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Seven weeks of the 2016 NFL season are now in the books. This means that seven weeks of fantasy football have also passed and that many of you are about to enter the home stretch of your fantasy regular seasons.
Hopefully, you're still in the thick of your postseason race. If so, it's time to mash down on the gas pedal and race down the home stretch. We're here to help add a little fuel to your excursion with our Week 8 positional breakdowns.
We will be examining our picks for the top performers at each position in Week 8. We will also take a look at some risers and fallers at each skill position. Our choices are based on factors like past performances, projected role, matchup and health, where applicable.
Good luck!
Quarterbacks
Up: Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston hasn't always been a consistent fantasy producer, but when he has a favorable matchup, he can be a solid start.
Such was the case in Week 7 when Winston and the Buccaneers offense had their way with the San Francisco 49ers defense. Winston was regularly on target with his throws and managed to find the end zone three times through the air. Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times shared some insight on Winston's Week 7 performance:
The issue for Winston is pass protection—he's been sacked 14 times in six games—which could come into play this week against the Khalil Mack and the Oakland Raiders defense.
However, the back end of Oakland's defense is average at best—the team is rated 17th in pass coverage by Pro Football Focus. If Winston can find time in the pocket, he should be on track for a quality fantasy outing.
Down: Brock Osweiler, Houston Texans
If you decided to rely on Houston Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler as a bye-week fill-in this past weekend, you paid for it. The former Denver Broncos starter was an absolute disaster against his former team on Monday night, as highlighted by NFL Research:
If you've been considering turning to Osweiler for a Week 8 bye replacement, don't do it. Even with weapons like DeAndre Hopkins, Will Fuller and Lamar Miller on the roster, Osweiler hasn't been a reliable fantasy quarterback.
Sure, Osweiler had a decent outing against the Indianapolis Colts two weeks ago (269 yards, two touchdowns), but that was his best game of the season. Osweiler has topped the 250-yard mark three times, has only tossed multiple touchdowns three times and has thrown an interception in every game except for his most recent outing—a game he finished with 131 yards and no touchdowns.
Pro Football Focus has graded 69 quarterbacks so far this season, and Osweiler is rated last among them. Stay far, far away from him in fantasy.
Running Backs
Up: Spencer Ware, Kansas City Chiefs
It's no surprise that the Kansas City Chiefs are running an offense that is predicated on the running back. What might be a surprise, however, is that the lead back in Kansas City has become Spencer Ware.
With Jamaal Charles experiencing setbacks in his recovery from a torn ACL, Ware has become the Chiefs' workhorse back. Not only has he taken over the role, but he has excelled at it. Yahoo's Brad Evans pointed out Ware's gaudy numbers:
So far this season, Ware has 492 yards rushing, 15 receptions, 285 yards receiving and three total touchdowns. He has become a virtual must-start in most leagues, especially in points-per-reception formats, and faces a favorable matchup in Week 8.
This week, the Chiefs travel to Indianapolis to take on the Colts. Pro Football Focus rates the Colts dead last in both run defense and overall defense for the season.
Start Ware, and don't think twice about it.
Down: Jordan Howard, Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears rookie running back Jordan Howard got off to a strong start as the team's potential starter. The Indiana product rushed for 229 yards in his first two starts against the Detroit Lions and the Colts. However, he has rushed for just 56 yards in the two games since.
Meanwhile, fellow back Ka'Deem Carey has significantly cut into Howard's workload. He has 19 attempts and 98 yards over the past two weeks.
“Just opportunities presenting themselves,” Carey said, per Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “Just running hard, trying to win games.”
If Howard isn't going to be a workhorse back for the Bears, he isn't going to hold a lot of fantasy value. His value dips even further this week with the Minnesota Vikings coming to town.
The Vikings are rated 10th in run defense by Pro Football Focus.
Wide Receivers
Up: Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons
We're going to let you in on a little secret: Julio Jones is good at football.
The Atlanta Falcons receiver has had his ups and downs this season, especially while dealing with some early nagging injuries. He has produced fewer than 30 receiving yards twice and fewer than 70 yards three times so far this season. However, Jones has also gone over 100 yards in the other four games he has played.
Now that he appears to be fully healthy, Jones seems virtually unstoppable. Over the past two weeks he has racked up 16 receptions, 313 yards and a touchdown. And as ESPN.com's Vaughn McClure noted, Jones also seems to have found his rhythm on the deep ball with quarterback Matt Ryan:
In Week 8, Jones and the Falcons host the Green Bay Packers. This could be good news for Jones and his fantasy owners. Green Bay is rated just 29th in pass coverage by Pro Football Focus.
Down: Travis Benjamin, San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers wideout Travis Benjamin has also had his ups and downs this season. He has three games with at least 75 yards receiving and two with more than 100 yards. However, where Jones seems to be on the rise, Benjamin seems to be on the decline.
Part of the issue with Benjamin could be that defenses are trying to take away his deep-threat ability. Another part of the issue, of course, is that Benjamin has been dealing with a knee injury. This has affected his role in the offense.
According to Pro Football Focus, receiver Tyrell Williams has seen 114 offensive snaps over the past two weeks, while Dontrelle Inman has seen 126. Benjamin has seen just 71.
This week, Benjamin and the Chargers face the Broncos, who are rated second overall in pass coverage by Pro Football Focus. The last time Benjamin played Denver, he caught three passes but produced a mere 17 yards.
Tight Ends
Up: Jimmy Graham, Seattle Seahawks
In his first season with the Seattle Seahawks, tight end Jimmy Graham failed to make a major fantasy impact. Even before his season-ending knee injury, it seemed the Seahawks didn't know how to utilize Graham in the passing game.
Graham appeared in 11 games in 2015 and produced 48 catches for 605 yards and two scores. Those aren't bad tight end numbers, but they certainly weren't on par with what Graham produced with the New Orleans Saints.
This season, though, it seems that Graham has found his role in the Seahawks offense, and it's a significant one. As Pro Football Focus pointed out, Graham was one of the leaders last week when it came to running receiving routes:
Graham already has 27 receptions for 408 yards and a touchdown through six games this season. He has emerged as a major piece of the Seattle passing attack and draws a matchup with his old team in Week 8.
The Saints are rated 30th in pass coverage by Pro Football Focus, and Graham should be excited to exploit this matchup.
Down: Hunter Henry, San Diego Chargers
Let's be clear here, we're not down on Chargers rookie tight end Hunter Henry. In fact, we love his potential as a pass-catcher. However, we're listing him here because there's a chance he won't play against the Broncos this week.
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune's Michael Gehlken, Henry is in the league's concussion protocol, which means he isn't a sure thing for Week 8:
This also means you might be better off playing a different tight end if possible. Longtime Chargers star Antonio Gates would be a clear top choice here if you can get him. If Henry cannot go, Gates—who has 17 receptions, 119 yards and two scored this season—becomes an even bigger part of San Diego's passing attack.
Kickers
Defense/Special Teams
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
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