We smoked the competition this week with 3 of our 4 streaming options eclipsing 20+ points. Our No.1 streaming option, Justin Herbert (38.48 fantasy points in Yahoo! league) finished as the top-scoring quarterback of the week, and our No.2 streaming option, Joe Burrow (34.64 fantasy points) finished as the QB4 in Week 7. Both rookies were outstanding in their matchups and should be snapped up in every league for the rest of the season. Herbert is simply fearless – his poise and process in the pocket are top-notch, he has fantastic vision downfield, and he has the accuracy and arm strength to make any throw. What he added last week was the production in the run game, rushing 9 times for 66 yards and a score. We like that! Unfortunately, he is now over 70% rostered in Yahoo! leagues. Burrow threw for over 400 yards and 3 touchdowns and that was with an offensive line that was falling to pieces. He was particularly impressive on deep throws, and at this rate, he is on pace for over 650 passing attempts in his rookie campaign. Again, we like that!
Derek Carr (20.26 fantasy points) missed his projection but was still a healthy streamer last week, throwing for 284 yards and 2 TDs against a ferocious Buccaneers defense. He gets the Browns this week and should be nailed on to top 300 yards with multiple touchdown-passes once again. This was the third week in a row that Gardner Minshew (19.02 fantasy points) scored 19 fantasy points – steady, valuable points from our favorite regular. There were murmurings that the Jaguars may move on from Minshew after the bye in favor of Mike Glennon. Geez, we hope not!
| QB | Matchup | % Rostered (Yahoo!) | Fantasy Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Herbert, Chargers | LAC at JAX | 59% | 38.48 |
| Joe Burrow, Bengals | CIN vs. CLE | 61% | 34.64 |
| Derek Carr, Raiders | LV at TB | 26% | 20.26 |
| Gardner Minshew, Jaguars | JAX vs. LAC | 55% | 19.02 |
Who surprised us? Baker Mayfield (30.78 fantasy points) threw a staggering 5 TDs against the Bengals, which did not look likely after starting the game 0-for-5 with a horrible interception. All the talk was whether Case Keenum would suddenly appear for the next drive but head coach Kevin Stefanski showed faith in Mayfield, who answered the call and completed 21 consecutive throws to complete a remarkable comeback win for the Browns. Mayfield faces off against Carr in Week 8.
Now, let’s look at the lay of the land for the rest of Week 8.
Quarterbacks on their bye weeks are Kyler Murray, Kyle Allen, Gardner Minshew, and Deshaun Watson. Andy Dalton is also likely to miss this week’s game for the Cowboys after entering the concussion protocol. Ben DiNucci is set to deputize, but we do not recommend him as a viable option for this week.
Remember, the caveat is that our recommended players for streaming are less than 70% owned in Yahoo! leagues.
| QB | Matchup | % Rostered (Yahoo!) | Projected Fantasy Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Burrow, Bengals | CIN vs. TEN | 64% | 18.08 |
| Teddy Bridgewater, Panthers | CAR vs. ATL | 44% | 18.43 |
| Derek Carr, Raiders | LV at CLE | 29% | 18.05 |
| Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins | MIA vs. LAR | 28% | 14.92 |
“Rockin’ with the Rookies”
Joe Burrow, Bengals vs. Titans
There is pure joy in watching the Bengals right now, and that is because of Joe Burrow. I would have never have made that comment during the Marvin Lewis era with Andy Dalton under center. Burrow destroyed the Browns through the air last week, and encouragingly he scored a rushing touchdown too, the 3rd time he has done so this season. His 112.5 quarterback rating was his best of the season, despite a faltering offensive line. He was also missing Joe Mixon, not that you could tell.
The Titans rank 22nd in passing defense DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average) according to Football Outsiders. Burrow should find plenty of holes downfield for Tyler Boyd, A.J. Green, and rookie sensation Tee Higgins. The Burrow-to-Higgins rookie connection could be the most exciting partnership we have seen for a while in the NFL.
The rookies put the @Bengals on top! #SeizeTheDEY @JoeyB @TeeHiggins5
📺: #CLEvsCIN on CBS
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/MIIkbfUwYk pic.twitter.com/p2xAtTHzzY— NFL (@NFL) October 25, 2020
Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins vs. Rams
Can I just say I included Tua Tagovailoa because I am stupidly excited about seeing him in action? No? Ok! The news that the Dolphins were turning to their first-round draft pick and benching Ryan Fitzpatrick after their bye week came as somewhat of a surprise. “Fitzmagic” has been a fantasy darling for us and will be missed dearly. It is clear, however, that Brian Flores is a man to be trusted, and if he is opting to start the exciting young quarterback out of Alabama, then we need to listen. It will be a tough ask for the rookie to come out firing against the Rams, however, given the phenomenal performances from the other rookie quarterbacks so far this season, I am willing to take the punt on him.
The Dolphins have been happy to sling it all season, and we don’t expect that to change with weapons like DeVante Parker, Preston Williams, Mike Gesicki, and nifty back Myles Gaskin. Tua rushed for 348 yards and 9 TDs in 105 attempts in his college career, so expect decent production on the ground.
Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa 44-yard touchdown run. Blocked PAT
No. 1 Alabama 22, No. 3 LSU 0
5:14 3rd Quarter #RollTide pic.twitter.com/PZX2eQGka5— Jeff Hauser (@radiohauser) November 4, 2018
“Ride with Carr”
Derek Carr, Raiders at Browns
Despite facing a barrage from the Buccaneers’ front-7, Derek Carr showed tremendous courage and stood strong in the pocket all afternoon. He rewarded our recommendation with 20+ fantasy points, the 4th time he has achieved this in his first 6 games. Carr and the Raiders head to Cleveland this week to face a Browns defense that just shipped 400 yards and 3 passing touchdowns to rookie phenom Joe Burrow. Carr has benefitted from Jon Gruden implementing a more up-tempo offensive scheme, and this was on show during a sensational opening drive last week, resulting in another touchdown pass to free-agent signing Nelson Agholor.
Raiders with the early lead 🙌 pic.twitter.com/zXLCtd6dbQ
— Raiders on NBCS (@NBCSRaiders) October 25, 2020
“Bridge Over Troubled Fantasy Water”
Teddy Bridgewater, Panthers vs. Falcons
The play of Teddy Bridgewater recently has been very encouraging for fantasy owners. The former Vikings and Saints quarterback has thrown for 2 TDs in 3 of the last 4 games, including against the Falcons back in Week 5 where he put up 20.82 fantasy points. We said this last week but no team allows more fantasy points per game to signal-callers than the hapless Atlanta defense. Panthers head coach Matt Rhule has hinted at a return for Christian McCaffrey for this week’s game, too. That would be just the ticket.
Teddy finally got going with D.J. Moore against the Saints, and this connection should ball out against this Falcons secondary.
TEDDY GOES DEEEEEEEP.
74-YARD DJ MOORE TD! @teddyb_h2o @idjmoore📺: #CARvsNO on FOX
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/MIIkbfUwYk pic.twitter.com/5Q0VFeqTQ2— NFL (@NFL) October 25, 2020
Don’t hesitate to give me your thoughts and hit me up for questions at @benjaminhaller1.
(Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire)
It’s hard to find well-informed people in this particular subject, however, you seem like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks