Week 8 gave us several great divisional matchups, including three one-score games in the early window. Running backs dominated the storylines this week — there was a four-touchdown performance, as well as several teams either reacting to new injuries or utilizing players coming back from injury. Most noteworthy are the starting RBs who saw a big decline in their roles this week.
As always, this collection of fantasy reactions will include snap counts for skill players on each team, along with notes on players who saw their fantasy stocks rise or fall during the action — and how we should react to anything new.
This article will be updated as late games wrap up.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens
| Pittsburgh Steelers | Baltimore Ravens |
| WR | WR |
| Diontae Johnson – 41 snaps | Marquise Brown – 77 snaps |
| Chase Claypool – 41 snaps | Willie Snead IV – 59 snaps |
| JuJu Smith-Schuster – 41 snaps | Devin Duvernay – 37 snaps |
| Ray-Ray McCloud III – 22 snaps | Miles Boykin – 33 snaps |
| James Washington – 10 snaps | James Proche – 3 snaps |
| TE | TE |
| Eric Ebron – 46 snaps | Mark Andrews – 51 snaps |
| Vance McDonald – 21 snaps | Nick Boyle – 50 snaps |
| HB | HB |
| James Conner – 31 snaps | J.K. Dobbins – 54 snaps |
| Jaylen Samuels – 8 snaps | Gus Edwards – 26 snaps |
| Anthony McFarland Jr. – 1 snap | Justice Hill – 2 snaps |
| Total – 53 snaps | Total – 82 snaps |
Winner: RB J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens’ three-man backfield turned into a two-man backfield for this game due to Mark Ingram’s injury. Gus Edwards kept the role he usually has in the offense, while Dobbins took on both his usual role as well as Ingram’s. Dobbins didn’t do much with his third-down receiving role, but he gained 113 yards on 15 carries as a rusher. His 113 rushing yards was the most by a Ravens running back this season, while Edwards’ 87 was second-most. Those were also the best and second-best yardage totals by a back against the Steelers this season. There is no guarantee that Dobbins will have a larger role in the offense once Ingram is back, but after this game he definitely deserves one.
Waiver Wire Target: TE Eric Ebron, Pittsburgh Steelers
Ebron started the season as the clear receiving tight end while Vance McDonald was the clear run-blocking tight end. No other tight end has played a snap for the Steelers so far. As the season has gone on, they’ve been used evenly in run-blocking situations, making it rare for Ebron to leave the field. He caught four of five passes thrown his way for 48 yards and a touchdown this week. The Steelers have only thrown nine passes all season when Pittsburgh is within 10 yards of scoring. That should regress to the mean, giving Ebron more touchdown opportunities going forward.
Injury: WR Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers
Johnson had his hamstring checked out in the first quarter but returned to the game. It may not have had a large impact on his playing time, but it could help explain his poor numbers in this game. He caught one of three passes thrown his way for 6 yards. Both Chase Claypool and JuJu Smith-Schuster had more targets and were much more involved in the offense. The Steelers will typically run more than 53 total offensive plays against defenses that aren’t the Ravens, so Johnson will get plenty of opportunities. But the consistent injuries have been concerning for Johnson and could lead to more games like this.
New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills
| New England Patriots | Buffalo Bills |
| WR | WR |
| Damiere Byrd – 65 snaps | Stefon Diggs – 53 snaps |
| Jakobi Meyers – 64 snaps | John Brown – 47 snaps |
| Gunner Olszewski – 42 snaps | Cole Beasley – 36 snaps |
| Isaiah Zuber – 6 snaps | Gabriel Davis – 35 snaps |
| Isaiah McKenzie – 6 snaps | |
| TE | TE |
| Ryan Izzo – 48 snaps | Tyler Kroft – 37 snaps |
| Reggie Gilliam – 9 snaps | |
| Lee Smith – 8 snaps | |
| HB | HB |
| Rex Burkhead – 32 snaps | Zack Moss – 31 snaps |
| James White – 31 snaps | Devin Singletary – 28 snaps |
| Damien Harris – 20 snaps | |
| Total – 65 snaps | Total – 58 snaps |
Winner: RB Zack Moss, Buffalo Bills
Moss had his best game yet with the Bills — this was the first time he led the team’s running backs in snaps. He carried 14 times, which was just as many as Devin Singletary. In every game Moss has played in the NFL, he’s had upside because he’s been Buffalo’s running back in the red zone. This week was the first time he was able to capitalize off of it, scoring the Bills’ first two touchdowns of the day. At this point, Moss is the running back to have from the Bills, since he should see just as many, if not more, opportunities than Singletary, and he will definitely see the touchdown opportunities.
