Week 8 Fantasy Stats: Rounding Up The Week 8 Injuries And Notable Performances

If you have space to add a guy like Brinkley, there likely is some value to it. He is not a great long term answer this season because Mathews will be the main guy. The issue for Mathews is that he has struggle staying healthy. Given that, Brinkley is a decent guy to have on hand. If you have Mathews I would recommend Brinkley as a handcuff. If you don’t have Mathews but can afford to drop a guy, there is some upside there.

For more on the Chargers, check out Bolts From The Blue. For more on fantasy football, check out Fake Teams. Follow @sbnationfantasy on Twitter.

He’s now averaging just a shade under 300 yards per game, but he has 11 interceptions to just seven touchdowns in seven games to show for it. It’s hard to give up on a guy producing these yards, but his constant mistakes and inability to find the end zone are killing his fantasy owners.

For more on Rivers and his matchup with the Chiefs, check out our Chargers blog, Bolts From The Blue, and our Chiefs blog, Arrowhead Pride.

Gates returned last week after missing three games with plantar fasciitis in his right foot, picking up where he left off with five catches for 54 yards and a touchdown. He’ll likely continue to battle lingering soreness in his foot all season -- it’s the same injury that plagued him in 2010 -- but it’s just impossible to take him out of your fantasy lineup when he’s healthy enough to play.

For more on San Diego, check out Chargers blog Bolts From The Blue. For more on fantasy football, check out Fake Teams and follow @sbnationfantasy on Twitter.

San Diego slowed Bowe down in Week 3 but couldn’t stop him completely. He caught four balls for 67 yards and a touchdown. Bowe continues to be ranked in the top ten among wide receivers across the league in fantasy stats and it would be crazy to sit him any week.

For more on Bowe and his matchup with the Chargers, check out our Chargers blog, Bolts From The Blue, and our Chiefs blog, Arrowhead Pride.

In Week 3, Kansas City was limited to 80 yards and no scores on 26 carries from four backs. However, Battle did not see much action in that game.

For more on Battle and his matchup with the Chargers, check out our Chargers blog, Bolts From The Blue, and our Chiefs blog, Arrowhead Pride.

In six games, Mathews has 509 yards on 112 carries with 3 touchdowns. He previously ran for 98 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries while adding four catches for 51 yards when the Chiefs faced San Diego earlier this season.

For more on Mathews and his matchup with the Chiefs, check out our Chargers blog, Bolts From The Blue, and our Chiefs blog, Arrowhead Pride.

Jackson has been a “feast of famine” fantasy option all year. In Week 2, he tallied 172 yards and two touchdowns, and in Week 4, he tallied 108 yards with one touchdown. Those are the only two games all year that he’s either passed the century mark or found the end zone, leaving his fantasy owners hungry more often than not. The possibility for a huge game always exists, which makes taking him out of the lineup as potentially frustrating as starting him, but it may be time to look for more consistent options.

For more on San Diego, check out Chargers blog Bolts From The Blue. For more on fantasy football, check out Fake Teams and follow @sbnationfantasy on Twitter.

For more on the Giants, check out Big Blue View. For more on fantasy football, check out Fake Teams. Follow @sbnationfantasy on Twitter.

It is really no longer shocking to see Cam Newton play quality football, but he has become arguably the most exciting quarterback in the NFL this season. He has stiff competition for that title, but his combination of size, speed and general QB skills has been spectacular.

In losing to the Vikings, Newton completed 22 of 35 passes for 290 yards with a career high three touchdowns. And of course, Newton added in 53 rushing yards just for good measure. I’d say when will we see him line up at receiver, but the Panthers are smart enough to keep the ball in his hands as frequently as possible.

Given that Jackson came off the bench, nobody will benefit from the start. However, Jackson is quietly emerging as a possible bye week candidate here and there. He is not a great option, but with some decent wheels and the ability to throw up some decent passing totals on occasion, TJax might not be an awful choice if you are short a quarterback in the coming weeks.

For more on the Seahawks, check out Field Gulls. For more on fantasy football, check out Fake Teams. Follow @sbnationfantasy on Twitter.

In two games against the Eagles last season, Austin had four receptions for 84 yards which was probably some foreshadowing on Sunday night. The Eagles ranked 10th in the NFL against the pass heading into their game against the Cowboys, too, so that stingy defense definitely did not work in the Cowboys’ favor.

For more on Austin and the Cowboys, check out SB Nation’s Cowboys blog, Blogging The Boys.

Maclin was targeted just three times in the Eagles victory over the Cowboys, but he managed to haul in all three passes for a total of 54 yards and a touchdown. With Michael Vick and Andy Reid coming off a bye week, their leading receiver was poised for another huge week.

