Fantasy Football Week 8: Biggest Sleepers at Every Position
Some weeks, the best free-agent pickups are at the bottom of the free-agent pool—similar to the best-tasting treats deep in a bag of Halloween candy.
Fantasy managers who didn't add running back Khalil Herbert or wide receiver Christian Kirk before they became popular pickups can still find several new faces on the rise this week.
With the NFL's November 2 trade deadline coming up, try to avoid players with rumors swirling around them. If a team makes a move, you may not have time to find a decent replacement.
Among the sleeper options for Week 8, managers will find a rookie first-rounder, a quarterback/wide receiver stack in a must-start matchup and a running back with renewed fantasy value following a trade. All the selections are rostered in fewer than 60 percent of Yahoo leagues.
QB Trevor Lawrence at Seattle Seahawks (44 Percent Rostered)
Trevor Lawrence has gone through a rocky six-game stretch, throwing for seven touchdowns and eight interceptions with a 59.7 percent completion rate. With an extra week to prepare for a bottom-tier pass defense, his rookie year could take a turn for the better.
Leading up to this week's matchup with the Seattle Seahawks, Lawrence showed some promise from a fantasy perspective. In two of the last three games, he's completed at least 69 percent of his passes and rushed for a touchdown. In Week 6 against the Miami Dolphins' 30th-ranked pass defense, Lawrence threw for 319 yards with a touchdown.
Going against the Seahawks' 27th-ranked pass defense, Lawrence may take another step in the right direction.
Though Lawrence has lost wideout DJ Chark Jr. (fractured ankle) for the season, he's built a rapport with Marvin Jones Jr.—who racked up seven catches on 10 targets for 100 yards and a touchdown in the team's last outing—Laviska Shenault Jr. and Jamal Agnew.
Managers should view Lawrence's steady strides as a signal to start him against a pass defense that's allowed 313-plus yards in four contests and doesn't force turnovers at a high rate (two interceptions).
QB Teddy Bridgewater vs. Washington Football Teams (26 Percent Rostered)
The Denver Broncos will have wide receiver Jerry Jeudy back on the field for the first time since Week 1, which bodes well for quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and the weapons in his passing arsenal.
Even if Jeudy isn't quite himself after missing six games, Bridgewater should have enough firepower to pick apart the Washington Football Team's 32nd-ranked pass defense, which has surrendered the most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season.
With Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick and Noah Fant healthy, the Broncos could go up and down the field against a defense that's shown little resistance to aerial attacks.
Going into Week 8, Bridgewater has thrown for multiple touchdowns in each of the last three games. If he doesn't throw an interception in a fourth consecutive outing, he should have a strong fantasy stat line in a favorable matchup at home.
RB David Johnson vs. Los Angeles Rams (34 Percent Rostered)
On Wednesday, the Houston Texans trimmed their running back rotation, trading Mark Ingram II to the New Orleans Saints, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapport, which elevates the fantasy outlook of David Johnson and Phillip Lindsay for the rest of the season.
Through seven games, Johnson and Lindsay average 5.6 and 3.3 yards per touch, respectively. Last week, the former logged a season-high 52 yards from scrimmage, so he's trending up in terms of production. Johnson also ranks second on the team in receptions (19) and receiving yards (154). Meanwhile, Lindsay has just three catches for 37 yards and a touchdown.
Because of his involvement in the passing attack and the potential to handle more carries following Ingram's departure, Johnson has RB2 value in point-per-reception leagues. In Week 8, he'll face the Los Angeles Rams, who allow 4.4 yards per carry (24th leaguewide). The 29-year-old running back has short-term fantasy appeal with some upside.
RB Brandon Bolden at Los Angeles Chargers (12 Percent Rostered)
In the absence of running back James White, who's out for the season with a hip injury, the New England Patriots need a reliable pass-catcher out of the backfield. Brandon Bolden filled that role in the team's last outing against the New York Jets.
In Week 7, Bolden and wideout Jakobi Meyers saw the most targets (seven), but the former led the Patriots in catches (six) and yards (79), taking one reception into the end zone. Though J.J. Taylor scored two touchdowns on the ground, he did so late in the fourth quarter with the game out of reach. The Patriots listed rookie running back Rhamondre Stevenson as a healthy scratch.
For now, Bolden seems to have a decent role as a backup behind Damien Harris. With Taylor on the field in garbage time and Stevenson inactive last week, he has some fantasy flex appeal in a matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, who allow the second-most fantasy points to running backs.
WR Tim Patrick vs. Washington Football Team (31 Percent Rostered)
Even though wideout Jerry Jeudy is set to return from a high ankle sprain, he may not have a full workload after an extended period away from the field.
If Jeudy plays most of the offensive snaps, Tim Patrick still belongs on the fantasy radar among sleeper options. The Denver Broncos will match up against a defense that could yield plenty of points to multiple pass-catchers.
The Washington Football Team has ceded the most yards and touchdowns through the air while allowing the most fantasy points to wideouts this season. This is a dream matchup for receivers. With a career-high 69.2 percent catch rate, Patrick could produce a gaudy fantasy stat line.
As Jeudy works his way back into game shape, Patrick will have a chance to feast on a vulnerable defense that's handing out points to receivers like candy on Halloween.
WR Kalif Raymond vs. Philadelphia Eagles (6 Percent Rostered)
Managers would have to look deep into the free-agent pool to find Kalif Raymond. At 5'8", 182 pounds, he's a sixth-year veteran and a first-time starting wideout.
Raymond leads Detroit Lions wide receivers in catches (26) and receiving yards (334) with two touchdowns. Over the last two weeks, he's converted 15 targets into 12 receptions for 152 yards.
Coming off a 115-yard game against the Los Angeles Rams, Raymond can continue to build momentum in a matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, who have surrendered 14 touchdowns through the air (21st leaguewide).
The Eagles defense has allowed at least 28 points in four of the last five games. Though they faced potent offenses in that stretch, Lions quarterback Jared Goff has the passing accuracy (66.1) to establish a rhythm and find success through the air in this matchup. Raymond has a shot to produce big numbers in consecutive weeks.
TE C.J. Uzomah at New York Jets (45 Percent Rostered)
Because of the scarcity of starting-caliber tight ends, managers should consider C.J. Uzomah even though he's a boom-or-bust option with a low target share.
Over the last four weeks, Uzomah has been targeted just 14 times, but he's racked up 91-plus receiving yards in two of those games with five touchdowns in that stretch.
With wideout Ja'Marr Chase, who's on a record pace in receiving yards for a rookie, along with Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd, Uzomah doesn't garner much attention in coverage, which allows him to make big plays with open space in front of him. He's averaging 15.1 yards per catch.
In Week 8, Uzomah faces the New York Jets, who allow the ninth-most fantasy points to tight ends. Coming off his second two-touchdown performance of the season, he's an intriguing sleeper option in an offense that's scored 75 points over the last two weeks.
TE Tommy Sweeney vs. Miami Dolphins (2 Percent Rostered)
In Week 6 against the Tennessee Titans, tight end Dawson Knox broke his hand. He'll miss an undetermined amount of time, per NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.
This season, Knox became a viable threat in the Buffalo Bills passing attack, leading the team in touchdowns (five) through six contests and scoring in four of the last five outings. Without him, Tommy Sweeney, the next man up, draws some intrigue.
In the previous game, Sweeney hauled in his only target for a one-yard touchdown. Head coach Sean McDermott told reporters that the second-year tight end has "an opportunity in front of him potentially."
Sweeney may see more targets in a matchup against the Miami Dolphins, who allow the fourth-most fantasy points to tight ends.
In an explosive offense that faces a defense vulnerable to pass-catching tight ends, Sweeney has a chance to do his best impersonation of Knox with a few catches and a trip to paydirt.
Fantasy scoring and points allowed provided by FantasyPros.
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Maurice Moton is an NFL and fantasy football columnist for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.