Loser: WR John Brown, Buffalo Bills
Brown had a great start to the season with back-to-back games of 70 or more yards and a touchdown. He followed that up with no catches in two of the following three games. This week wasn’t much better with one 21-yard catch. The Bills’ passing offense hasn’t looked great these last few weeks. Stefon Diggs was the only offensive player for Buffalo with more than two targets. It’s worth noting that Brown has been dealing with a knee injury, which could be impacting him, but it didn’t have an impact on his playing time. At this point, it’s hard to start Brown. He shouldn’t be dropped yet because his recent poor play could be injury related, or he could turn things around if the Bills’ offense gets things back on track.
Waiver Wire Target: WR Jakobi Meyers, New England Patriots
The Patriots offense in general has been one to avoid for fantasy purposes. Meyers stood out for the second straight week among the Patriots receivers. He had nine targets while no one else on the Patriots offense had more than four. He had another two targets on plays called back by penalty. He finished the day with six receptions for 58 yards. Meyers only started seeing significant playing time in the offense a week ago, and he had 60 yards in that game. He is the only Patriots receiver with two straight games with 58 or more yards. Given how much the Patriots have been behind and how much he’s already become part of the offense, he should continue to see several targets each game.
Tennessee Titans at Cincinnati Bengals
| Tennessee Titans | Cincinnati Bengals |
| WR | WR |
| A.J. Brown – 59 snaps | A.J. Green – 62 snaps |
| Corey Davis – 49 snaps | Tee Higgins – 57 snaps |
| Kalif Raymond – 24 snaps | Tyler Boyd – 55 snaps |
| Adam Humphries – 12 snaps | Auden Tate – 33 snaps |
| Nick Westbrook – 1 snap | Mike Thomas – 6 snaps |
| Alex Erickson – 1 snap | |
| TE | TE |
| Jonnu Smith – 50 snaps | Drew Sample – 62 snaps |
| Anthony Firkser – 27 snaps | Cethan Carter – 16 snaps |
| MyCole Pruitt – 16 snaps | Mason Schreck – 2 snaps |
| HB | HB |
| Derrick Henry – 33 snaps | Giovani Bernard – 48 snaps |
| Jeremy McNichols – 22 snaps | Samaje Perine – 23 snaps |
| D’Onta Foreman – 6 snaps | |
| Total – 62 snaps | Total – 73 snaps |
Winner: RB Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati Bengals
Bernard was the Bengals’ primary running back for the second week with Joe Mixon missing time with injury. He was the only player in this game with two touchdowns — one on the ground and another through the air. Bernard ended up with 62 yards on 15 carries. His backup, Samaje Perine, also had significant playing time and also scored a touchdown. As long as Mixon is out, Bernard will continue to be a RB2.
Returning From Injury: RB D’Onta Foreman, Tennessee Titans
Foreman saw his first NFL action in 22 months. The former Texan was viewed as a future starter back in 2017 when he was a rookie, but his career was derailed by injuries. He was added to the Titans practice squad at the end of September and elevated from the practice squad on Saturday. The spot on the roster became available because Darrynton Evans landed on injured reserve two weeks ago. The Titans had been going with two running backs until adding Foreman. The Titans only gave him six snaps, but he had five carries for 37 yards. He looked good — there’s a decent chance Foreman would be the Titans running back to pick up if Derrick Henry were to get hurt. Jeremy McNichols has seen plenty of snaps this season but primarily on passing downs. Even if he doesn’t become fantasy-relevant again this year, it’s good to see him back after missing so much time.
