Booms, Busts, and Breakouts: Week 8 fantasy predictions
Each week our gaggle of Yahoo analysts show their hands and reveal their top booms, busts and breakouts. Gaze into the crystal ball and list your picks in the comment section below.
Among non-obvious starts in Yahoo leagues, the loudest BOOM in Week 8 will come from ________.
Brad — MARLON MACK. Last week’s breakout was only the beginning. Mack is about to smack down the repulsive Raiders. Oakland, a team that doesn’t have a single defender inside the top-50 in run-stop percentage according to Pro Football Focus, has allowed 4.88 yards per carry, 156.0 total yards per game and seven combined touchdowns to running backs. Mack, who ranks top-five in yards created per carry, racks at least 80 total yards with a score.
Matt — TAYLOR GABRIEL. You can go back to Gabriel as a contrarian play following a 3-26 dud against the Patriots. The Bears simply decided to feature Tarik Cohen and Trey Burton as the target leaders in last week’s games and that left little for Gabriel and Allen Robinson to do on the outside. The Bears get the Jets this week, who have faced the sixth-most (40.6) pass attempts per game this year and the most yards (1,403) to the wide receiver position. With Robinson still nursing a groin injury, Gabriel could see a solid rebound in the volume column.
Scott — DANNY AMENDOLA might be out of booms at this stage of his career, but he has a connection with Brock Osweiler. Over the last two weeks, Amendola has a 14-143-1 return; useful numbers off 18 targets. Miami is a ghost town at wide receiver down Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson. No one in the building has high hopes for DeVante Parker. I can’t promise you the Dolphins offense will be viewable for most of Thursday’s game at Houston, but I expect Amendola to post a satisfying fantasy line at the end of the night. He’s surprisingly available in Yahoo, rostered in just one-third of leagues.
Conversely, the brand name set to be the biggest Week 8 BUST is ________.
Matt — EVAN ENGRAM. His whole sophomore season isn’t going to plan, as he’s cleared 20 yards in just one game and his only week where he averaged over 10 yards per catch is the week where he got hurt and caught just one pass for 19 yards. The leading culprit is his 3.8 average depth of target, which is by far the lowest among all tight ends with 15 or more targets. At this point, there are several players with higher ceilings than Engram at the ever-murky tight end position. Washington gives up the second-lowest (8.9) yards per catch to the position.
Scott — RUSSELL WILSON has made a career out of second-half seasonal comebacks, so perhaps he’ll spark something fresh off Seattle’s bye. But Wilson has been reluctant to run (just 10 yards per game) and he’s stuck in an archaic Brian Schottenheimer offense; while the rest of the league plays pinball, Seattle sets up the checkerboard.
The Seahawks didn’t adequately replace Jimmy Graham and Paul Richardson, Doug Baldwin has been hurt most of the year, and the offensive line is troublesome. Detroit’s pass defense has been leaky (107.1 QB rating allowed), but Wilson needs a prove-it game before I’m willing to rank him proactively.
Brad — NICK CHUBB. To be crystal clear, I’m infatuated with Chubb rest of season. His schedule after Week 8 is the second-easiest for a fantasy rusher. However, the Steelers are rather unyielding in the trenches. They’ve surrendered 3.57 yards per carry, 66.7 rush yards per game, three rushing TDs and the second-fewest fantasy points to RBs. Heinz Field will be a house of horrors for Chubb. Think around 50-70 yards without a score.
Chuck a Hail Mary, one deeper player you believe BREAKS OUT in Week 8 is ______.
Scott — CHRIS HERNDON is one of the last Jets standing in the passing game. He’s scored twice in two weeks (a third touchdown was called back) and collected 98 total yards — practically monster numbers given the tight-end wreckage of 2018. With Quincy Enunwa and Bilal Powell out, Robby Anderson dinged, and Jermaine Kearse off a bagel, Herndon has a chance to be the top New York target at Chicago. The Bears have allowed four tight-end touchdowns this year, to an ordinary collection of opponents. Herndon is owned in just five percent of Yahoo leagues.
Brad — RAHEEM MOSTERT. The former Purdue standout is a cheetah whose one-cut abilities and vision mesh perfectly for Kyle Shanahan’s zone-blocking scheme. With Matt Breida an oversized question mark due to an ankle injury, Mostert is a strong candidate to record 12-15 touches against the friendliest fantasy matchup for RBs in the known universe. Arizona has given up 4.55 yards per carry, 186.5 total yards per game and 12 combined scores to RBs. Another 70-plus yards with a score are in my fearless forecast.
Matt — TRE’QUAN SMITH. The rookie didn’t hit big in his first game with Ted Ginn on IR but we can give him a mulligan for playing the Ravens. The peripheral numbers were there for Smith as he led the team in air yards and ran the second-most routes on the team behind Michael Thomas. The Vikings defense is starting to tighten up but injuries have stung them on the back end all season. Smith could easily rip a big play in this likely high-scoring matchup.
Handicapping Lounge: If I had to go to the window to punch a Week 8 against-the-spread ticket, my jelly beans would be on ______.
Brad — Kansas City -10.5. The Chiefs break every norm when it comes to conventional wagering. The public continues to hammer them yet they consistently cash. Against a distracted Denver club still shocked by Chad Kelly’s off-the-field actions and dismissal, KC coasts to a 20-point win.
Matt — Indianapolis -3. It’s risky to run with the road team in the spot but it’s been a few days since the Amari Cooper trade and Oakland’s path to scoring points the rest of the year is no less clear. The Colts, on the other hand, look like an offense ready to explode. Indianapolis is the fastest paced offense in the NFL, ranking fourth in plays run per game and points scored per game. These two teams are trending in opposite directions and giving three points is more than fine.
Scott — Philadelphia -3. The Eagles didn’t close against Carolina, but that should be less of a problem against the Jaguars. Jacksonville has a broken offense and a slightly-disappointing defense, and not even the familiar trip to Europe will bail them out here.
