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What's up RotoBallers. Below you will find part two of our Week 8 NFL matchups & fantasy football start/sit analysis for the 2016 NFL football season. Ben Ruppert breaks down the second half of the Week 8 matchups to help you prepare your lineups to win this week. Be sure to also check out part one of this week's matchups analysis by Pierre Campus (@pfunk00).
Each week of the NFL season, we will be breaking down individual matchups and providing you with some fantasy football advice and lineup recommendations based on matchups that we love, matchups that we hate, and some high-risk/high-reward players, as well. It’s essential to analyze the weekly NFL match-ups to find lineup sleepers and gems, while also avoiding those players who may turn out to be busts.
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Week 7 Matchup Analysis Recap
Greatest Hits: Michael Crabtree (WR, OAK), Brandin Cooks (WR, NO), Spencer Ware (RB, KC)
Crabtree had a huge bounce back week, catching eight passes for 96 yards and a TD against the Jaguars secondary. He will have many more booms than busts this season with how involved he is in the offense. The Saints lost on the road to KC, but played impressively on offense. Brandin Cooks wasn’t the best Saints receiver, but he did haul in seven passes for 58 yards and a short TD. Michael Thomas dominated the game with 10 catches for 130 yards. Spencer Ware started the game and saw most of the snaps on Sunday while Jamaal Charles was a non-factor. Ware rushed 17 times for 77 yards and caught two passes for 54 yards and a TD. He is a strong RB1 while Charles’ knees are still bothering him.
Greatest Misses: Isaiah Crowell (RB, CLE), Matt Forte (RB, NYJ), Allen Robinson (WR, JAX)
Isaiah Crowell was able to find some holes against a pretty tough Bengals run defense. He rushed only 12 times, but gained 63 yards and scored a TD. He even caught three passes, one less than pass-catching back Duke Johnson Jr. Matt Forte welcomed himself back to fantasy relevance with a huge day on the ground (more to come about Forte below). Robinson put up another stinker when many thought this would be his big game. Unfortunately, he was held to only two catches for nine yards, while Marqise Lee went over 100 yards against a beatable Raiders secondary. His value is dropping like a boulder, but owners shouldn't give up on him just yet.
Jets @ Browns- Sunday 10/30 @ 1:00 PM ET
Matchups We Love
Gary Barnidge (TE, CLE)
After a slow start to the season, Barnidge has picked things up. Over the past five weeks he is averaging five receptions for 65 yards per game, showing great consistency with a low of three receptions for 59 yards. This week the Browns take on the Jets, who have given up the 12th most points to the TE position. In a matchup where it is still unknown who the Browns starting QB will be, and their top WR still not 100%, Barnidge will be in line for a solid game. He is a great play at TE this week in all formats.
Matt Forte (RB, NYJ)
Hey Matt Forte, welcome back! Coming into last week he had four straight mediocre fantasy weeks, but was able to bounce back against a stout Ravens defense. He rushed 30 times for 100 yards and a score last week, while adding four receptions for 54 yards and a TD. The Jets only two wins this season have come when they fed Forte the ball 30 times, so we’ll see this week if this trend catches on. The Browns present a very favorable matchup for the Jets star RB. They have given up the fifth most fantasy points to opposing RBs this season, allowing 125 yards and a TD on the ground per game on average.
Brandon Marshall (WR, NYJ)
Ryan Fitzpatrick back at the helm means good things will come for Brandon Marshall. Fitz had an extremely underwhelming stretch of games before being benched for Geno Smith, but is already back after Smith tore his ACL. A fired up Fitz looked good last week, and now he gets to face the Browns. They have given up the fifth most points to opposing WRs this season. If Fitz can continue playing at a competent level, Marshall will have plenty of chances to burn this beatable secondary. If you’re down on Marshall, this week should change your opinion of him.
Matchups We Hate
Terrelle Pryor (WR, CLE)
Without knowing who the Browns starting QB will be, it’s tough to endorse Pryor in this matchup. If Josh McCown can make his return, it could mean good things against a defense that has given up the fourth and ninth most points to WRs and QBs respectively this season. However, if Kevin Hogan is forced to start this week it will put a damper on the entire offense. It remains to be seen what he is capable of doing in an offense (other than running with the ball, clearly). With Pryor not at 100% health quite yet and questions at QB, I can’t see this matchup going well for him.
