When
Ricky Williams started the second half of last week's game against the Saints, I started to wonder if he was becoming a problem for
Ronnie Brown. Williams has 25 fewer touches on the season than Brown, but only 15 fewer yards from scrimmage. After last week's outburst, Williams has only one less touchdown.
Ultimately, comparing Brown to Williams is missing the point. Both players are ranked in the top eight running backs in fantasy points-per-game in standard league. This is especially insane because the Dolphins are 2-4! If they played with a bigger lead more often, what could these two runners do?
Williams is a small concern because he's surprising stealing receiving numbers from Brown. Perhaps it's the Wildcat effect, but Ronnie no longer is much of a factor catching passes despite all his skills. Miami has built a special running attack, with or without the Wildcat, and they will continue to play to their strengths the rest of the season.
One thing to watch for this week is how the Jets defend them. The Saints did a better job than any team all season against the Wildcat – by far – by blitzing their cornerbacks. The Dolphins averaged 7.1 yards per play from the formation before facing New Orleans, but the Saints held them to 27 yards on 14 plays by blitzing their cornerbacks. They were the aggressors, and that's a recipe Rex Ryan and possibly Bill Belichick will try to reproduce.
Until proven otherwise, however, the Dolphins have the nastiest running game in the league. It's good enough for
Ronnie Brown to have a career year, and still have enough left over for
Ricky Williams to be a quality RB2/flex the rest of the way.
Week 8 Quarterbacks | Rank | Player Name | Opponent | Notes |
| 1 | Peyton Manning | vs. SF | - |
| 2 | Drew Brees | vs. ATL | - |
| 3 | Philip Rivers | vs. OAK | - |
| 4 | Aaron Rodgers | vs. MIN | Probable(foot) |
| 5 | Matt Schaub | at BUF | - |
| 6 | Tony Romo | vs. SEA | - |
| 7 | Jay Cutler | vs. CLE | - |
| 8 | Kurt Warner | vs. CAR | - |
| 9 | Matt Ryan | at NO | - |
| 10 | Joe Flacco | vs. DEN | Probable(ankle) |
| 11 | Brett Favre | at GB | Probable(hip) |
| 12 | Donovan McNabb | vs. NYG | - |
| 13 | David Garrard | at TEN | - |
| 14 | Eli Manning | at PHI | - |
| 15 | Kyle Orton | at BAL | - |
| 16 | Matt Hasselbeck | at DAL | Probable(ribs) |
| 17 | Matthew Stafford | vs. STL | Questionable(knee) |
| 18 | Marc Bulger | at DET | - |
| 19 | Chad Henne | at NYJ | - |
| 20 | Alex Smith | at IND | - |
| 21 | Vince Young | vs. JAC | - |
| 22 | Mark Sanchez | vs. MIA | - |
| 23 | Jake Delhomme | at ARZ | - |
| 24 | Derek Anderson | at CHI | Probable(ankle) |
| 25 | Ryan Fitzpatrick | vs. HOU | - |
| 26 | JaMarcus Russell | at SD | - |
QB Notes: I still worry about the offensive line plenty, but
Aaron Rodgers is playing at an insane level right now. Okay, so last two opponents were Detroit and Cleveland. But his 9.2 yards-per-attempt average on the season is not a misprint, and he had a fine fantasy day against the Vikings last time around. Playing on grass should help his protection. As excellent as
Brett Favre is playing, Rodgers should easily outshine him Sunday. …
Derek Anderson makes some decisions and throws that are beyond brutal. He can also "spin it" a few times a game like a star. But Cleveland's receivers are so bad, it's hard to even fully blame him. Mohammad Massaquoi is the only one that can get separation. Players are not open. When you are counting on an extremely raw and drop-prone rookie (Mohammad Massaquoi) to carry a group, good things won't happen.
Donovan McNabb's play has been uneven the last two weeks, but spurts of inaccuracy are nothing new from him. He still throws one of the prettiest deep balls around. In a negative matchup like this week against the Giants, he's a borderline play. … The Browns get no pass rush, and pass protection hasn't really been the problem for Chicago's terrible offensive line anyway. The Bears should be primed to put a beatdown on Cleveland, and they aren't going to do it on the ground. … As inconsistent as
Tony Romo has been this season, his stats are where you'd expect them to be. His YPA is above his career.