Injury: WR Adam Humphries, Tennessee Titans
Humphries left the game late in the second quarter after a helmet-to helmet hit. He had two targets in the game but no catches. His playing time was more limited than usual due to the number of two-tight-end sets Tennessee used to start the game. Kalif Raymond took over in three-wide-receiver sets over the rest of the game. Raymond had managed 2.71 yards per route run coming into the game — that was fifth-most among wide receivers with at least 10 targets. He ended up with one catch for 11 yards. The Titans’ passing offense in general didn’t have a good game. If Humphries were to miss time, expect Raymond to continue his increase in playing time. In deeper leagues, it’s worth taking a flier on him based on how well he’s played in limited time this season.
Las Vegas Raiders at Cleveland Browns
| Las Vegas Raiders | Cleveland Browns |
| WR | WR |
| Nelson Agholor – 56 snaps | Jarvis Landry – 38 snaps |
| Henry Ruggs III – 54 snaps | Rashard Higgins – 35 snaps |
| Hunter Renfrow – 15 snaps | KhaDarel Hodge – 34 snaps |
| Zay Jones – 10 snaps | Donovan Peoples-Jones – 4 snaps |
| Taywan Taylor – 3 snaps | |
| TE | TE |
| Darren Waller – 57 snaps | Harrison Bryant – 39 snaps |
| Jason Witten – 38 snaps | David Njoku – 29 snaps |
| Foster Moreau – 31 snaps | Stephen Carlson – 9 snaps |
| Derek Carrier – 1 snap | |
| HB | HB |
| Josh Jacobs – 48 snaps | Kareem Hunt – 42 snaps |
| Jalen Richard – 14 snaps | D’Ernest Johnson – 6 snaps |
| Devontae Booker – 10 snaps | |
| Total – 72 snaps | Total – 49 snaps |
Winner: WR Hunter Renfrow, Las Vegas Raiders
Hunter gets the winner spot simply by scoring the game's only touchdown. Renfrow caught all four passes thrown his way for 26 yards. What makes his performance much more impressive is the fact that he only played 15 snaps and ran only 11 pass routes. Renfrow mostly plays in three-wide-receiver sets, and the Raiders only did that 14 times all game. With this type of workload, I would not be rushing to pick him up off waivers.
Loser: RB Kareem Hunt, Cleveland Browns
Hunt was expected to be one of the top fantasy running backs of the week. The Raiders had given up the second-most fantasy points per game to running backs. As expected, Hunt played the vast majority of snaps but didn’t do a lot with it. He ran for 66 yards on 14 carries and caught two passes for seven yards. The problem had more to do with the rest of the team than Hunt. The Raiders dominated time of possession with five drives of over 10 plays. This led to the Browns only having six drives — and half were over after five plays or less.
Returning From Injury: WR KhaDarel Hodge, Cleveland Browns
The Browns are without Odell Beckham Jr. for the rest of the season, which opens up opportunities for the rest of the wide receivers. Rashard Higgins stepped up to the No. 2 role, as expected. Hodge started the season as the Browns’ third wide receiver but then landed on injured reserve. He returned this week and returned to the same role he had before. He didn’t end up with any targets, as Jarvis Landry dominated the target share. Hodge should continue to see a high percentage of playing time going forward and will see more targets.
