The 2015 International Series came to a close today, with the Kansas City Chiefs dominating the Detroit Lions at Wembley Stadium in London, England. Drew Brees absolutely went off for over 500 yards and seven TD passes in a shootout against the Giants where both teams put up over 45 points. There were also an unfortunate amount of injuries to major fantasy stars including Le'Veon Bell, Steve Smith, Matt Forte and Keenan Allen among others. Below, we recap all of the fantasy action from Week 8.
Indianapolis Colts at Carolina Panthers
Top performers:
» Andrew Luck, QB: 231 passing yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs, 14.74 fantasy points
» Ahmad Bradshaw, RB: 7 carries, 31 rushing yards, 3.10 fantasy points
» Frank Gore, RB: 25 touches, 92 total yards, 9.20 fantasy points
» Andre Johnson, WR: 4 rec, 81 yards, TD, 14.10 fantasy points
» Coby Fleener, TE: 7 rec, 43 yards, TD, 10.30 fantasy points
» Cam Newton, QB: 289 total yards, 2 TDs, INT, 18.02 fantasy points
» Jonathan Stewart, RB: 25 touches, 83 total yards, TD, 12.30 fantasy points
» Ted Ginn, WR: 2 rec, 60 yards, 6 fantasy points
» Philly Brown, WR: 3 rec, 42 yards, TD, 11.60 fantasy points
» Greg Olsen, TE: 6 rec, 79 yards, TD, 13.90 fantasy points
Andrew Luck overcame an unmitigated disaster type of start to post a usable fantasy day. Despite all the talk about whether he was injured or not, all it took was the Colts going to an up-tempo offense for Luck to find his groove. His fantasy owners still have to be worried about their highly-drafted quarterback. Aside from when they fought to come back in his game, the offense was just out of sync all day. A ferocious Panthers front made it hard for Frank Gore to find much room, but at least he got fed 20-plus touches. Ahmad Bradshaw mixed into the rotation, but this looks like Gore's show. He'll have better days ahead when the matchup is more in his favor. T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief were mostly blotted out by Josh Norman and Charles Tillman. Hopefully you expected that to happen in this one. Instead, Coby Fleener, Griff Whalen and Andre Johnson ruled the day in the comeback effort. Don't bother with any of these players in fantasy. Cam Newton posted another solid QB1 game amid some horrific rain conditions early in the game, and clawed the Panthers back for an overtime win. Jonathan Stewart has stabilized as dependable RB2, now that he's capitalizing with 20-plus touches every. Ted Ginn had a decent day, but dropped what would have been a long game-winning touchdown. There was more there for the streaky wideout, and it was Philly Brown who nabbed the sole wide receiver touchdown. Predictably, it was Greg Olsen who snagged the other passing touchdown, and the veteran also made several clutch catches all night.
Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs (London)
Top performers:
» Matthew Stafford, QB: 217 pass yards, TD, 2 INT, 9.18 fantasy points
» Joique Bell, RB: 56 rush yards, 5.6 fantasy points
» Calvin Johnson, WR: 55 rec yards, 5.5 fantasy points
» Alex Smith, QB: 145 pass yards, 2 TDs, 78 rush yards, TD, 27.6 fantasy points
» Charcandrick West, RB: 97 rush yards, TD, 25 rec yards, 18.2 fantasy points
» Jeremy Maclin, WR: 35 rec yards, TD, 9.5 fantasy points
» Travis Kelce, TE: 49 rec yards, TD, 10.9 fantasy points
» Chiefs D/ST: 6 sacks, 2 INT, 14.00 fantasy points
The Chiefs fans in London were rewarded with a great game from their offense. Jeremy Maclin and Travis Kelce both found the end zone. For Kelce, it was his first trip to the painted area since Week 1. Charcandrick West also backed up his solid game from Week 7 with over 100 total yards and a touchdown. The Chiefs offense had their way with the Lions defense all game, as Alex Smith even had over 75 rushing yards on the day. The Lions on the other hand ... oh boy. The Jim Bob Cooter era on offense didn't get off to a great start. Matthew Stafford still struggled to assign protections against the blitz, and his offensive line didn't do him many favors in general. The reports heading into the game were that the team wanted to establish the run, and they tried to do that early ... with Joique Bell. The veteran showed a little juice on a couple of nice runs, but otherwise this was the same Bell we've grown accustomed to -- the one who is too slow to exploit any holes and gets tackled by his own offensive line. Apparently JBC isn't a big fan of Ameer Abdullah, as the talented rookie barely saw the field except on special teams. Calvin Johnson amassed 55 receiving yards, but left the game in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury, and did not return. All told, the Lions offense was a mess in this game, dropping passes, allowing sacks and committing costly penalties. Hopefully the team will address some of these issues in their bye next week, otherwise it could be a long rest of the season for fantasy owners who have Lions on their rosters.
Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears
Top performers:
» Teddy Bridgewater, QB: 187 passing yards, TD, 11.58 fantasy points
» Adrian Peterson, RB: 22 touches, 109 total yards, 10.90 fantasy points
» Stefon Diggs, WR: 6 rec, 95 yards, TD, 15.50 fantasy points
» Kyle Rudolph, TE: 2 rec, 22 yards, 2.20 fantasy points
» Jay Cutler, QB: 211 yards, 2 TD (one rush), 19.54 fantasy points
» Matt Forte, RB: 14 touches, 69 total yards, 6.90 fantasy points
» Jeremy Langford, RB: 12 carries, 46 yards, 4.60 fantasy points
» Alshon Jeffery, WR: 10 rec, 116 yards, TD, 17.60 fantasy points
» Martellus Bennett, TE: 3 rec, 32 yards, 3.20 fantasy points
Minnesota snuck out a last minute win on the road courtesy of a Blair Walsh field goal. Other than that, their offense was about the same as usual. Teddy Bridgewater posted an economical stat line, and shanked a few passes today. This is such a low volume pass offense, that he can't afford to be anything but perfect to post a usable fantasy line. If you're in a 10 or 12 team standard league, there will almost certainly be better options every week. Adrian Peterson, oddly enough, is something of a glorified volume back right now. He'll push 100 yards every week and top 20 touches, but big plays and scoring opportunities are far more scarce than usual. The offensive line, as currently constructed, just isn't doing him any favors. Stefon Diggs is Mr. Consistent in this offense, going for 95 yards and score today. He's worth a start on a weekly basis, and is currently rendering all other options in this passing game irrelevant. The Bears offense suffered quite the blow when Matt Forte left the game early with a knee injury. It appears Jeremy Langford is the top backup, and he saw 12 carries today. Monitor Forte's status, and throw a speculative pickup Langford's way on waivers. Alshon Jeffery is a WR1 now that he's back and healthy. He's a near-lock for 10-plus targets every week.
Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans
Top performers:
» Zach Mettenberger, QB: 171 yards, INT, 2.84 fantasy points
» Antonio Andrews, RB: 19 touches, 82 total yards, 8.20 fantasy points
» Kendall Wright, WR: 4 rec, 21 yards, 2.80 fantasy points
» Delanie Walker, TE: 6 rec, 62 yards, 6.20 fantasy points
» Brian Hoyer, QB: 235 yards, 2 TDs, 17.30 fantasy points
» Alfred Blue, RB: 19 touches, 72 total yards, 7.20 fantasy points
» DeAndre Hopkins, WR: 8 rec, 94 yards, TD, 15.40 fantasy points
» Nate Washington, WR: 4 rec, 74 yards, TD, 13.40 fantasy points
The Titans were thoroughly outclassed by the Texans, and their offense never competed in this game. Can we put to bed any talk that Zach Mettenberger is a good quarterback? He took sacks left and right, and threw an ugly interception toward the end of this game. The Titans offense stands no chance as long as he's under center. Antonio Andrews is the only running back who has any semblance of value, and saw 19 touches in this one. We'll keep an eye on rookie David Cobb, who should be close to returning from a preseason injury, as this backfield just isn't settled yet. Kendall Wright left the game with a knee injury, not that there was any passing value to be had in this game. Brian Hoyer continues churning out solid fantasy production, and there wasn't any garbage time points in this one. With the state of the Texans backfield, the offense has to run though him. He'll either post passable numbers, like today, or throw them out of a game and into garbage time. That actually works quite well for fantasy owners, and he's a prime streaming quarterback at this point. Alfred Blue lapped the field in both carries and receptions out of the backfield. We still wouldn't trust this group, unless Blue strings a few consistent weeks together. DeAndre Hopkins took advantage of some cakewalk cornerback matchups, including for a highlight-reel touchdown. Nate Washington scored on a long bomb, and can certainly make good on the target volume he's getting.
