Week 8 NFL Recap: Read our Week 8 NFL Recap for the 10 biggest NFL betting and fantasy football lessons we learned from Week 8 Sunday action.
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Week 8 NFL Recap
1. Zack Moss might’ve been the missing ingredient in the Bills backfield.
Prior to Sunday’s matchup, the Buffalo Bills had not had a running back rush for multiple touchdowns in a game since Week 10 of 2018. Thanks to Zack Moss‘ performance in the Bills 24-21 win against the New England Patriots, that streak mercifully came to an end.
Along with two rushing touchdowns, Moss rushed for 81 yards, recording his first game with 20 or more fantasy points. It is also worth noting that Devin Singletary had 86 rushing yards.
Despite these encouraging numbers, Josh Allen, who had a rushing touchdown in Week 8, will continue to be a touchdown vulture. That aside, between Moss’ strong outing and a favorable schedule on the horizon, this Bills backfield could finally be fantasy-relevant and even be the key to a deep Bills postseason run.
2. The 49ers will continue to strike gold with the Over.
While the San Francisco 49ers lost to the Seattle Seahawks 37-27, they scored 20 points in the fourth quarter, allowing this Week 8 matchup to hit the Over.
Despite being just 4-4 on the Over/Under for the year, the 49ers have now had three straight weeks with more than 20 points scored. As we head into Week 9, I feel compelled to beat that drum one more time from the Week 7 recap that the Niners are starting to revv things up on offense.
Coming up in Week 9, the 49ers will have a Thursday Night matchup against the Green Bay Packers. In six out of the seven games that the Packers have played this season, the reigning NFC North champions have allowed 20 or more points.
The ankle injury to Jimmy Garoppolo is worth monitoring, but even if he he’s limited or inactive, the 49ers still have the offensive gameplan and vulnerable secondary that can challenge any Over/Under. Nick Mullens can do the job in the right matchup:
3. Jonathan Taylor is not yet who we thought he was.
With the Indianapolis Colts scoring 41 points against the Detroit Lions, most would assume that Jonathan Taylor had a great game. He had just 31 total yards of offense, though; the Colts’ big win was another loss for those who roster Taylor.
Taylor got “nicked up" in the game, according to QB Philip Rivers, but his play before that didn’t help his cause.
Stepping up in his absence (injury-related or not) were Jordan Wilkins and Nyheim Hines, who had two touchdown receptions against the Lions.
On the season, Taylor has scored 83 fantasy points in half-point-PPR leagues. While that sounds admirable for most rookie running backs, that number is below fantasy expectations.
Even with Marlon Mack on the roster, Taylor still carried a third-round average draft position. Then came the unfortunate season-ending injury to Mack, and still, Taylor is nothing more than a fantasy (and real-life?) RB2.
While Taylor has all the talent in the world and a hold for dynasty leagues, the Colts coaching staff is still waiting to believe what fantasy players think they see.
4. Continue to bet on Brandon Aiyuk player props.
With Deebo Samuel nursing a hamstring injury, all eyes on were San Francisco 49ers rookie Brandon Aiyuk. Against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 8, Aiyuk rewarded those who took a gambler’s chance on him.
Entering the matchup, Aiyuk had an Over/Under of 4.5 receptions and 58.5 receiving yards. Against a Seahawks secondary that continues to get crushed by the opposition, Aiyuk blew passed his projected numbers as he had 8 receptions for 91 yards.
While the Packers defense has not been as accommodating to opposing wide receivers, Aiyuk prop bets are still worth targeting this Thursday Night.
On top of Samuel’s absence, which is likely to extend into Week 9, the 49ers also saw George Kittle exit the Seahawks matchup late with a foot injury.
The more the injuries continue to mount in San Francisco, the more Aiyuk will be relied upon.
5. Aaron Rodgers is still a major fantasy player.
While the 43-34 loss was discouraging for Packers fans, it was another strong outing for Aaron Rodgers. For the fifth time in seven games this season, Rodgers threw for 3 or more touchdowns. Two of those games came without Davante Adams.
With the rate at which Rodgers is throwing touchdowns, the future Hall of Fame quarterback is on pace to reach 40 touchdowns, a mark he has failed to match since 2011.
Over the summer, the belief among those in fantasy was that Rodgers was no longer a fantasy-league-winning type of player. With Rodgers firmly entrenched as a QB1 halfway through the season, it’s safe to say that theory has been debunked.
