Marques Colston concluded Week 8 with more yards than Aaron Rodgers. Do you still think fantasy football is easy?

Granted, the reigning MVP faced the Denver Broncos, who rank first in total defense. But he’s also Aaron Rodgers. A superstar quarterback compiled fewer total yards (including his 31 rushing yards) than Colston, who is at best No. 3 on the New Orleans Saints’ wideout depth chart.

Rodgers’ fantasy owners would have been better off starting Geno Smith or Nick Foles—neither of whom should be owned. Taiwan Jones proved a better option than Marshawn Lynch and Matt Forte, and Dwayne Harris crushed Emmanuel Sanders.

It’d be nice to know the no-name who will score two touchdowns in Week 9, but nobody can accurately project the absurd. Let’s make the best with available data to make reasonable estimations for flex rankings, separated by standard and points-per-reception scoring.

Giovani Bernard is averaging 5.6 yards per carry to Jeremy Hill’s 3.3. He is also the better pass-catcher of the duo, so it’d make sense for the Cincinnati Bengals to play the better football player.

Nah. In Sunday’s victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bernard converted a microscopic three touches into 34 yards. Hill received 16 touches, including 15 carries he turned into 60 yards. For the second straight week, the second-year pro dominated the running workload.

Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson is a man of his word. During the team’s bye week, he spoke to ESPN.com’s Coley Harvey about keeping Hill active in the offense.

“I know the player he can be, so I’m going to keep pushing him to get there,” Jackson said. “I mean, we need him. He’s going to be a huge part down the stretch run once we get back here.”

Give either rusher more certainty, and he’d make a top play against the Cleveland Browns. They’ve allowed an NFL-worst 147.0 rushing yards per game on 4.8 yards a rush. On a short turnaround, Cincinatti will run down Cleveland’s throat on Thursday night.

Based on recent events, Hill is more likely to prosper, especially in standard formats. He’s not the building block drafters signed up for, but he deserves a spot in everyone’s starting lineup this week. Given the strong matchup and his superior skills, Bernard remains a usable flex play. 

Because of Allen Robinson, football fans were actually upset over not seeing the Jacksonville Jaguars. The receiver roared into the Week 8 bye with four touchdowns over the last three games, giving him six on the season.

After the rest week, his receiving touchdown tally trails Larry Fitzgerald, Odell Beckham Jr. and Rob Gronkowski, all tied at seven. He’s also averaging 83.7 yards per contest, which prorates to 1,339 over 16 games. Jacksonville’s Twitter page put the 22-year-old’s rousing start into perspective:

Robinson is now easily a top-20 wideout with top-10 talent given the right matchup. Unfortunately, Darrelle Revis’ New York Jets are waiting for him this weekend.

Derek Carr proved the Jets’ secondary is beatable, gashing them for 333 yards and four touchdowns. Yet Amari Cooper, frequenting Revis Island, watched his teammates celebrate touchdowns while he produced a tame 46 yards on five receptions. 

No stranger to star cornerbacks, Robinson has already competed against Josh Norman and Vontae Davis. While Norman limited him to one 27-yard catch, he mustered a respectable 80 yards against the Indianapolis Colts.

Even against Revis, someone has to have a loaded roster to comfortably bench Robinson. Avoid him in daily fantasy, but stick with the rising star in season formats. The matchup, however, makes Allen Hurns intriguing despite an unsustainable touchdown streak with few catches to match.

Now done with Revis, Cooper seeks a reprieve from a tough schedule. Three weeks before facing New York, the Oakland Raiders had to deal with Denver. In between those dreadful matchups, he registered 133 yards and a score against the San Diego Chargers’ No. 13 passing defense.

In four games against opponents outside of the top 10 against the pass, he has registered 25 catches, 423 yards and two scores. The Alabama alum has held his own even in difficult circumstances, amassing at least four catches and 45 yards in all seven games.

Cooper didn’t win fantasy matchups in Week 8, but he earned Revis’ respect.

“He’s awesome, man,” Revis said, per KNBR.com’s Bonta Hill. “It was fun watching him out there. They had a great game plan today, moving him around to get him the ball. Sky’s the limit for him. He’s a special player. He really is.”

Don’t forget about Cooper because of a couple of boring lines against elite opposition. He now gets the Steelers, who rate No. 26 against the pass even after bringing Andy Dalton back to earth. Expect a huge performance from the 21-year-old phenom. 

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