Week eight of the 2024 fantasy football season was marked by some impressive offensive production along with some disappointing fantasy performances. There’s a lot to sort through as the fantasy football playoffs grow near, but it’s good to remember that there’s still a lot of football to be played this NFL season. It’s not too late to make a season-saving trade or waiver acquisition.
However, the fantasy playoffs are rapidly approaching. Either you’re in, or you’re out. Many fantasy teams are starting to separate themselves from the rest of the pack, so now is the time to make your move. Go win a championship!
Buy Low
Rico Dowdle - RB, DAL
Week 8 Stats - DNP
Rico Dowdle didn’t end up suiting up against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night due to an illness. However, this should not deter you in your pursuit of who seems to be the only efficient running back on this Cowboys roster. Through six active games, Dowdle has averaged 4.2 YPC, leading all Cowboys who have registered 10+ rush attempts this season.
It’s obvious Dowdle is the only thing close to a rushing attack the Dallas Cowboys have in 2024. What makes his fantasy prospects even better, though, are his receiving stats. The South Carolina product has drawn five or more targets in half of his active games this season, including a performance with six targets in Week 6.
Barring a trade to help out this running back group, which would throw most of this argument out of the window, Dowdle should continue to see volume on the ground and through the air moving forward. He’s a solid piece, especially in PPR leagues, who can be employed as a solid backup RB/flex option on many fantasy rosters.
Jaylen Waddle - WR, MIA
Week 8 Stats - 6 Targets
4 Rec, 45 Rec Yards
Miami hadn’t scored more than 20 offensive points since Week 1, so it’s obvious that the readdition of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has added fire to this offense. Tagovailoa posted 234 passing yards and a touchdown through the air on Sunday against Arizona. An important statistic to note is that the Dolphins attempted 38 passes on Sunday, which is a promising sight to fantasy managers worrying about the volume of this Miami offense and its pass-catchers.
That basically sums up the reading behind why Jaylen Waddle is a great buy-low option at this point in the fantasy season. He has a history of strong production, and even though this Sunday wasn’t his best performance, reuniting with his quarterback is sure to provide fantasy relevance once again.
Send out a trade offer to pick up Waddle before the rest of your league figures out how much Miami’s starting quarterback is truly able to elevate this offense. Waddle’s production will catch up with the improved quality of the Dolphins’ quarterback production soon enough.
DeAndre Hopkins - WR, KC
Week 8 Stats - 3 Targets
2 Rec, 29 Rec Yards
DeAndre Hopkins’ production on Sunday was no surprise. After the veteran receiver was acquired by Kansas City last week, he began the process of settling into his new environment. There was never going to be a statistical explosion from Hopkins right out of the gate, so this makes sense.
However, the newest Chiefs receiver did flash with a few solid receptions while only playing 32% of the offensive snaps. He figures to be the team’s top target in the passing game, outside of Travis Kelce, taking into account the number of injuries the Chiefs have had to deal with on the offensive side of the ball.
Hopkins is a good bet to gain fantasy value as he continues to get more comfortable within Andy Reid’s offense. He’s still an extremely talented receiver, so this pairing with quarterback Patrick Mahomes will make things very interesting. Take a chance and add Hopkins, whose ceiling is unimaginably high.
Sell High
Rachaad White - RB, TB
Week 8 Stats - 6 Carries
29 Rush Yards, 6 Targets
5 Rec, 38 Rec Yards
1 Rec TD
Rachaad White has had a bit of a fantasy resurgence over the past few weeks after suffering some early struggles. White’s receiving volume has been massive and he’s notched three receiving touchdowns over the past two weeks.
Unfortunately for his fantasy managers, Rachaad White continues to face competition from rookie running back Bucky Irving. Irving even caught seven passes in Week 8, two more than White.
The fact of the matter is that White will never truly be the main fantasy asset in this Buccaneers backfield. Tampa Bay has seen great production from players like Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker, leading to less reps going in White’s direction. While Tucker has started to fade into the background, Irving is still receiving significant volume and providing good efficiency on top of it.
Trading Rachaad White away from your fantasy team is a good decision for any fantasy manager looking for a running back with a higher ceiling. White will always have competition from the other members of this backfield.
Courtland Sutton - WR, DEN
Week 8 Stats - 11 Targets
8 Rec, 100 Rec Yards
Courtland Sutton had his best performance of his season against the lowly Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix had a fantastic showing and relied on Sutton as his most targeted receiver, giving him 11 opportunities through the air.
My main issue with Sutton’s outlook is his inconsistent volume. He’s already logged four games with less than 40 receiving yards. It’s especially hard to trust him in fantasy after posting zero targets against New Orleans in Week 7. Sutton will continue to put up solid production, but I don’t think he will be able to achieve statistical consistency in fantasy football.
My confidence in Sutton as a weekly start isn’t very high. If you’re able to trade him away from your fantasy team in exchange for a more consistent receiver, don’t hesitate.
Amari Cooper - WR, BUF
Week 8 Stats - 2 Targets
1 Rec, 8 Rec Yards
After posting a strong week in his Buffalo debut, which included a receiving touchdown, Amari Cooper fell back down to Earth on Sunday as the rest of Buffalo's pass-catchers took center stage. Wide receivers Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir, as well as tight end Dalton Kincaid, all put up fantastic weeks in fantasy football.
Cooper wasn’t left with much to work with volume-wise, only posting two targets on the day. I’m not saying that Cooper’s production won’t increase in this Bills offense, but it’s worth noting that the team’s other weapons didn’t exactly fade away as soon as Cooper became a Buffalo Bill.
He’s going to have to face some serious competition for volume and may continue to be inconsistent in fantasy football. Trading Cooper away while excitement is still high post-trade may be a smart move as he continues to find his role in Buffalo’s offense.