Arizona Cardinals at Cleveland Browns
Top performers:
» Carson Palmer, QB: 374 pass yards, 4 pass TDs, 1 INT, 6 rush yards, 29.56 fantasy points
» Chris Johnson, RB: 109 rush yards, 2 fumbles lost, 6.90 fantasy points
» Larry Fitzgerald, WR: 84 rec yards, rec TD, fumble lost, 12.40 fantasy points
» Michael Floyd, WR: 106 rec yards, rec TD, 16.60 fantasy points
» Troy Niklas, TE: 12 rec yards, 2 rec TDs, 13.20 fantasy points
» John Brown, WR: ¯_(?)_/¯
» Josh McCown, QB: 211 pass yards, 3 pass TDs, 18 rush yards, INT, fumble lost, 18.24 fantasy points
» Brian Hartline, WR: 32 rec yards, 2 rec TDs, 15.20 fantasy points
» Gary Barnidge, TE: 53 rec yards, rec TD, 11.30 fantasy points
» Duke Johnson, RB: 3 rush yards, 68 rec yards, 7.10 fantasy points
For those John brown owners out there who slotted the wide receiver into your starting lineup after finding out he was active Sunday morning, well, there isn't very much we can do to console you. He was indeed "active" but didn't play a single snap against the Browns. Not much we can do about that. The Cardinals were clearly fine without him as they beat the Browns 34-20. Carson Palmer remains one of the most consistent QBs in fantasy as he went for four TD passes and over 370 pass yards in the game. Chris Johnson (30 carries) would have had a much better day had he not lost two fumbles, but his final numbers suffered due to the turnovers. Both Michael Floyd and Larry Fitzgerald scored, while tight end Troy Niklas (who!?) scored not once, but twice, helping absolutely no one. For the Browns, the run game was embarrassing once again (39 total rushing yards), but Josh McCown was a decent streaming option for fantasy owners with touchdown passes to Brian Hartline (two) and tight end Gary Barnidge, who now has six TDs on the season and has cemented his status as an every week TE1.
Cinncinati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers
Top performers:
» Andy Dalton, QB: 231 pass yards, pass TD, 2 INTs, 4 rush yards, 9.54 fantasy points
» A.J. Green, WR: 118 rec yards, rec TD, 17.80 fantasy points
» Jeremy Hill, RB: 60 rush yards, 8 rec yards, 6.80 fantasy points
» Ben Roethlisberger, QB: 262 pass yards, pass TD, 3 INTs, 8.48 fantasy points
» Le'Veon Bell, RB: 45 rush yards, 13 rec yards, 5.80 fantasy points (left game with knee injury)
» DeAngelo Williams, RB: 71 rush yards, 39 rec yards, 11.00 fantasy points
» Antonio Brown, WR: 47 rec yards, rec TD, 10.70 fantasy points
» Martavis Bryant, WR: 49 rec yards, 4.90 fantasy points
For all of the fantasy potential this game harbored, not very much of it came to fruition. Unfortunately, the biggest takeaway was the loss of running back Le'Veon Bell who left the game with what looked like a serious knee injury, the extent of which is unknown. Either way, it was a day riddled with injuries across the NFL, but Bell's has arguably the biggest impact on the fantasy community, due to his elite RB status. Elsewhere in this game, both A.J. Green and Antonio Brown found the end zone but other than that, it was a disappointing day for fantasy owners. Heath Miller led the Steelers in receiving with 10 catches for 105 yards, while DeAngelo Williams stepped in for Bell nicely, averaging 7.9 yards per carry. It was nice to see Jeremy Hill get some volume as he touched the ball 16 times, but Giovani Bernard and Tyler Eifert owners were let down by slow games. It was a great real NFL game to watch, but an ugly one for fantasy purposes. There's no doubt that Williams will be the top waiver-wire target heading into Week 9, so if he's been dropped in your league make sure you get a claim in for him. And stay tuned to NFL.com for updates on Bell's status.