Miles Austin's emergence changes the Dallas offense, making Romo an easy top-eight play in a plus matchup like the one this week against Seattle.
Buffalo's pass defense is the best part of the whole team or
Matt Schaub would be ranked even higher. … Jacksonville's passing attack is acceptable this season with
Mike Sims-Walker and
Torry Holt. In a great matchup against Tennessee,
David Garrard should have a solid afternoon. …
Matt Hasselbeck owners should watch this week closely. His offensive line gave him no chance last time out against Arizona. They have had a bye week to prepare for Dallas' improving attack. Another ugly outing will be a sign that a long season is on the way. …The Broncos defense hasn't faced a line as physical as Baltimore. With
Jared Gaither back at left tackle,
Joe Flacco should be fine. … You could do worse than
Marc Bulger against the Lions. Or
Matthew Stafford against the Rams, assuming Stafford plays.
Mark Sanchez is playing like a rookie quarterback again, which was to be expected. His deep ball and willingness to throw it at the right moments is perhaps his most surprising trait, but otherwise he's just trying to survive. You should be able to do better at QB2. …
Alex Smith looked fantastic in relief of
Shaun Hill, but that was against the Texans. If he can sustain drives against the Colts, we'll know he has staying power. The other offensive issues in San Francisco aren't going away, so don't expect miracles. But I'd place him towards the bottom of the top-20 quarterbacks moving forward, somewhere near
Chad Henne. … For the six people curious,
Bruce Gradkowski was not any better than
JaMarcus Russell in his relief stint.
Editor's Note: Check out our exclusive projections for all the players listed here in
Rotworld's Season Pass package, now 33% off. We've also got extra columns, IDP rankings, Top 200 rankings, Evan Silva's running back report, advance workload and target data, exclusive chats, schedule analysis, and fantasy points allowed info you can only get with
Season Pass.
When
Ricky Williams started the second half of last week's game against the Saints, I started to wonder if he was becoming a problem for
Ronnie Brown. Williams has 25 fewer touches on the season than Brown, but only 15 fewer yards from scrimmage. After last week's outburst, Williams has only one less touchdown.
Ultimately, comparing Brown to Williams is missing the point. Both players are ranked in the top eight running backs in fantasy points-per-game in standard league. This is especially insane because the Dolphins are 2-4! If they played with a bigger lead more often, what could these two runners do?
Williams is a small concern because he's surprising stealing receiving numbers from Brown. Perhaps it's the Wildcat effect, but Ronnie no longer is much of a factor catching passes despite all his skills. Miami has built a special running attack, with or without the Wildcat, and they will continue to play to their strengths the rest of the season.
One thing to watch for this week is how the Jets defend them. The Saints did a better job than any team all season against the Wildcat – by far – by blitzing their cornerbacks. The Dolphins averaged 7.1 yards per play from the formation before facing New Orleans, but the Saints held them to 27 yards on 14 plays by blitzing their cornerbacks. They were the aggressors, and that's a recipe Rex Ryan and possibly Bill Belichick will try to reproduce.
Until proven otherwise, however, the Dolphins have the nastiest running game in the league. It's good enough for
Ronnie Brown to have a career year, and still have enough left over for
Ricky Williams to be a quality RB2/flex the rest of the way.
