NFL Fantasy Stock Report, Week 8: Which NFL Stars Are on the Rise?
All rankings and scores based on .5 PPR scoring
Stock Up
Ceedee Lamb: It’s been a weird season for Ceedee. He hasn’t been bad by any means but he hasn’t produced the numbers you expect from him or out of a back-end first-round fantasy pick. With 35 fantasy points this week, it was somehow his first twenty-point game of the season. Before the game he had even only hit double digits twice. His target share has been decent overall and he’s been scripted out of a few games but it seems like the Cowboys are unlocking him under new offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. They are starting to use him outside more and as a true X receiver which has yielded back-to-back 100-yard games. He is just so gifted it feels like somewhat of a crime he has yet to be utilized in this way. In his past two games he has seen 19 targets and I don’t think it's a coincidence they have won both games. Lamb is a true blue-chip talent. He deserves to be used like one and it’s encouraging to see his team start to realize that.
Joe Burrow: Joe Cool is back. The calf injury looks to be a thing of the past and Burrow drafters have to be delighted. He went 28/32 283 yards and three touchdowns. His 27.62 fantasy points were good enough for an overall QB4 finish this week giving him only his second game of the season finishing as a QB1 for the week. Per The Athletic Football Show, the Bengals ran 15 plays with Burrow under center on Sunday compared to 16 the entire season prior. The play calling is showing that they are trusting the calf and that’s all I need to hear to be honest. It was painfully obvious that Burrow was extremely hampered by the injury and it was a big return to form against the 49ers. Burrow was drafted as the QB5 this year so his drafters have been hurting. Spending that high of a pick in fantasy on a quarterback is extremely detrimental when it doesn’t pan out. Hopefully you’ve been able to hang on so far because I expect to see the usual Joe Burrow from here on out.
Jahan Dotson: It’s been a wreck of a sophomore campaign so far for Dotson. Through eight weeks he has 30 catches for 291 yards and two touchdowns. This is not what was expected out of the talented receiver coming off an impressive rookie season. However the tides may be changing for Jahan. Two weeks ago Ron Riviera came out and said they need to get him working into the offense more. In those last two games he has 13 catches for 151 yards on 18 targets. I’m such a fan of Dotson as a player and was super high on him myself this offseason so I’m glad to see the extra work. He is a good route runner, possesses an elite catch radius, and has great YAC skills. He’s the type of receiver who should be a young quarterback's best friend. Dotson hasn’t been a good fantasy pick so far this season as a WR3/4 and honestly it’s been rough enough he may have even been dropped. In that case he’s absolutely worth a pick up. His performance against the Eagles is the type of game a young player can build on and gain confidence from. Look for better times ahead for Jahan as I think his talent ultimately comes through.
Stock Down
Miles Sanders: I find it extremely comical that this was the offseason of the running back drama and somehow Miles Sanders was the only back to get paid. He’s found himself on this list once and it has gotten worse. After missing week six with a shoulder injury and getting a week seven bye to heal, it seemed like Sanders was set to take back over. That was until Frank Reich said Chuba Hubbard was going to get more work against the Texans as he had played well and earned it. This was a bad sign for Sanders but it once again got worse as he played just 12 snaps on Sunday. Not exactly a vote of confidence from the coaching staff. On top of that he took only two carries for zero yards and he also ran the wrong route on a 4th and 2 play that almost disrupted the whole play. It appears the Miles Sanders experiment may be over already in Carolina. Go ahead and drop him.
Cooper Kupp: Kupp found himself on my stock up list after his first game back from injury. He followed it up with a strong outing the next week but unfortunately he has now posted back-to-back games with less than 30 yards. Matt Stafford left the game with an injury and his status is now up in the air. Brett Rypien looked awful in backup duty and if he’s forced to play moving forward I’d expect the Rams to lean heavily on the run. The Stafford injury is the icing on the cake that lands Kupp on this list because a UCL sprain will linger and impact how he can throw the ball. It looks bleak for Kupp and the Rams offense moving forward and I have a hard time seeing how he turns it around enough from here on out for him not to be a wasted pick this year.
Odell Beckham Jr.: I honestly can’t believe I haven’t done this sooner. He has just been that forgettable this year for the Ravens. Through eight games he’s posted just 14 catches for 162 yards. To put that into perspective, Ceedee Lamb just posted 12 catches for 158 yards on Sunday. Beckham was drafted as a WR4/5 and in the 10th round so it’s not like you paid a premium for him but the guys you’re taking in that area of the draft are your depth pieces you need for injury and bye week help. His highest yardage output so far is 49 yards and he was just held catchless against the Cardinals. It appears the Ravens won’t support any reliable fantasy pass catchers outside of Mark Andrews and Zay Flowers which leaves Beckham on the outside looking in. He’s toast. Go ahead and drop him too.
