Week 7 brought us another week of Fantasy Football surprises and some guys that we expect to go crazy go crazy. Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson connected for 9 catches for 155 yards and 2 TDs, Vincent Jackson caught 2 TDs for the 2nd straight week and Harry Douglas showed us that Matt Ryan may still be fantasy relevant by catching 7 balls for 149 yards and a touchdown. Week 8 presents some big test for a lot of Fantasy owners as guys like Ray Rice, Arian Foster, Brandon Marshall and Andrew Luck are on a bye this week. So there I see a lot of plug and plays this week and I will take an in-depth look at the guys I think you should target as sleepers for week 8. Before I do that, let’s take a look and see how my sleepers for week 7 performed.
Sleepers that made me look good
Stevan Ridley – 53 total yards and a TD – Ridley found the endzone for the 2nd straight week.
Terrence Williams – 6 catches 71 yards and a TD – Williams is becoming a favorite of Romo, can he make it 4 straight with a TD this week.
Reggie Wayne – 5 catches 50 yards – PPR leagues he was more successful with 10 fantasy points. Wayne got hurt and is now out for the season.
Carolina D – 15 points, 4 sacks and 2 TOs – Panthers D is legit and here to stay. Another week on the sleeper list and another week with a great start.
Sleepers that made me look bad
Nick Foles – 11/29 80 yards – Had a terrible day on the field and ended up with a concussion.
Jay Cutler – 3/8 28 yards and 1 INT – Cutler had a great matchup and ended up getting hurt. Tough day all around for players.
Scott Chandler – 2 catches 18 yards – Just couldn’t take advantage of a great matchup and let me down this week.
Week 8 Fantasy Football Sleepers (Bye Weeks: Bears, Titans, Colts, Chargers, Ravens & Texans)
Ryan Tannehill vs. New England Patriots
Prior to facing Geno Smith and the Jets, the Patriots D had given up an average of 12 Fantasy Points to QBs all season. Geno took advantage of a Patriots D that is reeling from injuries, he threw for 233 yards, rushed for another 32 and totaled 2 TDs. Tannehill is coming to New England with a lot better weapons at his disposal this week. He had a rough outing against the Bills but he still threw for 3 TD passes. If you have Cutler, Luck, Rivers, Flacco or Schaub as your QB, Tannehill has a strong enough matchup that he is a solid bye-week option for them.
Stevan Ridley vs. Miami Dolphins
Ridley had a tough matchup against the Jets in week 7 and found his way to 50 yards on 11 carries and found the endzone for the 2nd straight game. He still lost time to Bolden this week but is finding ways to make the most of his carries. The Dolphins are giving up 20 PPG to RBs this year and they have given up a TD in 3 straight games to RBs. Though it’s still scary to be Belicheck’d but Ridley is a solid start.
Roy Helu Jr. vs. Denver Broncos
Helu Jr. came out of nowhere last week scoring 3 TDs against the Chicago Bears. In the last 3 games Helu is averaging 72 yards a game and as you saw on Sunday he is getting the goal-line looks. There are a lot of top RBs on a bye and he has a matchup against the Broncos who have given up a rushing TD in every game this year. Also if the Redskins get behind early, Helu is the pass catching back out of the backfield as well. He has true sleeper value heading into week 8.
Marques Colston vs. Buffalo Bills
Colston has been Brees targeted 34 times this year, which is good for 2nd most on the team. But he just isn’t finding the endzone. He has 1 TD in 6 games and has had two consecutive games with 1 Fantasy Point (2 and 3 in PPR Leagues). Good news for Colston owners is that the Bills have given up 12 touchdowns to WRs this season. It’s really crazy to consider him a sleeper but with his production this year, he just hasn’t been reliable. I would have him in the lineup this week with a solid matchup coming off the bye.
Jarrett Boykin vs. Minnesota Vikings
He was a sleeper coming into last week’s game with Randall Cobb and James Jones missing from the lineup. Boykins stepped up and got 10 targets, catching 8 of them for 103 yards and a TD. Jones may play this week but with Jermichael Finley sure to miss this week’s game, Boykin will be relevant again this week. The Vikings are giving up the most Fantasy points to WRs this season, so if you have any WR on a bye week Boykins should be at the top of your list this week.
Jordan Reed vs. Denver Broncos
Jordan Reed was a favorite of RGIII this weekend targeting him a team high 9 times and Reed caught all 9 for 134 yards and a TD. This week the Redskins are going to have to score some points and to do so they are going to have to get Reed involved early and often. The Broncos are in the top 5 for yardage given up to TEs. Reed should have another solid week this week and if he is hanging around on the waivers, I would pick him up this week.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Oakland Raiders
The Steelers have been great since coming off the bye. They have 5 sacks in the last 2 games as well as forced 2 INTs. The Raiders are coming off a bye and they rank 32nd in football throwing the ball, which isn’t good since they are facing a Steelers team in the top 5 against the run. The Steelers are playing great D and I like them this week even on the road.
Also don’t forget to check out the Sports Script podcast every Sunday morning at 11am (EST) as we answer any and all start and sit questions. www.blogtalkradio.com/foryourconsideration
Buy anything off Amazon? Click our link and help support the website. http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&tag=rickygangster-20
The Sports Script 