Welcome back to Week 8 of Keeping it Real With Fantasy! This past week had many upsets across the league. The Super-Bowl-hopeful Kansas City Chiefs were curb stomped by the Tennessee Titans 27-3. Joe Burrow and the Bengals have emerged as one of the biggest surprises this season. They gave Lamar Jackson and the Ravens an incredibly hard time as the Bengals won 41-17. The Giants finally racked up their second win of the season. It was a calm 25-3 win against the Panthers. Daniel Jones threw for 203 yards and a touchdown (he had a sick one-handed catch too). The Jets, on the other hand, lost 53-13 to the Patriots. As we head into week 9, there are many different matchups that can elevate your team to the next level. So if you want to try to find all the gems in your fantasy league for the upcoming week, you’ve come to  the right place. 

News/Injuries:

Davante Adams – The star WR wasn’t able to clear COVID-19 protocols before the Packers’ Thursday Night game against the undefeated Cardinals. He did not make the trip to Arizona but will probably be back for next week. This is a low blow for owners who have Adams as one of their top producers. 

Jerry Juedy – The Broncos receiver was slated to have a breakout year before he sustained a high ankle sprain week 1. The Alabama wide receiver has been placed on  IR since his injury and is finally sneaking back into the practice rotation. Doctors say he’s good to go by Sunday. If he isn’t on your bench, snag him — he could be the difference maker. 

Miles Sanders – The Philly running back suffered an ankle injury and is listed as week to week. He might return sooner rather than later, but he’s probably going to miss the Eagles week 8 matchup against the Lions. Look for quick replacements in your waiver wires to hold his spot for a week or two. 

Starts:

Joe Burrow (QB)– Coming off a career game, throwing for 416 yards and three touchdowns, Burrow is starting to find himself in this league along with his LSU connection, rookie Ja’Marr Chase. Going against the 1-5 Jets, whose run defense is within the top ten in the league, Burrow will have to lead the offense and have another big game with high production. Keep an eye on Burrow to be a go for a big game against a struggling organization in the Jets, targeting the rising star Ja’Marr Chase.   

James Robinson (RB)– At this point in the season, Robinson has proved to fantasy owners that he is a potential RB1 and can put up consistent numbers every week. In each of his past four games, Robinson has scored at least 19 fantasy points. The Jaguars have a relatively good matchup for Robinson this week, as they take on the beat up 2-5 Seahawks, whose run defense has struggled continuously throughout the beginning weeks. If you are in need of a replacement because of byes or injuries, Robinson, without a doubt, is the best option out there and his value will continue to grow as the young Jags start to kick things into high gear.  

Sits:

Tyler Boyd (WR)– With Cincinnati holding the top seed in the AFC, and the offense finding its feet, there will be a lot of target shares in order to feed all the stars in the Bengals offense. As the season continues to progress, Boyd has started to lose his value with rookie Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins stealing the spotlight. Target shares will be a problem for Boyd this year, restricting his PPG (points per game) and making him the second man to Burrow’s first look and best connection, Ja’Marr Chase. Boyd is a solid flex receiver if you are in need of some production, but don’t bank on him having one of his outstanding games that the league is used to.

Antonio Gibson (RB) –  We are benching Gibson this week. Over the past two weeks he has combined for just 10 points. This is not the production fantasy managers were looking for when drafting him in the second round. Aside from his struggles, Gibson has also been dealing with a lingering leg injury. In fact, because of the injury, Washington has played backup running back J.D. McKissic more. Coming up this week, Gibson plays a solid Denver defense. With injury concerns, an upcoming bye week, and a tough matchup, we suggest looking to trade Gibson while you still can. 

Waiver Wires:

Kenneth Gainwell (RB) – Starting Eagles running back Miles Sanders went down with an injury early in week 7. This allowed their backup, Kenneth Gainwell, to get more work. He finished the game with 13 points. If Sanders continues to miss time, Gainwell could be a great start because of his explosiveness and pass-catching abilities out of the backfield. 

Robert Tonyan (TE) – Tonyan is a good pickup this week. With Davante Adams questionable and Allen Lazard out (both due to COVID-19 concerns), Tonyan might be the best receiving option on a pass-heavy offense. The tight end position is incredibly scarce in fantasy football, so it is a good idea to pick up and start Tonyan this week. The Packers will need to throw to keep up with the Cardinals and Tonyan should benefit most from this. Even last week, Tonyan had 16.3 points, so his stock is on the rise.