Week 8’s byes will prove much easier for most fantasy football players to manage.
Three undefeated teams took Week 7 off, and that doesn’t include Matt Forte‘s Chicago Bears. Gamers were forced to make do without the Green Bay Packers, Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos, even if they secretly welcomed the excuse to bench Peyton Manning.
Anyone ransacked by byes this weekend probably isn’t enjoying the best year. While the Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, Jacksonville Jaguars and Washington Redskins feature useful pieces, missing Jordan Matthews or T.J. Yeldon isn’t a crushing hindrance.
As several stars return to the fold, let’s take an early look at Week 8’s flex rankings for standard and point-per-reception participants:
One poor game as the Kansas City Chiefs starting running back immediately pushed Charcandrick West into bust territory. If he’s not going to magically transform into Jamaal Charles instantaneously, why did anyone bother adding him in the first place?
Those who remained patient saw why they wanted West. A starting running back is the ultimate fantasy possession, especially when given regular touches. Against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Charles’ replacement turned 22 carries into 110 rushing yards and his first career touchdown.
A week removed from compiling 39 yards on 10 touches, West’s breakout afternoon caught several observers by surprise, but not the undrafted 24-year-old. Per the Kansas City Star‘s Vahe Gregorian, West could have helped his fantasy investors by revealing his prediction.
“Jamaal told us last week … to write on a piece of paper what you’re going to do,” West said, “and I wrote 100 yards and a touchdown down.”
Most importantly for his future value, Week 7 shattered any illusions of a committee unfolding in Kansas City’s backfield. Knile Davis received one handoff during the Chiefs’ 23-13 victory, failing to vulture West’s one-yard score. Such usage justifies the waiver-wire bidding war spurred by Charles’ season-ending ACL tear.
The Detroit Lions also present a better matchup than Pittsburgh, allowing 123.4 rushing yards per game and 10 scores on the ground, tied for an NFL-high Atlanta Falcons. Just as one subpar game didn’t make West a dud, one great one doesn’t vault him into a superstar. Anyone projected to receive 15-25 touches against an exploitable opponent, however, falls comfortably into starting territory.
Following another stellar display, Stefon Diggs has etched out a permanent spot on the season’s flex rankings. The rookie continued to shine with six catches, 108 yards and a highlight-reel touchdown over the Lions.
After blowing free from the secondary, Diggs bailed out Teddy Bridgewater by diving for an overthrown pass on the run, securing his first career end-zone visit.
Through three games, the new arrival has corralled 19 catches for 324 yards, which prorates to 101 receptions and 1,728 yards over 16 games. He has won over the fantasy community, drawing praise from Footballguys.com’s Sigmund Bloom and NFL.com’s Matt Harmon:
OK, so three games is too soon to anoint him a savior. But here’s the list of wideouts registering more yards per game: Alshon Jeffery (through two weeks) and DeAndre Hopkins. A lucrative matchup this weekend only sweetens the pot.
According to ESPN.com, the Bears have allowed the NFL’s sixth-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers. Only the Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens have yielded as many touchdowns to wideouts (11) as Chicago, and Mike Wallace represents Minnesota’s only other receiver with a 2015 score. Diggs is currently a No. 2 or No. 3 receiver who may finish the season as a top-15 option.
He’s not a young stud doused in hype like Diggs, but Eric Decker keeps producing. In his first game of the season shielded from the end zone, the New York Jets wide receiver caught six passes for 94 yards against the New England Patriots.
This is hardly out of nowhere. In his first season away from Manning’s Broncos, Decker posted a quiet 962 yards and five touchdowns on 74 receptions. Now he’s averaging 4.8 catches and 66.6 yards per game with four scores.
Even if he’s not as alluring a PPR option as teammate Brandon Marshall, no other Jets receiver has double-digit catches this season. New York’s offense is a fantasy manager’s dream, virtually ignoring everyone other than Decker, Marshall and running back Chris Ivory.
The Oakland Raiders, ranked No. 14 in opposing yards per attempt, present a neutral matchup. But according to Football Outsiders, they rate No. 20 in Defensive-adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA) against No. 2 wideouts with 69.3 yards relinquished per game. Besides, Decker has earned enough trust to utilize against all but the most treacherous opponents.
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