FANTASY FOOTBALL: WEEK 8 TIPS

The intro to this week’s article has very little to do with fantasy football, so be warned. Generally speaking I’m not a very superstitious person, but I now want to go on the record as stating the Madden curse is starting to win me over. I really can’t come up with any other reason for the struggles Drew Brees this season. So if you’re an NFL player and EA Sports comes calling, hang up. Now on to week 8:

Quarterback

BEST:   Peyton Manning, IND

This may be the most obvious choice that I’ve had all season. Manning is the best quarterback in the league, and this week he’s going against a Texans team which allowed the Colts’ quarterback to throw for 433 yards and 3 scores in week 1. It would be unreasonable to expect Manning to duplicate those numbers, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see Peyton eclipse 300 yards and throw 2 touchdowns against Houston this week.

WORST:Â Brett Favre, MIN

He’ll probably play this week, I mean come on, he’s Brett Favre, the guy just plain doesn’t sit. But at this point in the year Favre is starting to look every bit of his 41 years. He just hasn’t been the quarterback he was in 2009, reverting to his old form and turning the ball over way too many times. Add to that a gimpy ankle and I don’t see Favre having an easy time with the Patriots this week.

Running Back

BEST:   Adrian Peterson, MIN

With Favre not playing well the Vikings offense is back to leaning very heavily on AP from week to week. Last week Peterson went off for 131 yards and a touchdown. He is facing a pretty strong run defense this week in the New England Patriots, but Peterson is just a freak. He’ll get his yards this week as the centerpiece of the Vikings offense, and I bet he ends up in the end zone at least once.

WORST:Â Arian Foster, HOU

Call it a hunch, but I think the Colts are going to gear up to stop Foster after being absolutely embarrassed by him in week 1. This is a risky call for me, because the Colts defense hasn’t tackled well all year, and it would be dangerous to stack 8 men in the box when Andre Johnson is lurking out there threatening a team’s secondary. I just have a feeling that the Colts would rather get beaten through the air than on the ground this time around.

Wide Receiver

BEST:   Calvin Johnson, DET

It sounds like Megatron will be getting Matt Stafford back this week, which should translate into big numbers for the Lions’ top wide receiver in week 8. Sure, they’re going against the Redskins who had a field day picking off Jay Cutler last week. But the operative words in that sentence are “Jay” and “Cutler.” The guy is a turnover machine, so Washington’s performance last week should be taken with a grain of salt. Megatron has been very good this year, and I expect it to only get better this week, Start your favorite Lion with confidence on Sunday.

WORST:Â Donald Driver, GB

Driver clearly showed that he was hurt last Sunday against the Vikings. In my opinion he honestly looks like he needs to take at least a week off to rest his injured quad. However, it looks like Driver is going to give it a try against the Jets. I can’t recommend playing Driver until he takes some time off to recover, which probably won’t be until the Packers’ bye during week 10.

Tight End

BEST:   Zach Miller, OAK

Miller has been solid, although not spectacular, all year. This week he gets a terrible pass defense in the Seattle Seahawks covering him. He’s found the end zone 4 times this year, and I really expect him to find it again this week. Of course the standard warning with any Raider pass catcher applies. The quarterback situation in Oakland isn’t particularly great, so on any week starting Miller could inexplicably blow up in your face. I don’t think that will happen this week, but just keep that in mind when you start Miller in week 8.

WORST:Â Jeremy Shockey, NO

The guy sucks and I hate him. I never should have recommended him to you last week based simply on an easy matchup. If he and the Saints can’t get anything going against the Browns they can’t do it against anybody. He’s an overrated tight end and I promise I’ll never recommend him again…ever.

Defense

BEST:   Dallas Cowboys

Despite their struggles as a team, the Cowboys are in the top 10 of the NFL in yards allowed per game. This week they get a Jacksonville team that has underwhelmed this year in nearly every phase of the game. The Cowboys should be able to get to the quarterback this week, and as we all know, pressure causes mistakes, and those mistakes create points for your fantasy defense.

WORST:Â Tennessee Titans

The Titans have been a mediocre defense this year, ranking 14th in the league. This week they’re facing the league’s number 1 offense in the San Diego Chargers. I think they’ll have trouble stopping Phillip Rivers, as the Titans are giving up 230 yards per game through the air, the 10th worst average in the league. I think the Titans are going to be gashed through the air this week, and if you have a better option I’d suggest using it in week 8.

SLEEPER OF THE WEEK

-Dallas Cowboys Wide Receivers

These guys aren’t full-on sleepers, but I can guarantee that there will be somebody in your league who will panic based on Tony Romo’s broken collar bone. Now is the time to pounce on this owner and get a Cowboys wide receiver for cheap. Jon Kitna isn’t a world beater, and I certainly wouldn’t even think of starting HIM in my fantasy leagues, but he’s just good enough to keep the Cowboys WRs valuable in your fantasy leagues. If your competition is willing to part with Miles Austin for less than he’s worth, be a good friend and relieve him of the stud receiver, you’ll thank yourself later.

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