Week 8 Quarterbacks | Rank | Player Name | Opponent | Notes |
| 1 | Peyton Manning | vs. SF | - |
| 2 | Drew Brees | vs. ATL | - |
| 3 | Philip Rivers | vs. OAK | - |
| 4 | Aaron Rodgers | vs. MIN | Probable(foot) |
| 5 | Matt Schaub | at BUF | - |
| 6 | Tony Romo | vs. SEA | - |
| 7 | Jay Cutler | vs. CLE | - |
| 8 | Kurt Warner | vs. CAR | - |
| 9 | Matt Ryan | at NO | - |
| 10 | Joe Flacco | vs. DEN | Probable(ankle) |
| 11 | Brett Favre | at GB | Probable(hip) |
| 12 | Donovan McNabb | vs. NYG | - |
| 13 | David Garrard | at TEN | - |
| 14 | Eli Manning | at PHI | - |
| 15 | Kyle Orton | at BAL | - |
| 16 | Matt Hasselbeck | at DAL | Probable(ribs) |
| 17 | Matthew Stafford | vs. STL | Questionable(knee) |
| 18 | Marc Bulger | at DET | - |
| 19 | Chad Henne | at NYJ | - |
| 20 | Alex Smith | at IND | - |
| 21 | Vince Young | vs. JAC | - |
| 22 | Mark Sanchez | vs. MIA | - |
| 23 | Jake Delhomme | at ARZ | - |
| 24 | Derek Anderson | at CHI | Probable(ankle) |
| 25 | Ryan Fitzpatrick | vs. HOU | - |
| 26 | JaMarcus Russell | at SD | - |
QB Notes: I still worry about the offensive line plenty, but
Aaron Rodgers is playing at an insane level right now. Okay, so last two opponents were Detroit and Cleveland. But his 9.2 yards-per-attempt average on the season is not a misprint, and he had a fine fantasy day against the Vikings last time around. Playing on grass should help his protection. As excellent as
Brett Favre is playing, Rodgers should easily outshine him Sunday. …
Derek Anderson makes some decisions and throws that are beyond brutal. He can also "spin it" a few times a game like a star. But Cleveland's receivers are so bad, it's hard to even fully blame him. Mohammad Massaquoi is the only one that can get separation. Players are not open. When you are counting on an extremely raw and drop-prone rookie (Mohammad Massaquoi) to carry a group, good things won't happen.
Donovan McNabb's play has been uneven the last two weeks, but spurts of inaccuracy are nothing new from him. He still throws one of the prettiest deep balls around. In a negative matchup like this week against the Giants, he's a borderline play. … The Browns get no pass rush, and pass protection hasn't really been the problem for Chicago's terrible offensive line anyway. The Bears should be primed to put a beatdown on Cleveland, and they aren't going to do it on the ground. … As inconsistent as
Tony Romo has been this season, his stats are where you'd expect them to be. His YPA is above his career.
Miles Austin's emergence changes the Dallas offense, making Romo an easy top-eight play in a plus matchup like the one this week against Seattle.
Buffalo's pass defense is the best part of the whole team or
Matt Schaub would be ranked even higher. … Jacksonville's passing attack is acceptable this season with
Mike Sims-Walker and
Torry Holt. In a great matchup against Tennessee,
David Garrard should have a solid afternoon. …
Matt Hasselbeck owners should watch this week closely. His offensive line gave him no chance last time out against Arizona. They have had a bye week to prepare for Dallas' improving attack. Another ugly outing will be a sign that a long season is on the way. …The Broncos defense hasn't faced a line as physical as Baltimore. With
Jared Gaither back at left tackle,
Joe Flacco should be fine. … You could do worse than
Marc Bulger against the Lions. Or
Matthew Stafford against the Rams, assuming Stafford plays.
Mark Sanchez is playing like a rookie quarterback again, which was to be expected. His deep ball and willingness to throw it at the right moments is perhaps his most surprising trait, but otherwise he's just trying to survive. You should be able to do better at QB2. …
Alex Smith looked fantastic in relief of
Shaun Hill, but that was against the Texans. If he can sustain drives against the Colts, we'll know he has staying power. The other offensive issues in San Francisco aren't going away, so don't expect miracles. But I'd place him towards the bottom of the top-20 quarterbacks moving forward, somewhere near
Chad Henne. … For the six people curious,
Bruce Gradkowski was not any better than
JaMarcus Russell in his relief stint.
