Week 8 was unpredictable at QB. Jahmyr Gibbs finally blew up, and the WR group continues to look fantastic.
QUARTERBACKS
The QB group is about to get very interesting. Will Levis shined in his first start. Jaren Hall is going to start for the Vikings until who knows when. Clayton Tune is going to start for the Cardinals. Tyson Bagent is going to start against the Saints. Aiden O’Connell will be starting in Las Vegas.
Will Levis, Titans
Week 8: 19-29, 238 yards, 4 TDs | 11 yards
It’s tough to imagine a better start for a rookie QB we all had questions about. Levis earned the right to more starts and will likely be given every opportunity to see if he can win the job.
Bryce Young, Panthers
Week 8: 22-31, 235 yards, 1 TD | 11 yards
Season: 137-213, 1202 yards, 7 TDs, 4 INTs | 75 yards
Young won against fellow rookie CJ Stroud and outplayed him in the process, completing passes to eight different receivers. I am most excited about Jonathan Mingo’s four catches for 62 yards. I expect them to grow old together.
Tyson Bagent, Bears
Week 8: 25-37, 232 yards, 2 INTs | -1 yards, 1 TD
2023: 56-80, 477 yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs | 27 yards, 2 TDs
Bagent looks like he is going to start for the foreseeable future. Justin Fields’ play hasn’t been great; he’s been injured, and he has an agent no one wants to deal with. The Bears will likely let him sit out long enough to ensure they get one of the top picks in the draft.
The Rest of Week 8
- Stroud, Texans – 16-24, 140 yards | 13 yards, 1 TD
- Hall, Vikings – 3-4, 23 yards | -1 yards
- Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Browns – 1-1 9 yards
- Tommy Devito, Giants – 2-7, -1 yard | 12 yards, 1 TD
RUNNING BACKS
Gibbs finally had a great game! Emari Demercado and Jaleel McLaughlin are for real. Bijan Robinson stays steady. The top two backs in this class are consistent, but beyond those two, there is no telling who will be in the top five.
Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions
Week 8: 26 carries, 152 yards, 1 TD | 5 catches, 37 yards
2023: 76 carries, 399 yards, 2 TDs | 28 catches, 165 yards
Gibbs was again the focal point, but this time in a dominant win. He was everything the Lions wanted him to be, turning tight lanes and small holes into big gains. They still let Craig Reynolds grind things out at the end, but Gibbs will get his touches. All this while being so light a woman in the crowd can scoop him up like a small child that’s tripped over their cape on Halloween.
Emari Demercado, Cardinals
Week 8: 20 carries, 78 yards | 1 catch, 1 yard
2023: 49 carries, 195 yards, 1 TD | 12 catches, 64 yards
Demercado appears to be the primary back in Arizona. He is putting up decent numbers, but the big plays aren’t there. His future likely lies as a rotational back. For dynasty, he is probably fools gold.
Bijan Robinson, Falcons
Week 8: 11 carries, 62 yards, 1 TD
2023: 89 carries, 466 yards, 1 TD | 26 catches, 189 yards, 2 TDs
A steady, if not spectacular, week eight for Bijan. Not much needs to be said about him. You are starting him every week.
Zach Charbonnet, Seahawks
Week 8: 5 carries, 53 yards | 2 catches, 11 yards
2023: 28 carries, 162 yards | 8 catches, 47 yards
Charbonnet had five carries to Kenneth Walker’s eight, and each had two targets. A balanced backfield is something Charbonnet owners would love to see but can’t count on.
Jaleel McLaughlin, Broncos
Week 8: 4 carries, 33 yards | 2 catches, 6 yards
2023: 38 carries, 268 yards, 1 TD | 12 catches, 65 yards, 2 TDs
I’m writing the same thing every week about McLaughlin, which is a good thing. McLaughlin will likely never be a lead back, but he is firmly entrenched as the Broncos’ number two guy and a true change of pace.
