Week 8 fantasy football buy or sell

32 seconds for 32 teams — why 1999’s Super Bowl teams could turn your fantasy season around

NFL week 7 turned into a fantasy football nightmare. Twelve of the 26 teams that played Sunday managed to score one or no offensive touchdowns all game, and fantasy owners everywhere suffered for it. Unless of course they’d tuned in last week and made moves for LeSean McCoy, Amari Cooper, Tyreek Hill, and Doug Baldwin! Regression is a real thing, and the numbers continue to point us in the right direction.

Your fantasy season is already half over, and time is running out to right the ship or set your team up for the perfect closing stretch. It’s definitely trade season now, so it’s time to get out the trade machine and make some offers. Here’s who to buy low and sell high on with a trip around the league…

Arizona Cardinals

That one-week Arizona renaissance sure was fun. The Cards went scoreless in London and lost Carson Palmer, probably for the season. Palmer’s been a nice fantasy surprise but you should drop him. Drew Stanton isn’t terrible but the offense wasn’t the same. It may be time to sell when you get the chance on Larry Fitzgerald and Adrian Peterson. Fitz has slowed down mid-season several years in a row, and Peterson had just 21 yards against the league’s worst run defense and saw his snaps cut in half from his breakout week. The bye week couldn’t have come at a better time.

Atlanta Falcons

Well that wasn’t exactly the explosion you wanted from Atlanta, but I’m still all in on Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman. Julio finally found the end zone on 9/99 and Freeman is running well. Atlanta gets Tampa and New Orleans each twice in the final five fantasy weeks and that’s a lot of easy matchups. The ship may have sailed on Matt Ryan as a top fantasy QB but Julio and Freeman should still be studs. Mohamed Sanu is still on some waiver wires. He shouldn’t be. He had 6/65 on 10 targets and is a clear WR2 here.

Baltimore Ravens

Alex Collins is stuck around 16–18 plays a game and 10 carries, and Javorius Allen remains the only even remotely useful fantasy play in Baltimore. He leads the Ravens in targets is getting 16 touches a week, and he has a solid floor in PPR leagues averaging five catches a week since the West injury.

Buffalo Bills

Did you get LeSean McCoy in time? Two TDs and 122 yards later, you’re feeling pretty good if you did. There’s more where that came from with a light slate ahead and Buffalo has no other no one else worth owning in fantasy, so McCoy should get plenty of opportunities.

Carolina Panthers

Hope you sold high on Cam Newton while you had the opportunity. He’s now busted two games in a row against pretty average defenses, though he’s had 121 rushing yards in those two games so at least there’s that. He’s too unreliable to be a weekly fantasy starter. Kelvin Benjamin looks like a decent buy low option. He’s always been a huge red zone threat but has just one TD on 44 targets, so that should regress to the mean soon enough.

Chicago Bears

The Bears offense ran 38 plays all game (and won somehow) so there’s not much to see here. Jordan Howard ran the ball on 21 of those plays and continues to be a workhorse, while Tarik Cohen played only seven snaps and got just one touch. Like some of the other putrid offenses, this is a one-fantasy-player offense right now until Trubisky catches on a little better.

Cincinnati Bengals

A disappointing week for Joe Mixon, whose 10 touches on 22 snaps were both his fewest since week 2 despite coming off the bye, though he was more effective when he did touch the ball. Andy Dalton has 9 TDs in four games with his new OC and looks like a useful spot start in weeks like this one against the Colts. A.J. Green only has 41 yards the last two weeks — one of those was a bye but that’s still as much of a buy low as you’ll get here.

Cleveland Browns

There’s just not much to say on Cleveland right now. As always, Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson split carries and touches pretty equally, and as always, Johnson was much more efficient. Crowell is averaging 3.2 YPC and hasn’t found the end zone yet as the lead back for an 0–7 team. You can probably cut him, whether he cost you a third round pick or not. Johnson’s five receptions a week give him a nice PPR floor.

Dallas Cowboys

Dak Prescott had another huge week and has now had 1–2–3–3–4–4 TDs, equaling or increasing his total each week. He’s averaging 5.5 fantasy ppg on the ground alone on pace for a 400/8 season, but that’s on just 20 rushes. Those running numbers are due to regress along with the pass TDs. It’s a soft Dallas schedule ahead but Dak is a big time sell high. Dez Bryant has four TDs now and continues to see high targets but is a sell high for the same reasons.

Denver Broncos

The Broncos have scored only 26 points in their last three games, and now they face the Chiefs, Eagles, and Patriots next so the season is on the brink of disaster. Still, this is probably the time to buy low with a great Denver schedule down the final stretch. C.J. Anderson is still the clear lead back and makes a cheap RB2 if you need a steady option. Demaryius Thomas is outside the top 40 fantasy WRs right now but is due for a TD spike. He’s yet to find the end zone despite 50 targets and Denver’s QB play can only improve.

Detroit Lions

The Lions were on bye but we hardly missed them in fantasy. Matt Stafford faces a top ten pass defense in seven of his next nine games, so if you think you’re relying on him as your guy at QB, you’re in trouble. Ameer Abdullah has 100 touches, two-and-a-half times any other Lion. You could do worse in a pinch at RB.

