Fantasy Football Week 8 Wrap: Jayden Daniels wins battle of top-two 2024 NFL Draft picks

Chicago Bears @ Washington Commanders

The Bears and Commanders were in a defensive struggle until a wild ending that saw two lead changes over the final 30 seconds, culminating in a Jayden Daniels completed Hail Mary. Daniels didn’t record a touchdown until the game’s final play, but he topped 300 passing yards for the first time in his career while pushing through his rib injury. Daniels dropped a dime deep downfield to Terry McLaurin, and added 52 rushing yards against a Bears defense that entered allowing the second-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks, as the rookie just continues to impress.

On the other side, Caleb Williams struggled throughout most of the day, as he had just 36 passing yards through three quarters. But Williams led Chicago on two nice drives in the fourth quarter after a long D’Andre Swift touchdown run. Unfortunately, one inexplicably ended thanks to a lost fumble during a goal-line carry by an offensive lineman. It later appeared Williams led Chicago to a game-winning drive, giving the Bears their first lead with 27 seconds left.

But then Daniels’ miracle Hail Mary happened.

Williams got just 5.5 YPA and clearly disappointed in a hyped matchup that was moved to the afternoon slate. But his average depth of target (13.2 yards) was in the 97th percentile, and it’s worth noting Washington’s defense has been playing far better recently; the Commanders entered allowing the sixth-fewest EPA/dropback over the last three weeks and provided a bunch of pressure Sunday. Williams has gotten just 4.8 YPA with a 2:5 TD:turnover ratio on the road to open his career.

• Zach Ertz led all pass catchers with 11 targets and had a TD stripped from his hands in the end zone late in the first half.

• Swift finished with a season-high 129 rushing yards and has run for a touchdown in four straight games. It was his first game this season without a target, however.

• DJ Moore got banged up but returned, while Keenan Allen was quiet aside from drawing a key pass interference late.

• Tony Romo suggested Washington bring in Marcus Mariota for the Hail Mary attempt.

Kansas City Chiefs @ Las Vegas Raiders

• Patrick Mahomes didn’t light the league on fire during his revenge game, but at least he threw two touchdowns. Mahomes’ TD strike to Travis Kelce was the team’s first passing score since Week 4 in September. It was also Kelce’s first regular season TD catch in 13 games. Mahomes still hasn’t recorded a top-10 QB week this season.

• Kareem Hunt managed a long run of seven yards on 21 carries. He’s getting only what’s given to him at this stage of his career, but Hunt is in a good enough role to be a locked-in RB2 moving forward.

• Brock Bowers was busy early but finished with just five targets. He secured all five, but it was disappointing against a Kansas City defense that entered allowing the most fantasy points to tight ends. The Chiefs put their best corner Trent McDuffie on Bowers at times Sunday.

• Alexander Mattison gained 15 yards on 14 carries, as Kansas City continues to shut down opposing backs.

• Gardner Minshew was accurate, but his aDOT (5.1 yards) was in the sixth percentile.

Dallas Cowboys @ San Francisco 49ers

• Brock Purdy got 10.0 YPA and scored his third rushing TD over the last two games. He finished as a top-five fantasy QB Sunday despite missing numerous weapons.

• Deebo Samuel had a 68-yard TD catch nullified by penalty in the second quarter, and he left the second half with a rib injury. He gets a much-needed break to heal up with San Francisco’s upcoming bye.

• Jordan Mason left in the first half after aggravating his shoulder injury, and Isaac Guerendo finished as a top-12 RB in his place. Guerendo looked more explosive than Mason while getting 6.1 YPC and scoring the first TD of his career. Guerendo could’ve had a second touchdown but gave himself up just before the end zone for the second time this season (only this time it was the right call). Christian McCaffrey is expected back when the 49ers return from their bye, but Guerendo needs to be rostered in all fantasy formats. He’s available in more than 90% of Yahoo leagues.

• George Kittle posted a season-high 128 yards and caught his sixth touchdown of the season. He gets a major fantasy boost with the Brandon Aiyuk and Samuel injuries and is now third on the 49ers’ all-time receiving list behind only Terrell Owens and Jerry Rice. TEs recorded the most receptions (177) in NFL history during National Tight Ends Day.

• Dak Prescott threw multiple interceptions for the third straight game, while Dalvin Cook couldn’t resuscitate a sluggish rushing attack (2.9 YPC).

