NFL 2018: 5 players who will have a big Week 8 fantasy performance

Week 8 got off to a hot start in terms of fantasy, with Watson, Hopkins, Fuller, Miller, Drake and Parker all having big games for their respective owners. Here I take a look at 5 more players from this weekend’s games who could have big performances.

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Tyler Boyd

Tyler Boyd’s production has been very up and down as of late, with a score of 21.70 sandwiched between performances of 6.40 and 4.20. However, this week’s matchup presents a huge opportunity for Boyd to put up big numbers. The Bengals face the Buccaneers who have been atrocious at defending the pass.

They are 32nd in the league against the pass and consistently struggle to defend against receivers playing out of the slot. Boyd is in position to capitalise, with the majority of his snaps coming from the slot position. I think all of the Bengals pass catchers (Boyd, Green and Uzomah) will have productive games against a poor Tampa secondary.

Boyd is currently ranked as the WR18 and is far surpassing people’s expectations for him. With John Ross set to miss another game for the Bengals, load Tyler Boyd into your starting lineups.

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David Njoku

Los Angeles Chargers v Cleveland Browns

David Njoku is turning in to one of the most sought-after Tight Ends in the league. Since Baker Mayfield took over as the team’s starter, Njoku has been the number 5 ranked Tight End. His production in the last 4 games has been much improved, with reception totals of 5,6,7 and 4 in that time.

Njoku has also caught 2 TDs in the last couple of games and seems to be one of Baker’s most trusted receivers. This week he faces a Steelers D that have struggled somewhat against the pass this season. This matchup is followed up by games against the Chiefs and the Falcons, who are two teams that have been dreadful against the pass.

With Antonio Callaway struggling for any kind of consistency on the outside, Njoku has locked in as the number 2 option for Mayfield, behind target hog Jarvis Landry. With his size and incredible athleticism, I expect Mayfield to start looking towards Njoku even more, especially in the redzone.

Davante Adams

San Francisco 49ers v Green Bay Packers

The matchup on paper for Adams doesn’t look like a good one, but once you read into it a little more you can see the opportunity for a big game. The Packers face the Rams in what should be a high scoring affair. The Rams are the favourites to win this game, meaning the Packers are likely to be playing from behind for some, if not the majority of the game.

Adams draws a matchup against Marcus Peters, which again on paper looks like a tough one. However, Peters has really struggled this season and looks a shadow of the player he was in KC.

He is struggling to stay with receivers, as seen in the game against Seattle, where Tyler Lockett just ran straight by him for a TD. With Adams being an exceptional route runner with quick moves off of the line, Peters could be in for a long day. Plus, Adams has Aaron Rodgers throwing him the football. Enough said.

Phillip Lindsay

Denver Broncos v Arizona Cardinals

Lindsay has been a revelation this season for the Denver Broncos. All of the offseason talk was about another rookie, Royce Freeman becoming the workhorse back and taking Devontae Booker's job.

Lindsay has come out of nowhere and produced solid displays in over half of his matchups. This week Lindsay gets to be the lead back for the Broncos, with Freeman out nursing a high ankle sprain. This means an uptick in volume for Lindsay that could register around the 20-25 touch range.

He is currently third among all running backs with 5.8 YPC and has shown he can contribute in the passing game, with a 6 catch performance against the Rams in week 6. The only downside for Lindsay has been his lack of goal-line carries, as Royce Freeman has taken the majority of work near the goalline. This week, however, it is all Lindsay’s.

James White

New England Patriots v Chicago Bears

James White has been the biggest surprise of the season so far for me. White has always been a solid back, but has mainly only been used in passing down situations, with him being labelled ‘a passing down specialist’. This season though, there has been an increased opportunity for White to gain more touches, with injuries to other key running backs.

The Patriots under Belichick have often implemented a 4 back rotation, meaning it's been tough to use the backs for fantasy purposes. This season Sony Michel, Rex Burkhead and Jeremy Hill have all lost time to injuries, with the latter 2 ending up on IR. White, therefore, goes into week 8 as the starting running back for the Patriots, with only Kenjon Barner as his competition for touches.

White is currently the RB8 on the season, with 7 TDs to his name in 7 games. White is likely to climb higher up those rankings with matchups against the Bills, Packers and Titans over the next 3 weeks. He is turning in to an absolute steal in fantasy this season.