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6. Alvin Kamara receiving props are worth monitoring.
While the Chicago Bears defense has played well this season, in a 26-23 loss to the New Orleans Saints, the former monsters of the midway proved to be no match for Alvin Kamara. Entering the Week 8 matchup, Kamara had a total yardage prop bet of 118.5.
With 21 total touches, Kamara had 163 yards of total offense, but the biggest indicator of his success was the passing game. Kamara blew right past his 55.5 receiving-yardage prop as he hauled in 9 passes for 96 yards.
The Saints running back will now turn his attention towards the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Entering their Monday Night matchup with the New York Giants, the Buccaneers are allowing the sixth-most receiving yards to the running back position.
The passing game will be the best way to utilize Kamara as the Buccaneers have allowed a league-low 341 rushing yards to running backs.
With their next opponents part of a favorable schedule moving forward, feel free to cash-in on Kamara player prop bets.
7. D.K. Metcalf is a sophomore sensation.
Week after week, D.K. Metcalf has continued to deliver highlight-reel plays. In a 37-27 victory against the San Francisco 49ers, we had plenty to choose from.
In an NFC West battle, Metcalf hauled in 12 of 15 targets for 161 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. His 161 receiving yardage total was good for the sixth-most yards by a receiver in a single game this season.
It marked his fifth 2020 performance with 15 or more fantasy points, and the sophomore sensation is a top-five fantasy wide receiver.
The upcoming schedule is not as favorable as some would hope (a gauntlet of five games against elite cornerbacks, starting with Buffalo’s Tre’Davious White in Week 9).
However, between Metcalf playing on another level and Russell Wilson on pace for a career-high 585 passing attempts, the sky should continue to be the fantasy limits for Metcalf.
8. When the Chargers play, bolt for the Over.
Despite losing in the last seconds to the Denver Broncos this weekend, the Los Angeles Chargers continue to put up a ton of points. In the Chargers’ last four games, the Chargers and their opponents have combined for an average of 63.7 points.
With Justin Herbert continuing to play at Offensive Rookie of Year pace, continue to look towards betting the Over again in Week 9. That next matchup in Week 9 for the Chargers will be against their division rivals, the Las Vegas Raiders.
Despite scoring a season-low 16 points against the Browns this past week, prior to that, the Raiders had averaged 28.5 points per game.
9. Matthew Stafford is roaring back.
Despite the Detroit Lions losing 41-21 to the Indianapolis Colts, for fantasy purposes, Matthew Stafford could be roaring back.
After failing to throw for 300 yards or more in his first five games this season, Stafford now has back-to-back weeks over 300 yards passing. Week 8 also saw his first game since Week 4 in which the Lions quarterback had thrown for three touchdowns.
These numbers are a sharp contrast to Stafford’s eight-game season last year where he had five games with three or more touchdowns and four games with 300 yards passing. On Sunday, Stafford logged his most passing attempts since Week 1, and more impressive than anything, they came against a Colts defense that is in the top-5 in fewest points allowed to quarterbacks.
If Stafford and the rest of the Lions offense hit their offensive stride in the second half of this season, the Lions quarterback could be a waiver-wire pickup that can help win you your fantasy league.
10. Monitor the Cowboys’ implied point totals.
When Dak Prescott suffered his season-ending injury against the New York Giants, it was thought that the offense would suffer but survive under Andy Dalton. Following a poor performance and then an injury to Dalton, the Dallas offense has been in a disastrous tailspin.
Week 8 turned out to be no different for the Cowboys as they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles by the score of 23-9 with 2020 seventh-round pick Ben DiNucci under center.
In their first five games, the Cowboys offense averaged 32.6 points a game. In the Cowboys’ last three games combined, they have scored just 22 points.
The offensive woes are expected to continue when the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers head to the Lone Star State. With the way in which the Steelers have been able to limit and shut down opposing offenses, the Cowboys’ implied point total is something monitoring now and for the rest of the season.
Prepare your Week 9 betting tips and plan
- After reading the Week 8 NFL recap, check out our latest NFL news, analysis, tips, predictions and betting tips.
- Learn how to bet on sports, including strategies, key terms, and betting process.
- Watch videos of our latest NFL analysis and predictions from experts.
- Choose the sportsbook and betting offer that fits your budget and strategy, applying the lessons learned from the Week 8 NFL recap.