Editor's Note: Check out our exclusive projections for all the players listed here in
Rotworld's Season Pass package, now 33% off. We've also got extra columns, IDP rankings, Top 200 rankings, Evan Silva's running back report, advance workload and target data, exclusive chats, schedule analysis, and fantasy points allowed info you can only get with
Season Pass.Week 7 Running Backs| Rank | Player Name | Opponent | Notes |
| 1 | Adrian Peterson | at GB | - |
| 2 | Maurice Jones-Drew | at TEN | - |
| 3 | Chris Johnson | vs. JAC | - |
| 4 | Steven Jackson | at DET | - |
| 5 | Ray Rice | vs. DEN | - |
| 6 | Steve Slaton | at BUF | - |
| 7 | Ronnie Brown | at NYJ | - |
| 8 | Frank Gore | at IND | - |
| 9 | Marion Barber | vs. SEA | Probable(thumb) |
| 10 | DeAngelo Williams | at ARZ | - |
| 11 | Matt Forte | vs. CLE | - |
| 12 | Marshawn Lynch | vs. HOU | - |
| 13 | Michael Turner | at NO | - |
| 14 | Joseph Addai | vs. SF | - |
| 15 | Kevin Smith | vs. STL | - |
| 16 | Thomas Jones | vs. MIA | - |
| 17 | Pierre Thomas | vs. ATL | - |
| 18 | LaDainian Tomlinson | vs. OAK | - |
| 19 | Chris Wells | vs. CAR | - |
| 20 | Brandon Jacobs | at PHI | - |
| 21 | Ryan Grant | vs. MIN | - |
| 22 | Darren Sproles | vs. OAK | - |
| 23 | Knowshon Moreno | at BAL | - |
| 24 | Ricky Williams | at NYJ | Probable(thumb) |
| 25 | LeSean McCoy | vs. NYG | - |
| 26 | Tim Hightower | vs. CAR | - |
| 27 | Mike Bell | vs. ATL | - |
| 28 | Jonathan Stewart | at ARZ | Questionable(heel) |
| 29 | Fred Jackson | vs. HOU | - |
| 30 | Felix Jones | vs. SEA | - |
| 31 | Ahmad Bradshaw | at PHI | Probable(ankle) |
| 32 | Shonn Greene | vs. MIA | - |
| 33 | Justin Fargas | at SD | - |
| 34 | Julius Jones | at DAL | - |
| 35 | Reggie Bush | vs. ATL | - |
| 36 | Jamal Lewis | at CHI | Probable(wrist) |
| 37 | Correll Buckhalter | at BAL | - |
| 38 | Tashard Choice | vs. SEA | - |
| 39 | Willis McGahee | vs. DEN | - |
| 40 | Michael Bush | at SD | - |
| 41 | LenDale White | vs. JAC | - |
| 42 | Jerome Harrison | at CHI | - |
| 43 | Glen Coffee | at IND | - |
| 44 | Jason Snelling | at NO | - |
| 45 | Brandon Jackson | vs. MIN | - |
| 46 | Chris Brown | at BUF | - |
| 47 | Chester Taylor | at GB | - |
| 48 | Justin Forsett | at DAL | - |
| 49 | Rashad Jennings | at TEN | - |
RB Notes: The Saints are using a unique rotation between
Pierre Thomas and
Mike Bell. Bell played a few snaps in the first half last week, bust most of the second half to give the team fresh legs. He's not a big guy, but he runs as violently as any back in football. Thomas is the more complete player, but the rotation will limit the damage Thomas can do in difficult matchups. Atlanta isn't so tough, so we'd still play Pierre as a RB2 this week. (The Saints also played
Devery Henderson primarily in the second half, using the fresh legs theory as well.) …
Matt Forte has been frustrating, but you can't sit him against the Browns. … With
Donald Brown likely out,
Joseph Addai is an easy start against San Francisco. The 49ers haven't been as frightening on defense in recent weeks. … A matchup against Carolina's soft front seven and the chance Arizona will be playing with a lead makes Beanie Wells a nice RB2 option.
It's not like
Michael Bush hasn't had chances. The Raiders started him in both halves last week against the Jets. But the big man needs big holes to run through, and he's not getting them. The Bush from Week 17 last season is nowhere to be found.
Justin Fargas somehow always finds a lane, and provides a spark. Fargas has topped 90 total yards two straight weeks and is the better play against a weak San Diego rush defense. … I guess those aren't popcorn muscles on
Thomas Jones. While other runners fall off after 30, there is no discernible difference in Jones' play. His carries won't skyrocket with
Leon Washington hurt, but his receptions will climb.
