Fantasy Football Saturday Mailbag for Week 8

Good morning Footclan! Welcome into Week 8 of the NFL season and the latest edition of The Fantasy Footballers’ Saturday Morning Mailbag! As we do each and every weekend here at Ballers’ HQ, I have relentlessly trawled through your questions from The Fantasy Footballers’ Discord server, and selected a handful to answer ahead of this weekend’s matchups! Remember, The Ballers’ Discord is home to the biggest and best online fantasy football community in the world and is your one-stop shop if you’re looking to talk about all things fantasy football. Head over today, register your username, and start interacting with the thousands of members we have waiting to talk ball. There are dozens of dedicated channels for start/sit questions, trade advice, and waiver wire insights, as well as exclusive areas that are only available to you – the loyal members of the Footclan.

Seven down, 10 to go! We have hit the halfway point of the regular season for a number of fantasy leagues – and whether you are 7-0 or even 0-7 – remember the eternally prophetic words of Mr. Andrew Holloway, “What has happened in the past can always happen in reverse.” Whether you have one foot in the playoffs already or are close to throwing in the towel – there is still work to be done! Only by keeping your head in the game and up to date with the latest news from The Fantasy Footballers can you ensure having the strongest team possible for a #FootclanTitle push…or potentially turn your season around and sneak into the fantasy playoffs through the back door. This week we look at Rachaad White’s outlook without Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, the future for Patrick Mahomes now that he has a shiny new WR1 in DeAndre Hopkins, and just who is the best Cooper to roster in fantasy for the rest of the season. We’ve got a whole lot to talk about…so let’s dive right in!

Question #1 – Start/Sit (Rachaad White Redemption Edition) 

Hiya Ballers! Quick question Rico Dowdle or Rachaad White this week? Thanks Ballers, love the show! – Andys Shiny Teeth and Me

Answer: If you were to have asked me this last week, I would have said Rachaad White…but only because the Dallas Cowboys were on their bye week – and even then it would have been close. It’s not been the season Rachaad White drafters had hoped for – and I should know…as I am one of them. I took White in the fourth round of my League of Record draft, pretty much spot on his ADP of 4.02 in half-PPR formats, and boy has it been a rough ride. Heading into Week 7 – and after missing one game through injury – White was ranked as the overall RB40 on the season, averaging just 8.0 FPPG…woof. What was even more concerning was the emergence of rookie RB Bucky Irving and just how good he had looked with the ball in his hands compared to last year’s RB7 for fantasy – it felt like the only way was down for White’s value for the remainder of the season…what a difference a week can make.

In the 31-41 loss to Baltimore on Monday Night Football last week, the Bucs lost both Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to serious injuries – Evans should be back on the field after Tampa’s Week 11 bye, but Godwin is done for the year after dislocating his ankle, a knock which required surgery midweek and has landed him on season-ending IR. With Baker Mayfield’s top two passing options facing multiple games on the sidelines, there exists a distinct possibility we see Rachaad White emerge as the leading pass-catcher in this Bucs offense, alongside third-year tight end Cade Otton – who led the team in targets, receptions, and yards in the defeat at home to the Ravens.

Dowdle has looked the better runner of the two so far this year, and has seen his share of the work in Dallas steadily increase in recent weeks (let’s just throw that annihilation by the Lions out of the window here)…but White could be 2024’s Mr. Necessary (shoutout to Charles Clay!) with the volume of work he’s about to receive in the passing game – add on his third of the carries in the horrible Bucs RBBC, and he should have a very safe floor each week with a TD based ceiling. It’s Rachaad for me against the Falcons this week.

Question #2 – Season-Long Strategy (TE Special)

Rest of Season. David Njoku or Evan Engram? – TruffleShuffle

Answer: Here we are again, just like in 2023, after seven weeks of the season – David Njoku has found himself as a prime candidate to guide you and your fantasy team towards the playoffs and a #FootclanTitle. After a relatively pedestrian start to the year plagued by injury and bad quarterback play – Njoku finally looked back to the player who finished as the overall TE6 for fantasy last season and was the TE1 from Week 7 onwards on a FPPG basis. 

Fast-forward 12 months and history is beginning to repeat itself for the Browns and their star tight end. DeShaun Watson is once again out for the remainder of the year, and although there is no Joe Flacco to call upon this time around, the more than capable – and incredibly fantasy-friendly – Jameis Winston is waiting in the wings to step in and throw for 319 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions every week…and yes, that was his average game line back in 2019 when he played his last full season. With Winston under center and Amari Cooper now catching passes from Josh Allen in Buffalo, expect Njoku to be hyper-targeted as Cleveland attempts to keep their playoff hopes alive after starting 3-4.

Evan Engram too has returned from an early season injury and balled out in his first game back against the Bears in London – but with rookie wideout Brian Thomas Jr, as well as veterans Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis in the receiving corps – Engram faces much stiffer competition for targets from Trevor Lawrence than Njoku does in Ohio. I am all in on Njoku as a top-5 TE for the rest of the season – enjoy the ride with Jameis, it’s going to be fun!