• CeeDee Lamb erupted coming out of Dallas’ bye just like last season, seeing a league-high 17 targets, scoring twice and finishing as this week’s top fantasy wideout by a wide margin. Lamb went into last year’s bye the WR21, but he was the WR1 afterward. Sunday night’s performance suggests the same will happen in 2024.

Atlanta Falcons @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield combined for seven TD passes and both finished as top-10 QBs this week. Buccaneers games are now averaging a whopping 55.8 points this season, so they are a matchup to target.

• Kyle Pitts caught two touchdowns before halftime, nearly losing a fumble one foot before walking into the end zone during his second one. He was incredibly fortunate it wasn’t a touchback instead.

• Bijan Robinson had a long gain called back in the third quarter but would catch a touchdown later that same drive.

• Mayfield’s fantasy production didn’t drop without Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, but no Tampa Bay receiver stepped up. Instead, it was Cade Otton who benefitted most from their absence, recording two touchdowns and finishing as the top fantasy TE during National Tight End Day.

• Rachaad White lost a fumble on the opening series, and Bucky Irving immediately had two catches the next drive. It was a tough game script for Tampa Bay running backs with Mayfield attempting 50 passes.

Baltimore Ravens @ Cleveland Browns

• It took Jameis Winston 2.5 quarters to throw for more yards than any Deshaun Watson game this season. The Browns hadn’t scored 20 points in any contest before Winston dropped 29 on Baltimore. No Amari Cooper didn’t matter, and Winston gives major life to Cleveland’s offense. He wasn’t perfect, losing a fumble and lucky a late throw wasn’t picked off, but fantasy managers are begging the Browns to leave Winston as the starter.

• Cedric Tillman erupted for two scores and was this week’s No. 3 fantasy wideout through Sunday’s afternoon games. Kyle Hamilton dropped a sure game-ending interception one play before Tillman’s second TD. Baltimore’s pass-funnel defense helped, but Mr. Tillman is up to 21 targets over the last two weeks and clearly shouldn’t be available in 80% of Yahoo leagues.

• David Njoku made a Superman catch on the opening drive and later added a touchdown. He has a strong argument to be ranked as the No. 1 fantasy tight end if Winston remains the starter.

• Nick Chubb had a workhorse role with no Jerome Ford, so his fantasy arrow is shooting up on a vastly improved offense.

• Zay Flowers dominated targets (12) while playing through an ankle injury, and his fantasy day would’ve been even bigger had Lamar Jackson not missed him wide-open for a 31-yard score in the second quarter.

• Rashod Bateman suffered a brutal drop deep downfield in the fourth quarter, although, to be fair, the sun affected him. He’d finish with just one catch after being fantasy’s WR10 over the last three weeks.

• Justin Tucker missed a fourth-quarter field goal and almost missed another one earlier in the game.

Arizona Cardinals @ Miami Dolphins

• Kyler Murray entered averaging just 190.1 passing yards and was facing a Dolphins defense allowing an NFL-low 164.8 passing yards per game and the fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks. Naturally, Murray threw for a season-high 307 yards and two scores, as his rapport with Marvin Harrison Jr. (and Trey McBride) looked significantly better.

• Harrison Jr. caught his first touchdown in a month and appeared to be used on more crossing routes Sunday in an encouraging development. Michael Wilson was also helped off the field late, so MHJ’s usage should continue to rise.

• Trey McBride also has an argument as fantasy’s top tight end moving forward. He’s up to 56 targets on the year without scoring, so touchdown regression is coming.

• The Cardinals are a perfect 11-for-11 scoring touchdowns during goal-to-go situations this season.

• Tua Tagovailoa got just 6.2 YPA but stayed healthy and helped Miami run for 150 yards. Bigger offensive games will come, but the Dolphins’ offense remains a work in progress.

• De’Von Achane had 136 yards from scrimmage (and a TD) with 25 minutes left but was held mostly in check afterward and lost two short touchdown runs to Raheem Mostert. Still, Achane saw eight targets and remains a weekly RB1 with Tagovailoa back.

• Jaylen Waddle was quiet and committed a bad drop in the third quarter.

• Jaylen Wright needs to be rostered in deep fantasy leagues.