Green Bay Packers

Turns out Aaron Rodgers really is that valuable. Brett Hundley was a huge bust with just 87 passing yards on 25 attempts, and Green Bay needs this bye week badly. Aaron Jones had another big game with 17/131 and a TD and looks like he may have buried Ty Montgomery on the depth chart, but you need to keep him rostered through the bye week in case he’s still just recovering from that rib injury. Green Bay’s trio of WRs saw just five receptions combined and none of them hit 20 yards. You were warned.

Houston Texans

Welcome back, Houston — we missed you. The bye week was tough on owners who have come to rely on big points from Deshaun Watson, but remember that both he and Will Fuller are likely sell highs. They can’t keep scoring TDs at this rate and face the Jags and Steelers during your fantasy playoffs, so it’ll be tough to rely on them then.

Indianapolis Colts

It looks like Frank Gore may finally be done. Gore led the team in carries but was equaled in touches by rookie Marlon Mack and out-snapped 32 to 22. It’s time to stash Mack, though it looks very likely that Andrew Luck never sees the field for Indy this season so it may be a lost cause. The Colts face the Jags, Bills, Broncos, and Ravens in weeks 13 to 16 and will almost certainly be tanking by then. Look for any chance you can get to sell T.Y. Hilton after his next big game.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Both Chris Ivory and T.J. Yeldon were decent fill-ins with Leonard Fournette out injured, but Jacksonville has a bye now and Fournette should be fine after that. No need to roster Ivory or Yeldon, nor Allen Hurns or Marqise Lee at this point until one of them steps further after the bye.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs may be on a two-game losing streak, but they continue to dominate the fantasy scene with a top five player at every position. Alex Smith is the #1 fantasy QB and now has three games with 300+ yards and three with 3+ TDs. He has a high floor and a fine remaining schedule and looks like a perfectly usable weekly QB. Tyreek Hill bounced back as expected. Kareem Hunt has still been over 100 yards every game but hasn’t scored a TD in a month, so he’s a buy somewhat-low if you find an owner that thinks the early magic has passed.

Los Angeles Chargers

It was another good game for Hunter Henry, clearly the lead tight end now and a weekly starter for your team at this point. Keenan Allen has had three quiet-ish weeks but is still at 68 targets on the season, double every other Charger except for Melvin Gordon. He looks like a nice WR buy, especially in PPR leagues.

Los Angeles Rams

Todd Gurley had another great game and remains fantasy’s lead RB, but he’s got a bye week now and a pretty rough schedule left. You don’t have to sell but you should know his value can only drop. No other Rams are must-hold during the bye week, even Sammy Watkins. Watkins has just 29 targets in seven games, fourth in targets on a running team. You should cut him, but you won’t. Robert Woods is the real WR1 here.

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins continue to win with smoke and mirrors, now 4–2 somehow. The offense continues to produce behind an effective pass game, one that could actually improve with Matt Moore under center. Kenny Stills had a big game with 6/85 and a pair of TDs and is tied for the team lead in snaps. It’s common for a third or fourth receiver to see an uptick in production with a backup QB taking over, so he’s worth a stash. Jarvis Landry has 68 targets and 45 receptions already. Even with his low YPC he has a great floor in PPR leagues. And I’m still not ready to give up on Devante Parker, whose value can hardly get lower. The Dolphins have a great WR schedule remaining.

Minnesota Vikings

Back to earth for Jerick McKinnon after two huge games as Latavius Murray had 18 carries to McKinnon’s 14 and piled up 113 yards and a TD, but that was mostly due to game script. Murray is the bigger back and helped run out the clock late, but McKinnon still saw 17 touches. Don’t forget about Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. Both are averaging 8+ targets a week but each has slipped off the radar and will further with a London game and bye week next. They should get either Teddy Bridgewater or Sam Bradford back after that and could be very valuable down the stretch.

New England Patriots

The more we know about 31 other teams, the less we know about the Patriots. Gronkowski, Hogan, White, and Cooks are essentially tied for the target lead with 46 or 47 each, and the RB snaps are split more than ever. Mike Gillislee played 13 snaps for the second straight week and is losing touches to Dion Lewis, a surprise RB snap leader the past two games. Every of those guys should be owned but it’s dealer’s choice each week. The only sure thing is Tom Brady, but every defense remaining on the Pats schedule is above average against the pass, and he’ll face a top-8 pass defense in weeks 12 through 16. Don’t be afraid to shop around a bit.

New Orleans Saints

What to do with Mark Ingram? He put up 250 yards and three TDs on 56 touches the last two weeks since the Saints traded Peterson, but he was helped by a favorable game script playing with the lead all game and is still only slightly ahead of Alvin Kamara 89 to 67 in snap count. Ingram looks like a sell high but has a great closing schedule so he might be a hold.