Question #3 – Trade Advice

Yo yo yo Ballers! I have both Brock Bowers and Sam LaPorta in my league. Should I try to move LaPorta to get more depth at RB or WR? Thanks! – Kristopher Fields

Answer: Hi Kris! Congrats on the Bowers pick – a risky strategy to grab a second tight end in the draft after investing so much in LaPorta…but one that looks to have paid off handsomely for you and all the Brock truthers out there!

The simple answer here is – yes…if you can. While you may have spent hefty draft capital on the Lions’ sophomore superstar – after a somewhat shaky start in the opening seven weeks, one which sees LaPorta currently sitting as the overall TE20 – others may not see him as the must-have asset that was drafted across the board in the third round. There’s no doubt Big Sam holds name value (that will happen when you end your rookie season as the TE1 in fantasy) – so there will definitely be tight end needy managers in your league who would be interested in acquiring the potential upside LaPorta represents…but they may not be willing to pay up for it. The second-year pass-catcher only has a 10% target share from Jared Goff through seven weeks, amounting to only 14 catches for 224 yards and a single score. This time last year Andy, Mike, and Jason highlighted LaPorta as a buy-low candidate after what was considered a slow start…that “slow start” amounted to 35 receptions for 377 yards and three touchdowns – if 2023 was slow, this year has been stationary. 

There’s every chance LaPorta repeats the feats of his rookie year and finishes strong across the back half of the season – but with so much competition for targets in this Detroit offense, he may find it tough breaking into the top five at the position, where he was drafted to be. If you can get a solid RB2/WR2 on name value alone, I’d be smashing “accept” on the offer – good luck!

Question #4 – Season-Long Strategy (Cooper vs. Cooper Edition)

Rest of season standard scoring Amari Cooper or Cooper Kupp – Boonsboro Banana Hammocks

Answer: Prior to being traded to Buffalo – Amari Cooper ranked tied for seventh among all wideouts in total targets on the season with 53. Despite this elite level of looks, Cooper ranked tied for 30th in total catches and 47th in receiving yards…ouch. Thankfully for Cooper managers, Amari has found himself a new home in upstate New York, and more importantly a new quarterback in Josh Allen. It may only have been one game, but already Amari looks to have struck up a connection with The Stallion – hauling in 4-of-5 targets in his debut for 66 yards and a score – if these trends continue…aaayyyyy! 

Ok, that’s one Cooper …how about the other Cooper in question, that is of course Mr. Kupp of the Los Angeles Rams. Kupp returned to action on Thursday night as the Vikings paid a visit to SoFi – and after a four-game absence, it looked as if he’d never been away. In a huge boost to the Rams’ playoff chances, both Kupp and Puka Nacua took the field, the first time they had played together since Week 1 – and immediately the difference in this offense was clear to see. Matthew Stafford recorded his best game of the year by far, doubling his touchdown total for the season as he threw for 279 yards and four TDs – one of which was a second-quarter Houdini-esque escape ultimately caught by our man Cooper Kupp. 

If this was a question based purely on talent – for me, it’s Kupp, hands down…but the Buffalo Bills have been crying out for a Stefon Diggs replacement for weeks, and even in this run-first offense – the WR1 role for a passing game led by Josh Allen is fantasy gold. With both teams appearing to be at full strength on the offensive side of the ball – I would expect there to be plenty of scoring opportunities for Cooper and Kupp – and even though Amari Cooper should command the lion’s share of targets from Josh Allen down the stretch, I just can’t look passed the ability Kupp has, as well as his established connection with Matthew Stafford. If we start to get reports of Amari and Josh Allen out for brunch, I may change my mind – but the Mr. Cooper I am hanging with is the one down in Santa Monica.

Question #5 – Trade Advice

Guten Morgen aus Deutschland. How does the DeAndre Hopkins trade affect Patrick Mahomes? Do you think his Fantasy performance might improve? Dankeschön  – winx

Answer: Guten Morgen winx! Danke für die Frage! At the time of writing I too am in the wunderbar country of Germany so felt compelled to answer your question. The Chiefs’ acquisition of Hopkins may not have been the blockbuster name many fans (and fantasy managers) were hoping for – but there’s no doubt adding a wideout of Nuk’s pedigree will prove beneficial for Mahomes and this offense over the second half of the season. Aged 32 and coming off the back of a frustrating first season in Tennessee, there were concerns that Hopkins’ days as a high-level fantasy producer were over…especially with the Titans’ offseason acquisition of Calvin Ridley on a four-year $92 million deal. Through seven weeks, those fears were legitimized as Hopkins managed only 15 catches for 173 yards and a single touchdown from the QB combo of Will Levis and Mason Rudolph. The numbers look even worse when you take into account that 73 of those yards and his solitary score came in the Week 3 loss to Green Bay – giving Nuk a stat line of 9-100-0 in his other five contests.