Tennessee Titans @ Detroit Lions

• Jared Goff had six net passing yards when Detroit had scored 42 points, as turnovers and special teams helped lead the Lions to a blowout.

• Jahmyr Gibbs had a career-long 70-yard run that went for a score, while David Montgomery now has an NFL-high 20 rushing touchdowns since 2023.

• Sam LaPorta lost a TD to Brock Wright and was tackled at the one-inch line but would later catch a TD from running back Montgomery.

• Amon-Ra St. Brown saw just two targets, but Goff attempted only 15 passes in a very weird game script, so it’s nothing to worry about.

• Detroit has forced a takeaway an NFL-high 11 straight games.

• Calvin Ridley made a terrific catch in the first quarter, when he’d post a 6-6-118 line after entering with just three catches in the first quarter all season. Ridley would finish with 15 targets and a 46% air yards share during his first game without DeAndre Hopkins, nearly matching his season total in receiving yards. Mason Rudolph looks like an upgrade over Will Levis, so Ridley is back on the fantasy radar.

• Nick Westbrook-Ikhine has three touchdowns on five catches this season.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Cincinnati Bengals

• Jalen Hurts was fantasy’s QB1 this week while attempting just 20 passes thanks to three touchdown runs. The Eagles continue to use the tush-push (twice Sunday) at the goal line despite the addition of Saquon Barkley, which is huge for Hurts’ fantasy value.

• Barkley was tackled at the one-yard line in the fourth quarter only to watch Hurts execute his second tush-push TD of the game on the next play. He’s remained productive anyway, but Barkley has also seen just six targets over the last three games.

• DeVonta Smith bounced back from a rough outing with a TD catch, but a lack of volume hurt both Eagles WRs.

• Philadelphia still hasn’t scored a single point in the first quarter of a game this season.

• The Bengals offense undoubtedly suffered from a late-week injury to Tee Higgins after planning on having him all week. But it was still an incredibly disappointing performance, as Cincinnati managed just 4.8 yards per play while falling to 0-4 at home this season.

• Mike Gesicki made a sick one-handed catch in a rare highlight for the Bengals’ offense Sunday.

Indianapolis Colts @ Houston Texans

• Anthony Richardson had an early 69-yard TD pass but finished the first half just 2-of-15, which was the second-worst completion% in any half since 1991. He missed an open Alec Pierce for a 75-yard score on the second drive, threw a bad pick at the end of the first half and tapped out for a play in the red zone because he was tired.

In Richardson’s defense, he was pressured on a whopping 64.1% of his passes, and his average depth of target (15.8 yards) was in the 99th percentile. He also lost a couple of touchdowns due to penalty (a TD pass to Pierce was negated by a questionable OPI) and a review that overturned Josh Downs’ would-be second TD (ruled just inches shy). Richardson also dealt with multiple drops, including one by Tyler Goodson on a dime that would’ve been a 25-yard touchdown. Adonai Mitchell couldn’t get both feet down in the end zone on a great AR throw on the opening drive.

Still, it’s discouraging Shane Steichen isn’t using AR on tush-pushes; Indy lined up in shotgun during back-to-back plays from the 1 that ended in Jonathan Taylor runs. While Richardson should’ve scored more, he disappointed fantasy managers again, and AR gets a tough matchup in primetime against Brian Flores’ defense next Sunday night.

• Josh Downs caught a long TD and had a second touchdown overturned after replay ruled he was just inches short. Downs has emerged as the Colts’ clear WR1, regardless of who starts at quarterback.

• All eight Colts games have been decided by fewer than seven points.

• Joe Mixon had another touchdown run and finished with 100+ rushing yards thanks to a scoring change that gave C.J. Stroud a late 10-yard fumble loss instead.

• Stefon Diggs suffered a possibly concerning knee injury late in the third quarter. Nico Collins can’t return to Houston’s offense fast enough.

Green Bay Packers @ Jacksonville Jaguars

• Jordan Love suffered a groin injury early in Sunday’s game, and he’d eventually leave early in the third quarter. The Packers become the most run-heavy team in the league with Malik Willis, who attempted just five passes over nearly two quarters. Love’s situation obviously bears watching.

• Josh Jacobs’ second touchdown of the game was also his longest run of the season. He’ll become the focal point of Green Bay’s offense should Love miss time.

• Romeo Doubs made a terrific second-quarter catch, but all Packers receivers experience a significant downgrade when Willis plays.

