2023 Fantasy Football Week 9 Target Report Preview: CeeDee Lamb Is ELITE

Targets are paramount when it comes to evaluating pass-catchers for fantasy football. There are no air yards, receiving yards, receptions, or touchdowns without first earning a target. And to earn a target, you need to be deemed “open” by the quarterback. It’s one big trickle-down effect. There’s a reason the biggest and most consistent target-earners are near the top of fantasy football ADP: They can be relied on by not just their team’s offense to earn targets and produce on those targets, but that also trickles down to the fantasy managers drafting those pass-catchers and starting them in their lineups each week.

In this season’s Fantasy Football Target Report, we’ll take a weekly team-by-team look into these target earners and separate the wheat from the chaff. To properly lead into what we’ll be looking at this season, we’ll have to establish a baseline of the most important things we’re looking at with targets and other receiving metrics that paint the full picture for who we should be rostering, who we should be adding, and who we can drop. Combing the box score stats doesn’t paint a clear picture of the players we should target, roster, and start. Fantasy football rankings can only paint so much of the picture as well.

Everything we’ll be talking about here and this season in this season’s Fantasy Football Target Report will be some of the best statistics and metrics that correlate with fantasy football production. Think of targets as a page in a coloring book, just the outline yet to be colored. Coloring on that page adds context and flavor to that page. That’s what we’ll be doing with targets — adding more context than just some target totals and saying, “go add this player,” which doesn’t help anybody.

This season, we're adding a video component, so if you want to get some of the juiciest nuggets of the target report in video form, check out the Target Report Bulletpoints for the upcoming Week 9!

Bye Weeks:

• Week 5: CLE, LAC, SEA, TB
• Week 6: GB, PIT
• Week 7: CAR, CIN, DAL, HOU, NYJ, TEN
• Week 9: DEN, DET, JAX, SF
• Week 10: KC, LAR, MIA, PHI
• Week 11: ATL, IND, NE, NO
• Week 13: BAL, BUF, CHI, LV, MIN, NYG
• Week 14: ARI, WAS

NOTE:

• Always Start Your Studs: These are players you should be starting in all formats, regardless of matchup. Use your judgment in shallower leagues where startable players are plentiful.
• Start ‘Em: Players that should be starting most weeks on your fantasy rosters.
• Keep Them Rostered: Players that should be rostered in most formats but shouldn't be started unless you’re in a pinch or during bye weeks. Maybe they’re not startable due to various issues like a backup quarterback playing, a player coming back from injury, a contingent running back, or are just unproductive, consistent, or dependable at the moment. League size designations or other designations (bench stash, etc.) will be in parenthesis next to players for deeper leagues. Depending on your league, this is a general recommendation, so use your best judgment.
• Example: Robert Woods (deeper 12 & 14-team), Royce Freeman (bench stash).
• Add ‘Em: Players that warrant an add due to circumstances, productivity, or metrics that show they’re being utilized heavily in their offenses. These will usually have a format that they should be added in. 
• Listing a player as “12-team leagues” assumes that player also be an addition in deeper 12-team and 14-team formats as well. 
• Dump ‘Em: Players that you should be dropping from your rosters. Use your judgment in deeper leagues where players with usefulness on waivers aren’t as plentiful.
• Any player not listed in any of these categories for a particular team is assumed to not be rosterable in most fantasy formats.
   

All statistics below are listed in the following format:

• WR/TE as:
  • (10-4-100-2) Targets - Receptions - Rec. Yds. - TD
• RB as:
  • (18-75-1; 10-4-100-2) Rush Att. - Rush Yds. - TD; Targets - Receptions - Rec. Yds. - TD

NFL Target Report

Arizona Cardinals

Of all the talk about rookie tight ends this season with Sam LaPorta, Dalton Kincaid, and Michael Mayer, Trey McBride (14-10-95-1) hasn’t gotten the recognition he’s deserved over the past few weeks. As I’ve said, “Always a Bridesmaid, never a McBride” when it comes to me drafting him, and possibly some others, but with Zach Ertz hitting injured reserve for the next few weeks, the job belongs to McBride and boy, did he put an exclamation point on that.

McBride was TE1 in Week 8 with a 39% target share and 41% of the team’s air yards. McBride was already taking work from Ertz before Ertz hit IR so that unfortunate injury just sped up the process for McBride. He’s going to have Clayton Tune throwing him passes in Week 9 in Cleveland before the likely scenario of Kyler Murray’s debut at home vs. Atlanta takes place in Week 10. But if he’s running routes on all but five of 41 total dropbacks for the Cardinals — that’s 88% — then McBride needs to be rostered and started in 100% of leagues, no matter who is throwing him the ball. As gross as the tight end position has been at times, he’s targeted when he’s on the field and he’s getting a large quarterback upgrade with Murray’s return. 

Besides McBride running a bunch of routes, the Cardinals’ main route runners all were running at least 83%+ routes, with the rest of the secondary players picking up scraps. Marquise Brown (9-6-33-1) was fine and got into the end zone, Michael Wilson (6-4-58) has a clearly defined role in this offense, and Rondale Moore (3-2-10) didn’t do much with 83% of routes.

Emari Demercado (20-78; 1-1-1) kept his sizable role as the main back on early downs, but Keaontay Ingram (2-9; 1-1-7) was back in on offense from last week’s zero offensive snaps to run 54% of routes. The only thing you can predict in a James Conner-less backfield is that Demercado will get the most carries. After that, it’s all over the map.

Week 8 Arizona Cardinals Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: N/A

Start ‘Em: Marquise Brown

Keep Them Rostered: Emari Demercado, James Conner (on IR), Emari Demercado, Michael Wilson (deeper 12 & 14-team), Rondale Moore (deeper 12 & 14-team), Kyler Murray (stash; likely starting Week 10)

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Atlanta Falcons

Lots of moving parts here for the Falcons, including a concussed/benched quarterback, a groin injury knocking Drake London (7-5-55) out of the game (and possibly Week 9), and Van Jefferson (5-3-24) leading the team in routes with 79%, because of course he did.

Kyle Pitts (5-3-35) continues to run 63% of routes, and then Arthur Smith wonders why he can’t get going. KhaDarel Hodge (3-3-75) had a deep shot, and Scott Miller (2-2-14-1) caught the lone passing touchdown on 21% of routes.

Desmond Ridder was in concussion protocol, and was cleared, but didn’t return to the game as Taylor Heinicke came in to spell him for the rest of the game. Heinicke will get a Week 9 start against the Vikings in an epic matchup of Heinicke vs. Jaren Hall, which I know everybody has had circled since the schedule came out in May.

Seeing most of the work is Bijan Robinson (11-62-1; 5-0-0) on 73% snaps after Week 8’s #MigraineGate, but Tyler Allgeier (8-31) is still pretty involved, as is Cordarrelle Patterson (2-7), to our collective dismay.

Week 8 Atlanta Falcons Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: Bijan Robinson

Start ‘Em: Drake London (left Week 8 - groin), Kyle Pitts

Keep Them Rostered: Jonnu Smith (deeper 12 & 14-team), Tyler Allgeier (14-team)

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore didn’t have to go too crazy with their offense one way or another to dispatch the Arizona Cardinals in the last game of the Joshua Dobbs era. Gus Edwards (19-80-3; 2-2-14) and Justice Hill (4-15; 4-4-40) split the backfield in a pretty conventional way, as Edwards was the hammer and Hill was the satellite back and route runner. 

Mark Andrews (5-4-40-1) led the way and had the only touchdown for the Ravens pass-catchers, as Lamar Jackson only threw 27 times for 157 yards and the sole touchdown. Zay Flowers (7-5-19) had just a 3.4-yard aDOT on his team-leading seven targets.

Week 8 Baltimore Ravens Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: Lamar Jackson, Mark Andrews, Zay Flowers

Start ‘Em: N/A

Keep Them Rostered: Gus Edwards, Justice Hill (deeper 12 & 14-team)

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: Odell Beckham (running routes but only had 14 catches on the year and hasn’t had a weekly route rate over 57% since Week 1)

Buffalo Bills

On Thursday night in Week 8, the Bills consolidated all but two targets to four players, with Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis, Khalil Shakir, and Dalton Kincaid. Diggs (12-9-70) and Davis (12-9-87-1) both led the Bills with 12 targets each while running their usual 95-100% of routes. What was a bit different for Davis is that his aDOT shortened up quite a bit to 6.7 yards as he was targeted much closer to the line of scrimmage. With Dawson Knox placed on IR, it really looked like some of the routes Knox was normally ticketed for went to Davis, and some of the downfield stuff went to Shakir (6-6-92; 72% routes), who put up an excellent game in his own right.

With no Knox, Kincaid (7-5-65-1) was the only tight end on the roster who got snaps in Week 8, and he delivered a solid performance with the highest routes per dropback percentage he’s had all season at 85%.

James Cook (14-67; 1-1-6) saw his highest snap % of the season, but gave up two goal-line touches to Latavius Murray (5-7; 1-1-4), who converted neither in a tribute to Joe Mixon. Perhaps the incoming Leonard Fournette, who has to be fresh as a daisy without OTAs, training camp, practices, and game action, can come in and be an upgraded version of Murray. I’m not sure if Fournette takes work directly from Cook, but the Bills seem hellbent on capping the upside of Cook with older backs.

Week 8 Buffalo Bills Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs

Start ‘Em: James Cook, Dalton Kincaid

Keep Them Rostered: Gabe Davis, Latavius Murray (deeper 12 & 14-team)

Add ‘Em: Khalil Shakir (cream may have risen to the top with the slot work in Buffalo), Leonard Fournette (speculative add)

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers won their first game of the season in part to a solid game from Bryce Young and a weird gameplan from the Texas which saw them #EstablishIt and getting away from the pass-friendly attack that’s gotten them in games they didn’t have much reason to be in.

There are a lot of moving parts here with this Carolina Panthers backfield, both before and after the bye week in Week 7. The Panthers in Week 6 had Chuba Hubbard (15-28; 2-2-26) take 76% of the rush attempts while Miles Sanders (2-0) was out with his shoulder injury to great success; Hubbard’s 16 fantasy points put him as RB13 that week. After that, during their Week 7 bye, head coach Frank Reich turned offensive playcalling duties over to offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, whose last playcalling came with the Miami Hurricanes from 2016-2018.

In Carolina’s first game with Brown as play-caller this past week, they got win number one with Sanders seemingly THIRD in the pecking order behind Hubbard and Raheem Blackshear (3-5; 2-2-26). Hubbard took 71% of the rushing attempts, 66% of the snaps, and almost 50% of the routes. Sanders only took two carries to Hubbard’s 15 and played just 12 snaps to Hubbard’s 45.

Yes, Carolina paid Sanders $13 million guaranteed. Yes, Sanders is probably a bit banged up, but look, Sanders wasn’t on the injury report at all this week. He’s had time to get healthy. Hubbard has been by far the most explosive and consistent back in Carolina, with the fourth-highest rush percent over expected (ROE%) at 47.8%, contrasting to Sanders, who is dead last among qualified backs with at least 40 rushing attempts at 22.2%.

We’re not quite writing the eulogy for Sanders’ fantasy value quite yet, but the pen and paper are almost ready if this utilization for Hubbard holds into Week 9. Sanders, for me right now, is a non-starter in fantasy leagues, and Hubbard is in the RB2 range right now if he’s getting 19 and 15 carries in the last two games.

Adam Thielen (11-8-72) did Adam Thielen things on just a 4.3-yard aDOT, so the things he’s doing is compiling at such a high rate and being a reliable safety value for Young. The Panthers had their three wide receivers run at least 95% to severely condense down their route runner which is great for us because it’s letting us know who the guys are going to be each week. Obviously, Thielen is one, but so are Jonathan Mingo (5-4-62; 98% routes) and D.J. Chark (4-3-23; 95% routes).

Week 8 Carolina Panthers Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: Adam Thielen

Start ‘Em: N/A

Keep Them Rostered: Chuba Hubbard, Miles Sanders, Jonathan Mingo, D.J. Chark (deeper 12 & 14-team), Bryce Young (deeper 12 & 14-team)

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Chicago Bears

With Tyson Bagent under center for the Bears, you know the floor and ceiling for the Bears’ pass-catchers gets lower and lower here. The Bears were in catchup mode for most of the game, with the Chargers getting off to a fast start, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t a couple of decent notes.