Indianapolis Colts at Detroit Lions
| Indianapolis Colts | Detroit Lions |
| WR | WR |
| Zach Pascal – 58 snaps | Marvin Jones Jr. – 60 snaps |
| Marcus Johnson – 48 snaps | Marvin Hall – 42 snaps |
| Michael Pittman Jr. – 45 snaps | Danny Amendola – 41 snaps |
| T.Y. Hilton – 28 snaps | Kenny Golladay – 18 snaps |
| Ashton Dulin – 9 snaps | Jamal Agnew – 7 snaps |
| TE | TE |
| Jack Doyle – 45 snaps | T.J. Hockenson – 45 snaps |
| Trey Burton – 39 snaps | Jesse James – 20 snaps |
| Mo Alie-Cox – 32 snaps | Isaac Nauta – 6 snaps |
| HB | HB |
| Jordan Wilkins – 39 snaps | D'Andre Swift – 38 snaps |
| Jonathan Taylor – 26 snaps | Adrian Peterson – 12 snaps |
| Nyheim Hines – 16 snaps | Kerryon Johnson – 11 snaps |
| Total – 77 snaps | Total – 61 snaps |
Winner: RB Jordan Wilkins, Indianapolis Colts
Wilkins is the winner here after carrying the ball 20 times for 89 yards and a touchdown. A case could also be made for Nyheim Hines, who caught two touchdown passes, but Hines didn’t do much outside of those two plays. Regardless, Jonathan Taylor was the clear loser as far as fantasy is concerned. He carried the ball 11 times for just 22 yards. Taylor played in 61% of snaps in the first quarter, which dropped to 33% in the second quarter and 13% in the second half. Wilkins had been outplaying Taylor coming into the game with more avoided tackles and a much higher yards after contact per carry. Wilkins is a waiver wire target as he could continue to see the majority of carries going forward. The Colts aren’t going to give up on Taylor, which limits Wilkins’ upside, but there is definitely a chance this wasn’t just a one-game change.
Injury: WR Kenny Golladay, Detroit Lions
Golladay suffered a hip injury in the second quarter and didn’t return to the game. Before leaving, he had four targets but was held without a catch. Marvin Hall took his place as the outside receiver opposite Marvin Jones. Hall ended up with the most receiving yards in the game with 113 in part due to a 73-yard catch. Jones had one touchdown before Golladay’s injury as well as one after. If Golladay were to miss time, Hall could be a waiver wire target for a receiver-needy team. It could also potentially boost Jones’ value. The veteran didn’t play great early in the season when Golladay was gone, but it’s hard not to be at least a little excited after a two-touchdown game.
Injury: WR T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts
Hilton suffered a groin injury late in the second quarter, which kept him out for the rest of the game. He was seeing his usual amount of playing time before leaving the game, but that only led to two catches on two targets for nine yards. Michael Pittman Jr. returned from injured reserve this week. He had been splitting time with Marcus Johnson before the Hilton injury. Hilton’s injury led to both players seeing more playing time. Eleven different Colts had catches in the game, making it hard for any one receiver to have a great game. Regardless of Hilton’s health, the wide receivers in Indianapolis should be avoided because the offense focuses so heavily on the tight ends and running backs.
Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers
| Minnesota Vikings | Green Bay Packers |
| WR | WR |
| Adam Thielen – 47 snaps | Davante Adams – 70 snaps |
| Justin Jefferson – 34 snaps | Marquez Valdes-Scantling – 61 snaps |
| Chad Beebe – 11 snaps | Equanimeous St. Brown – 22 snaps |
| Olabisi Johnson – 2 snaps | Tyler Ervin – 20 snaps |
| Darrius Shepherd – 18 snaps | |
| Malik Taylor – 13 snaps | |
| TE | TE |
| Irv Smith Jr. – 41 snaps | Robert Tonyan – 46 snaps |
| Kyle Rudolph – 39 snaps | Jace Sternberger – 27 snaps |
| Tyler Conklin – 11 snaps | Marcedes Lewis – 20 snaps |
| HB | HB |
| Dalvin Cook – 46 snaps | Jamaal Williams – 63 snaps |
| Alexander Mattison – 5 snaps | A.J. Dillon – 10 snaps |
| Total – 52 snaps | Total – 74 snaps |
Winner: RB Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings
Cook is having an excellent season — he’s had at least 50 rushing yards and a touchdown in every game he’s played, and his receiving production has increased as the season’s gone on. There was a bump in the road as Cook missed a game with an injury, but he was back and ready for his best game of the season against the Packers. He ran the ball 25 times for 147 yards and three touchdowns. He doubled the Vikings’ next best receiver in receiving yards at 63 and added a touchdown catch. No other Vikings player scored a touchdown, and Minnesota only needed 14 passing attempts. He could be the fantasy MVP of the season.
