on pace for career highs in both passing yards and rushing attempts — but Seattle isn’t going to have to do a whole lot to beat the Matt Cassel “led” Cowboys on Sunday. … The Lions’ firing of OC Joe Lombardi was about one thing: Sparking Matthew Stafford. The Chiefs’ pass rush is a major concern for Detroit’s horrid line, but only the Texans have allowed more passing scores than Andy Reid’s defense. … Ryan Fitzpatrick is the QB12 on the strength of five multi-score efforts in six starts. Averaging a modest 245 yards, Fitz’s floor is more compelling than his ceiling.
Jay Cutler’s point totals in three games since returning: 22.1, 22.1 and 22.9. The Vikings have allowed only eight passing touchdowns, but are not a shutdown matchup. … Joe Flacco has four games with at least 25 fantasy points, and three with fewer than 17. He seems more likely to bust than boom against the Chargers’ solid secondary. … This is a generous ranking for Peyton Manning. Very generous, in fact. I’ve decided to give the Gipper one more chance coming off his bye. If it doesn’t happen now, it never will. … Coming off his best game of the year, Teddy Bridgewater gets a Bears defense allowing the sixth most fantasy points to quarterbacks. Stefon Diggs could prove a boon to both Bridgewater’s floor and ceiling. … If Marcus Mariota can play, it will be against a Texans defense fresh off the most embarrassing effort by any D in 2015. … It’s a nice matchup for Alex Smith in London, but those haven’t meant much this season. Smith has seven touchdowns in seven starts, and four scores over his past six games. … Derek Carr is one of this year’s true breakout players, but has his toughest matchup of the year in the Jets.
Don’t forget, for the latest on everything NFL, check out Rotoworld’s Player News, or follow @Rotoworld_FB or @RotoPat on Twitter.
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service – if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.
