Stars of Week 8
QB 1A: Drew Brees: 26-34, 332 yards, 5 TDs
QB 1B: Andy Dalton: 19-30, 325 yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT
RB: Andre Ellington, 15 carries, 154 yards, 1 TD
WR: Calvin Johnson: 14 catches, 329 yards, 1 TDs
TE: Jimmy Graham: 3 catches, 37 yards, 2 TDs
The performances from Brees and Dalton were too close to select just one, so we have co-chairs of the QB honor roll again this week. Furthermore, Dalton has forced us to take another look at him below with his string of performances the past three weeks. Andre Ellington will also featured below, as he has taken the Cardinals starting RB job by the horns. Megatron makes it back to back weeks here, this time with a historic performance, while Graham made his catches count on Sunday, finding the end zone twice.
Week 8 Takeaways – A Closer Look
Each week we take a closer look at a handful of performances and sort out what such performances mean going forward.
Andy Dalton: 19-30, 325 yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT
Analysis: Andy Dalton has been considered by the fantasy community as a QB2, but is it time for us to reconsider? Just a few weeks back, we cautioned you to not get overly excited about Dalton. But, throwing for over 1,000 yards and 11 TDs in the past three games has forced us to re-consider. Has Dalton truly taken the next step into QB1 status? It’s still too early to tell. But, what we do know is that the emergence of several additional offensive weapons for the Bengals (Marvin Jones, Giovani Bernard and Tyler Eifert) has certainly made Dalton more effective. Let’s see how Dalton performs over the next several weeks, but for now, he needs to be bumped up to a high end QB2, with QB1 numbers more frequent in favorable matchups.
Andre Ellington: 15 carries, 154 yards, 1 TD
Analysis: Those managers who grabbed Ellington off the waiver wire have cashed in quite nicely. Ellington had quite a game against the Falcons, and has landed securely into RB2 status. Not only does Ellington serve as the lead back for the Cardinals, but you will also see him line up as as a WR from time to time. He’s for real, and start him if you’ve got him. If you need another RB, check with Ellington’s owner to see what it would take to pry him away.
Lamar Miller: 18 carries, 89 yards, 0 TDs
Analysis: Lamar Miller’s situation is not quite as rosy as Ellington, but this past Sunday’s game was a step in the right direction. Unlike Ellington, Miller resides in a time share situation with Daniel Thomas, with no end to the time share in sight. But, even with the time share, Miller should produce, and he will see more carries than Thomas. Miller should be viewed as a back end RB2, but since he shares carries, you should expect somewhat uneven performances from week to week.
Marvin Jones: 8 catches, 122 yards, 4 TDs
Analysis: We covered Dalton earlier, and now let’s turn our focus to Marvin Jones. Jones will certainly be the hottest waiver wire pickup this week. No argument here, as 4 TD catches in one game should catch everyone’s attention. While Jones burst onto the scene on Sunday and looked fantastic, expectations should be somewhat tempered. First, note that Jones, at least as of this past Sunday, is not a starting WR for the Bengals, and therefore is not on the field on most plays. That’s the bad news, but the good news is that the dude can play, and his role should increase going forward. Jones should be rostered in all leagues, and should be viewed as a WR3/flex play.
Kenny Stills: 3 catches, 129 yards, 2 TDs
Analysis: Another young WR that begs your attention is the Saints’ Kenny Stills. He has secured the role of Drew Brees’ primary deep option. With the Saints having one of the most prolific offenses, Stills figures to put up solid numbers for the remainder of the season. As you see with Sunday’s numbers, deep threats tend to go lower on number of catches, but certainly pile up yards. Stills should also be picked up by managers looking for a WR, but you should be prepared for some boom/bust days.
Buy Low
Ray Rice: We’ve had several disappointing seasons from RBs this year, one of which comes from the usually dependable Ray Rice. Is Rice’s season doomed for disappointment? The thought here is no. Rice suffered from injury earlier this season, but appears healthy now. While his last two games have been quiet, Rice still serves as a primary focal point of the Ravens offense, and should see his numbers increase. Don’t expect top-5 RB numbers from seasons past, but Rice should get back to posting stat levels we’re more accustomed to seeing from him.