So why is this good news for the Chiefs? Well, first things first – I think we can all agree that Patrick Mahomes is a slightly better quarterback than either Will Levis or Mason Rudolph. The back-to-back Super Bowl MVP may not be producing for your fantasy team, but he is delivering the only thing that matters to a real NFL franchise…wins. Mahomes has an almost supernatural ability to turn old busted pass-catchers into bona fide high-end wide receivers for fantasy football – see JuJu Smith-Schuster – and Hopkins could be the next in line to benefit from Mahomes’ powers. With Rashee Rice done for the year, Isiah Pacheco still out with a fractured fibula, and rookie Xavier Worthy yet to establish himself in this offense – DeAndre Hopkins has the opportunity to step in and immediately contribute as a WR2 for fantasy.

I have no doubts adding Hopkins to the ranks will help Mahomes as an NFL quarterback…but as a fantasy QB, I don’t see it making too much of a difference. He is currently QB22 on the season and is without a weekly top-12 finish all year. The last time he entered the QB1 conversation – Week 12 of last season. He may lead KC to a three-peat, but don’t bank on him helping you win a #FootclanTitle – and we all know those are way more important.

Question #6 – Season-Long Strategy

Yo yo yo yo yo! Is Braelon Allen droppable? I am the Breece Hall manager – cmoses1828

Answer: The guys touched on this in Rapid Round on Thursday’s Footcast…but the answer is a resounding NO! Sure, only the Cowboys and their dismal ground game have run the ball on fewer occasions than the New York Jets – but with the arrival of Davante Adams and Aaron Rodgers getting to go up against some of the more fantasy-friendly defenses in the coming weeks – there’s a real hope Gang Green can begin to turn a corner and start putting up some real points on the board. Despite losing four on the bounce, Breece Hall remains an elite option at the running back position with three top-eight finishes on the season – two of them coming in the last fortnight. This success has unfortunately come at the expense of rookie (almost) breakout Braelon Allen. The fourth-round pick has seen his snap share come plummeting back to Earth under the command of interim Head Coach Jeff Ulbrich – after four straight weeks above the 30% mark he registered just 14% of carries in the narrow divisional loss to Buffalo, and only 13% against the Steelers. The suggestion of using him as a weekly flex is well and truly snuffed out – but as the clear insurance policy to one of the leading workhorse backs in the league, Allen should be rostered in all formats…especially if you are the Breece manager. It may be frustrating using a bench spot on a guy you don’t want to play – but if Hall were to go down, you’ve immediately got yourself a top-15 replacement.

Question #7 – Start/Sit (TE Special)

Would you rather start Kyler Murray (with a Trey McBride stack) or Brock Purdy (with a Jauan Jennings stack) this week? – Bold Strategy C.Otton

Answer: After missing Thursday’s practice with a lingering hip injury, Jauan Jennings has one more chance to avoid a questionable tag and suit up for the 49ers’ home matchup against the Cowboys on Prime Time this Sunday night. To fully answer this, let’s assume his health and that he is a full go under the lights at Levi’s Stadium in the nationally televised game.

It’s felt like a disappointing season so far for both Murray and Purdy. Arizona’s pint-sized passer has three weeks inside the top eight at the position on the year, to go along with finishes of QB15, QB17, QB14, and QB25. Across the state line, the former Mr. Irrelevant has fared somewhat better with four top-eight finishes in his opening seven contests – but having to play multiple weeks without a full complement of receiving weapons (and the recent loss of Brandon Aiyuk for the year) – Purdy’s ceiling has felt capped, even in plus matchups.

Despite the arrival of Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth overall pick in this year’s NFL draft – Trey McBride still appears to be the favorite target of Kyler Murray, with the third-year tight end outpacing his rookie teammate in targets and receiving yards…despite playing one fewer game. McBride’s issue…touchdowns. Last year’s overall TE9 has yet to find the end zone through the Cardinals’ opening seven contests – and with Kyler averaging just over one TD per game through the air – competition is tough among Arizona’s pass-catchers in the end zone. 

Over in Santa Clara, Jennings has strung together an erratic series of performances to sit as the overall WR19 on the season thus far – fairly impressive given he has missed a week and has weekly finishes as WR57, WR67, and WR83 to his name. The fourth-year receiver is living off his blowup performance in the 24-27 loss to the Rams back in Week 3 – one where he finished as the WR1 for fantasy with 11 receptions for 175 yards and three touchdowns. That one breakout effort accounts for 44% of his total receptions, 43% of his total yards, and 100% of his touchdowns on the year.

If you are looking for a stack you can trust – I lean Kyler and McBride. If you want upside – I’d go Purdy and Jennings. In reality, I don’t want a stack at all – if you have all these guys on your roster – start Brock and McBride and look for a better option at WR on waivers.