Namely, Cole Kmet (10-10-79; 82% routes) doing his best Adam Thielen impression on a 5.3-yard aDOT. DJ Moore (6-4-55) was the only non-running back other than Kmet to be targeted more than once.

The Bears' backfield was a murky three-way split, with nobody really doing anything of note a week after D’Onta Foreman had three touchdowns. Foreman (9-34; 2-1-2), Roschon Johnson (6-21; 4-3-10), and even Darrynton Evans (4-18-1; 4-3-22) getting into the mix, taking a touchdown. Johnson saw the most work compared to the other backs, with 33% routes and 36% snaps, but Foreman saw 32% of snaps himself. Foreman and Johnson are low-end flex options, but man are they volatile plays. It could actually get worse when Khalil Herbert returns.

Week 8 Chicago Bears Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: DJ Moore

Start ‘Em: Justin Fields (missed Week 6-8 - thumb)

Keep Them Rostered: D’Onta Foreman, Cole Kmet, Khalil Herbert (Missed Week 6-8 - ankle), Roschon Johnson (deeper 12 & 14-team)

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Cincinnati Bengals

Well, the Bengals seem like the Bengals again as they went into San Francisco and beat the 49ers by two touchdowns. Tee Higgins (6-5-69; 82% routes) ran more routes in Week 8 than he had in any week since Week 3, Tyler Boyd (3-3-40-1) hit for a touchdown, and of course, Ja'Marr Chase (12-1-100-1) is pretty freaking good. No surprise there. 

It’s been a long road for Joe Burrow, but a 28-of-32 line with 283 yards and three touchdowns while racing on 43 rushing yards seems to signal that Burrow is no longer “Joever”. Joe Mixon (16-87-1; 3-3-23) was solid enough as well, and his stranglehold on the Bengals backfield continues unopposed.

Week 8 Cincinnati Bengals Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: Ja'Marr Chase

Start ‘Em: Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins, Joe Mixon

Keep Them Rostered: Tyler Boyd

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Cleveland Browns

The Browns were down 14-0 and then 17-7 after the first quarter to the Seattle Seahawks, and it looked like this game would start to go sideways, just like the week before against the Indianapolis Colts. The scoring didn’t get out of hand, though they did give up a fourth-quarter go-ahead touchdown to the Seahawks to ice it.

Backup quarterback P.J. Walker, at the very least, understood the assignment, as he targeted Amari Cooper (11-6-89), David Njoku (8-4-77-1), and Elijah Moore (5-2-30) for 80% of the team’s targets. No other Brown other than Jerome Ford (9-37; 2-1-2) had more than one target.

Speaking of Ford, the split here between Ford, Kareem Hunt (14-55-1; 1-1-12), and Pierre Strong (10-41; 1-1-41) was about as even as you’ll see across the board in the table above. Hunt got the short touchdown, Ford left for a stretch (potentially because of his ankle), but Strong mixed in with both backs all game. That makes it super difficult to sort this out, but as long as he’s healthy, Ford should be the guy here. Without the ankle injury, Ford likely gets 45-50% of snaps, and likely, the first opportunity for the touchdown Hunt received.

Week 8 Cleveland Browns Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: N/A

Start ‘Em: Deshaun Watson (left Week 7 - shoulder), Amari Cooper, Jerome Ford (left Week 7 - ankle), Kareem Hunt 

Keep Them Rostered: Elijah Moore, David Njoku

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Dallas Cowboys

“Dallas Cowboys play a normal game script, level: IMPOSSIBLE”

At least it favored the Cowboys this time. Dallas got out to a 33-9 lead at halftime, then put the game on cruise control against a Rams team that lost Matthew Stafford to a thumb ligament injury. CeeDee Lamb (14-12-158-2) was possessed. Brandin Cooks (4-3-49-1) and Jake Ferguson (4-4-47-1) also caught touchdowns, as nobody but Lamb earned more than four targets.

