We nailed it right on the head with Brett Favre, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Miles Austin, giving us a solid record of 8-7 on the week, while struggling with some sleeper picks, and urging you to go the wrong way on Frank Gore and DeAngelo Williams.
Start: 4-1
Sit: 2-3
Sleeper: 2-3
Read on for brief analysis on each player from Week Eight’s Start/Sit column, and then check back for Week Nine’s player picks:
Winners
Brett Favre, QB, Minnesota Vikings (Start)
Like I have said in the past, how can you seriously bet against this guy? Favre had emotion and a little but of spite riding on his side, as he tossed over 200 yards and four touchdowns against his former team.
LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, San Diego Chargers (Start)
Tomlinson almost always dominates the Oakland Raiders, so this wasn’t that tough of a call. However, 56 rushing yards and two scores makes for a good “start” play.
Miles Austin, WR, Dallas Cowboys (Start)
Austin has scored at least one touchdown in three straight games, and while his yardage dipped a bit in his second game as a starter, the production was still there. Continue to rely on Austin as a solid WR2 and an elite WR3.
Devin Hester, WR, Chicago Bears (Start)
Hester notches his third straight 80+ yard effort, and also grabbed at least six catches in his third straight game. He didn’t score, but Hester’s targets and yardage continued to be very consistent and productive, making him an elite WR3, and slowly improving his fantasy status.
Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants (Sit)
Make that three straight weeks of the Giants passing attack being nowhere to be found. Manning struggled to top 200 passing yards, threw just one score, and tossed two interceptions. Manning has just one touchdown in each of his last three games, while throwing six interceptions over that span.
Ryan Grant, RB, Green Bay Packers (Sit)
Grant couldn’t find any room in the first half, rushing nine times for 22 yards (2.2 yard average), and finished with just 30 yards on the ground. That’s what you get for starting him against a tough Minnesota run defense.
Alex Smith, QB, San Francisco 49ers (Sleeper)
No one expected the 49ers to beat the Colts, and probably even fewer people felt that Smith would fare well against a stingy Indianapolis pass defense. Smith passed for nearly 200 yards, while throwing one touchdown and one interception, which was good enough of a performance to use him in spot-duty.
Lendale White, RB, Tennessee Titans (Sleeper)
White didn’t blow you away this week (Chris Johnson did), but his touches and yardage were serviceable enough for a Flex play, and inspiring enough to keep him on your roster. His 13 touches made him a sold start, and his 47 rushing yards gave you a little something back. It’s not much, but it should only get better as the Titans begin to get some confidence back on offense.
Duds
Kyle Orton, QB, Denver Broncos (Start)
Orton wasn’t horrible, but he and the rest of the Denver offense was certainly not up to par against the Baltimore Ravens. Orton failed to score and didn’t help out much in yardage, making him an extremely mediocre fantasy option in Week Eight.
Terrell Owens, WR, Buffalo Bills (Sit)
Quite naturally, the only game Owens is relevant since week two turns out to be the week I finally say to sit him. Owens could only grab in a meager five catches for 39 yards, and was truly saved by a fluke 29-yard touchdown run.
Frank Gore, RB, San Francisco 49ers (Sit)
Gore surprised many by ripping off a 64-yard touchdown against a strong Indianapolis defense. If it wasn’t for that run and score, however, Gore would have landed you a very average stat-line with 12 attempts for just 27 yards.
DeAngelo Williams, RB, Carolina Panthers (Sit)
Williams rolled off his second 150+ yard rushing game, but saw Jonathan Stewart steal two goal-line scores. He still put in a solid effort, however, and did so against a decent run defense in Arizona.
James Jones, WR, Green Bay Packers (Sleeper)
Jones caught one ball for 42 yards, which showed his play-making ability, but also showed just how little Aaron Rodgers looks to his third receiving option.
Darren Sproles, RB, San Diego Chargers (Sleeper)
Sproles is almost in the same mold as Lendale White, as he’s getting some mediocre yardage and could begin to pose as a decent Flex play, but his touches just aren’t there yet, with only five in each of his last two games.
Chris “Beanie” Wells, RB, Arizona Cardinals (Sleeper)
Wells’ carries dropped from 10+ to just eight in an embarrassing loss to the Carolina Panthers. So much for that commitment to the ground game.