• Green Bay has already forced more takeaways this season than they had all last year.

• Evan Engram pulled down a nice touchdown, but Christian Kirk left injured and will miss the rest of the season with a broken collarbone (and Brian Thomas Jr. appeared to be banged up).

Buffalo Bills @ Seattle Seahawks

• James Cook scored two rushing touchdowns from inside the 10, finishing as the RB1 this week. Ray Davis hasn’t taken too many touches, and Cook is up to seven rushing scores after totaling four over the first two seasons of his career.

• Keon Coleman dominated the opening drive, culminating in a touchdown catch. He benefitted from a busted coverage late last week and not from Amari Cooper’s addition, but Coleman continued to show major growth Sunday.

• Khalil Shakir led Buffalo with 10 targets, while Cooper was missing throughout the day, finishing with just two targets. Cooper may have missed some snaps after suffering what looked like a stinger, but he wasn’t nearly as involved as expected during his second game in Buffalo. Coleman’s emergence doesn’t help Cooper’s chances of emerging as the Bills’ clear WR1 down the stretch.

• Seattle had just one rushing yard at halftime, and its quarterback led the team with 16 rushing yards Sunday. Kenneth Walker III lost a scoring opportunity when Geno Smith tripped over a lineman during a fourth-and-goal play in the second quarter.

• Neither Jaxon Smith-Njigba nor Tyler Lockett stepped up with DK Metcalf out. It wasn’t an easy matchup, and Smith’s aDOT (3.0 yards) was in the first percentile.

New York Jets @ New England Patriots

• Drake Maye dealt with a drop downfield and ran for a touchdown but would leave after getting concussed early in the second quarter.

• Rhamondre Stevenson’s second touchdown won the game and came during fourth-and-goal. He’d complete the Octopus by catching the two-point conversion as well, helping Stevenson finish as a top-five back this week.

• Breece Hall’s usage saw a notable decrease, including losing a goal-line touchdown to Braelon Allen one play after getting stuffed there. Aaron Rodgers also tossed two short scores. Losing GL work is hardly ideal and looks likely to continue, but New England was a bad matchup for receiving backs (he drew a PI in the end zone), and Hall’s schedule is highly favorable moving forward.

• Garrett Wilson led NY in catches, targets and receiving yards. He was also tackled at the one-yard line.

• The Jets used all three timeouts, committed four penalties and missed an extra point in the first quarter alone. New York suffered a back-breaking loss against a New England team that lost its QB and hadn’t won since Week 1.

Carolina Panthers @ Denver Broncos

• Bo Nix threw three touchdowns and ran in another while finishing as fantasy’s QB2 on Sunday. Nix’s CPOE (+13.5) was in the 93rd percentile, and he could’ve had a fifth touchdown if Courtland Sutton didn’t lose a fumble trying to score at the two-yard line late in the game. Troy Franklin also couldn’t pull down a possible 60-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Nix’s rushing has made him a real fantasy asset, as only Lamar Jackson and Baker Mayfield have scored more fantasy points since Week 5.

• Javonte Williams was a fantasy bust in a prime matchup and game script. He somehow turned 22 opportunities into just 52 scoreless yards against a Panthers defense that entered allowing the most fantasy points to running backs by a significant margin.

• Denver attempted a fake field goal (60 yards) up big in the fourth quarter and then Sean Payton had Sutton throw a late double pass. Jaycee Horn didn’t appreciate it.

• Bryce Young may have shown enough to get another opportunity even if Andy Dalton is healthy in a lost season. Expect Diontae Johnson to be traded soon.

New Orleans Saints @ Los Angeles Chargers

• J.K. Dobbins scored but turned 24 opportunities into just 68 yards against a reeling Saints defense that was lit up by Javonte Williams last week. After getting 9.9 YPC over the first two weeks, Dobbins has gotten just 3.16 YPC over the last five games. There’s concern given his Achilles surgery.

• Ladd McConkey’s strong usage finally paid off, as the rookie scored two touchdowns and finished Sunday as fantasy’s WR2. He has a chance to be a top-25 WR down the stretch.

• Spencer Rattler finished with a CPOE (-18.3) in the third percentile, with Jake Haener (-11.9) only marginally better in the 10th. Fantasy managers at least appreciate the condensed 25 targets to Chris Olave and Alvin Kamara.