Honorable Mention: WR Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers
Typically when someone scores three touchdowns, he’s automatically the winner of the week. Unfortunately for Adams, Cook’s four touchdowns took the cake. Adams was targeted 12 times, which led to seven catches for 53 yards. He never had a big play in terms of yards gained, but he was the only Packer to score a touchdown. He was WR16 on the season coming into this game despite only playing in four games. He should move up that list despite only playing five now.
Loser: WR Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings
When these teams faced each other in Week 1, Thielen was followed by Jaire Alexander but still ended up having a big game with two touchdowns. This time around, the Packers used Alexander on Justin Jefferson instead, which should have led to an even bigger game from Thielen. Thielen was held to 27 yards on three catches. His biggest problem was that the Vikings’ run game was too effective, so Minnesota didn’t need to pass. Going forward, if teams are viewing Jefferson as their best receiver, that should lead to plenty of opportunities for Thielen down the stretch.
New York Jets at Kansas City Chiefs
| New York Jets | Kansas City Chiefs |
| WR | WR |
| Denzel Mims – 55 snaps | Tyreek Hill – 50 snaps |
| Jeff Smith – 48 snaps | Mecole Hardman – 45 snaps |
| Braxton Berrios – 48 snaps | Byron Pringle – 37 snaps |
| Vyncint Smith – 13 snaps | Demarcus Robinson – 36 snaps |
| Marcus Kemp – 12 snaps | |
| TE | TE |
| Chris Herndon – 40 snaps | Travis Kelce – 50 snaps |
| Ryan Griffin – 16 snaps | Nick Keizer – 19 snaps |
| Trevon Wesco – 9 snaps | Deon Yelder – 16 snaps |
| HB | HB |
| La'Mical Perine – 28 snaps | Clyde Edwards-Helaire – 33 snaps |
| Frank Gore – 22 snaps | Le'Veon Bell – 17 snaps |
| Ty Johnson – 6 snaps | Darrel Williams – 8 snaps |
| Darwin Thompson – 7 snaps | |
| Total – 57 snaps | Total – 66 snaps |
Winner: QB Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Mahomes took advantage of possibly the biggest mismatch of the season. He was the first quarterback this season with 400 or more passing yards and five touchdowns. His big-name players Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill had big games with a combined 207 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Both Mecole Hardman and Demarcus Robinson also had over 50 yards and a touchdown each.
Loser: RB Le’Veon Bell, Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs used both of their running backs on the first drive and then proceeded to use their running back by rotation. Both Bell and Clyde Edwards-Helaire ended up with the exact same number of carries, targets, catches and touchdowns. Bell ended up with seven more yards. Despite gaining more yards, Bell was pulled out of the rotation for some reason in the third quarter. The backs split playing time over the first 40 minutes, but Edwards-Helaire was given three straight drives before the backups came in late in the third quarter and the start of the fourth quarter. In more competitive games, both running backs should see more playing time.
Waiver Wire Target: WR Denzel Mims, New York Jets
Mims was the closest thing the Jets had to a bright spot on offense. He led the skill players in snaps and yards. Mims ended up catching two of three passes thrown his way for 42 yards. Both Braxton Berrios and Jeff Smith had significantly more targets but were nowhere near as effective. Ideally, the Jets will give Mims a lot more targets. If that happens, he should have some big games.
