So you went through your fantasy football draft. You made a trade or two, picked up a guy off the waiver wire. But then before everything went live ... something didn't feel right. Maybe you had a player who was a game-time decision. Or there was a match up that wasn't in your favor. Whatever the reason, you decided it was time to make a bold choice. You know what they say ... No Guts, No Glory. So this column is for you. Every week in this space we'll salute the outside-the-box thinking that was rewarded with big fantasy production. Fortune favors the bold, so here's to you. We sent out the call early Monday morning, and here's what you came back with. Congratulations to those of you who are looking at a Week 8 win!
Ah, the revenge game narrative lives on. Nate Washington faced his former team, the Tennessee Titans, in Week 8 and posted his second solid fantasy outing in a row. He scored his third touchdown in the last two weeks on a 42-yard pass from Brian Hoyer and nearly out-produced DeAndre Hopkins again. Washington is only owned in 3.5 percent of NFL.com fantasy leagues, so starting him on Sunday took a certain amount of guts and foresight. But if you were one of those fantasy owners who saw the revenge game coming as this guy did, well you got the last laugh. If you're in search of some depth at the WR position, Washington is worth a look on the waiver wire as his role has grown recently with 13 receptions for 201 yards and three scores in the last two weeks. If you go that route, just keep in mind that Houston has a bye in Week 9.
Considering only 12 running backs scored touchdowns in Week 8, and this guy started two of them, well, his fantasy matchup likely ended up in his favor. Ronnie Hillman was the only running back to score two touchdowns on Sunday against Green Bay while Shane Vereen collected eight receptions and logged 63 total yards and a touchdown in the scoring frenzy that ensued when the Saints took on the Giants. Both finished as top 10 fantasy options at their position by the end of Sunday and both backs are owned in around 65 percent of NFL.com leagues, so they were probably either left on a lot of fantasy benches or even on the waiver wire. The combination of this duo should have been enough to get you a win, so hopefully their nice fantasy outings didn't go to waste!
Randall Cobb had just 37 yards in a tough game for the Packers offense, while Michael Crabtree took off against the Jets and scored in his second straight game. Considering the matchups, this move made some sense, especially given Cobb's lack of production this season. And we knew that Darrelle Revis would be shadowing Amari Cooper, which is something Derek Carr took advantage of by lighting up his other pass-catching playmakers. Crabtree was targeted 12 times in the game and posted his second 100-yard game of the season. Still, this move took some guts as the Jets defense is a formidable one. But the gutsy move worked out well in the end for this fantasy owner, with some glorious results.
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Matt Franciscovich is an associate fantasy editor at NFL.com. He can't stop listening to Borns lately. Hit him up on Twitter **@MattFranchise** for music recommendations and fantasy advice.