Tony Pollard (12-53; 1-1-2) has been a disappointment in fantasy circles, but when you play in extreme blowouts on both sides of the coin, I find it difficult to understand how he’s supposed to get going in those scenarios from a volume standpoint. Yes, fantasy football is a results-oriented game, but I’m not down on Pollard by any means. He “only” took 65% of snaps as he bowed out in the fourth quarter to backups.

Week 8 Dallas Cowboys Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: CeeDee Lamb, Tony Pollard

Start ‘Em: N/A

Keep Them Rostered: Dak Prescott, Brandin Cooks, Jake Ferguson (deeper 12 & 14-team)

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: Michael Gallup (losing work to Jalen Tolbert, not ideal.)

Denver Broncos

Despite the Broncos putting up 24 points on the Kansas City Chiefs, if you were looking for a bunch of counting stats and fantasy goodness from the Broncos, you’re not finding too much of that. The Broncos only had 19 total pass attempts compared to 40 rushing attempts, as they completely took the air out of the ball with Javonte Williams (27-85; 3-3-13-1), who has cemented himself as the lead runner in Denver. Any running back workload Jaleel McLaughlin (4-33; 2-2-6) and Samaje Perine (1-5; 3-2-16) get is likely taken from each other rather than from Williams, who had a season-high 63% snaps.

With only 19 pass attempts for 114 yards, Russell Wilson still threw three touchdowns, which at the very least, went to the correct players who are being started by fantasy managers. Courtland Sutton (3-2-29-1), Jerry Jeudy (6-2-50-1), and Williams all caught the touchdowns on a day where nobody caught more than three passes.

Week 8 Denver Broncos Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: N/A

Start ‘Em: Courtland Sutton, Javonte Williams

Keep Them Rostered: Jerry Jeudy, Russell Wilson (deeper 12 & 14-team), Jaleel McLaughlin (14-team), Samaje Perine (14-team), Marvin Mims (14-team)

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Detroit Lions

Monday Night Football was a showcase for the studs to be studs, as Jahmyr Gibbs (26-152-1; 5-5-37) was just a force to be reckoned with. Gibbs took a healthy 70% of snaps and 74% of routes, with Craig Reynolds (14-74; 1-1-12) mixing in later in the game despite losing a fumble. If the Lions get up in games, they will just run, run, run and run some more to salt games away. Just as an aside, if David Montgomery comes back and relegates Gibbs to 5-to-7 carries each week after the show he put on in Week 8, it’s time to march with pitchforks to Detroit Lions HQ.

Amon-Ra St. Brown (8-6-108) is really #good. Sam LaPorta (10-8-57-1) is also REALLY #good. Both St. Brown and LaPorta combined for 56% of the Detroit targets on the night, and deservedly so.

Week 8 Detroit Lions Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta, Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery (Missed Week 7/8 - rib)

Start ‘Em: Jared Goff

Keep Them Rostered: Jameson Williams (deeper 12 & 14-team; the fact that the Lions traded for Donovan Peoples-Jones doesn’t seem like the most ringing endorsement for Jamo here), Josh Reynolds (14-team), Craig Reynolds (14-team)

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Green Bay Packers

I said it last week; I’ll say it this week: this team stinks.

The young weapons aren’t thriving together, and it starts at the top with Jordan Love, who has been woefully below average now that he has his full complement of weapons. The term “weapons” is used loosely, by the way.

It’s a struggle even to get one of these passing-game weapons to have a fantasy-relevant day, so Romeo Doubs (9-4-18-1; 80% routes) got that distinction this week despite a line plagued with inefficiency. Love overshot Christian Watson (8-3-33) on a couple of deep ball attempts. The Packers did scheme stuff for Jayden Reed (6-4-83), who had the best and most productive day of the Packers receivers and ran a career-high in routes (88%).

Aaron Jones (7-29; 5-4-17) doesn’t seem fully healthy as he’s still running with a reduced snap share (50%) compared to A.J. Dillon (6-11; 5-5-41) and his 53% snaps. It’s still not a fruitful offense to start anybody from, much less guys like Jones and Watson.

It’s bad out here.