Los Angeles Rams at Miami Dolphins
| Los Angeles Rams | Miami Dolphins |
| WR | WR |
| Robert Woods – 92 snaps | Preston Williams – 44 snaps |
| Cooper Kupp – 88 snaps | DeVante Parker – 29 snaps |
| Josh Reynolds – 77 snaps | Isaiah Ford – 17 snaps |
| Van Jefferson – 14 snaps | Jakeem Grant – 16 snaps |
| Malcolm Perry – 7 snaps | |
| Mack Hollins – 2 snaps | |
| TE | TE |
| Tyler Higbee – 57 snaps | Durham Smythe – 32 snaps |
| Gerald Everett – 52 snaps | Mike Gesicki – 28 snaps |
| Adam Shaheen – 16 snaps | |
| HB | HB |
| Malcolm Brown – 57 snaps | Myles Gaskin – 43 snaps |
| Cam Akers – 20 snaps | Matt Breida – 8 snaps |
| Darrell Henderson – 18 snaps | |
| Total – 95 snaps | Total – 49 snaps |
Winner: WR Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams
Kupp was the only player in this game with over 100 yards. He caught 11 of 19 passes thrown his way for 110 yards. On the downside, someone with that many targets should be seeing more yards. On the other hand, that is the second-most targets any player has seen in a game this season. In a game where the Rams ended up passing over 60 times, it’s noteworthy that Kupp saw over 30% of the targets while the running backs and Tyler Higbee failed to see many.
Loser: TE Mike Gesicki, Miami Dolphins
There are several options for the loser here. No running back had more than 50 yards rushing. No Dolphins receiver had more than 16 receiving yards, and several Rams could have done more in the passing game. Gesicki was picked here because this has become a pattern — the Dolphins only use Gesicki in clear passing situations, so in games when the Dolphins are competitive or winning results, Gesicki sees a reduced role. He was held to one catch on two targets for eight yards. This was the fourth time in five games where he had one or fewer catches. He can still be put into starting lineups in games where Miami is a big underdog, but he will need to become a better blocker to be a consistent offensive player and fantasy starter.
Injury: RB Darrell Henderson, Los Angeles Rams
Henderson left early in the game with a hip injury and didn’t return. Over the first six drives, Henderson was playing in two-thirds of snaps while Malcolm Brown had the other third. Henderson was looking good with 47 rushing yards on eight carries, as well as an 11-yard catch. As long as Henderson’s health is fine, he can continue to be trusted as a fantasy starter. Over the rest of the game, Brown and Cam Akers split early-down carries. Brown maintained his usual third-down role and hurry-up offense role throughout the game. If Henderson does miss time, Brown would be the player to own since he should split carries while seeing most of the pass work. Akers would also have value in matchups where the Rams should have a lead and run a lot.
Los Angeles Chargers at Denver Broncos
| Los Angeles Chargers | Denver Broncos |
| WR | WR |
| Keenan Allen – 85 snaps | DaeSean Hamilton – 61 snaps |
| Mike Williams – 76 snaps | Jerry Jeudy – 58 snaps |
| Jalen Guyton – 76 snaps | K.J. Hamler – 52 snaps |
| Jason Moore – 10 snaps | Fred Brown – 5 snaps |
| Joe Reed – 2 snaps | |
| K.J. Hill – 1 snap | |
| TE | TE |
| Hunter Henry – 84 snaps | Noah Fant – 50 snaps |
| Donald Parham – 10 snaps | Albert Okwuegbunam – 17 snaps |
| Stephen Anderson – 1 snap | Nick Vannett – 11 snaps |
| HB | HB |
| Justin Jackson – 41 snaps | Melvin Gordon III – 36 snaps |
| Troymaine Pope – 25 snaps | Phillip Lindsay – 29 snaps |
| Joshua Kelley – 21 snaps | |
| Total – 87 snaps | Total – 65 snaps |
Winner: WR Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers
Several wide receivers put up solid numbers in this one. Allen led the way with nine catches on 11 targets — both highs among WRs — for 67 yards and a touchdown. This was nowhere near the WR1’s ceiling, but he did what fantasy managers needed him to do. He remains a must-start every week.
Loser: RB Melvin Gordon III, Denver Broncos
Gordon continues to have a slight lead in playing time over Phillip Lindsay but is just not being effective. Gordon ran the ball eight times for just 3.3 yards per carry. His fantasy value was redeemed in PPR leagues thanks to a six-catch performance, but he was held to 3.5 yards per catch. Lindsay again outshined him with 83 yards on six carries and a touchdown. It wouldn’t be surprising if Lindsay starts to see more snaps than Gordon in the near future.
