What You Need to Know From Week 8

Green Bay 27 - Carolina 19

• The Panthers' shorthanded secondary was powerless to stop the Packers' downfield passing game. The Packers got strong fantasy results from their quarterback, running back, top two wide receivers, and tight end. The Panthers fired defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero after the game. We will try to get players in our lineups when they face Carolina. Denver is up next; the Saints get them in Weeks 10 and 14; and the Bengals, Steelers, and Seahawks get them in the fantasy playoffs Weeks 15-17.
• Golden (foot/shoulder) played well on Thursday night after only getting in one limited practice and being listed as questionable on a short-rest week. We can put any worry about that situation behind us.
• Watson actually left the game to go to the hospital after he broke a rib and was coughing up blood, and then returned to the stadium and the game. He should be able to play in Week 9, but we'll be watching his practice status.
• Bryce Young wasn't able to cook in the passing game against a Packers defense that is getting better each week under new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon. Young isn't a fantasy QB1 heading into a difficult stretch of defenses. The Panthers only have one cream puff (Cincinnati Week 15) left, so don't expect Young to help your 1QB team from here on out, and he's not an ideal QB2/Superflex.
• Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker were both disappointments, and Coker would have been a bust if not for a late touchdown that made the final score more palatable for Panthers fans. McMillan is middling WR3/Flex and Coker a what-the-heck flex in tough matchups as the promise of the offenses early season success against weak defenses is wearing off.
• Chuba Hubbard was the only fantasy hit in the Panthers offense, as the team stubbornly stuck with the run and Young checked down to Hubbard frequently. Hubbard ended up with 29 touches for 119 total yards, including two scores - one through the air, one on the ground, and seven receptions. That's a great sign for the durability of his RB1 value going forward.

Arizona 33 - Dallas 30

• The Cowboys lost despite being up 14 points going into the fourth quarter, to send their record against Arizona at their newest stadium to 0-5 and 1-9 in the last 10 matchups between the teams. Since 2000, the Cowboys were 69-0 at home when they were up 14 in the fourth quarter, and the Cardinals were 1-147-1 when trailing by 14 or more in the fourth quarter.
• Jacoby Brissett was benched in the third quarter, and Gardner Minshew II came in to lead the comeback effort. He will start in Week 9, but isn't a pickup in 1QB leagues and only a desperation play in 2QB/Superflex at Seattle this week. With the Rams and Chiefs up after that and fourth-round pick Carson Beck waiting in the wings, Minshew's fantasy value in 2QB/Superflex leagues is precarious. Beck is a preemptive add in deep 2QB/Superflex leagues. Brissett could be a trade candidate to Baltimore, who lost their top two quarterbacks in Week 8.
• Jeremiyah Love left with an ankle injury that will sideline him 4-5 weeks, so he's going on injured reserve. With the Cardinals bye coming in Week 14, he could be ready for the fantasy playoffs, so don't drop him.
• Bam Knight left with a concussion in the first half, so it was all Tyler Allgeier in the second half. He lit the fuse for the comeback with a 62-yard score and also broke away for a 52-yard run and later finished that drive with a touchdown reception. Knight may miss Week 9, but Allgeier's ceiling is still low against the elite Seahawks run defense. The Cowboys started phoning it in on defense in the second half of this game.
• Kendrick Bourne left with a high ankle sprain that will sideline him for multiple weeks. That narrowing of the target tree and Minshew's shot-in-the-arm energy created Michael Wilson's first ceiling game of the season. Wilson was playing through two broken ribs himself. He was clearly in pain after laying out to catch what should have been a game-winning score, but Chad Ryland missed the extra point. Wilson converted a third down as a runner with a 17-yard gain in overtime on the game-winning drive when Ryland redeemed himself.
• Daniel Jones and the Colts offense get to restore some of their pride against the Cowboys defense next week.

Jacksonville 42 - Indianapolis 7

• All three of the Jaguars' home games have been over at halftime. This is depressing the numbers of Trevor Lawrence (who only threw 14 passes in this game) and the rest of the passing game - most prominently Parker Washington, who caught one ball for 16 yards and added 10 yards on a run. Lawrence still threw for 210 yards and three scores, so he remains a high-ceiling QB1. Washington is a boom/bust WR3/Flex right now, but also a buy low if his team is frustrated with his fluctuations. The Jaguars ' second-half schedule is easy, but it's very rare for a good player to be a bust in fantasy because his team is too good to have to pass in the second half in most games.
• Bhayshul Tuten had his best game yet, including a long touchdown run and a 25-yard easy catch-and-run touchdown reception because the defense was swarming Travis Hunter after a play-fake to him. Tuten is set up to be a fantasy RB1 down the stretch, but he missed practice Tuesday with a foot issue. We'll be monitoring this.
• Chris Rodriguez Jr. scored for the third time in five games. With this running game surging and Tuten popping up on the injury report, Rodriguez shouldn't be on the waiver wire in any redraft league. We're getting to the time in the season when #2 running backs in good running games should be rostered over depth pieces to get through the bye-week gauntlet.
• Hunter and Jakobi Meyers were afterthoughts. While they are both good players in a good offense, they aren't essential holds with the volatility that comes with the Jaguars routinely running away from opponents. With a decapitated Baltimore team up in Week 9 and two games against the bottom-dwelling Titans in Weeks 10 and 12, the road will be rocky for them in November. We could come back to them as what-the-heck flex plays against the Bears in Week 13.
• Brenton Strange only caught two balls, but they went for 55 yards. He's still worth plugging in every week as a low-end TE1 despite the ups and downs that come with this pass offense.
• The Colts were never in this game and barely used Jonathan Taylor. You still have to start him against the woeful Cowboys defense if he hasn't been traded. Talks are heating up with the Broncos, Vikings, Packers, Giants, and Bengals all linked to Taylor.
• Seth McGowan was the next man up in the backfield and actually led the team in rushing, but DJ Giddens also got some work during garbage time. McGowan is the preemptive pickup ahead of a possible Taylor trade, but he's not guaranteed to get Taylor's share of the backfield if the starter is traded, and the Colts offense is going to be one of the worst in the league.
• Jones was miserable in this game in an offense that is swirling down the drain. He could be a target of the Vikings or Ravens in a trade, which would revive his value. Stay tuned.
• Josh Downs scored, and Keenan Allen caught seven balls to post decent games if they were what-the-heck WR3/Flex plays. Downs is another player who could be traded this week. The Chiefs and 49ers are the best destinations for his speculative value. Allen will remain a depth PPR hold in a crumbling offense.
• Tyler Warren led the team with 10 targets, but only caught four of them for 18 yards. He's a low-ceiling TE1, and if he tweaks his twice-injured groin again, the team could shut him down. Alec Pierce is also unlikely to come off of injured reserve with the season lost. Warren is a sell low in redraft leagues.

Pittsburgh 27 - Cleveland 6