WEEK 8 BULLS AND BEARS

Halloween Weekend was full of Tricks and Treats.  Brett Favre performed a trick on the Packers by beating them as a member of a division rival.  Favre led the Vikings by passing for 4 TDs, and sweeping the Packers during the 2009 season.  The Titans were given a treat as they earned their first victory of the season against the Jacksonville Jaguars.  Although parity has been lacking this season, it has been abundant is some teams’ performance year after year.  The Titans are the best example of that: after going 13-3 last season, they finally earned their first victory in Week 8.

Let’s check out some of the best and worst performances from Week 8:

WEEK 8 BULLS

Aaron Rodgers, QB Green Bay Packers:

The loser of the Brett Favre Bowl started off slowly against his former mentor’s team, as the Packers were held to 3 Points in the first half.  Rodgers Led the Packers to 23 second half points, while going 26/41 with 287 Yards and 3 TDs on the game.  Rodgers has been one of the best Fantasy QBs this season, but tends to hold onto the ball for too long.  The number of sacks Rodgers has taken could take its toll towards the end of the season.

Recommendation: HOLD/SELL; has been playing like a top-flight QB, but could breakdown towards the end of the season.

Tony Romo, QB Dallas Cowboys:

Has posted 3 Consecutive game without an INT, and has looked quite impressive in those outings.  Romo has now made it into the BULLS column for two consecutive weeks as the Cowboys continue to roll.  Romo finished the game with 256 Yards and 3 TDs.

Recommendation: SELL; I have flashbacks to last season’s struggles during their playoff run.

Chris Johnson, RB Tennesee Titans:

The Titans looked like the team that won 13 games last season on Sunday.  The team emphasized the running game, which allowed them to make few, but more successful, pass attempts.  Chris Johnson enjoyed the renewed committment to the run by gaining 228 Yards on 24 Carries with 2 TDs.  Johnson’s explosiveness make him one of the most dangerous RBs in the NFL.

Recommendation: BUY; expect more big games, but high price tag.

Ryan Moats, RB Houston Texans:

Nobody saw Ryan Moats performance coming.  In relief of the fumbling Steve Slaton, Moats responded by gaining 126 Yards on 23 Carries and 3 TDs.  Gary Kubiak has gone on record to say that a time share is expected for the Texan’s RBs, good news for Moats, bad news for Slaton.

Recommendation: SELL; should not expect too many big games with a 3 way timeshare with Slaton and Brown.

Greg Jennings, WR Green Bay Packers:

You can officially take Greg Jennings off of the milk cartons in Green Bay.  Jennings finally decided to show up with 8 RECs for 88 Yards and a TD.  Jennings received 12 Targets, so he should be a factor in the offense moving forward.

Recommendation: BUY; Aaron Rodgers has put up big numbers all year, its about time Jennings gets involved.

Vincent Jackson, WR San Diego Chargers:

Jackson has really stepped up this year to become one of the best WRs in the NFL.  He currently ranks 2nd in ESPN Standard scoring leagues.  He added to his stellar season in Week 8 by catching 8 passes for 103 Yards and 1 TD.

Recommendation: BUY; has outscored Larry Fitzgerald and Randy Moss so far this season.

Dustin Keller, TE New York Jets:

This preseason sleeper favorite has gotten off to a slow start this season.  Keller turned things around against the Dolphins with 8 RECs for 76 Yards and 1 TD.

Recommendation: BUY; I would expect Keller to post big numbers whenever Sanchez has a good game.

WEEK 8 BEARS

Kurt Warner, QB Arizona Cardinals:

Five INTs.  It’s hard to ignore the 5 INTs thrown by Warner against the Cardinals, but his numbers were not terrible other than the INTs.  Warner completed 27/46 of his passes, good enough for a 58.7% Completion Percentage.  Warner appeared to be out of sync against the Panthers, which may have some Fantasy Owners panicking.

Recommendation: BUY; you cannot get much worse than 5 INTs, his value is very low.

David Garrard, QB Jacksonville Jaguars:

I had high expectations for Garrard going against the Titan’s weak passing defense.  Garrard only managed to gain 137 Yards on 14 completions with a 0/2 TD-INT Ratio.

Recommendation: SELL; following this poor performance, Garrard has seen his ownership rate drop considerably.

Ryan Grant, RB Green Bay Packers:

10 Carries for 30 Yards is not a strong stat line.  But considering it was against the Vikings strong run defense, it is not as bad as you might think.

Recommendation: BUY; he does not have to face the Viking’s run defense again this season.

Marshawn Lynch, RB Buffalo Bills:

Lynch only received 9 Carries against the Texans in a 31-10 loss.  The Bills were playing from behind for a majority of the games, and were forced to pass more than they would like.

Recommendation: BUY; his worst performance since returning to the team in Week 4.

Anquan Boldin, WR Arizona Cardinals:

The ankle injury really limited Boldin’s role in the Cardinals offense.  The WR only received 6 Targets and was used primarily as a decoy for majority of the game.  Word has it that he may miss their game in Week 9, but it should be close to a game time decision.

Recommendation: SELL; I have never been a huge fan of Boldin because of the injury risk.

Eddie Royal, WR Denver Broncos:

His breakout rookie season seems like a distant memory at this point.  Through 7 games Royal only has 20 RECs with 0 REC TDs.  His only real value is as a returner.

Recommendation: SELL; he has only scored 14 Fantasy points as a WR in ESPN Standard Leagues.

Owen Daniels, TE Houston Texans:

Going into Week 8, Owen Daniels was one of the top Fantasy TEs in the NFL.  Unfortunately, he will likely be lost for the season with a torn ACL.  Thankfully, there are plently of TEs available in most leagues.  I have lost Daniels in one of my leagues, and I am taking a chance on Redskin’s TE Fred Davis who is a terrific pass-catching TE.

Recommendation: SELL; no point in wasting a roster spot on a player who is likely out for the season.