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11 Fantasy Takeaways From Week 8: Denarius Moore Is For Real

by Scott Engel | 6:23 pm, October 29th, 2012

Each week, RotoExperts.com will be bringing you 11 immediate reactions from the weekend that was. Whether it’s a waiver commodity you need to jump on early, or an emerging trend you need to know about, they’ve got you covered.

This week, Scott Engel tells us about an underwhelming 100-yard performance, a Jaguars WR we might want to pick up, and why Denarius Moore has played his way into your lineup.

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1.1. Hey! Matt Stafford Decided To Wake Up!

Many Fantasy owners elected to bench a struggling Matthew Stafford against a very formidable Seattle defense. But Stafford bounced back when we least expected it, throwing for 352 yards and three TDs in a highly compelling Detroit victory. He spread the ball around impressively to his secondary targets and should be started with a lot of confidence going forward.

2.2. There is No Crowd

We keep hearing about the crowded backfield in New England, but Stevan Ridley is obviously the go-to here. The New England RB came through with a career performance against the Rams, rushing for 127 yards and a TD. The Patriots may still sprinkle in some other RBs, but there are no real reasons to overly worry about Ridley losing a large overall portion of his workload to the other ballcarriers. In most weeks, he will lead the committee.

3.3. Jason Witten Has A Robot Spleen

Jason Witten set an NFL record for tight end receptions with 18 in the loss to the Giants. He finished with 167 receiving yards and left any lingering doubts about his early-season struggles behind. When DeMarco Murray does return, though, the Cowboys should exhibit more offensive balance, and Witten may not come close to such totals again this year. Still, he has clearly re-emerged as an elite Fantasy TE.

4.4. Ice Beats Rain

There were widespread Fantasy concerns about Matt Ryan playing in rain and wind at Philadelphia. But the conditions were never a major deterrent for Ryan, who threw for 262 yards and three TDs. The lesson: never bench a veteran QB over weather issues.

5.5. Shorts is Tall

Cecil Shorts caught eight passes for 116 yards, a week after hauling in a 42-yard TD reception. He's emerged to become a playmaker for the Jaguars, which sorely need one or two to step forward. If he delivers again in the next game or two, you’ll have to strongly consider him as a WR3.

6.6. Kansas City Beef

Many Fantasy owners are upset with the Chiefs coaching staff after a Sunday fiasco in which Jamaal Charles was only allowed to carry five times for four yards. Kansas City came out with a unique gameplan in which Charles was part of a committee approach and rarely used, an approach that turned out to be a major bust. Look for Charles to get a lot of work going forward, but with Brady Quinn still slated to be the starter at QB, he will face a lot of stacked fronts and may not be as explosive as he was early in the schedule.

7.7. Philip Rivers Should Be In Your Doghouse

The Cleveland defense has been a friendly matchup for many passers this year. Not for so Philip Rivers, who has been wildly inconsistent and frequently mediocre this year. Rivers threw for 154 yards with no TDs at Cleveland. He should be benched until further notice.

8.8. Come Back, DeMarco

If Jerry Jones has to buy DeMarco Murray a new ankle, he’ll be back in Week 9. Felix Jones, a primary reason why Dallas drafted Murray, totaled 19 yards on 13 carries and lost a key fumble in a loss to the Giants. Jones did score, but the other RB behind him on the depth chart, Phillip Tanner, was denied on two consecutive attempts near the goal line. Sometimes, the handcuffs aren’t always very useful.

9.9. Denarius Moore Is A WR3

Denarius Moore signaled that he must be taken seriously as a viable playmaker. He caught five passes for 96 yards and a TD, and consistently challenged the Kansas city pass defense. Carson Palmer regularly put the ball in Moore’s hands, especially on screens and flat passes, and the WR made things happen. Moore has scored in three consecutive games and should be locked in as a WR3.

10.10. Saint Slippage

The Sunday night shootout between Peyton Manning and Drew Brees was definitely one-sided. The New Orleans QB disappointed, throwing for 213 yards and two scores, one in garbage time. Manning threw for 305 yards and three scores. The Denver defense came to play and limited the production of Lance Moore, Marques Colston and Graham, who scored late. No worries from Fantasy perspectives about the Saints passing game, though: their lack of defense and a running game will continue to force them to throw a lot.

11.11. Done DMC

Darren McFadden rushed for 114 yards in a very difficult to watch win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The final numbers look good, but it was one of most unimpressive 100-plus yard performances you will ever see. McFadden often went down on first contact and still ran with a lack of authority for much of the day. Find someone who did not watch the game and trade McFadden away this week.

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