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Predicting studs and duds for NFL Week 8

Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

Who will dazzle and excite in Week 8…

Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

It is hard to believe that the midpoint of the 2018 NFL season is nearly here. With that said, the trade deadline is also quickly approaching, and more players could potentially be on the move than we’ve already seen.

Aside from this, a recent slew of injuries have sent a handful of starting players to IR, including Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch. Who might step up in Week 8 to pick up Beast Mode’s slack?

From four franchises still trying to win a second game to the undefeated Los Angeles Rams, and everything in between.

Here’s our predictions for NFL Week 8.

 

Stud: T.Y. Hilton, wide receiver, Indianapolis Colts

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Fans of Hilton got to see a wonderful two-touchdown performance upon his return from injury in Week 7. More of the same (and hopefully increased yardage) will be in Hilton’s future during a Week 8 showdown against the Oakland Raiders. Oakland’s defense simply does not have any personnel equipped to slow down a speedster such as Hilton. Plus, the Raiders have given up 13 passing touchdowns in just six games. This plays well into Andrew Luck having a smashing game as well.

 

Dud: Marshon Lattimore, cornerback, New Orleans Saints

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Lattimore has a revenge matchup on his calendar when he and the Saints head out to Minnesota to play the Vikings. But, the second-year cornerback might not be the last man standing if he is tasked with covering Adam Thielen. This is an unstoppable player averaging 9.6 catches and 117.4 yards per game. He also has scored five times. If it is not Thielen giving Lattimore the slip, it will be Stefon Diggs. It is worth noting that the Vikings have the fourth-best passing offense in the league.

 

Stud: Brock Osweiler, quarterback Miami Dolphins

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The Osweiler train has been hot and and it is time to get on board with Brock. No, really. Covering for the injured Ryan Tannehill (shoulder), Osweiler has completed 67.5 percent of his passes and has averaged 309.5 passing yards in his past two starts. And, he currently has six touchdowns versus two picks on record. In Week 8, more scores should be on the agenda for Osweiler playing against the Houston Texans. This defense has surrendered 14 passing touchdowns in seven games.

 

Dud: C.J. Beathard, quarterback, San Francisco 49ers

49ers quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo and C.J. Beathard

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Beathard is coming off an icky 170-passing yard game that saw him throw for only one touchdown compared to two interceptions. Now in Week 8, Beathard and the 49ers travel to Arizona to play the struggling Cardinals. But, this doesn’t necessarily mean Beathard is up for a winning game.

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Despite the Cardinals’ woes, their defense has allowed only eight passing touchdowns over seven games. It has also registered 20 sacks and 12 combined takeaways.

 

Stud: Kerryon Johnson, running back Detroit Lions

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Finally. The Lions just gave their rookie running back his biggest workload to date. Johnson made the most of his 19 totes, turning them into 158 rushing yards. He also had two catches for 21 yards. In Week 8, we are predicting Johnson will continue to carry his team, so to speak, against the Seattle Seahawks. Through six games, Seattle has allowed 25.8 rushing plays per contest for an average of 120.7 rushing yards. The Lions would be wise to stick close to last game’s script which produced the team’s third win of the year.

 

Dud: Cam Newton, quarterback, Carolina Panthers

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Newton managed to pull a rabbit out of his hat helping his team come from a 17-point deficit against Philadelphia to win in Week 7. While that was cool and all, Newton and the Panthers next face Baltimore. Scary stuff awaits the quarterback playing against a Ravens defense yielding a league-low 14.4 points on average per game. Even uglier, the Ravens have allowed only nine total touchdowns in seven games. Newton is going to have his hands full trying to generate points.

 

Stud: C.J. Uzomah, tight end, Cincinnati Bengals

J.K. Schaffer, Bengals helmet

Courtesy of USA Today Sports

A guy who may reap plenty of rewards in Week 8 is Uzomah, who has been sneaky-good behind the scenes for the Bengals. He just scored his second touchdown of the year in his last game and he has caught 89.5 percent of 19 targets thus far. It just so happens the Bengals next host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who last allowed Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku to turn four catches into 52 yards and one touchdown. On the season, opposing tight ends have averaged 90 yards per game against Tampa Bay, priming Uzomah for a fantastic performance.

 

Dud: Josh Gordon, wide receiver, New England Patriots

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Gordon is finding his groove in New England and just capped off his first 100-yard game as a Patriot in Week 7. But, he might not be so fortunate for a repeat performance next, playing against the Buffalo Bills. Gordon will likely be going against Buffalo’s shut-down cornerback, Tre’Davious White, who is among the best in the league on the perimeter. Quarterbacks throwing against White have averaged a meager 45.2 quarterback rating, which means Tom Brady may be leaving Gordon hanging this week.

 

Stud: Budda Baker, safety, Arizona Cardinals

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The Cardinals will be looking to recover from last week’s disastrous performance when the San Francisco 49ers head to Arizona. This matchup should call for a completely different script, as the Cardinals defense might be the dominating force. Baker ranks second in the league with 67 combined tackles and faces a very mistake-prone 49ers offense led by the aforementioned C.J. Beathard. The second-year safety should have a field day if all goes according to plan.

