Welcome to Week 8! More importantly, welcome to the second half of the fantasy regular season. This is when we all start to get that 1,000-yard stare. We’re just about as far from the destination as we are from the start. No way to turn back. The only way out is through.
But which version of the 1,000-yard stare do you have? Is it one of determination? Remaining present while waiting for the playoffs to come? Or is it a stare of despair. Trying to clear your mind of the troubles on your roster. Or maybe you’re just bored of my analogies and are scrolling to see some names. Patience, we’ll get there.
If it’s either of the final two, then you’re in a good place. Welcome back to the Sleepers column. Our job here is to focus that vacant look. Give you reason to stay present with an eye toward the future. But for now, we need to lock in. The second half -- and your run to the postseason -- starts now.
Now ... here are some names for Week 8.
QUARTERBACK
Congratulations, Adam Rank. You’ve made me a Bo-liever. I’ve spent the past two weeks trying not to admit that the Broncos’ rookie was becoming a thing. But he’s done a reasonable job of moving the offense in Denver’s last few games. In fantasy, Nix has scored more than 19 points in three of his last five games. He’s accounted for seven total touchdowns with just one turnover.
This week, Nix and the Broncos welcome the Panthers to the Mile High City. Carolina has been gracious as both a host and guest with opposing quarterbacks. Entering Week 7, the Panthers had allowed multiple touchdown passes in every game except one. Then in Week 8, Marcus Mariota took over for an injured Jayden Daniels and marched the Commanders up and down the field. At this point, it’s worth starting any quarterback against the Carolina defense until the unit proves it can stop somebody.
It’s getting tough to call Caleb a sleeper anymore. He’s posted back-to-back games with more than 23 fantasy points. Over his last three contests, Williams has a combined seven touchdowns and just one interception. He’s topped 300 passing yards in two of his last four games. In short, Williams has been dealing after a rough first couple of games.
This week could be a measuring stick for the Bears' passing game. The Commanders have played well against poor offenses (NYG, CLE, CAR) and played poorly against good offenses (TB, CIN, BAL). Washington also stopped the Cardinals, but they’re sorta like Schrödinger’s Offense -- both good and not good at the same time. At this point, Chicago’s passing game looks like it’s on a heater. Especially against suspect defenses. Williams, for now, gets the benefit of the doubt.
RUNNING BACK
Every time I think I’m out, Javonte Williams pulls me back in. My doubts have never been about Williams’ talent. His usage, however, is a different matter entirely. Sean Payton has been reluctant to load the fourth-year running back up with touches. Only once this season has Williams had more than 15 carries. Meanwhile, his targets seem to max out at six. He made the most of his chances last week against a Saints run defense that has progressively deteriorated since the first two weeks of the season.
This week, Williams gets another NFC South defense trying to find answers. Carolina ranks dead last against the run and has given up an astounding 13 rushing scores in seven games. The Panthers have allowed a running back to finish in the positional top 20 every week this season – with five of those backs landing in the top 12. Even with a relatively limited share of touches, Williams could duplicate his Week 7 performance.
In the year of our Fantasy Football Lord, Hunt is the force that drives the Kansas City Chiefs offense. In Week 7 against the 49ers, he led the team in rushing and scored a pair of touchdowns. The previous week, Hunt went over 100 rushing yards against the Saints. With Kansas City’s passing game not being nearly as explosive as we’ve become accustomed to, Andy Reid has had to get creative with the run. There’s certainly a chance we see Clyde Edwards-Helaire or Samaje Perine going forward, but they’ll have to do a lot of work to unseat Hunt.
Las Vegas’ 25th-ranked run defense has been trampled in nearly every game this season. The Silver and Black have allowed more than 100 rushing yards and at least one touchdown in six of seven games. They’ve allowed a running back to have at least 15 points in every game, with four posting top-12 weekly finishes. With the Raiders being solid against the pass, this could be a field day for Hunt and the K.C. run game.
WIDE RECEIVER
After Amari Cooper was traded to the Buffalo Bills, all eyes turned to Jerry Jeudy, who was expected to be the go-to guy in Cleveland. Turns out, that was Tillman. Some of that might have had to do with a change at quarterback. Seven of Tillman’s 12 targets came with Dorian Thompson-Robinson at quarterback. But even with Jameis Winston getting the start this week against the Ravens, Tillman could still get plenty of looks with Cooper gone.