Waiver Wire Target: RB Troymaine Pope, Los Angeles Chargers
In recent weeks, the Chargers had a two-man backfield, but this week it turned into a three-person backfield thanks to Pope. Justin Jackson maintained the role he’s had in recent weeks, but Pope cut significantly into Joshua Kelley’s playing time. Jackson led the team in carries, but Pope looked good on his 10 attempts with 67 yards. Kelley was held to seven carries for 32 yards. Pope is worth adding in case he takes even more of Kelley’s time or another back in Los Angeles gets hurt.
New Orleans Saints at Chicago Bears
| New Orleans Saints | Chicago Bears |
| WR | WR |
| Juwan Johnson – 64 snaps | Allen Robinson II – 68 snaps |
| Tre'Quan Smith – 58 snaps | Darnell Mooney – 65 snaps |
| Deonte Harris – 39 snaps | Anthony Miller – 53 snaps |
| Austin Carr – 21 snaps | Javon Wims – 9 snaps |
| Tommylee Lewis – 5 snaps | |
| TE | TE |
| Jared Cook – 40 snaps | Jimmy Graham – 44 snaps |
| Josh Hill – 22 snaps | Cole Kmet – 30 snaps |
| Adam Trautman – 16 snaps | Demetrius Harris – 5 snaps |
| J.P. Holtz – 5 snaps | |
| HB | HB |
| Alvin Kamara – 58 snaps | David Montgomery – 59 snaps |
| Latavius Murray – 18 snaps | Cordarrelle Patterson – 10 snaps |
| Total – 74 snaps | Total – 70 snaps |
Winner: WR Darnell Mooney, Chicago Bears
Mooney gets the top spot here after having the best game of his career so far. He caught five of six passes thrown his way for 69 yards and a touchdown. Mooney continues to see his role increase in the offense, and he needs to be picked up in more leagues. It’s worth noting that he wasn’t the only one with a good game. Alvin Kamara had over 150 total yards but didn’t score a touchdown. Allen Robinson II had one more catch and a few more yards than Mooney, but he’s locked in as a WR1.
Loser: TE Jimmy Graham, Chicago Bears
Graham saw a decrease in playing time this week that coincided with an increase by second-round rookie Cole Kmet. This trend that could continue in upcoming weeks. Despite the decreased time, Graham’s seven targets tied for the second-most on the team. He only ended up catching two of those passes for 13 yards. This was both a bad game and a bad sign for his rest-of-season value.
Player To Cut: RB Latavius Murray, New Orleans Saints
The Saints were really hurting at wide receiver today. They ended up using Alvin Kamara more at wide receiver than usual, putting Murray in the backfield more. The workload led to eight carries, but Murray only made 17 yards out of them. This was the best Murray could have hoped for outside of Kamara getting hurt, and he barely averaged over two yards per carry. There are plenty of people holding onto Murray in case Kamara gets hurt. If you have enough roster spots to do that, then hold onto Murray. If you were hoping for value out of Murray even with Kamara, it’s time to stop waiting.
San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks
| San Francisco 49ers | Seattle Seahawks |
| WR | WR |
| Brandon Aiyuk – 63 snaps | D.K. Metcalf – 65 snaps |
| Kendrick Bourne – 60 snaps | Tyler Lockett – 59 snaps |
| Trent Taylor – 35 snaps | David Moore – 20 snaps |
| Dante Pettis – 3 snaps | Freddie Swain – 19 snaps |
| TE | TE |
| George Kittle – 46 snaps | Will Dissly – 43 snaps |
| Ross Dwelley – 39 snaps | Greg Olsen – 37 snaps |
| Charlie Woerner – 6 snaps | Jacob Hollister – 26 snaps |
| Colby Parkinson – 3 snaps | |
| HB | HB |
| Jerick McKinnon – 35 snaps | DeeJay Dallas – 54 snaps |
| JaMycal Hasty – 29 snaps | Travis Homer – 7 snaps |
| Tevin Coleman – 6 snaps | |
| Total – 70 snaps | Total – 68 snaps |
Winner: WR D.K. Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks
Metcalf was the obvious winner of the game with 161 yards on 12 catches and two touchdowns. Metcalf had an excellent start to the season with five-straight games with 90 or more yards and an average of a touchdown per game. Last week, he didn’t have as much production because Tyler Lockett had a career game. Metcalf more than made up for it today. It was particularly impressive that Metcalf was constantly involved with the offense rather than breaking off a few big plays.
