Saquon Barkley finally made his fantasy football managers happy after a few quiet weeks fell below his lofty standards.
Barkley, the reigning Offensive Player of the Year, dominated during the Eagles’ rout of the Giants on Sunday, but exited early due to a groin injury. On a positive note, Barkley’s injury may not be long-term, with the 28-year-old seen standing on the sideline holding a helmet. He scored two touchdowns (one as a rusher and one as a receiver) and went over 20 fantasy points for the first time this season.
There probably won’t be any positive news for Giants rookie running back Cam Skattebo, who sustained a devastating ankle injury against the Eagles. Skattebo provided a jolt for the Giants and his fantasy managers, and appeared to be a contender for Offensive Rookie of the Year before the ugly injury.
To kick off Week 8, the Chargers leaned on the offensive trio of Justin Herbert, Oronde Gadsden II and Kimani Vidal to cruise by the Vikings during Thursday Night Football. Hopefully, no one out there felt the need to start Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz this week.
This story will be updated throughout the day. Points from Sleeper PPR standard scoring format.
Here are the studs and duds from NFL Week 8.
Studs
Troy Franklin, WR, Broncos
Fantasy points: 26.90
Stats: Eight targets, six catches, 89 yards, 2 TDs
Franklin was Bo Nix’s favorite target during the Broncos’ blowout win over the Cowboys. The second-year wideout has now gone over 12 points in consecutive weeks. Somehow, he’s only rostered by 33% of Sleeper users.
Bo Nix, QB, Broncos
Fantasy points: 31.78
Stats: 19-of-29, 247 yards, 4 TDs, INT
Nix made the most of his ideal matchup against a dismal Cowboys defense. After throwing a pick on the opening drive, Nix quickly found his rhythm and carved up Dallas’s secondary for four quarters.
Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Colts
Fantasy points: 23.50
Stats: Nine targets, eight catches, 95 yards, TD
Pittman has been a receiving machine the past two weeks, cracking 20 points against the Chargers last week and vs. the Titans on Sunday. He’s also seen at least nine targets from Daniel Jones in back-to-back games.
Jonathan Taylor, RB, Colts
Fantasy points: 40.40
Stats: 12 carries, 153 yards, 2 TDs; two catches, 21 yards, TD
Taylor might be this year’s fantasy football MVP. Sunday’s dominant win over the Titans marked the fourth game this season in which Taylor recorded at least three total touchdowns. It doesn’t get much better than that for Indianapolis’s workhorse back.
Saquon Barkley, RB, Eagles
Fantasy points: 36.40
Stats: 14 carries, 150 yards, TD; four catches, 24 yards, TD
Barkley finally cracked 20 fantasy points this season and ended a two-game streak of being held under nine digits. Now, Barkley’s fantasy managers wait for some good news on his groin injury, as the Eagles have a bye in Week 9.
Chase Brown, RB, Bengals
Fantasy points: 25.50
Stats: 12 carries, 73 yards, TD; three catches, 32 yards, TD
Brown has found a rhythm after a sluggish first six weeks of the season. Brown didn’t top the 108 rushing yards he had against the Steelers last week, but he found the end zone twice and contributed as a passer against the Jets. As a team, the Bengals rushed for 181 yards.
James Cook III, RB, Bills
Fantasy points: 38.60
Stats: 19 carries, 216 yards, 2 TDs;
Cook had a monster outing during the Bills’ dismantling of the Panthers. The 26-year-old had a career high in rushing yards and a 64-yard rushing touchdown before adding a 21-yard score later in the game.
Oronde Gadsden II, TE, Chargers
Fantasy points: 18.70
Stats: Five catches, 77 yards, TD
Gadsden still can’t crack his dad’s fantasy lineup, but that’s a good thing because the rookie tight end said his dad’s decision is solely based on superstition. So if Gadsden continues to ride the bench, that likely means the Chargers and his fantasy managers will continue to benefit. The younger Gadsden has averaged 19.9 fantasy points the past three games.
Dallas Goedert, TE, Eagles
Fantasy points: 17.80
Stats: Three catches, 28 yards, 2 TD
No A.J. Brown, no problem for Jalen Hurts, who connected with Goedert twice in the end zone. Goedert has been a reliable fantasy tight end this season, scoring at least 10 points in six of seven games.