San Diego Chargers at Baltimore Ravens
Top performers:
» Philip Rivers, QB: 252 pass yards, 3 pass TD, 22.08 fantasy points
» Malcom Floyd, WR: 92 yards, 2 TD, 21.20 fantasy points
» Keenan Allen, WR: 35 yards, TD, 9.50 fantay points
» Joe Flacco, QB: 319 pass yards, TD, 2 rush yards, TD, 22.96 fantasy points
» Steve Smith, WR: 82 yards, 8.20 fantasy points
» Justin Forsett, RB: 74 yards, 7.400 fantasy points
» Crockett Gillmore: 8 yards, 6.80 fantasy points
This wasn't the aerial display we were hoping for from Philip Rivers, with the Chargers quarterback slinging the rock just 37 times. But he did spread the ball around, hitting 10 different targets -- four connections apiece to Malcom Floyd (two touchdowns) and Antonio Gates. Keenan Allen did catch a touchdown but had his day cut short with muscle spasms. San Diego still can't run the football, but bless their hearts, they still try. Danny Woodhead getting just five total touches today (45 yards) seems unacceptable while Melvin Gordon continues to run for three yards per carry.
This game was just further proof that the No Figure League is alive and well. Facing one of the league's worst rushing defenses, the Ravens rush for just 71 yards (Justin Forsett: 17 rush, 69 yards). Joe Flacco wasn't elite, but he was pretty efficient with 319 passing yards and a touchdown along with a rushing score. The Ravens received terrible news after the game with confirmation that Steve Smith Sr. suffered a season-ending Achilles injury. Kamar Aiken finished a game-high six catches and is likely the top target for the remainder of the season.
San Francisco 49ers at St. Louis Rams
Top performers:
» Colin Kaepernick, QB: 162 pass yards, 28 rush yards, 9.28 fantasy points
» Jerome Simpson, WR: 34 yards, 3.40 fantasy points
» Quinton Patton, WR: 33 yards, 3.30 fantasy points
» Tavon Austin, WR: 119 yards, 2 TD, fumble, 21.90 fantay points
» Todd Gurley, RB: 146 yards, TD, 20.60 fantasy points
» Nick Foles, QB: 191 pass yards, TD, 2PT conversion, -3 rush yards, 13.34 fantasy points
How bad are things for the 49ers? By the end of the game, the only running back they had available was Kendall Gaskins who had just been elevated from the practice squad. In the end, San Francisco posted just 38 rushing yards. Thirty-eight. The good news is that Colin Kaepernick has gone two straight weeks without a turnover. The bad news is that he's thrown for a combined 286 yards in those games -- or 225 fewer yards than Drew Brees had in Week 8 alone. Maybe things will get better next week against the Falcons ... but are you starting him? We don't think so.
Tavon Austin is a matchup-based play. This was definitely the matchup. The Swiss Army knife-type player did most of his damage as a runner, but you don't care about that. You just care about the 119 total yards and two touchdowns. In other news, Todd Gurley is still that dude. Let us suggest a new game plan for the Rams: Give the ball to Gurley and get out of the way. The rest will take care of itself. Don't start Nick Foles. Ever.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons
Top performers:
» Jameis Winston, QB: 177 yards, TD, rush TD, 19.48 fantasy points
» Doug Martin, RB: 78 total yards, 7.8 fantasy points
» Mike Evans, WR: 3 rec, 48 yards, 4.8 fantasy points
» Matt Ryan, QB: 397 yards, 2 TDs, INT, fmbl, 20.08 fantasy points
» Devonta Freeman, RB: 88 rush yards, 43 rec yards, 13.1 fantasy points
» Julio Jones, WR: 11 rec, 162 yards, TD, fmbl, 20.2 fantasy points
» Jacob Tamme, TE: 10 rec, 103 yards, TD, 16.3 fantasy points
For the most part, the fantasy studs in this game delivered. Matt Ryan posted over 20 fantasy points, despite having two turnovers, and he can thank Julio Jones for that. After being dogged for weeks by a bum hamstring, Jones is showing no ill effects of the malady anymore. He torched the Buccaneers for 162 receiving yards, and also chased down Bucs linebacker Kwon Alexander on an interception return that was called back on a penalty. We expected Devonta Freeman's touchdown production to regress to the mean, but he's proving just how good he is by producing for his owners week after week. He's now had 130 or more total yards in six straight games. You can't be more consistent than that. With Leonard Hankerson out with a hamstring injury and Roddy White still struggling this year, Jacob Tamme stepped up in a big way with over 100 yards and a touchdown. Jameis Winston is still adjusting to the NFL game, but the foundation is there for future success. He showed flashes of great play, surrounded by some missed throws and rookie decisions. He also did all of this without much of his supporting cast, as Mike Evans was really his only healthy wide receiver (and he wasn't much of a factor today). Despite Doug Martin's rather uninspiring stat line, he continues to play inspired football. His feet look quicker than ever this year allowing him to keep his balance and cut on a dime through the holes. His vision is improved, and he'll continue to produce as an RB1 moving forward. This offense needs to get healthy. Hopefully Austin Seferian-Jenkins can return next week.