New York Giants

Evan Engram continues to be the true “WR1” in New York with 6/60 and another TD, and he’s the only Giant worth anything right now. Orleans Darkwa is a clear touch leader but has only played 42% of the Giants snaps the last two weeks so there’s not much there. The Giants are hurting heading into the bye. Do stash Sterling Shepard if someone gets anxious and drops him. He hasn’t done much yet but he’s the only viable receiver on the roster and the Giants have a very favorable closing schedule.

New York Jets

We’ve now seen four games with a healthy Matt Forte and Bilal Powell. Forte has out-snapped Powell 113 to 97 with Powell out-touching him 44 to 41, which means they’re splitting snaps and work and only getting around 10–11 touches a game each. Neither is playable with that split. Austin Seferian-Jenkins had a TD for the third straight week since we told you to get him. He’s the Jets “WR1” but he did just play three of the league’s worst tight ends and now has three of the best, so keep your expectations in check.

Oakland Raiders

Oh hey there, Amari Cooper! He’s been a buy low for weeks but 11 catches, 210 yards, and 2 TDs later on a whopping 19 targets, Cooper is officially back. So is Derek Carr with 417 yards and three TDs. The Raiders have a soft second half schedule and saved their season with the late win in Kansas City so you’ll be glad you have those two late. Marshawn Lynch sure looks like a bust, averaging under 40 rushing yards a game and only four catches all year. He’s suspended for Week 8 but you’ll be hard-pressed to figure out whether Jalen Richard or DeAndre Washington is the right pickup. Each got nine carries and four targets after Lynch got ejected, and the two have split snaps down the middle in other healthy games together. The guess here is a pretty even split with Washington more likely to get a goal line carry and Richard more useful in the passing game, but don’t get too excited about either.

Philadelphia Eagles

Carson Wentz, NFL MVP? He’s certainly the clubhouse leader through seven weeks, and he’s also leading the league with 17 passing TDs including 11 the last three weeks. Wentz probably can’t keep quite that pace up but he’s on pace for 450 rushing yards and should add a few TDs on the ground soon to balance out the pass regression. He’s a slight sell high but also a weekly start at this point. It might be time to start taking Nelson Agholor seriously. He’s scored a TD in five games now and looks useful enough, though also a clear sell-high since he’s still lacking in targets.

Pittsburgh Steelers

LeVeon Bell posted his third game with 30+ carries and 180+ yards, a workhorse if there ever was one, but can he keep it up? History says he can’t. Bell is on pace for 462 touches, which would be a gigantic leap over his career-high 373 and would rank second most all time. Bell owners, you probably won’t be talked into trading him, but you should strongly consider stashing James Conner as an insurance plan. Antonio Brown is carrying a similarly huge workload at receiver. His 84 targets pace to 10th most in NFL history and the most in five years. Neither Bell or Brown is likely to keep up this heavy work rate all season.

San Francisco 49ers

It was the first full week with C.J. Beathard at quarterback, but team usage stayed mostly the same across the skill positions. Carlos Hyde owners can breathe a sigh of relief as he had 18 touches to just three for Matt Breida this week. Looks like he’s still the lead back — for now.

Seattle Seahawks

Doug Baldwin bounced back with a big game as predicted, but the Seattle RB situation is still a mess. Thomas Rawls was a slight leader with 30 snaps and 12 touches. McKissic played 23 snaps to 21 for Lacy, but Lacy equaled Rawls with 12 touches and McKissic got only 5. Add it all up and you have a mess and three RBs not worth much, but Rawls looks like the best stash if you’re a masochist. Russell Wilson saw his third 3-TD game but he also has three with one or less and he’s played a pretty easy slate of defenses. Wilson is the #6 fantasy QB right now and looks like a sell high, especially with the Jaguars and Rams in weeks 14–15.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Doug Martin has seen his snaps and carries increase each game as Jacquizz Rodgers has been totally fazed out of the offense. Martin is already one touch away from leading the Bucs on the season despite missing three games, and he looks like a great second half pickup if you can get him. Jameis Winston had his fourth 300-yard game in five healthy outings but it’s a rough passing schedule ahead, so be careful about leaning too hard on him.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans continue to disappoint fantasy owners, who won’t miss them on a bye this week. DeMarco Murray remains slightly ahead of Derrick Henry in snaps and touches, but neither is doing much right now. Marcus Mariota has thrown only four TDs all season and does not look like a reliable fantasy starter or even one you definitely have to hold onto in shallow leagues. Tennessee has a bye next before games against the Ravens, Bengals, and Steelers, all stout defenses. It may stay ugly.

Washington Redskins

I’m still on the sell Chris Thompson train. Thompson leads the Redskins in rushing and receiving yards and TDs but he’s doing it with only 11 touches a week and that’s just impossible to keep up. Robb Kelley got 27 snaps to 37 for Thompson and didn’t do much with them, but Samaje Perine didn’t see the field and can be dropped. It seems crazy, but Terrelle Pryor might be next. He played only 30 of 64 snaps and just isn’t being used. Despite all that, Kirk Cousins is rolling with four straight good fantasy games and has an awesome closing schedule if you’re looking for a good option at QB.

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