Loser: RB Travis Homer, Seattle Seahawks
Homer started the season as the third running back on the Seahawks’ depth chart and was seeing a few snaps a game even when everyone was healthy. He had seen more snaps both as a rusher and receiver than rookie DeeJay Dallas in every game before this one. With the top two running backs out this week, it seemed like both players would see significant opportunities. Instead, Dallas was used all game. The rookie wasn’t particularly effective with 41 yards on 18 carries, but he did have a touchdown. Homer gained four yards on his only carry. If the Seahawks running backs continue to miss time, Dallas would be the player to roster.
Injury: RB Tevin Coleman, San Francisco 49ers
Coleman was just returning from injury, but he only lasted two drives before being pulled out and missing the rest of the game. In those two drives, Coleman played six of 10 early down snaps with JaMycal Hasty playing the rest. Jerick McKinnon played the third-down snaps on those drives. Coleman looked good on the limited sample size with 20 yards on three carries. Over the rest of the game, Hasty had the majority of the early-down work, while McKinnon played more of it as the game went on and the 49ers were attempting to catch up. If Coleman misses more time and none of the other backs returned, Hasty would be the player to target in this backfield.
Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles
| Dallas Cowboys | Philadelphia Eagles |
| WR | WR |
| Michael Gallup – 69 snaps | Travis Fulgham – 60 snaps |
| Amari Cooper – 59 snaps | Greg Ward – 59 snaps |
| CeeDee Lamb – 37 snaps | Jalen Reagor – 47 snaps |
| Cedrick Wilson – 19 snaps | John Hightower – 10 snaps |
| Noah Brown – 16 snaps | J.J. Arcega-Whiteside – 5 snaps |
| TE | TE |
| Dalton Schultz – 75 snaps | Dallas Goedert – 54 snaps |
| Blake Bell – 41 snaps | Richard Rodgers – 17 snaps |
| Jason Croom – 1 snap | |
| HB | HB |
| Ezekiel Elliott – 62 snaps | Boston Scott – 42 snaps |
| Tony Pollard – 17 snaps | Corey Clement – 20 snaps |
| Jason Huntley – 2 snaps | |
| Total – 79 snaps | Total – 64 snaps |
Winner: WR Travis Fulgham, Philadelphia Eagles
Fulgham was the winner of this game without much competition. He caught six of the seven passes thrown his way for 78 yards and a touchdown. He’s now racked up 70 or more yards in four straight games, and he has found the end zone on four of the last five. It wasn’t surprising that he had a good game against the Cowboys defense, but it was reassuring for Fulgham managers that he could still be the biggest star on the Eagles offense, despite two other receivers coming back from injury. He remains a must-start each week.
Loser: WR Amari Cooper, Dallas Cowboys
Early in the season, several Cowboys skill players would have good games, leaving one player out in the cold. This week, Michael Gallup was the only one heavily involved in the passing game, with everyone else left out. Cooper is the player with the biggest gap between what was expected and how he ended up playing. Cooper was thrown at four times, hauling in one catch for 5 yards. In the future, he should have Andy Dalton throwing to him again, which should result in a higher target share and better passes thrown his way. Having Dalton back should also decrease Gallup’s target share.
Waiver Wire Target: WR Jalen Reagor, Philadelphia Eagles
Reagor played in the first two weeks, where he saw four targets in each game and recorded five catches for 96 yards, but many fantasy managers let him go in the wake of his injury. Reagor played over 80% of three-receiver sets, and the team opted to rotate the two-receiver sets. Reagor ended up with the second-most targets among his teammates, with six — he caught three for 16 yards and a touchdown. Philadelphia will need to be passing more going forward, which should lead to more targets heading Reagor's way. If you have a chance to get a starting-caliber first-round rookie off waivers, take it.
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