New York Giants at New Orleans Saints
Top performers:
» Eli Manning, QB: 350 yards, 6 TDs, 38 fantasy points
» Rashad Jennings, RB: 54 rush yards, 31 rec yards, 8.5 fantasy points
» Shane Vereen, RB: 63 total yards, rec TD, 12.3 fantasy points
» Odell Beckham Jr., WR: 8 rec, 130 yards, 3 TDs, 31 fantasy points
» Dwayne Harris, WR: 3 rec, 37 yards, 2 TDs, 15.7 fantasy points
» Drew Brees, QB: 511 pass yards, 7 TDs, INT, 46.54 fantasy points
» Mark Ingram, RB: 80 rush yards, 39 rec yards 4.3 fantasy points
» Willie Snead, WR: 7 rec, 76 yards, 2 TD, 17.6 fantay points
» Brandin Cooks, WR: 6 rec, 88 yards, 2 TD, 20.5 fantasy points
» Marques Colston, WR: 8 rec, 114 yards, TD, 17.4 fantasy points
» Benjamin Watson, WR: 9 rec, 147 yards, TD, 20.7 fantasy points
ALL of the fantasy points were scored in this game. ALL OF THEM! Drew Brees tied the NFL record with seven touchdown passes, and the six Eli Manning added on his end set a new NFL record for combined passing touchdowns in a game (13). The offensive fireworks in this one got going right away, as Brees marched his offense up and down the field with his arm, finding Willie Snead (twice), Brandin Cooks and Marques Colston for touchdowns in the first half. It was fun finally seeing this offense click, but part of that also came from the Giants already banged up secondary suffering more injuries, too. Mark Ingram is still the workhorse for this offense, racking up over 100 total yards and posting a solid fantasy day, even though he didn't get in on the scoring-palooza. Benjamin Watson was a sleeper we pegged earlier in the week, and he made good on a great matchup posting a new career high in receiving yards with 147. It seemed like Odell Beckham Jr.'s hamstring was feeling good when he practiced earlier in the week, but it was still surprising to see him drop 130 yards and three touchdowns on the Saints secondary. They simply didn't have an answer for him. The Giants backfield continues to be frustrating in fantasy, but with Orleans Darkwa injuring his back, perhaps Rashad Jennings will take over a larger portion of the carries after he ran well in the second half. Shane Vereen remains the passing-down back, with eight catches and a touchdown today. Basically, if you had any fantasy players in this game, they delivered. Even Marques Colston crossed the century mark, which is baffling to see in a box score in 2015.
New York Jets at Oakland Raiders
Top performers:
» Geno Smith, QB: 265 pass yards, 2 pass TDs, 1 INT, 34 rush yards, 20.00 fantasy points
» Chris Ivory, RB: 17 rush yards, 24 rec yards, 4.10 fantasy points
» Brandon Marshall, WR: 108 rec yards, 10.80 fantasy points
» Eric Decker, WR: 60 rec yards, TD, 12.00 fantasy points
» Kellen Davis, TE: 1 rec yard, TD, 6.10 fantasy points
» Derek Carr, QB: 333 pass yards, 4 pass TDs, -2 rush yards, 29.12 fantasy points
» Latavius Murray, RB: 113 rush yards, 6 rec yards, 11.90 fantasy points
» Amari Cooper, WR: 46 rec yards, 2 rush yards, 4.80 fantasy points
» Andre Holmes, WR: 54 rec yards, 2 rec TDs, 17.40 fantasy points
» Taiwan Jones, RB: 59 rec yards, 5 rush yards, rec TD, 12.40 fantasy points
» Michael Crabtree, WR: 102 rec yards, TD 16.20 fantasy points
Add a few more injuries to the long list from Sunday. Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick left the game in the first quarter against the Raiders with torn ligaments in his thumb, while Geno Smith took over for the Jets. Smith also got banged up with injuries to his abdomen and ribs. And Brandon Marshall played through toe and ankle injuries. It didn't really matter though, because Derek Carr torched the Jets defense for four TDs, a hole New York just couldn't climb out of. The most interesting storyline here was the fact that the Jets defense was unable to shut down the Raiders offensive attack. Sure, Darrelle Revis quited Amari Cooper, but Michael Crabtree and Andre Holmes more than made up for the rookie's down day. running back Latavius Murray rushed for over 100 yards, posting his second consecutive double-digit fantasy outing. For the Jets, Chris Ivory struggled to produce with just 17 rush yards on 15 carries and it was evident that All-Pro center Nick Mangold, who was inactive with a neck injury, was missed along New York's offensive line. At least Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall were still able to put up serviceable totals with Smith at the helm. The Jets have now lost two in a row and will look to get things right next week against the Jaguars, while the Raiders will head east to face the Steelers.