Quincy Enunwa (WR, NYJ)
Before Geno Smith left the game after tearing his ACL, he was looking the way of Enunwa a bit more than Fitz did in his last couple of starts. He was even able to break off a short catch for a long TD. With Fitz back as the starting QB, I don’t believe we will see the same results. After Fitz entered the game he did not look his way often, rather he handed the ball off to Forte or looked to Marshall to complete his throws. He wasn’t exactly doing too well before either, so I don’t expect much to change. This game will be dominated by Marshall and Forte leaving Enunwa on the wayside.
Notable Players
Isaiah Crowell (RB, CLE)
Isaiah Crowell is coming off of a surprising performance against the Bengals, gaining 63 yards on only 12 carries with a TD. Crowell has had a very up-and-down year so far, seeing some games with a YPC over seven (!) with other games under two. This week he faces a Jets defense in the middle of the pack at stopping the run. Depending on who the QB is, if they can help him by keeping the defense honest then Crowell could be in line for another solid game. If not, he is likely to run straight into a brick wall of defenders.
Patriots @ Bills- Sunday 10/30 @ 1:00 PM ET
Matchups We Love
Tom Brady (QB, NE)
The last time the Bills played New England, they shut them out at home 16-0. This time in Buffalo, Brady will be back and looking to dominate. He has made three starts this season, and is averaging 335 yards and three TDs per game. The Bills have been dominant against opposing QBs according to their stats, but they have not faced a top-notch QB really this season (best of which being Carson Palmer in Week 3). Brady is a completely different animal, and has dominated the Bills throughout his career. Start him with confidence this week, even with a tough matchup on paper.
Rob Gronkowski (TE, NE)
Gronk is now at 100% health, much the opposite of what he was last time the Pats faced the Bills earlier this season. With a healthy Brady, Gronk has begun to dominate the way he has his entire career. Over the past three weeks he is averaging five receptions for 121 yards, with two TDs in three games. He has done extremely well against the Bills throughout his career, and I expect this game to be no different. Gronk is an easy every week start as long as he’s healthy.
Julian Edelman (WR, NE)
One Patriots player who has not seen his level of fantasy success jump with Brady’s return is Julian Edelman. In the three games since Brady’s return he has averaged just six catches for 42 yards with zero TDs. Gronk and Martellus Bennett have been handling the red zone receptions. Though he hasn’t seen the results, the targets have been there for him; he has 27 targets over the past three weeks. If Edelman can better capitalize on his chances he can have a huge game against this Bills defense. In his past two games against them, he is averaging 10 catches for 94 yards and a TD. Edelman is a strong start this week.
Matchups We Hate
Tyrod Taylor (QB, BUF)
Tyrod Taylor and the Bills are going to need to pass a ton in this game if they want to keep up with New England. Normally I would love Taylor for this type of game, since it will lead to him racking up some good stats. However, it will be tough for him given that he may be without a ton of his weapons. Sammy Watkins is still out, Robert Woods may not play again, Marquise Goodwin is not practicing because of a concussion, and LeSean McCoy will likely be out with a hamstring issue. That leaves the likes of Justin Hunter, Walter Powell, and Charles Clay as his main offensive weapons, with Mike Gillislee carrying the rock. Taylor will have a hard time finding success with that supporting cast. Sit him this week if you can.
Notable Players
Charles Clay (TE, BUF)
Charles Clay may be the only real weapon Taylor has left on Sunday. With Woods and McCoy still hobbled, Clay will be the top receiver in the offense on a day when the Bills will need to pass to find any type of success. This will benefit Clay, but will greatly hurt the Bills chances to win. Fire him up as a good fill-in option this week. He has averaged six targets per game over the past four weeks.
LeGarrette Blount (RB, NE)
Many thought the return of Brady would mean the end for LeGarrette Blount, but so far that has not been the case. Blount is coming off his best game of the season, rushing 24 times for 127 yards (5.3 YPC) and two TDs. He also caught a rare pass for seven yards. Earlier this season when they played the Bills, he rushed only 13 times for 54 yards, putting up a solid 4.2 YPC. If New England gets up early, look for Blount to get fed the ball to eat out the clock. No matter what happens, he will be good for a TD or two with New England moving downfield with ease.