The Rest of Week 8
- Spears, Titans – 3 carries, 27 yards | 3 catches, 9 yards
- Johnson, Bears – 6 carries, 21 yards | 3 catches, 10 yards
- Miller, Saints – 3 catches, 10 yards | 1 catch, 9 yards
- Bigsby, Jaguars – 3 catches, 9 yards
WIDE RECEIVERS
Some new faces at the top, but this class remains overall very good.
Jayden Reed, Packers
Week 8: 4 catches, 83 yards
2023: 20 catches, 314 yards, 3 TDs
This Packers offense is probably the hardest to predict in all of football. It’s impossible to know who will get what each week and if the offense will go. I’d preach patience with all of them because it might end up being very good, and Reed, in particular, might have a big role.
Jordan Addison, Vikings
Week 8: 7 catches, 82 yards, 1 TD
2023: 36 catches, 482 yards, 7 TDs
Hall takes over at QB for the Vikings. The dropoff at the position is likely to be immense. However, this could mean many more passes going Addison’s way as the Vikings battle from behind. Even if this ends up a lost season, Addison has shown he is a significant factor for years to come.
Josh Downs, Colts
Week 8: 7 catches, 72 yards
2023: 40 catches, 473 yards, 2 TDs
The Colts are messy, and that doesn’t look like it’s changing any time soon. Despite the mess, Downs is as steady as they come, on pace for 80+ catches and nearly 1,000 yards.
Jonathan Mingo, Panthers
Week 7: 4 catches, 62 yards
2023: 19 catches, 195 yards
I am as high as they come on Mingo, so games like this are a welcome sight. He was the second option after Adam Thielen in this game and was a very efficient four catches on five targets for 62 yards.
Michael Wilson, Cardinals
Week 8: 4 catches, 58 yards
2023: 25 catches, 401 yards, 2 TDs
Wilson is another guy who has solidified his role despite the mess around him. That will only get worse with Tune taking over this week.
The Rest of Week 8
- Rashee Rice, Chiefs – 4 catches, 56 yards
- Quentin Johnston, Chargers – 5 catches, 50 yards
- Puka Nacua, Rams – 3 catches, 43 yards
- Jaxon Smith-Ngiba, Seahawks – 3 catches, 36 yards, 1 TD
- Dontayvion Wicks, Packers – 2 catches, 28 yards
- Demario Douglas, Patriots – 5 catches, 25 yards
- Jake Bobo, Seahawks – 2 catches, 23 yards
- Trey Palmer, Bucs – 3 catches, 22 yards
- Zay Flowers, Ravens – 5 catches, 19 yards
- Tank Dell, Texans – 3 catches, 16 yards
- Tyler Scott, Bears – 1 catch, 11 yards
- Rakim Jarrett, Bucs – 1 catch, 9 yards
- Derius Davis, Chargers – 2 catches, 4 yards
- Andrei Iosivas, Bengals – 1 catch, 2 yards, 1 TD
- Marvin Mims, Broncos – 1 catch
TIGHT ENDS
Dalton Kincaid and Sam LaPorta. Back to back first and second. These two are two solid pieces on two good teams that will be amongst the top ten at the position for the foreseeable future.
Dalton Kincaid, Bills
Week 8: 5 catches, 65 yards, 1 TD
2023: 30 catches, 258 yards, 1 TD
Kincaid caught his first career touchdown helping the Bills outlast Tampa Bay. He is at the very least the third-best option on an excellent team and option two, Gabriel Davis, is a free agent at the end of the year.
Sam LaPorta, Lions
Week 8: 8 catches, 57 yards, 1 TD
2023: 43 catches, 433 yards, 4 TDs
LaPorta partnered with Amon-Ra St. Brown as the primary targets for the Lions against the Raiders. He is a top-five tight end who will battle for the top spot for the foreseeable future.
The Rest of Week 8
- Luke Musgrave, Packers – 2 catches, 9 yards
- Michael Mayer, Raiders – 1 catch, 19 yards
- Will Mallory, Colts – 1 catch, 6 yards
- Julian Hill, Dolphins – 1 catch, 4 yards
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