Week 8 Green Bay Packers Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: N/A

Start ‘Em: N/A

Keep Them Rostered: Aaron Jones (clearly isn’t 100% right now), Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed (deeper 12 &14-team), Luke Musgrave (deeper 12 & 14-team), AJ Dillon (14-team)

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Houston Texans

The Texans went away from pretty much every gameplan they’ve employed this season to go super run-heavy against the Panthers with an -11.4% pass rate over expected, their lowest percentage of the season. Unfortunately, they galaxy-brained themselves, kept Carolina in the game, and gave them their first win of the season.

Everything from a passing standpoint was their worst output of the season, with C.J. Stroud passing for just 140 yards on 24 attempts. Only Nico Collins (6-4-30) had more than four receptions. Tank Dell (4-3-16; 3-15) was involved a little bit in the heavy running attack as a change of pace from giving Dameon Pierce (12-46) the ball for three yards.

Week 8 Houston Texans Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: N/A

Start ‘Em: Nico Collins, Tank Dell, C.J. Stroud (borderline)

Keep Them Rostered: Dameon Pierce, Devin Singletary, Dalton Schultz, Robert Woods (missed Week 8 - foot)

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Indianapolis Colts

The one thing I continue to talk about is Gardner Minshew being the quarterback for this particular Colts team and what it means for the pass-catchers here. You’re likely not getting the volume (albeit inefficient; beggars can’t be choosers) you’d be getting for Michael Pittman (13-8-40-1) and Josh Downs (9-7-72). I’m not saying that Anthony Richardson COULDN’T do that, but his particular range of outcomes for 2023 had bringing volume to his pass-catchers very high towards the nut optimal outcome rather than something we could expect weekly, like his rushing. In a weird byproduct of Richardson missing 2023, it establishes Downs as the second weapon in the passing game instead of moving chess pieces around like the Colts have done for most of this decade. With a core of Richardson, Pittman, Downs, and the newly extended Jonathan Taylor, the Colts are in pretty good shape but need to shore up some more vital components of their offense and defense.

Speaking of Taylor (12-95; 2-1-2), his snaps got up to 60% in Week 8, and Zack Moss (11-66-1; 1-1-8) came down to 30%, but Moss took the majority of running back touches in the second half negative game script to just two for Taylor. These kinds of things swing back the other way, especially with Taylor working his way back into form. But Moss is going to be a thorn in the side of fantasy managers all season because he’s likely not going away, having earned a role on this team thanks to his excellent play at the beginning of the season.

Week 8 Indianapolis Colts Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: Michael Pittman

Start ‘Em: Zack Moss, Jonathan Taylor

Keep Them Rostered: Josh Downs, Gardner Minshew (deeper 12 & 14-team)

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Jacksonville Jaguars

Just five Jaguars earned targets in Week 8, and all but one target went to the correct players — great! It's a bit of a return to form for Calvin Ridley (10-6-83), the much-discussed and debated receiver who, no matter what is still really good in a good offensive environment with a quality cast of weapons around him. Ridley’s 10 targets were matched by Evan Engram (10-10-88), who had an excellent day in his own right. Christian Kirk (5-4-46) took a bit of a backseat here to Ridley and Engram.

The Travis Etienne (24-79; 6-3-70-1) train keeps on chugging along with a season-high 89% routes and utter domination of this backfield.

Week 8 Jacksonville Jaguars Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: Travis Etienne, Trevor Lawrence

Start ‘Em: Calvin Ridley, Christian Kirk, Evan Engram

Keep Them Rostered: Zay Jones (missed Week 6-8 - knee)

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Kansas City Chiefs

Further proof that anything can happen in the NFL, the Chiefs turned the ball over five times, including two interceptions and a fumble from Patrick Mahomes, as the Chiefs took a massive road loss to the mediocre Denver Broncos.

As far as actual production, Travis Kelce (9-6-58) still put up a usable week at the very least. Rashee Rice (5-4-56; 59% routes) continues to produce amidst the carousel of Chiefs wide receivers.

