Week 8 was an unbelievably frustrating week for fantasy football running backs. I mean dayum. -You held on to C.J. Anderson all year and as soon as you drop him he goes off with 16 points thanks to over 100 yards and a touchdown (his first of the season).
– You weren’t sure if Dion Lewis would play and he ends up being the 4th-highest fantasy back last week.
–Le’Veon Bell, who was taken as the first overall pick more than any other player, was lost for the season.
–Matt Forte, one of the only top running backs to live up to his hype so far, is lost for at least three weeks.
–Taiwan Jones, a guy who had compiled 6 fantasy points combined all season scored as many points as the starter Latavius Murray (11).
–Chris Ivory, who was averaging 16.8 fantasy points per game, managed just 3 fantasy points against a Raiders run defense that was surrendering 16.7 fantasy points per game to opposing backs prior to week 8.
The only position that has been as rage-inducing as running back is quarterback. Some of the rankings aren’t a huge surprise, like Brady, Brees, Rodgers and Newton all in the top-10. Others, on the other hand, could potentially trigger an aneurism, like how Josh McCown, Derek Carr, Jameis WInston, Brian Hoyer, and Blake Bortles have all scored more points than Andrew Luck and Peyton Manning.
Finally, if you want an idea of just how good the Denver Broncos defense has been, only 17 players have scored more fantasy points than them, 14 of which are quarterbacks. They have scored 39 more fantasy points (117) than the second place teams (Cardinals and Seahawks tied at 78). However, as impressive as that is, it is not the biggest gap between 1st and 2nd ranked positional fantasy football players. That title is held by Devonta Freeman, who has scored 58 more points (159) than the second-ranked RB, Mark Ingram (101 points).
Without any further adieu, here is The Awful Fantasy Team That Beat Your Team in week 8:
QB Derek Carr – Oakland Raiders: 29 points, available in 66.7% of leagues
-Don’t look now, but the Raiders actually aren’t a terrible team, and it also begins and ends with this guy. Carr has thrown 15 touchdowns versus just 3 interceptions so far this season and has scored at least 20 fantasy points in 4 of 7 games. With Carson Palmer, Russell Wilson and Joe Flacco all on bye week, Carr can fill in nicely.
RB Taiwan Jones – Oakland Raiders: 11 points, available in 99.5% of leagues
-The Raiders beat the brakes off of the Jets due in large part to nauseating attempts at tackles, and nowhere was that more evident than on Jones’ 59 yard touchdown reception. There’s a reason he’s available in almost 100% of leagues: he only touched the ball three times on Sunday. I know the running back position just got a lot thinner, but it is not anorexic. Tip your cap to the guy named after a country he’s never been to and move on.
RB De’Anthony Thomas – Kansas City Chiefs: 9 points, available in 98.2% of leagues
-The former Oregon Duck standout hasn’t quite turned in to the weapon Chiefs fans had hoped he would. Just like Taiwan Jones, Thomas only touched the ball three times on Sunday. Many people thought the injury to Jamaal Charles would provide Thomas with more opportunities, but alas, that has not happened. Too bad he can’t go back to Oregon, where the uniforms were better, the facilities were better, and he got paid more.
FLEX WR Tavon Austin – St. Louis Rams: 21 points, available in 72.3% of leagues
-Austin makes his second appearance on this list thanks to being the second highest scoring wide receiver in week 8. Austin has always been talented, we knew that when the Rams made him a top 10 pick, but they never knew the right way to use him. Now, it seems like things are finally starting to click. Austin will never catch a lot of passes, but he will have specialty plays designed especially for him. This is the second time Austin has scored more than 20 fantasy points this season. However, he has also recorded less than ten points in four games. He is the very definition of boom or bust. At the end of the day it’s worth having him on your roster. He is, after all, the 13th ranked fantasy wide receiver.
WR Malcolm Floyd – San Diego Chargers: 21 points, available in 72.6% of leagues
-Floyd had scored one touchdown in the first seven games. He scored two on Sunday. Floyd has been overshadowed basically the entire time he’s been in San Diego, but now with what could end up being a season-ending injury to Keenan Allen, Floyd could very well become Rivers’ go-to guy for the rest of the year. The Chargers can’t run the ball to save their lives, which isn’t good news for Brandon Spano, who bet his entire career on the opinion that Melvin Gordon would be a great running back in the NFL.
WR Andre Holmes – Oakland Raiders: 17 points, available in 99.9% of leagues
-Holmes scored on both of his receptions on Sunday. Coming into his week 8 matchup with what we thought was a very good Jets defense, Holmes had hauled in a whopping four catches for 53 total yards and a single touchdown. He doubled his yards and touchdowns in just two receptions.
TE Troy Niklas – Arizona Cardinals: 13 points, available in 100% of leagues
-This is something I have never seen before. I have never seen a player make this list who is owned by literally nobody. Niklas has three receptions for 25 yards and two touchdowns on the year. Both touchdowns and 12 of those yards came on Sunday. I know how frustrating this position is, but I guarantee you can do better than this guy.
D/ST Houston Texans: 19 points, available in 44.5% of leagues
-I have no idea why so many people still own this defense. Maybe because they still think JJ Watt will do what he did last year. A week after giving up 44 points to Miami, Houston came back and held a Mariota-less Titans team to 6 points. The only other time this defense has scored double-digit fantasy points was against the Jaguars. If you own this defense, drop them and shame on you.
K Graham Gano-Carolina Panthers: 14 points, available in 70.4% of leagues
-Not sure what to say, all I know is I’m really craving s’mores right now.
Total Points Scored: 153
As a bonus, here’s how your team would have fared if you played only members of the New Orleans Saints:
QB Drew Brees: 44 points
RB Mark Ingram: 11 points
RB C.J. Spiller: 9 points
FLEX WR Brandin Cooks: 20 points
WR Willie Snead: 19 points
WR Marques Colston: 17 points
TE Benjamin Watson: 20 points
Defense: -3 points (LOL)
K Kai Forbath: 12 points
Total points scored: 149
