Jonathan Taylor, Chase Claypool, Tyler Higbee, Calvin Ridley, and Sam Darnold all have fantastic matchups this week, and here's why.
For this article, I'm going to be going over some of my bold predictions for Week 8 of the fantasy football season. Nobody can predict the future and we honestly have no clue what can happen. But that's what brings joy and excitement to fantasy football, right? Let's dive into some predictions that I can see happening this week of football.
Jonathan Taylor runs for 170 yards and two touchdowns
The last time these two teams played in Week 3, Taylor only touched the ball 11 times but produced 72 yards. Taylor has averaged 18 total touches, 137.7 scrimmage yards, and 1.5 touchdowns per game from Weeks 4-7. Look for Taylor to get involved early and often en route to a massive day on the ground.
Tyler Higbee finishes inside the top-3 Tight Ends
Higbee is currently TE13 on the year and has provided consistent fantasy value. This week, however, could be a ceiling game for Higbee. The Texans give up a ton of fantasy points to the tight end position. Higbee is a big red-zone target. So don't be surprised if he comes away with a couple of touchdowns this week.
Calvin Ridley finishes as the WR1 overall
It's been a rollercoaster of a season for Ridley. He's gotten double-digit targets in four out of the five games he's played in but has only topped 65 yards in one game this year. I believe this could be the game he explodes and finishes at the top of the position. Kyle Pitts is demanding more coverage which benefits Ridley and will improve his efficiency. He's a great play this week and could explode against the Panthers.
Chase Claypool finishes as a top-5 WR
Claypool has put up 18.1 and 21.1 fantasy points against the Browns for his career and has a great chance at producing this week. JuJu Smith-Schuster is out for the year and that opens up a couple more targets for Claypool. The Browns are beat-up, and Claypool has an opportunity to take advantage of it. Browns are one of the easier matchups for WRs, so Claypool will have a big day.
Sam Darnold throws for 300 yards and 3 touchdowns
It's safe to say that things have not been pretty for Darnold here of late. Ever since Christian McCaffrey has been out, Darnold has played horrible. The Falcons are a good spot for a bounce-back though. Matt Ryan and company are starting to find their offense which means this could become a shootout. Darnold will have to throw to keep up and I think he has a solid fantasy day.
Final Thoughts
It's difficult to predict what can happen on any given week. There's so many different variables that can happen that it makes it hard to even guess what could happen. I want to hold myself accountable with these predictions, so I will reference these next week and see how they turned out. While they may seem bold to some, I believe they could easily happen this week.
If you're planning on wagering on football, check out this page which contains sports & casino bonuses for Feb 2022.
Thank you for reading! You can follow me on Twitter @ConbonNFL and check out more of my work on my IDP Guys Author page or my website.