Chargers @ Broncos- Sunday 10/30 @ 4:05 PM ET
Matchups We Love
Melvin Gordon (RB, SD)
Melvin Gordon is one of the most heavily relied-upon RBs in the game. After totaling 217 touches all of last season, he has 158 touches through seven games this season. He is on pace to carry the ball a whopping 315 times this season. With no competition for touches, he even has a chance to exceed that number. This week he faces the Broncos, a team that excels at stopping the pass but not so much the run. They have surrendered the 14th most fantasy points to opposing RBs this season, and allowed Houston's RBs to rush 22 times for 124 yards last week. Gordon will be one of the few bright spots for the Chargers this week.
Devontae Booker (RB, DEN)
Devontae Booker is the new Broncos starting RB after starter CJ Anderson tore his meniscus in his knee, knocking him out for 8-12 weeks. Luckily for the Broncos, Booker has looked excellent in limited action. He has rushed 51 times for 244 yards (4.8 YPC), highlighted by his 17 carry, 83 yard, touchdown performance last week. In his first NFL start, he draws a Chargers defense that allows the sixth most points to opposing RBs this season. San Diego has been exposed mostly through the air. Booker has shown he can catch passes as well, and has accumulated nine catches for 69 yards. Booker’s coming out party is going to be a huge one this week.
Demaryius Thomas (WR, DEN)
Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders form one of the best one-two punch WR combos in the NFL. Both players are capable of putting up big numbers, and both are extremely consistent from a fantasy perspective. This week, I would rather have DT. Thomas has out-targeted Sanders over the past two weeks 20-to-14, after Sanders led the way for the first five weeks. Thomas also leads the way in TDs between the two 4-to-3. This matchup ended up being a defensive battle the last time these two teams met, but if Trevor Siemian needs a big play he will look towards DT more often than not.
Matchups We Hate
Philip Rivers (QB, SD)
Even though he lost some of his favorite weapons this season, Philip Rivers is having a big season. Through seven games, Rivers has thrown for 2,018 yards and a 13:4 TD:INT ratio. That puts him at about 336 yards with two TDs per game on average. This week against Denver is going to be an uphill battle though. Denver has allowed the second fewest points to opposing QBs this season, holding them to under 200 yards passing per game. With the way Denver's defense has been playing and the rowdy, disruptive crowd at Mile High, I would not want to be a Rivers owner. Sit him this week for a better streaming option.
Notable Players
Emmanuel Sanders (WR, DEN)
Emmanuel Sanders has seen his targets drop below Thomas’ over the past two weeks, but 14 targets over two weeks is nothing to sneeze at. It is also worth noting that through seven weeks of the season, Sanders is tied for the league lead in red zone targets with Brandon Marshall at 12. Sanders makes for a great play this week against the Chargers secondary.
Packers @ Falcons- Sunday 10/30 @ 4:25 PM ET
Matchups We Love
Julio Jones (WR, ATL)
Julio Jones will continue his top-five WR play this week against the Green Bay Packers. Jones is seeing nearly 10 targets per game this season, and is putting up monster numbers. Over the past three games (after his amazing 300-yard performance), he is averaging six receptions on 10 targets for 114 yards. The Packers have given up the 12th most fantasy points to opposing WRs this season. Vegas lines have this game projected as the highest scoring contest of the week. As the top option in a pass-first offense, expect more of the same from Jones this week.
Devonta Freeman (RB, ATL)
Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman have been the best one-two punch at RB this season. However, last week Coleman hurt his hamstring and is expected to miss this game with the Packers. Freeman will be in line to take on additional work, which bodes extremely well for his fantasy value this week. He is more than capable of taking on a huge workload, as evidenced by his success last season. The Packers have been relatively good against the run, but with Freeman able to do it all he will be difficult to stop. Expect him to be given all he can handle this week as the Falcons look to take one at home.