Seattle Seahawks at Dallas Cowboys
Top performers:
» Russell Wilson, QB: 210 pass yards, TD, INT, 32 rush yards, 13.60 fantasy points
» Luke Willson, TE: 41 yards, TD, 10.10 fantasy points
» Marshawn Lynch, RB: 82 yards, 8.20 fantasy points
» Darren McFadden: 113 yards, 11.30 fantasy points
» Matt Cassel, QB, QB: 97 pass yards, 43 rush yards, 8.18 fantasy points
» Cowboys D/ST: INT, 6.00 fantasy points
Let's just get this out of the way. This was not a fun game to watch from a fantasy perspective. The Seahawks offense continues to be as useful as cursive. Russell Wilson and his cadre of pass-catchers struggled to produce much of anything, although Jimmy Graham's 75 receiving yards continue to offer false hope that 2015 won't be a wasted season. Marshawn Lynch had a Beast Mode-like workload even if he didn't offer Beast Mode-like production. Even the Seahawks defense returned less-than-optimal numbers this week.
Matt Cassel is not good at his job. He will not heighten your enjoyment of fantasy football. Do not include him in your lineup or have him on your roster. Dez Bryant didn't have a good day. Chalk it up to him still working his way back from injury, and having to deal with Richard Sherman. He'll have better days, even if his quarterback stinks. Darren McFadden once again got a solid a workload and posted quality numbers. Maybe it's time to believe. But maybe that's just what the Cowboys want us to think. What a tricky web you weave, Jason Garrett. As long as Joseph Randle is out of action, Run DMC might be worth a spin.
Green Bay Packers at Denver Broncos
Top performers:
» Aaron Rodgers, QB: 77 pass yards, 31 rush yards, 6.1 fantasy points
» Eddie Lacy, RB: 47 total yards, 1 rush TD, 10.7 fantasy points
» Randall Cobb, WR: 37 total yards, 3.7 fantasy points
» Peyton Manning, QB: 340 pass yards, INT, 11.6 fantasy points
» Roonnie Hillman, RB: 60 rush yards, 2 TD, 17.50 fantasy points
» C.J. Anderson, RB: 101 rush yards, TD, 5 rec yards, 16.6 fantasy points
» Demaryius Thomas, WR: 168 rec yards, 16.80 fantasy points
» Broncos D/ST: 3 sacks, safety, 10 pts allowed, 9.00 fantasy points
Despite Denver putting up 29 points, there weren't a lot of fantasy points scored by the usual studs. The Denver defense completely squashed the Packers passing attack, smothering Randall Cobb and co. in coverage and putting constant pressure on Aaron Rodgers. The result? They held Rodgers to the lowest passing yardage total in his career in a game he played to completion and attempted at least 20 passes. James Jones and Davante Adams were essentially non-factors, while Cobb found a little room to roam. Eddie Lacy looked better after struggling through an ankle injury for much of the season, but the game script got away from the Packers and for the most part, the gap integrity of the Denver defense shut down any lanes Lacy hoped to run through. On the otherside, while Peyton Manning threw for over 300 yards, he still didn't look particularly great and shouldn't be trusted in fantasy moving forward. This was more a case of the Packers secondary falling apart (two starters left with injuries) rather than Manning "dropping the mic." He still threw a bad interception, hurled several ducks, and barely crossed double digit fantasy points on the night. He racked up all of his yards because the Packers corner backs looked like they lost track of Demaryius Thomas on every simple route he ran, leading to his 168 receiving yards. The Denver rushing attack came alive though, with both Ronnie Hillman and C.J. Anderson getting over 15 fantasy points. Anderson looked like the better runner, notching over 100 yards and breaking several tackles, but Hillman found the end zone twice. We'll need to analyze the game tape and see what the coaches say in the coming week before making a more concrete determination on this backfield moving forward.