No change at all on the running back front for Kansas City. Isiah Pacheco (8-40; 4-3-(-3)) takes most of the carries, and Jerick McKinnon (2-(-2); 2-1-11) mops up and grabs some passing down work. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Week 8 Kansas City Chiefs Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes

Start ‘Em: Isiah Pacheco

Keep Them Rostered: Rashee Rice, Jerick McKinnon (14-team) 

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Las Vegas Raiders

Week 8 was apparently the straw that broke the camel’s back for our favorite bowl-cutted NFL owner Mark Davis, as he fired both head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager David Ziegler. Jimmy Garoppolo? Not it. He and his 10-for-21 for 126 yards with an interception are heading to the bench in favor of Aidan O’Connell. We’ll see if interim head coach Antonio Pierce, a former player and well-respected in circles, can have the same impact as previous interim head coach Rich Bisaccia had to bring the Raiders to the playoffs after Jon Gruden’s firing.

You could tell just how frustrated Davante Adams (7-1-11) was after having multiple deep balls airmailed over his head and off-target. No Raider caught more than two passes in Week 8, and it was just an ugly performance outside of Josh Jacobs (15-61-1; 4-2-27), who found the end zone for the only offensive touchdown for the Silver and Black while leading the team in receiving yards. Yup, it was THAT kind of night.

Week 8 Las Vegas Raiders Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: Davante Adams, Josh Jacobs

Start ‘Em: Jakobi Meyers

Keep Them Rostered: Michael Mayer

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers social media team is the legit BEST.

We’ve talked about the post-bye route bumps for rookie pass-catchers like Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Dalton Kincaid, and Michael Mayer, but that hasn’t really materialized for Quentin Johnston (6-5-50; 66% routes) so far. Perhaps out of necessity for the Chargers, we could be getting that here starting with Week 8. Johnston had his best game when the Chargers needed him, with Joshua Palmer (4-3-24) banged up for a portion of their Week 8 win against the Bears. Johnston also saw a solid 22.2% targets per route run and a normalized 7.8-yard aDOT.

The Chargers’ offense looked more like what we’ve been expecting from them before the season, and it’s no surprise that a healthy Austin Ekeler (15-29; 8-7-94-1) reshapes their offense and takes some defensive attention away from Justin Herbert, Keenan Allen (10-8-69), etc.

For Johnston, his career-high counting stats and utilization aren’t something we’re victory-lapping, but it’s a positive note for him and something to hopefully build off of because we know that the depth behind Allen, Palmer, and Johnston is severely lacking, especially if Palmer and his knee injury are going to be a thing here in the next couple of weeks. The Chargers drafted Johnston in the first round for a reason, and he’s going to get the opportunity to pay that off in the latter half of the season. You can’t start Johnston right now unless you’re desperate, but he needs to be monitored for right now. Proactive fantasy managers can stash him if they have room on their rosters for somebody in an elite offense who could work his way into a big piece of the massive volume for the Chargers.

Week 8 Los Angeles Chargers Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: Keenan Allen, Justin Herbert, Austin Ekeler

Start ‘Em: Joshua Palmer

Keep Them Rostered: Quentin Johnson (stash for all leagues)

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Los Angeles Rams

With not only a blowout game script, but the team losing Matthew Stafford in Week 8 to a thumb ligament injury, the Rams trying to make the game respectable with backup quarterback Brett Rypien an exercise in futility no matter how good the weapons are. Cooper Kupp (10-4-21) and Puka Nacua (7-3-43) struggled with efficiency big time and Tyler Higbee (7-5-45) earned some targets for the first time in a while. Ben Skowronek (1-1-20-1; just 9% routes) was the recipient of the lone receiving touchdown for the Rams that nobody asked for.

Still a two-man split in the running game, with Royce Freeman (9-44-1) getting the edge in routes and snaps (plus a touchdown), but Darrell Henderson (12-31; 3-3-54) seeing more touches. Freeman should be rostered in most leagues and is a viable flex in the majority of them.

Week 8 Los Angeles Rams Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: Cooper Kupp, Puca Nacua

Start ‘Em: N/A

Keep Them Rostered: Darrell Henderson, Royce Freeman, Matthew Stafford (left Week 8 - thumb), Tyler Higbee (14-team), Tutu Atwell (14-team), Kyren Williams (on IR - ankle)

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Miami Dolphins