Ty Montgomery (RB/WR, GB)
Even though it looks like Knile Davis and Don Jackson will be a bigger part of the game plan this week, expect Ty Montgomery to have the most touches of the three in Week 8. Playing both WR and RB last week, Montgomery thrived, catching a whopping 10 passes (for the second straight game) for 66 yards, and rushed nine times for 60 yards. With most of his receptions coming out of the backfield, he makes for a PPR darling once again this week against the Falcons. The Packers offense clicked in the second half of last weeks’ game against the Bears, so let’s see if they keep a similar game plan with Montgomery as a focal point.
Matchups We Hate
Jordy Nelson (WR, GB)
Jordy Nelson just hasn’t been the same player since returning from his ACL injury. What he thrived on was gaining separation from defenders on deep routes, opened up by the play-action fake from Aaron Rodgers. This season, Nelson has had a difficult time breaking loose on these plays. While he is still a big factor in the red zone, those big plays have been few and far between. The Falcons haven’t been anything special at defending WR1s this season, but if Nelson can't gain separation, Rodgers isn’t afraid to look elsewhere. Nelson will need a TD to save his fantasy day.
Notable Players
Devonte Adams (WR, GB)
Devonte Adams had a dominant Week 7 due to the large target-volume Rodgers peppered him with. Adams caught 13-of-16 targets for 132 yards and two TDs against a weak Chicago secondary. This week, he has a good opportunity to have another great game. Atlanta has been in the middle of the pack at defending opposing WRs, but as the third option on Green Bay, Adams should be able to find ways to get open. The Falcons defense will undoubtedly make sure that Adams does not have a repeat performance, but it is more than likely he still has a good showing. His 16 targets last week cannot be ignored. Look for Adams to make an impact in what looks to be a shootout.
Eagles @ Cowboyws- Sunday 10/30 @ 8:25 PM ET
Matchups We Love
Ezekiel Elliott (RB, DAL)
Fresh off the bye week, Ezekiel Elliott will look to continue his dominance against the division-rival Eagles. Elliott is currently riding a four game streak where his lowest rushing total is 134 yards. The offensive line of the Cowboys is doing wonders for the running game, much like it did for Darren McFadden and DeMarco Murray. The Eagles have been in the middle of the pack at stopping RBs this season. Though divisional games can be tough, Elliott is matchup proof behind the strength of his front five. He’s an easy start this week.
Jordan Matthews (WR, PHI)
The Eagles are going to need to pass to keep up with the Cowboys this weekend. Dallas has allowed the third fewest fantasy points to opposing RBs this season, meaning Carson Wentz is going to have to make some plays with his arm to keep the Eagles in it. Jordan Matthews leads the team in targets, yards, and receiving touchdowns. The two haven’t had much success since Week 1, but this is a matchup the duo will need to connect early and often in this one for Philly to have a chance.
Matchups We Hate
Dak Prescott (QB, DAL)
Dak Prescott has impressed in his first season in the league, but this week he will face his most difficult opponent. Philly has allowed only 224 yards and a TD on average to opposing QBs this season. Dez Bryant will be making his return to the Cowboys this week, giving Prescott a big target on the outside to hit with Jason Witten and Cole Beasley on the shorter routes. Even with Dez, Philly's stout defense might expose some kinks in the young quarterback that we haven't seen yet.
Ryan Mathews (RB, PHI)
Ryan Mathews will be up against one of the leagues stingiest run defenses, allowing only 76 yards rushing to opposing RBs per game. Last week against Minnesota, Mathews had 14 of the teams 21 carries, so he should be in line to see the majority once again this week. Mathews will need a few catches or a TD to help save his fantasy day. The most rushing yards anyone has posted against the Cowboys is 75 yards by Rashad Jennings back in Week 1.
Notable Players
Dez Bryant (WR, DAL)
Dez Bryant will make his return to the Cowboys this week, giving Prescott another big outlet on the outside. Before Dez got injured, he and Prescott were really beginning to connect. After a tough Week 1, Prescott threw Bryant’s way 18 times over the next two weeks. His presence will be felt throughout the offense, giving the defense another major threat to worry about. It remains to be seen how he will look in his first game back from injury, but the potential he possesses is too much to ignore. If you own him, you’re very likely starting him.