Shonn Greene will be a capable committee partner and could steal some touchdowns, but the rookie will have to prove he can protect and be a factor as a receiver. This is where Jones' all-around play will come in handy. New York's run blocking is coming together, but they face a much tougher matchup this week against Miami.
LeSean McCoy will start and get all the carries, but the Eagles won't try to beat Philadelphia on the ground. …
Fred Jackson was a non-factor last week, but the Bills barely had the ball. Against the Texans defense, he's still a flex option. …
Ryan Grant finally had a decent day against the Browns, but he still wasn't overly impressive. He had big holes to run through early and doesn't make anyone miss in the secondary. The Packers struggled to get a yard against the Browns in short-yardage, so Grant will have tough sledding against the Vikings, even though he's historically played well against them. (I hate historical stats against certain teams. Too many changes every year to draw much meaning from them.) … The matchup and nagging injury concerns make
Ahmad Bradshaw someone to stay away from if possible this week.
Week 8 Wide Receivers | Rank | Player Name | Opponent | Notes |
| 1 | Andre Johnson | at BUF | Probable(chest) |
| 2 | Vincent Jackson | vs. OAK | - |
| 3 | Reggie Wayne | vs. SF | Questionable(groin) |
| 4 | Larry Fitzgerald | vs. CAR | - |
| 5 | Marques Colston | vs. ATL | - |
| 6 | Roddy White | at NO | - |
| 7 | Calvin Johnson | vs. STL | Questionable(knee) |
| 8 | DeSean Jackson | vs. NYG | Probable(foot) |
| 9 | Brandon Marshall | at BAL | - |
| 10 | Mike Sims-Walker | at TEN | - |
| 11 | Miles Austin | vs. SEA | - |
| 12 | Greg Jennings | vs. MIN | - |
| 13 | Donald Driver | vs. MIN | - |
| 14 | Anquan Boldin | vs. CAR | Questionable(ankle) |
| 15 | Steve Smith | at ARZ | - |
| 16 | Steve Smith | at PHI | - |
| 17 | Sidney Rice | at GB | - |
| 18 | Derrick Mason | vs. DEN | - |
| 19 | Devin Hester | vs. CLE | - |
| 20 | Nate Burleson | at DAL | - |
| 21 | T.J. Houshmandzadeh | at DAL | - |
| 22 | Mohamed Massaquoi | at CHI | - |
| 23 | Kevin Walter | at BUF | - |
| 24 | Steve Breaston | vs. CAR | Probable(knee) |
| 25 | Lee Evans | vs. HOU | - |
| 26 | Jerricho Cotchery | vs. MIA | Questionable(hamstring) |
| 27 | Hakeem Nicks | at PHI | - |
| 28 | Michael Crabtree | at IND | - |
| 29 | Torry Holt | at TEN | - |
| 30 | Percy Harvin | at GB | Questionable(flu) |
| 31 | Jeremy Maclin | vs. NYG | Probable(foot) |
| 32 | Lance Moore | vs. ATL | - |
| 33 | Mario Manningham | at PHI | Questionable(shoulder) |
| 34 | Johnny Knox | vs. CLE | - |
| 35 | Braylon Edwards | vs. MIA | - |
| 36 | Donnie Avery | at DET | Probable(shoulder) |
| 37 | Earl Bennett | vs. CLE | - |
| 38 | Austin Collie | vs. SF | - |
| 39 | Eddie Royal | at BAL | - |
| 40 | Pierre Garcon | vs. SF | - |
| 41 | Devery Henderson | vs. ATL | - |
| 42 | Terrell Owens | vs. HOU | - |
| 43 | Bernard Berrian | at GB | Questionable(hamstring) |
| 44 | Mark Clayton | vs. DEN | - |
| 45 | Roy Williams | vs. SEA | - |
| 46 | Kenny Britt | vs. JAC | - |
| 47 | Patrick Crayton | vs. SEA | - |
| 48 | Nate Washington | vs. JAC | Probable(quadriceps) |
| 49 | James Jones | vs. MIN | - |
| 50 | Ted Ginn Jr. | at NYJ | - |
| 51 | Davone Bess | at NYJ | - |
| 52 | Josh Morgan | at IND | - |
| 53 | Dennis Northcutt | vs. STL | - |
| 54 | Brian Hartline | at NYJ | - |
| 55 | Jabar Gaffney | at BAL | - |
| 56 | Greg Camarillo | at NYJ | - |
| 57 | Justin Gage | vs. JAC | - |
| 58 | Isaac Bruce | at IND | - |
| 59 | Deion Branch | at DAL | - |
WR Notes: New Orleans' comeback wouldn't have happened last week without
Davone Bess' fumble, but Ted Ginn's long stretch of drops and mental errors has him in the doghouse. He's not worth holding on to. Bess,
Brian Hartline, and
Greg Camarillo will all likely get roughly equal time, even if Camarillo is coming off the bench. I still love what I'm seeing in
Chad Henne, but the Dolphins don't have a vertical presence and Miami's still a running team. It seems unlikely any of the 'Phins will be consistent enough to use regularly. …
Marques Colston could have had four touchdowns last week if things had happened just a little differently.
