There are several repeat performances in this weeks Sleepers list, guys who might have been on the list before, but fell off for any number of reasons. Still, guys who aren’t widely owned or obvious weapons sometimes produce more than once before people start to buy in, and that’s the case in Week 8.
Fantasy football stats: The sleepers of Week 8
How long can you be a sleeper until you aren’t a sleeper anymore?
Darren McCollester
Some of these guys might be deep-league investments. Some might be startable right away. And heck, some of them might never be heard from again. But they all had performances Sunday that, at the least, need to be mentioned.
Sleeper quarterbacks in Week 8
Kyle Orton, BUF (238 passing yards, 4 touchdowns, 6 rushing yards, 25 fantasy points)
That stat line will always have Kyle Orton's name next to it, but it belongs as much to the sorry pass defense of the New York Jets as it does to the Buffalo quarterback. And the sad thing is that it could have been even better if Sammy Watkins hadn't prematurely celebrated what should have been a touchdown and gotten tackled shy of the goal line. Orton has now started four games for the Bills, and is averaging almost 18 points a game. He's not a star quarterback, and he's on bye in Week 9, but with six teams on a bye in Week 10, he might be a starter.
Zach Mettenberger, TEN (299 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, -1 fantasy yard, 1 fumble lost, 15 fantasy points)
Mettenberger isn’t the typical sixth-round pick, as he would have been drafted higher if not for some off-the-field issues. Still, a first-time starter going against a J.J. Watt-led defense is a dicey proposition, and while Mettenberger wasn’t elite, he showed enough that the team will surely lean on him going forward. If you’re in a two-quarterback league, he might be a nice little investment.
Sleeper running backs in Week 8
Lorenzo Taliaferro, BAL (27 rushing yards, 2 rushing touchdowns, 42 receiving yards, 18 fantasy points)
Taliaferro's rookie season has followed a weird arc. He was unused the first two weeks, had huge Weeks 3 and 4, then sank back to very little, then suddenly Bernard Pierce was inactive for Sunday, and Taliaferro was the team's No. 2 running back and vulturing touchdowns from Justin Forsett. He also happened to lead the team in receiving yards randomly. Taliaferro might be the most talented Baltimore running back, though much of his production Sunday was more fluky than anything, and as long as Forsett is still doing what he's doing in front of him, Taliaferro won't be a reliable weekly starter.
Denard Robinson, JAC (108 rushing yards, 10 receiving yards, 11 fantasy points)
Maybe it's cheating to list Robinson in this space in consecutive weeks, but enough people were dismissive of him after Week 7 -- "The offensive line is still awful;" "The Browns have a terrible run defense;" "He can't stay healthy" -- that a repeat performance has to inspire confidence. And again, some game formats allow him to play at running back or receiver. He's an interesting option.
Sleeper wide receivers in Week 8
Donte Moncrief, IND (113 receiving yards, 1 touchdown, 17 fantasy points)
Moncrief's usage had crept up a week ago, and then when Reggie Wayne was ruled out for Sunday, he started looking somewhat appealing. Still, this was more than just about anyone would have expected, with seven catches and 12 targets to get those numbers. Wayne isn't expected to have a long absence, so Moncrief likely won't continue this level of performance, but he's at the least a preferable option to Hakeem Nicks among Indianapolis receivers, and he could be a nice fantasy stash.
Andrew Hawkins, CLE (88 receiving yards, 1 touchdown, 14 fantasy points)
I don’t know what happened to Hawkins in Weeks 5 and 6, but it’s fixed now. He had at least 70 yards in the season’s first three games, and has done the same the last two weeks, but had 26 and 0 yards in that small period in between. Hawkins also scored his first touchdown of the season Sunday, and has been targeted at least nine times in six of seven games this season. He’s making a strong case to be a legitimate flex play at worst.
Sleeper tight end in Week 8
Tim Wright, NE (61 receiving yards, 1 touchdown, -2 rushing yards, 12 fantasy points)
The notable things, to me, about Wright's game Sunday weren't his yardage total or his third score in four games (though I worked them in to this paragraph, because I am great). The notable things were (a) his targets, a season-high seven, and (b) his rushing attempt. It wasn't a screen pass behind the line, it was a run, similar to how the Patriots once used Aaron Hernandez. If Wright really is growing into the Hernandez role in the New England offense like so many theorized, he could be a real weapon going forward.