The knee-jerk reaction is to be wary of starting your guys against the Ravens. Those Ravens aren’t these Ravens. These Ravens have been much more forgiving against receivers this season. Baltimore has been the third-most favorable matchup for wideouts in 2024. Four receivers have had at least 80 yards, six have had at least six receptions, and three have scored multiple touchdowns against them in 2024. Add in that the Browns could be in a negative game script, and Tillman could see a lot of work.
Pearsall finally made his NFL debut for the 49ers in Week 7 against the Chiefs. It was a long road that took an early detour after the rookie receiver was shot during an attempted robbery before the season began. Now he’s in position to be a key cog in the Niners’ struggling offense. When it looked like Brandon Aiyuk might be traded back in August, the thought was Pearsall would be the receiver San Francisco used to beat man coverage. Now that Aiyuk (knee) is gone for the season, the rookie could be thrust into that role.
His first real test will come against a Cowboys defense that has been reeling for much of the season but is coming off a bye. Dallas’ pass defense allows 7.9 yards per attempt -- the fifth-highest mark in the NFL. The Cowboys are expected to still be without edge rushers DeMarcus Lawrence and Marshawn Kneeland, while Micah Parsons will be a game-time decision. In that case, Brock Purdy should be under far less pressure than he was last week against Kansas City. And that means Pearsall should be able to get looks in a passing game with Purdy looking for additional help.
TIGHT END
You can add Engram to the list of tight ends enduring a fantasy malaise in 2024. He missed three games with a hamstring injury, and in the three games he’s played, Engram has scored fewer than nine points in two of them. Overall, the arrow is pointing up. He has a team-high 27 percent target share in the two games since returning from injury. He’s also Trevor Lawrence’s favorite target. No player has caught more passes from Lawrence than Engram since 2022.
With strong pass-catching fundamentals, Engram and the Jaguars host a Packers defense that has been below average against the pass. Green Bay hasn’t faced a ton of tight end targets, but it also has faced just one team – the Cardinals – that uses its tight end in any significant way. In that contest, Trey McBride caught eight passes for 96 yards. With Lawrence traditionally looking in Engram’s direction, he could have a similar performance this week against the Pack.
Even before the injury to Deshaun Watson and the trade of Amari Cooper, Njoku was starting to come to life for fantasy managers. He’s earned 21 targets in the past two weeks with 15 catches for 107 yards and a touchdown, making Njoku the TE4 in that stretch and a top 20 tight end for the season.
That volume alone should be enough to side with Njoku -- especially in an offense that is looking for consistent pass-catching targets. This week, Njoku has another good matchup to improve his prospects. The Ravens continue to be a boon for opposing tight ends, as the sixth-best matchup for tight ends this season. While they have yet to allow a touchdown to a tight end, the Ravens have conceded the most receptions and receiving yards to the position. Another pass-happy game script could mean another quality Njoku outing for managers in need of tight end production.
DEFENSE
The Lions spent a lot of resources improving their pass defense in the offseason. At first glance, the changes don’t appear to have taken hold as they rank 21st against the pass. Dig a little deeper and it might not be as bad as it looks. Detroit surrendered almost 45 percent of its passing yards in two games. The upside is that the Lions haven’t allowed more than one passing TD in any game this year.
What does that have to do with the Titans? Well, Tennessee is struggling to throw the ball regardless if it’s Will Levis or Mason Rudolph at quarterback. The Lions should have little trouble locking down the Titans’ aerial attack, which is now without newly traded DeAndre Hopkins. Combine that with Detroit’s top five rushing defense, and it could be a long day for Brian Callahan’s offense.
Remember those two weeks at the start of the season when the Saints were good? Those were fun times. New Orleans’ offense was lighting up opponents and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak was the talk of the league. That was then. This is now. After scoring a combined 91 points in their first two games, the Saints have a combine 86 over their last five. Injuries to Derek Carr, Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed have made matters worse.
The Chargers won’t feel sorry for them this week. While Olave (concussion) could return, Shaheed is done for the year and Carr is expected to miss at least one more game. That should put Spencer Rattler back in the starting lineup. The rookie struggled to move the offense against a very good Broncos defense last week, and this Chargers outfit has been equally hard on quarterbacks this season.