USA TODAY International Edition
Browns players may benefit facing Steelers’ D
Week 8 of the NFL and fantasy football season is here and, as always, we have this week’s studs, duds and sleepers. Make sure to use USA TODAY’s updated rankings to help as well. Studs
QB Baker Mayfield, Browns: He was a sleeper on this list last week and delivered two touchdowns and 43 yards on the ground. Now, he gets a date with the Steelers, who have the sixth-worst pass defense in the NFL. He’s in a position to flourish.
RB Marlon Mack, Colts: The Raiders give up 131.8 rushing yards per game, and Mack’s coming off a 126-yard, 2touchdown performance against the Bills. This couldn’t have lined up more perfectly.
WR Mike Evans, Buccaneers: With QB Jameis Winston under center, Evans bounced back from two mediocre games with 11 targets, 7 catches and 107 yards last week. The Bengals struggle against the pass, so it’s a big green light for Evans.
TE David Njoku, Browns: He has totaled 50-plus yards in four consecutive games and scored in his past two. The Steelers struggle to contain opposing tight ends, too.
Duds
QB Deshaun Watson, Texans: I know the last couple of games were against the Jaguars and the Bills and that the Dolphins present a tasty matchup. But it doesn’t seem like he’s 100 percent healthy. Proceed with caution. RBs T.J. Yeldon and Carlos Hyde,
Jaguars: What will the playing time look like between these two? And what will they be able to do against the second-best rushing defense in the league? Not much. It might be tough to bench them in a week filled with byes, but it’s going to be a long day for this pair.
WR Devin Funchess, Panthers: He’s scored in two consecutive games, but facing the Ravens’ uber-tough defense
will keep him out of the end zone.
TE Kyle Rudolph, Vikings: You might be tired of me saying it, but whatever: With tight ends shallow this year, it’s hard to bench a name player such as Rudolph. But the Saints cover tight ends well, and Rudolph, who scored eight touchdowns last year and seven in 2016, has found pay dirt just twice this year.
Sleepers
QB Case Keenum, Broncos: Insert “start quarterbacks against the Chiefs” here, although Kansas City’s defense clamped down last weekend to allow 10 points to the Bengals.
You have to imagine he’ll need to throw all day to keep up with Patrick Mahomes.
RB Raheem Mostert, 49ers: Matt Breida isn’t completely healthy either, and the running back who stunned the fantasy world by leapfrogging Alfred Morris two weeks ago just had another solid game (59 yards on 7 carries, 4 catches for 19 receiving yards). The Cardinals’ rush defense is the NFL’s worst, so you could succeed with Mostert as a flex starter.
WR Robby Anderson, Jets: The Bears aren’t great against the pass, and with a depleted receiving corps in New York, Anderson received 10 targets last week. With volume like that, he could have himself a big game.
TE C.J. Uzomah, Bengals: Per ESPN, the Buccaneers give up the most points to opposing tight ends, and Uzomah found the end zone last weekend. I bet he’ll do it again in Week 8.