Breece Hall, RB, Jets
Fantasy points: 34.86
Stats: 18 carries, 133 yards, 2 TDs; two catches, 14 yards
The Jets finally won a game this season, and Hall played a huge role in the victory. Hall’s second touchdown gave the Jets new life, trimming the Bengals’ lead to six points in the fourth quarter. It will be interesting to see whether the Jets decide to trade Hall before the Nov. 4 deadline.
Justin Herbert, QB, Chargers
Fantasy points: 31.28
Stats: 18-of-25, 227 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT; seven carries, 62 yards
Herbert has been one of the best fantasy quarterbacks this season, especially in the past two weeks. He has scored more than 30 points in consecutive weeks and even provided six points from his seven carries.
Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Dolphins
Fantasy points: 32.20
Stats: 20-of-26, 205 yards, 4 TDs
Tagovailoa had a shocking performance, shaking off a rough few weeks. Last week in the Dolphins’ loss to the Browns, Tagovailoa threw three interceptions and failed to register a single fantasy point. He was a different quarterback against the Falcons on Sunday.
Kimani Vidal, RB, Chargers
Fantasy points: 19.70
Stats: 23 carries, 117 yards, TD; one catch, 10 yards
Vidal rewarded the fantasy managers who didn’t waver after the second-year running back only produced 7.50 points against the Colts last week. It took Vidal some time to get going, but he dominated in the second half against the Vikings. He needs to remain in starting lineups with Omarion Hampton still working his way back from injury.
Duds
Emeka Egbuka, WR, Buccaneers
Fantasy points: 6.50
Stats: Nine targets, three catches, 35 yards
The rookie sensation hasn’t been the same since injuring his hamstring in Week 6 against the 49ers. He hasn’t reached double-digit fantasy points in the past three games. Maybe he’ll get back to his dominant ways after the bye in Week 9.
Alvin Kamara, RB, Saints
Fantasy points: 6.50
Stats: Six carries, 21 yards; two catches, 24 yards
Kamara can’t be trusted in fantasy lineups, and that’s been the case for quite some time now. He can’t get anything going as a runner or catcher in this terrible Saints’ offense, which will now likely be operated by rookie QB Tyler Shough.
Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys
Fantasy points: 6.62
Stats: 19-of-31, 188 yards, 2 INTs; six carries, 31 yards
Prescott was supposed to be matchup-proof, given how his offense has played this season. This unit came back down to earth in a big way against the stout Broncos defense. Prescott only averaged 6.1 yards per attempt.
Rico Dowdle, RB, Panthers
Fantasy points: 6.56 points
Stats: eight carries, 54 yards
It might be time to bench Dowdle after another sluggish performance. He hasn’t been the same since Chuba Hubbard returned to the field two games ago. Hubbard gained more carries with 12 and also scored a three-yard rushing touchdown.
Quinshon Judkins, RB, Browns
Fantasy points: 4.70
Stats: Nine carries, 19 yards
Judkins had a clunker against the Patriots and left the game early due to a shoulder injury. The rookie running back has been one of the few bright spots for the Browns, but it was not his best outing on Sunday.
Christian McCaffrey, RB, 49ers
Fantasy points: 9.80
Stats: Eight carries, 25 yards; three catches, 43 yards
McCaffrey had his worst fantasy performance of the season, ending his seven-game streak of recording at least 22 fantasy points. McCaffrey couldn’t get anything going on the ground and failed to get on the same page with Mac Jones during San Francisco’s loss in Houston.
Bijan Robinson, RB, Falcons
Fantasy points: 5.80
Stats: Nine carries, 25 yards, three catches, 23 yards
Robinson’s rough performance also included a fumble. The Falcons’ offense couldn’t get anything going with Kirk Cousins, who filled in for the injured Michael Penix Jr. It was the first time Robinson was held under 16 points this season.
Aaron Jones, RB, Vikings
Fantasy points: 5.00
Stats: Five carries, 15 yards; two catches, 15 yards
Jones delivered a dud in his first game back since Week 2. Jones, Jordan Mason and Zavier Scott were supposed to take advantage of a struggling Chargers’ run defense, but only generated 34 rushing yards as a team.
Caleb Williams, QB, Bears
Fantasy points: 11.80
Stats: 25-of-38, 285 yards, zero TDs, INT; three carries, 24 yards
Williams had a stinker in what was supposed to be an ideal matchup against a poor Ravens secondary. Williams’s ugly interception in the fourth quarter killed any hope left of the Bears getting a win in Baltimore.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Fantasy Studs and Duds NFL Week 8: Saquon Barkley, Dallas Goedert Soar for Eagles.
