Bold NFL Predictions for Week 8
It was a mixed bag for my bold predictions last week with some pretty big misses, but also a couple of nice hits. Cleveland did not hold Indianapolis to zero offensive touchdowns. In fact, the Colts scored their most points in a game in two years. In fairness, I don’t think anyone saw that coming. Cooper Kupp not only did not finish as the WR-1 for the week, he didn’t even finish as the top fantasy WR on his own team. And Luke Musgrave had an underwhelming performance against against Denver instead of the top three finish I imagined. On the plus side, I predicted a 400-yard passing game for Patrick Mahomes and he did not disappoint, throwing for 424 yards versus the Chargers. And the Philadelphia Eagles held the Miami Dolphins to only 45 yards on the ground, making my prediction of holding the Dolphins to under 100 rushing yards come true.
This week, it’s all about rookies for my Halloween edition of bold predictions. Rookies have made a big impact this year; Bijan Robinson, C.J. Stroud, Jordan Addison, and Anthony Richardson before his injury, are already making their presence known in the league. This week could be the week where some other promising rookies begin their breakout towards stardom.
Will Levis Delivers a Pumpkin-Spiced Performance Against Atlanta
According to reports, Will Levis will make his NFL debut against the Falcons this week. Levis fell to the second round in the draft even after some experts thought he could be the most NFL-ready prospect this year. After an unimpressive training camp, he finally gets his chance to show the teams that passed on him what they missed. I do believe Levis has the talent to be a quality starter in the league and I think he will show it this week. The matchups are not good for the Titans receiving corps, so Levis could have difficulty finding open receivers. Atlanta’s defense has one of the lowest pressure rates in the league, so it will be interesting to see if Atlanta increases their pressure against the rookie.I’m not expecting huge numbers for Levis, but I do think he will be able to lead the Titans to a win. I think 200 passing yards and two touchdowns will win Levis the starting job for the rest of the season.
Chiefs Give “Rashee Rice-Krispies Treats” to Broncos
The Rashee Rice love is strong right now and for good reason. Over the last two weeks, Rice leads the Chiefs wide receivers with nine catches for 132 yards and a touchdown. He is starting to establish himself as Patrick Mahomes’ favorite target not dating an international pop star. Rice has a great matchup lining up against Broncos corner Fabian Moreau. I have Kansas City projected with the most yards of any team this week, so this is the perfect spot for Rice’s breakout game. I’m predicting a top 12 finish for the rookie this week, making him a WR1 for Week 8.
Demercado’s “Tell-Tale” Performance Rattles Ravens
Emari Demercado is Arizona’s rookie running back who has been filling in for injured starter, James Conner. Last week, Demercado received 54% of the Cardinals’ rushing attempts, including all of the short yardage attempts. He also had seven receiving targets. He now has a firm grip on the lead back role until Conner returns. This week, Arizona faces Baltimore, a team that is strong against the run, but even stronger against the pass. The Cardinals will need to have success running the ball in order to compete against the Ravens. Demercado will be heavily involved, and as his usage last week suggests, he will see plenty of opportunities regardless of the game script. Baltimore is only giving up 95 rushing yards per game, so I don’t think Demercado will rack up a ton of rushing yards. But I do think he can contribute through the air. At the end of the day, I think the opportunities are there for Demercado to finish at a top 12 RB this week. Start him if you have him!
Chargers Get a Bag(net) Full of Tricks From Tyson
Tyson Bagnet makes his second start for the Bears in a prime time matchup against the Chargers. I love this kid’s story and I’m rooting for him to do well. He has a great matchup in Los Angeles, who are giving up a league-worst 310 passing yards per game, 37 more yards than the next worst team. In his first start last week, Bagnet was solid is a win over the Raiders. He completed 21 of 29 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown. He was only sacked once and he didn’t throw an interceptions. Las Vegas has a pretty solid pass defense, so things should get easier for Bagnet this week. In addition to giving up the most passing yards, the Chargers have given up 12 passing touchdowns and have only intercepted four passes. Bagnet will make mistakes, as every rookie does, but I think we could see 250 yards and two touchdowns from him Sunday night.
Halloween Rebirth: Michael Myers Mayer Slashes Detroit
Michael Mayer was my second-highest ranked tight end coming out of college and he’s starting to show why. In the last three games, Mayer has 15 targets, after only seeing two in his first four games. He had his breakout game in Week 6 when he finished sixth among tight ends in PPR scoring. Last week, his usage slipped a bit, but Brian Hoyer started at quarterback, which was a downgrade for all the Raiders receivers. Jimmy Garoppolo should be back under center this week and Mayer should return to his Week 6 form against Detroit. The Lions are last in the league at giving up fantasy points to tight ends. I think Mayer will become the NFL’s next dominant tight end and he has an opportunity to show that on Monday night. I believe he will once again be a top 5 TE this week.