Week 9 Rankings
Quarterbacks
1. Drew Brees, Saints (at NYJ)
2. Aaron Rodgers, Packers (CHI)
3. Cam Newton, Panthers (ATL)
4. Philip Rivers, Chargers (at WAS)
5. Tony Romo, Cowboys (MIN)
6. Andrew Luck, Colts (at HOU)
7. Robert Griffin III, Redskins (SD)
8. Russell Wilson, Seahawks (TB)
9. Terrelle Pryor, Raiders (PHI)
10. Alex Smith, Chiefs (at BUF)
11. Andy Dalton, Bengals (at MIA)
12. Tom Brady, Patriots (PIT)
13. Matt Ryan, Falcons (at CAR)
14. Nick Foles, Eagles (at OAK)
15. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers (at NE)
16. Joe Flacco, Ravens (at CLE)
17. Jake Locker, Titans (at STL)
18. Ryan Tannehill, Dolphins (CIN)
19. Christian Ponder, Vikings (at DAL)
20. Josh McCown, Bears (at GB)
Running Backs
1. Jamaal Charles, Chiefs (at BUF)
2. Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks (TB)
3. Adrian Peterson, Vikings (at DAL)
4. Eddie Lacy, Packers (CHI)
5. Matt Forte, Bears (at GB)
6. LeSean McCoy, Eagles (at OAK)
7. Fred Jackson, Bills (KC)
8. Alfred Morris, WAS (SD)
9. Le\'Veon Bell, Steelers (at NE)
10. Ray Rice, Ravens (at CLE)
11. DeMarco Murray, Cowboys (MIN)
12. Stevan Ridley, Patriots (PIT)
13. Zac Stacy, Rams (TEN)
14. Darren McFadden, Raiders (at WAS)
15. Arian Foster, Texans (IND)
16. Trent Richardson, Colts (at HOU)
17. Ryan Mathews, Chargers (at WAS)
18. Giovani Bernard, CIN (at MIA)
19. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers (ATL)
20. Lamar Miller, Dolphins (CIN)
21. Chris Johnson, Titans (STL)
22. Danny Woodhead, Chargers (at WAS)
23. Darren Sproles, Saints (at NYJ)
24. Steven Jackson, Falcons (at CAR)
25. Mike James, Buccaneers (at SEA)
26. Mike Tolbert, Panthers (ATL)
27. Ben Tate, Texans (IND)
28. James Starks, Packers (CHI)
29. BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Bengals (at MIA)
30. Roy Helu, Redskins (SD)
Wide Receivers
1. Dez Bryant, Cowboys (MIN)
2. A.J. Green, Bengals (at MIA)
3. Jordy Nelson, Packers (CHI)
4. DeSean Jackson, Browns (BAL)
5. Brandon Marshall, Bears (at GB)
6. Josh Gordon, Browns (BAL)
7. Pierre Garcon, Redskins (SD)
8. Antonio Brown, Steelers (at NE)
9. Torrey Smith, Ravens (at CLE)
10. Andre Johnson, Texans (IND)
11. Harry Douglas, Falcons (at CAR)
12. Steve Smith, Panthers (ATL)
13. T.Y Hilton, Colts (at HOU)
14. Keenan Allen, Chargers (at WAS)
15. Terrance Williams, Cowboys (MIN)
16. Jarrett Boykin, Packers (CHI)
17. Alshon Jeffery, Bears (at GB)
18. Denarius Moore, Raiders (PHI)
19. Golden Tate, Seahawks (TB)
20. James Jones, Packers (CHI)
21. Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs (at BUF)
22. Marques Colston, Saints (at NYJ)
23. Steve Johnson, Bills (KC)
24. Marvin Jones, Bengals (at MIA)
25. Danny Amendola, Patriots (PIT)
26. Darrius Heyward-Bey, Colts (at HOU)
27. Mike Wallace, Dolphins (CIN)
28. Percy Harvin, Seahawks (TB)
29. Kenny Stills, Saints (at NYJ)
30. Kendall Wright, Titans (at STL)
Tight Ends
1. Jimmy Graham, Saints (at NYJ)
2. Rob Gronkowski, Patriots (PIT)
3. Jordan Cameron, Browns (BAL)
4. Jordan Reed, Redskins (SD)
5. Tony Gonzalez, Falcons (at CAR)
6. Antonio Gates, Chargers (at WAS)
7. Martellus Bennett, Bears (at GB)
8. Jason Witten, Cowboys (MIN)
9. Kyle Rudolph, Vikings (at DAL)
10. Greg Olsen, Panthers (ATL)
11. Coby Fleener, Colts (at HOU)
12. Jared Cook, Rams (TEN)
13. Heath MIller, Steelers (at NE)
14. Charles Clay, Dolphins (CIN)
15. Jarmaine Gresham, Bengals (at MIA)
Neema Hodjat is the fantasy sports writer for RealGM. He can be reached via email at nhodjat@gmail.com and followed on Twitter at @NeemaHodjat.