Week 8 of the NFL season was a weird week, to say the least. There were several lopsided scores and unexpected fantasy performances (both good and bad), and some wins we didn’t see coming. It also brought with it some devastating injuries (pour one out for Cam Skattebo).
But here we are, more than halfway through the regular fantasy football season, with still so much more to learn as we kick it into high gear for the second half of the year.
Here is what we learned in Week 8 of the 2025 NFL season:
Shakir Steadily Rising
Is Josh Allen quietly starting to establish Khalil Shakir as his go-to WR? Over the past four games, Shakir leads Bills receivers with a 25% target share, and he’s the overall WR23 since Week 3, with 58.5 total fantasy points in that span. Shakir just had his best game of the season with 88 receiving yards and a TD in Buffalo’s 40-9 victory over Carolina on Sunday. While the targets have been there, it hasn’t translated to consistent production, with Shakir scoring eight fantasy points in Week 5 and 4.8 points in Week 6. But if Allen continues to feature Shakir as his No. 1 receiving option, the WR’s floor will get safer, with the potential for high-scoring outputs. Shakir could have appeal as a fringe WR2 for the rest of the season and is a player to keep a close eye on with favorable matchups for WRs over the next few weeks.
Quge Trending Down
Losing a week to injury seems to have affected Quentin Johnston‘s role on the Chargers’ offense more than we anticipated. Since returning from his one-game absence, Quge has just two receptions for 30 yards in two games and had a nothing burger on Sunday, not even a target! He also played a season-low 52% of the snaps, although the Chargers salted away the game with the rushing attack after establishing a lead. It’s alarming, considering the number of other weapons on the offense capable of taking over, including a new threat in rookie TE sensation Oronde Gadsden II. The WR4 through the first four weeks of the season, Johnston has fallen off the proverbial cliff, and it might be time to downgrade his role as a weekly fantasy starter to a fill-in, flex type of option until something changes.
Jones’ Return Leads to RB Split in Minnesota
Keeping the focus on the Chargers/Vikings game from Thursday night, Aaron Jones returned from IR and went back to about half the allotment of RB snaps, relegating Jordan Mason and Zavier Scott to the other half or so. The Vikings got blown out, so it makes sense that Jones saw more opportunities in the passing game (four targets), with Mason logging a season-low in route share. It was just the first two games of the season and last week, but it’s starting to look like a split backfield in Minnesota, meaning both Jones and Mason fall into the RB3 category.
The Aftermath of Skattebo’s Injury
It’s difficult to watch what happened to Cam Skattebo on Sunday and not slump your shoulders, put your head down, and just feel miserable. Not just fans of the New York Giants, or the fantasy football community, but everyone. It’s one of the worst parts of this game. Best wishes to Skattebo, and hopefully, he will have a speedy recovery.
After Skattebo left the game in the second quarter, Tyrone Tracy Jr. handled most of the work the rest of the way. Tracy finished with 10 carries for 39 yards and two receptions for 14 yards in a game the Giants were playing from behind. Tracy came into the season as the starter and got hurt in Week 3, missing the next two weeks, giving Skattebo the keys to the backfield. Tracy is probably out there in a lot of leagues and could easily qualify as a player you spend the rest of your FAAB on if he’s available. And don’t forget he started the first two weeks with Russell Wilson in an abysmal offense. It’s different now with Jaxson Dart, who should help unlock more of Tracy’s potential.
Sampson Spells Judkins Post Injury
Thankfully, not nearly as devastating as Skattebo’s ankle injury, Quinshon Judkins also left Sunday with what has been reported today as an AC joint sprain in his shoulder. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said he’s considered day-to-day and Cleveland is going on its bye, giving Judkins extra time to heal. It’s noteworthy, however, that Dylan Sampson saw the majority of work when Judkins left the game in the third quarter, not Jerome Ford. Sampson received all the remaining rushing attempts to go along with six targets, while Ford saw a single target. If Judkins were to miss time, Sampson becomes a must-add.
Harvey Flies at Mile High
It was the breakout game we’d been waiting for — Three TDs, a 6.6 yards-per-carry average, and an RB6 finish — Have yourself a week, RJ Harvey. But when you take a closer look at the numbers and his usage in Denver’s 44-24 thumping of Dallas, Harvey is still seeing pretty much the same amount of work he has had all season (about 25% of the backfield work). The rookie RB looks good and has juice, but J.K. Dobbins is still the main RB in town. Dobbins is the RB15 through the season so far, and nothing about his play or Denver’s coaching decisions says he will be ceding opportunities to Harvey. The rookie is still a worthwhile stash and can be used in a pinch, like perhaps this past week, but don’t be fooled by his Week 8 numbers.
Bijan Flounders Against Dolphins
Bijan Robinson absolutely dominated the 31st ranked Miami Dolphins run defense on Sunday, finished with 25 rushing yards (48 total yards) on Sunday against the 31st-ranked Miami Dolphins run defense. Tyler Allgeier, who was limited in practice leading up to the game, converted the Falcons’ only TD of the day, late in the fourth quarter when the game was already out of hand. Robinson also saw just three targets in a blowout game, his season-low in target share. Bijan was supposed to be a smash start, but instead had a rare dud of a game. Chalk this up to an unfortunate fluke. Michael Penix should be back next week, and Bijan will go back to being his usual self.
What to make of SF Pass Catchers
Dealing with what seems like a never-ending list of injuries, the 49ers have been forced to stitch together a mishmash of different options at the WR and TE positions all season. Not to mention, starting QB Brock Purdy has played just two games this year. San Francisco could have the closest to a full arsenal (minus Brandon Aiyuk) it has had all season in Week 9 if both Purdy and WR Ricky Pearsall return. Aside from Christian McCaffrey, it’s been hard to discern which 49er to start on a weekly basis. CMC and George Kittle are in lineups every week, but I’m still not sure which WR to trust when everyone is back. It could be Jauan Jennings one week or Pearsall the next, or it could be Kendrick Bourne catching two TD passes. Keep an eye on how the WRs are deployed this upcoming week if everyone is back in action.
Watson Key in First Game Back
Similar to San Francisco, Green Bay has been dealing with its own series of injuries at the WR position. Romeo Doubs has been the only WR that could be started in fantasy, and not with extreme confidence. On Sunday night, Christian Watson played in his first game this year, coming back from a torn ACL that occurred in the last game of the 2024 regular season. He was utilized heavily on Sunday, catching all four targets for 85 yards, second on the team. Doubs still saw the most targets at the WR position and played the most snaps, but Watson has always been a more intriguing fantasy option because of his big-play ability. With Matthew Golden‘s disappointing rookie campaign, Jayden Reed‘s injury, and Doubs’ safe, yet ho-hum weekly performances (we will always have Week 4), Watson is an intriguing player to keep an eye on.
Likely’s Role Expanding
Lamar Jackson was expected back in Week 8 for the Ravens, but alas, it was another week with a backup QB in Baltimore, though Tyler Huntley played considerably better than Cooper Rush. The win was big for the Ravens and gives them much-needed breathing room in a division that is still very much up for grabs. It was also Isaiah Likely‘s fourth game back after missing the start of the season. Likely ran one more route than his TE counterpart Mark Andrews, though the latter had one more target. The young TE’s breakout has been on hold so far, but his usage is worth monitoring over the next few weeks, especially when Jackson returns. Baltimore’s plan to integrate Likely more in the offense could start to play out.
from Fantasy Footballers Podcast https://ift.tt/oYjVnxN
No comments: