Fantasy Football

Tennessee Titans fans who were begging for Malik Willis to replace Ryan Tannehill at quarterback will get their wish Sunday.

Tannehill has been officially ruled out because of an illness and sprained ankle.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero noted Willis took all of the starter's reps at quarterback in practice this week.

Fantasy managers intrigued by the possibility of Willis may not get a better matchup than the Texans. Houston's defense ranks 31st in total yards allowed (411.8 per game) and, perhaps more relevant to Willis, last in rushing yards allowed (164.7).

Prior to the NFL draft, most scouting reports for Willis emphasized the scheme he played in at Liberty was rudimentary and included basic concepts and run-pass options.

Writing for B/R, Nate Tice called Willis' process in the passing game "inconsistent" and said the QB will be "all-in on a singular route on a play" rather than going through progressions. The 23-year-old does have a strong arm, but the Titans don't have speed options to take full advantage of it.

Nick Westbrook-Ikhine is the only Tennessee wideout with at least five catches who's averaging at least 13 yards per reception.

Titans head coach Mike Vrabel has limited Willis to 20 snaps in two games, with 17 of them coming in a 41-7 blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 2. He only went 1-of-4 passing at a time when the Bills were likely playing soft coverage just to run out the clock.

Willis did impress at times in the preseason. He went 28-of-51 for 318 yards and two touchdowns through the air, with 159 yards and one touchdown on 14 carries as a runner.

The Titans have been a run-heavy offense with Tannehill under center. Vrabel and offensive coordinator Todd Downing will almost certainly double down on that approach with Willis starting.

This will be good news for fantasy managers with Derrick Henry. The two-time Pro Bowler isn't as explosive as he once was, but he remains remarkably consistent. He has run for at least 80 yards in five of six games he's played, including three straight games with at least 100 yards.

Henry's usage has increased in every game since Week 3, going from 20 carries to 22 to 28 to 30 in last week's win over the Indianapolis Colts. He's averaged 23.3 fantasy points per game in PPR scoring leagues in his past four games, per FantasyPros.

Tannehill ranks second on the Titans with 19 rushing attempts. Willis should have at least five to seven designed runs in this game, plus several more on scrambles when he feels any pressure coming or his first and second read are covered.

There's certainly a high risk of Willis committing multiple turnovers, especially if he gets put in obvious passing situations, but his upside as a runner gives the rookie intriguing fantasy potential this week.

If your regular quarterback is on a bye and you are searching for a late streamer, Willis could be worth adding because of a favorable matchup.

Ezekiel Elliott is in danger of missing Week 8.

Elliott is suffering from a knee injury and he was officially listed as doubtful on the Dallas Cowboys injury report on Friday, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Meanwhile, Deebo Samuel has been dealing with a hamstring issue that has forced him to miss all of the San Francisco 49ers' practices this week. He has been ruled out.

Dallas is far better equipped to deal with the Elliott injury because it has Tony Pollard waiting in reserve to start. San Francisco's offense could be affected more, which could lead to more touches for Christian McCaffrey.

Below is a look at all of the injuries that could affect fantasy football matchups in Week 8.

• Deebo Samuel, WR, SF: out (hamstring)
• Ezekiel Elliott, RB, DAL: doubtful (knee)
• Russell Wilson, QB, DEN: will start Sunday (hamstring), per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
• Michael Thomas, WR, NO: out (foot), per NFL.com.
• Jarvis Landry, WR, NO: out (ankle), per NFL.com.
• Davante Adams, WR, LV: at practice Friday (illness), per ESPN's Paul Gutierrez.
• Darren Waller, TE, LV: questionable (hamstring)
• Corey Davis, WR, NYJ: out (knee), per SNY's Connor Hughes.
• Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, DET: questionable (concussion), per NFL.com.
• D'Andre Swift, RB, DET: off injury report (shoulder, ankle), per NFL.com.
• Chuba Hubbard, RB, CAR: out (ankle), per NFL.com.
• James Conner, RB, ARI: out (rib), per Schefter. 
• Ryan Tannehill, QB, TEN: questionable (ankle), per NFL.com.
• Brandin Cooks, WR, HOU: questionable (wrist), per NFL.com.
• Nico Collins, WR, HOU: questionable (groin), per NFL.com.
• Jahan Dotson, WR, WSH: out (hamstring), per NFL.com.
• DK Metcalf, WR, SEA: did not practice this week (knee), per Rapoport.
• Allen Lazard, WR, GB: out (shoulder), per Schefter.

Deebo Samuel Dealing With Hamstring Issue

Before being ruled out, Deebo Samuel was not present at the start of San Francisco 49ers practice on Friday, per ESPN's Nick Wagoner.

Not having Samuel on the field is obviously a major blow to the 49ers, but it is not as bad as it would have been two weeks ago.

Christian McCaffrey will likely receive a larger workload. Jeff Wilson Jr. may be included more because the 49ers like to use Samuel in the run game in some capacity.

Jimmy Garoppolo should try to get George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk more involved in the passing game against the Los Angeles Rams, so that leaves very little room for unproven players or fantasy gems to shine.

Jauan Jennings would be the only 49ers player worth picking up on the waiver wire, if you had to, but his production is not guaranteed with McCaffrey, Kittle and Aiyuk expected to receive plenty of attention in a crucial NFC West clash with the Los Angeles Rams.

Wan'Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton from the New York Giants would be two of the players to target to replace Samuel on fantasy rosters. New York could be involved in a high-scoring game with the Seattle Seahawks, and both wideouts could have high target rates.

George Pickens of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Indianapolis' Parris Campbell could be available as well as replacements.

Ezekiel Elliott Listed As Doubtful

The Dallas Cowboys do not have a positive outlook for their top running back ahead of Sunday's clash with the Chicago Bears. Elliott was officially listed as doubtful on the Cowboys injury report.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones expressed the value of the bye week when managing Elliott's knee injury on a radio hit with 105.3 The Fan in Dallas (h/t Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News):

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy noted that Elliott has a chance to play on Sunday if he practices on Saturday, per Gehlken:

The Cowboys will not be in dire straits if Elliott is unable to go on Sunday. They would give Tony Pollard the majority of snaps at running back. Pollard has had at least eight carries in all but one of his appearances this season.

Pollard had 23 carries in the last two weeks, and he produced four receptions on five targets in the passing game.

Dallas' backup running back is rostered in a majority of fantasy football leagues, so you will have to look elsewhere on the waiver wire to find a potential replacement for Elliott.

Arizona's Eno Benjamin would be the top option, if he is available, because James Conner has been ruled out for Week 8.

Carolina's D'Onta Foreman should be another waiver-wire option considered by those in need of an Elliott replacement. Foreman is set to take on the bulk of the touches with Chuba Hubbard ruled out.

Michael Carter of the New York Jets could also be considered. He could have a larger role in Week 8 while the newly acquired James Robinson gets used to the offense. Robinson arrived in a trade earlier this week after Breece Hall's season was confirmed over.

The Cincinnati Bengals and fantasy players received some tough news on Thursday, with superstar receiver Ja'Marr Chase potentially looking at a sting on injured reserve because of a hip injury.

That is going to create a giant hole at wide receiver for quite a few fantasy players, especially since the two players most likely to benefit statistically—Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd—are almost assuredly rostered in your league.

If by some miracle Boyd isn't rostered, get him immediately. But in competitive leagues, he likely isn't available. So where else can you turn?

If you are OK with going low-risk, low-reward, Baltimore Ravens wideout Devin Duvernay will almost assuredly get you at least six points per week, a figure he's hit in six of seven games this year.

He's also likely available in your league, though the fact that he's only hit double-digit points once in his last four games is a concern. Still, Rashod Bateman has dealt with injury concerns for much of the season, another factor to consider with Duvernay.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Josh Reynolds is another solid option, as he's averaging a very solid 11.7 fantasy points per week in PPR formats. A healthy Amon-Ra St. Brown probably eats into Reynolds' value somewhat, but there are plenty of targets to go around on a Lions team that has a habit of falling behind in games.

And if you want to get very speculative, go pick up new Kansas City Chiefs wideout Kadarius Toney. He's on a buy this week and it's obviously a concern that the New York Giants were willing to give up on a first-round pick in just his second season, but he has explosive playmaking ability and the Chiefs have a habit of getting the most out of those types of players.

He could be the waiver-wire addition of the season if he hits the ground running in Kansas City. He also could burn a hole on your bench. It's an all-or-nothing option.

As for buy-low candidates, DJ Moore is an obvious target. With Matt Rhule fired as head coach, Moore had his best game of the season last week, catching seven passes for 69 yards and a score.

Carolina's quarterback situation naturally depresses his value somewhat. But fantasy players who feel burned by Moore might be willing to move on without asking for market value, giving you the opportunity to add a solid player at a good price.

The Kansas City Chiefs made a major splash on Thursday, trading for wideout Kadarius Toney, according to multiple reports:

The trade offers Patrick Mahomes yet another speedy offensive playmaker and will have fantasy players questioning whether Toney is a must-have waiver addition this week and if the other Chiefs receivers, namely JuJu Smith-Schuster, will be impacted by the trade.

Toney is a fascinating option. His hamstring issues have limited him to just two games this season, and it has to be a concern that the New York Giants were willing to cut ties in their 2021 first-round pick's second season. Toney has also offered a mixed bag when he has played, though the flashes of upside have been tantalizing.

In October last year, for instance, he torched the Dallas Cowboys to the tune of 10 catches for 189 yards. The rest of his rookie season didn't come close to matching that, however, as he finished with 39 receptions for 420 yards in 10 games, never finding the end zone.

Toney has real playmaking potential, though, and he'll have the team's bye week to get up to speed. His new quarterback is certainly happy to have him:

He should be added on waivers in all formats as a speculative addition. There is enough talent here to intrigue, and he's landed with an offense famous for getting the most out of dynamic wide receivers. If any team is going to extract his full potential, it's the Chiefs.

It shouldn't affect Smith-Schuster's impact much—the two are far different players. The veteran wideout has appeared to develop real chemistry with Mahomes in recent weeks, emerging as a solid flex option for your team.

If anything, Toney could see some of the touches that have been going to Mecole Hardman or Skyy Moore. But Smith-Schuster's role in the Kansas City offense seems secure at this point.