NFL Week 8 Surprises

I compiled a top-5 list of the most surprising fantasy finishes that were successful but may not continue down that path. The list should be used as a guideline for the waiver wire. 

For the following, the quarterbacks I list should not continue to fall within the top 12; running backs and wide receivers are flex options or below. For the week, all players have fallen within the top 24 (QBs are within the top 12). 

Without further ado, here are my guys for Week 7.

Quarterbacks

Sam Howell– Howell finished as the QB1 by passing for 397 yards and four touchdowns. It was his best performance this season after struggling in his last two games against the Falcons and Giants. Overall, Howell is the seventh highest among all quarterbacks but has not shown to be someone a manager can trust every week.

Worth Mentioning: Will Levis, Joshua Dobbs

Running backs

Gus Edwards– It’s been back-to-back weeks with outstanding weeks from Edwards. He was the RB6 in Week 7 and then the RB3 in Week 8, scoring 23.1 points. However, before that, he only scored 23.1 points in four games. He is a definite boom-or-bust player dependent on touchdowns, scoring three times against Arizona.

Darrynton Evans– Evans came out of nowhere and finished as the RB17. He only ran the ball four times and gained 18 yards but scored once. Evans caught three balls on four targets. Evans has been on the scene since Week 6 and had 14 carries for 48 yards in Week 7. However, he must battle D’Onta Foreman, Roschon Johnson, and Khalil Herbert. 

Worth Mentioning: Royce Freeman, Zack Moss

Wide Receivers

Jahan Dotson- It has been a disappointing season for Dotson before Week 8. He hadn’t posted more than 43 yards and scored only once. The most receptions were five. Against Philadelphia, he dominated all those numbers by securing eight balls for 108 yards and a touchdown. His only touchdowns came against Philadelphia and his second-best performance in 2023 (12.7 points). 

Rashid Shaheed– The long-distance threat hit big time against the Colts. Shaheed caught three passes for 153 yards and a touchdown on three targets. That’s 51 yards per catch. The issue is that Shaheed relies on deep patterns, which results in inconsistencies. Those inconsistencies are not enough to start him. He has not had more than five receptions in a game and has only gone over the century mark once.

Khalil Shakir– Shakir was only targeted five times in his first five weeks of 2023 (He missed Week 1). However, the slot receiver saw more attention against New England in Week 7 (four targets). Shakir made a jump in Week 8 with six. He caught all six of them for 92 yards. His production was good enough for WR24. 

Worth Mentioning: Jamison Crowder, K.J. Osborn