We are going to keep up with this article weekly for the rest of the season, giving you an analysis of the players that are growing in value, and those that are plummeting in my rankings. Here are my Stock Up/Stock Down picks of the week.
Week 8 Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | Kicker | D/ST | PPR | Flex
Week 8 Fantasy Football Stock Watch
Stock Up
Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts
Jonathan Taylor has really come on strong over the last few weeks. He has yet to eclipse 20 carries in a game but has three games with over 100 rushing yards. In his last two games, he has 252 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He is looking like a bonafide RB1, and if he even gets marginally more involved in the passing game, and starts to see 20 carries a game, he has one of the highest ceilings in all of football.
Khalil Herbert, RB, Chicago Bears
Since Damien Williams missed Week 6 with Covid-19, Khalil Herbert has run with this job. It is clear that with David Montgomery out, Herbert is now the top dog in this rushing attack. He has had three straight games with 18 + carries and has gone for 75, 97, and 100 yards in those contests. Most notably, last week he had 5 receptions on top of his 100 rushing yards. Herbert has all the makings of a rock-solid running back in this league. Right now his biggest concern is the return of David Montgomery at some point this season. But for now, ride this wave with Herbert as he has been extremely productive thus far.
Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons
I don’t know that I have ever seen a tight end like Kyle Pitts. He is too big for cornerbacks and too fast for safeties. He is truly an anomaly, and this is why many analysts viewed him as the top overall prospect in this entire draft class. After a relatively slow start, Pitts has put up two monster performances in a row. He has seen 18 targets, 16 receptions, 282 yards, and a touchdown over the last two. For a tight end, these are insane figures. Matt Ryan seems to have a growing trust in the rookie tight end. It wouldn’t shock me if Kyle Pitts finishes as a top-2 tight end this season, which for a rookie is almost unheard of in this league.
Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins
Jaylen Waddle clearly has a connection with Tua Tagovailoa that he simply did not have with Jacoby Brissett. In the last four weeks, he has played two games with Brissett, and two games with Tua. In the two games with Brissett, Waddle saw 10 targets. In the two games with Tagovailoa, Waddle saw 21 targets, and caught two touchdowns. He is looking like a consistent threat on the offensive side of the ball. Behind Ja’Marr Chase, there may not be another rookie WR that you can trust week to week like Jaylen Waddle.
More fantasy football fun for Week 8: Waiver Wire | FAAB Guide | Start & Sit | Loves & Hates | Stock Watch | Sleepers & Streamers | D/ST Streamers
Stock Down
Allen Robinson II, WR, Chicago Bears
This one is a bit sad. In terms of talent, A-Rob is still within the top-15 WRs in all of football. But talent can only get you so far when you simply do not get the targets, and thus the production isn’t there. If Robinson II does not get traded, there really is no scenario where you can trust him in your lineup on a weekly basis. This was a guy taken in rounds 3-5 in fantasy drafts, so this notion is crazy to me. The best thing that fantasy managers can do is hope for a trade in order to revitalize his season, but if he remains on the Bears through the season, there may come a time where you may want to consider dropping him as much as that hurts.
Corey Davis, WR, New York Jets
Corey Davis is far and away the best WR on the Jets currently. The issue is that the Jets are awful, and Zach Wilson is expected to miss time with an injury. This leaves Mike White being the guy that is going to have to prop up these receivers. We saw what happened to Brandin Cooks once Tyrod Taylor got hurt. I think now may be the time to move Davis before it’s too late as I do not see him keeping up the numbers he had put up early on in the year.
Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Another year, another boom or bust season for Tyler Lockett. The issue here really isn’t with Lockett, as much as it is with Geno Smith. Russell Wilson propped Lockett up to some tremendous numbers over the first few weeks of the season, but with Geno Smith at the helm, Lockett has pretty much vanished. So while his stock right now is extremely low, now may be the time to make a move for him considering Russell Wilson is expected to return at some point over the next few weeks. Think proactively on something like this, as Lockett is a huge talent, that is clearly suffering from poor backup QB play.
New Orleans Saints Wide Receivers
When we knew Michael Thomas was expected to miss the first 10 weeks or so, we expected someone in this Saints receiving room to step up and take on that alpha role. Many expected this to be Marquez Callaway, and while he has been fine, he certainly has not lived up to the hype thus far. Additionally, Tre’Quan Smith looked horrible in his return last week, and Deonte Harris has not been a huge factor either. This leaves the door wide open for Michael Thomas upon his return. If he comes back 100%, he has league-winning upside. Jameis Winston is desperate for a go-to guy. We saw what he did with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, imagine what he will do in this Saints offense with a healthy Michael Thomas. Now is the time to make a move for him before it is too late.
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