NFL Team Performance Trends: Week 8 (Fantasy Football)

In this article, I will break down NFL teams’ performances prior to Week 8 based on Expected Points Added (EPA) per game on both offense and defense (Halloween style). Let’s get straight into things.

Offensive takeaways

The Commanders continue to lead the league in offensive efficiency, although rookie star Jayden Daniels suffered a rib injury on Sunday. His status for the matchup against the Bears is uncertain, which could have a big impact on whether you should use Your Commanders’ Weapons in fantasy. Keep an eye on Daniels’ injury status this week.

The Ravens are absolutely on fire on offense. After scoring five total touchdowns on Monday night, Lamar Jackson has completely mastered this offense and is keeping them playing at the highest level. Her running game is elite and shows no signs of slowing down. If you’re looking for a last resort to make your team champions, perhaps it’s time to look into trading for Baltimore RB Derrick Henry or even try to add backup options in case that Henry will be out later this season.

Buffalo has turned its offense around and is now posting 0.11 EPA/Play – New signing Amari Cooper had an immediate impact on the Bills, scoring a TD in his first game with them. Look for the Bills to continue producing offensively.

The Steelers are a team that is slowly but surely improving on offense every week. Russell Wilson’s first start went smoothly and the Pittsburgh offense looked strong against the Jets. They post an EPA of 0.04 per game and could be an interesting team to keep an eye on later in the year as they continue to improve.

Seattle has been unable to find its rhythm, failing to show any improvement in EPA/play for more than a week this season until Week 7. This two-week positive trend shows team growth and offensive consistency. Look for the Seahawks offense to continue to show off against a Bills defense that has been mediocre this season (0.03 EPA/defensive play).

Defensive takeaways

All of the top offensive teams (1-10) appear to be mediocre defensively – they’ve all been involved in some shootouts this season, so take your chances by using starters against these teams when possible.

The Jaguars and Panthers continue to perform worst defensively (-0.13 and -0.14 EPA/game, respectively). Therefore, try to use all Packers players (against the Jaguars) or Broncos players (against the Panthers) in Week 8.

The Cowboys, who have a -0.08 EPA/Plays defensively, enter Week 8 against the 49ers. Expect the Niners to bounce back this week against a weak defense and for Jauan Jennings to put in a strong performance in the absence of Brandon Aiyuk.

The Bears have been solid on defense all season, with an EPA/game of 0.10, and as they face the red-hot Commanders, who may be missing Jayden Daniels, it would be wise to go with the Washington players in the this week Fantasy to be careful.

The Chargers, who have a defensive EPA/Play of 0.11 this season, will face the Saints in Week 8, who have been abysmal on offense since Week 2. Look for them to have a great game defensively and try to catch them when they are streaming defenses.

Player profiles

Bucky Irving: Within seven weeks, Irving has begun to play an integral role in this Bucs offense. He was efficient, but not overly efficient at 0.1 EPA/game, which leads us to believe he’s not just a product of the backup effect. Look to use him as a great flex option in the coming weeks.

Jauan Jennings: Jennings has been unreal filling in for injured receivers this season, posting an EPA/Play of nearly 1.0. Try to get him off the waivers if you can!

Marvin Harrison Jr.: Despite being mediocre lately, MHJ is still a strong fantasy performer. His efficiency is tremendous and he sees over 70% of the snaps every game.

Rico Dowdle: While his consistency has been shaky this season, Dowdle has been an efficient runner with 0.13 EPA/game this year. Don’t give up on this Dallas back just yet.

James Cook: What’s wrong with James Cook? Although he has been injured recently, his performance has also declined. He’s only seen more than 60% of snaps once this season, and with his backups playing well, he’s not expected to consistently post top numbers.