After a slow performance in the opening week of the regular season, Maclin had recorded five or more catches in every game leading up to Sunday night’s affair. He’s used his speed more effectively in his route running than he has in years past.

Heading into this game, Murray had 324 yards on 49 carries and a touchdown to go with it. He is ranked as the 12th best running back this week according to Fake Teams, SB Nation’s fantasy site.

For more on Murray and Dallas running back situation, head over to Blogging the Boys. Follow all the week 8 action at SB Nation NFL.

For more on Romo and his matchup with the Eagles, check out Cowboys blog, Blogging The Boys, and our Eagles blog, Bleeding Green Nation. Also be sure to check out all of our fantasy football news and video highlights of the best Week 8 action.

This year, he had been averaging 76.0 yards per game, but had scored just two touchdowns. His season has been a bit up and down so far, recording three solid games and three disappointing ones. He had gone over 100 yards twice and 30 or less twice. But that’s kind of the life of a Jackson owner, isn’t it?

For more on Jackson’s fantasy outlook, be sure to check out Fake Teams. For more on the Eagles, be sure to visit Bleeding Green Nation.

Wallace has been great for leagues that reward stuff like yards and touchdowns. He’s averaging more than 20 yards per catch and has five touchdowns through seven games. He should continue to be an elite option going forward, especially against the Patriots.

For more on Wallace and his matchup with the Patriots, check out Steelers blog, Behind The Steel Curtain, and our Patriots blog, Pats Pulpit. Also be sure to check out all of our fantasy football news and video highlights of the best Week 8 action.

The Browns didn’t expect Hillis to play entering their Week 8 matchup, so Hardesty got the pleasure of facing the 49ers’ terrifying run defense. Entering Sunday’s game, they were giving up an average of 74.7 rushing yards a game, good for second in the NFL, and hadn’t allowed a 100-yard rusher since 2009.

For more on Hardesty and his matchup with the 49ers, check out Browns blog, Dawgs By Nature, and our Niners blog, Niners Nation. Also be sure to check out all of our fantasy football news and video highlights of the best Week 8 action.

For more on Lynch and his matchup with the Bengals, visit Field Gulls and Cincy Jungle.

For more on Gronkowski and the Patriots, check out SB Nation’s Patriots blog, Pats Pulpit.

In the Detroit Lions in Week 8, Tebow faced a team known for a fearsome pass rush that feasts on quarterbacks like starved real-life lions on antelopes with knee issues. Luckily for his health, Tebow is mobile. He ran 10 times for 63 yards, but was also sacked seven times. He’s unharmed, because he is the size of a moose.

For more on Tebow and his matchup with the Lions, check out Broncos blog, Mile High Report, and our Lions blog, Pride of Detroit. Also be sure to check out all of our fantasy football news and video highlights of the best Week 8 action.

Kendricks had 173 receiving yards on the season with zero touchdowns entering Week 8. Kendricks was averaging 29 yards receiving per game. Kendricks has been struggling during the regular season after having a great preseason.

For more on the Rams head over to our Rams blog Turf Show Times. For more information on the Saints head on over to our Saints blog Canal Street Chronicles.

Frank Gore has been one of the best backs in fantasy football lately, with at least 125 yards rushing and a touchdown in each of his previous three outings. His reemergence has spurred the 49ers on to four straight victories prior to Sunday’s game, and has allowed Alex Smith to concern himself with taking care of the football instead of winning games on his own.

Considering that Gore’s recent production came against the likes of Philadelphia, Tampa Bay and Detroit, he should be a safe bet to produce going forward. Just keep in mind the big “if” that is his health.

His numbers aren’t eye-popping, however. While Smith’s consistent play has been a significant improvement over years past, that doesn’t mean he’s a weekly fantasy starter. Yahoo! Sports pegged Smith as the 22nd best quarterback in a week with an inordinate number of players on byes, making him a bench player even in two-quarterback leagues.

Tom Brady, fantasy’s second-best quarterback through the season’s first seven weeks, had a tough matchup in Week 8 against a Steelers defense that has gotten better and better against the pass.

For more on Brady and his matchup with the Steelers, check out Patriots blog, Pats Pulpit, and our Steelers blog, Behind the Steel Curtain. Also be sure to check out all of our fantasy football news and video highlights of the best Week 8 action.

For more on Roethlisberger and his matchup with the Patriots, check out Steelers blog, Behind The Steel Curtain, and our Patriots blog, Pats Pulpit. Also be sure to check out all of our fantasy football news and video highlights of the best Week 8 action.