 

Dud: Saquon Barkley, running back, New York Giants

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Suspect playcalling and a frustrating quarterback who cannot be trusted are unfortunately what Barkley has to deal with each week. Next up for the rookie and his 1-6 Giants is a divisional game against Washington. While the Redskins are far from sexy on offense, their defense can be brutal. Washington has ceded only 87.3 rushing yards on average per game, and 4.0 yards per carry. It also just held Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott to 42 total yards in Week 7. Barkley will face a tough test while his Giants continue to implode.

 

Stud: Lamar Miller, running back, Houston Texans

Thomas J. Russo, USA Today Sports

We never know what to expect from Miller once he steps on the field. But, he is primed in Week 8 to build on last week’s 100-rushing yard performance playing against the Dolphins. The Dolphins are practically giving away rushing yards for free and have yielded 136.7 on average each game in 2018. This represents the third-highest in the league. Plus, Miami has allowed the fourth-most receiving yards (59.2) to its opposing running backs. The Texans receivers are banged up, too, which should keep Miller plenty busy.

 

Dud: Tre Burton, tight end, Chicago Bears

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Last weekend, Burton had himself the kind of breakout game head coach Matt Nagy has been promising all season. However, the Burton train could come to a screeching halt when the New York Jets arrive in Week 8. While the Jets have given up three tight end touchdowns this season, their defense has yielded just three receptions on average per game. This has amounted to a mere 41.4 yards averaged per contest. The wiggle room might be too tight for Burton to bust out and put together another great show.

 

Stud: Kareem Hunt, running back, Kansas City Chiefs

Kareem Hunt continues to dominate early in his NFL career.

Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Hunt should go off at Arrowhead Stadium against the Denver Broncos. When it comes to stopping opposing running backs, the Broncos stink. They have surrendered 148.1 rushing yards on average per game, allowing 5.3 yards per carry. And, the last time we checked, Hunt was about as dynamic as a running back can get. He torched Denver in Week 4, dropping a total of 175 yards and one touchdown on the Broncos. Hunt should smoke this defense in royal fashion.

 

Dud: Michael Roberts, tight end, Detroit Lions

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Roberts showed up out of practically nowhere in his last game and tallied 48 yards along with snaking away two touchdowns from Lions wide receivers. But don’t expect for Roberts to steal the limelight in Week 8. The Lions next play against the Seattle Seahawks, who have given up the second-fewest fantasy points and only one touchdown to their opposing tight ends. Seattle’s defense will certainly have Roberts’ number dialed in.

 

Stud: Aaron Donald, defensive tackle, Los Angeles Rams

Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald

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Donald had himself a field day registering four sacks, nine combined tackles and a fumble recovery against the 49ers. Now in Week 8, he has another tasty matchup against the Green Bay Packers. Aaron Rodgers is not 100 percent, and he has already taken 19 sacks in six games. His offensive line should provide very little resistance to Donald’s ferocious attack. Plus, the Packers do not sport much of a run game, which should keep Rodgers on the scramble from Donald while he attempts to find open receivers.

 

Dud: Doug Martin, running back, Oakland Raiders

Jameis Winston hands off to Doug Martin

Gary Rahman, USA Today Sports

The Raiders will reportedly be giving Martin the bulk share of carries now that Marshawn Lynch has been placed on IR. As the sad state of Oakland’s affairs continue, the team next plays against the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts, with their high rolling offense, should be no matchup for a pathetic Raiders defense. Thus we can assume the Raiders will easily fall behind, having to abandon their run game, per the usual. This will leave Martin — who has averaged a mere 3.7 yards per carry in 2018 — in the dust. Check and mate.

 

Stud: Alshon Jeffery, wide receiver, Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football

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Since returning from his injury, Jeffery has been on fire. He has scored four touchdowns in his four games played. Next up for Jeffery is a matchup abroad against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Instead of demoting Jeffery against what used to be a tough defense, a promotion is more in order. The Jaguars have looked more like kittens as of late, and have given up 255 yards and three touchdowns to opposing wideouts in the past two games. Jeffery should be the next guy in line to shred the likes of Jalen Ramsey and Co.

 

Dud: Chris Harris, cornerback, Denver Broncos

Demarco Mjurray takes on Chris Harris

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

The Week 8 version of Harris and the Broncos should look completely different than they did last playing the Cardinals. Instead, Harris and the Broncos defense should find things ridiculously challenging trying to contain Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his offense. This unit is unleashing an average of 437.4 yards and a league-high 37.1 points per game. There is simply no way Harris and his fellow defenders will come out winning in Kansas City.

 

Stud: James Conner, running back, Pittsburgh Steelers

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In this season’s second clash between the Steelers and Cleveland Browns, Conner is again primed to explode. The second-year running back owned the Browns in Week 1 when he recorded 192 combined yards and two touchdowns. Since then, the Browns have still been very giving on the ground. Their defense has yielded 134.7 rushing yards per game at 4.5 yards per attempt. It has also allowed 10 rushing touchdowns, marking the second-most in the league. Conner should feast as the Steelers try for better than another overtime tie on Sunday.

 

Dud: Carlos Hyde, running back, Jacksonville Jaguars

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Hyde will be making his debut as a Jaguar when the team takes on the Eagles in London. With how putrid the Jaguars offense has been as of late, we do not see how Hyde is going to be afforded a ton of opportunities to run the ball. And, when he does get carries, he will face a stingy Philly defense that has awarded the second-least fantasy points to opposing running backs. Only two running back rushing scores have slipped by the Eagles, which muddies Hyde’s outlook for Week 8.

 

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