Drew Brees loves throwing to him in the red zone and the Saints get plenty of chances. Colston would be my choice to lead wideouts in scores this season.
Terrell Owens may be able to out-produce
Roy Williams, but not
Lee Evans. The last two weeks should be a reminder for the Bills that Evans is easily the superior talent at this stage of their careers.
Ryan Fitzpatrick hasn't been playing well, but a game against the Texans gives Evans a good chance for a third straight big week. … The longevity shown by
Hines Ward and
Donald Driver is one of the most remarkable trends of the year. Throw in Mason, and there were a lot of undervalued boring old veterans taken as WR3s that are far exceeding their draft slot.
The new
Lance Moore isn't an every-week star like last season. Some days, he'll give up targets to
Devery Henderson,
Jeremy Shockey, and
Reggie Bush. There are just too many quality options in New Orleans. But Moore will still have enough up weeks and 4 for 50's to be a solid WR3 in PPR leagues the rest of the way. … I mentioned Massaquoi above. He's getting enough opportunities that there should be another few big weeks, but the Browns passing attack won't allow it to be consistent. Imagine
Vincent Jackson or
Brandon Marshall trying to carry their teams as rookies. Massaquoi isn't quite at their level of pure physical talent, but he's closer than you think and a great dynasty guy to own. For later.
Derrick Mason has gained 88 yards in three of his last four games. He's too steady to sit, even against a quality matchup like the Broncos. … I'm still curious if Mason's teammate
Mark Clayton can put something together this season. He gets his fair share of opportunities and he's the closest thing the Ravens have to a vertical threat. Clayton has five plays over 20 yards in six games. That doesn't sound crazy, but there are a few quarterbacks (
Marc Bulger,
Matt Hasselbeck) who only have one or two more. … I'm going to keep saying to remain patient with
Greg Jennings until I see something different from the Packers attack. He's been very close to big plays a few times and still has his usual speed. Jennings might not have the same skills as a
Roddy White/
Reggie Wayne-type number one receiver, but he's not far off.
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Week 8 Tight EndsTE Notes: Donald Lee is a fine emergency pickup this week if you need help. The Vikings have struggled against tight ends all year, and
Jermichael Finley is out. …
Gibril Wilson,
Yeremiah Bell, and the Miami linebackers have also struggled with tight ends, although they have faced many of the best. Could this finally be the game for
Dustin Keller? It's hard to have much faith if you have another halfway decent option, and most teams do. In the two leagues I drafted Keller, I took Mr. Silva's boy
Vernon Davis too as a backup. Now Keller is planted on the bench. Hanging on to two tight ends is not a favorite strategy of mine, but it's important this year to get points at the position because practically everyone else is too. … Davis should get a small boost from
Alex Smith because I expect the 49ers pass attack to be more aggressive.
Owen Daniels is a good reminder that a lack of touchdowns is often a lack of luck. He's always had great hands and been able to make catches in traffic. Houston's red zone offense is a little more effective this year, and he's a little luckier and now he's tied his career high with five touchdowns in Week 8. And even though this is Daniels' breakout year, he was over 750 yards the last two and there was no reason to think Houston's offense would decline this time around. I still trust yards and receptions over scores in the long run, especially with so many PPR leagues.
Week 8 Team DefenseWeek 8 Kickers