Sizzle or Fizzle – NFL Week 8
26 October 2023 • by Bryan Oldham
Welcome to Sizzle or Fizzle! Every week, we’ll look at some fantasy trends and NFL storylines to discuss if they’ll continue (sizzle) or taper off and change direction (fizzle).
Keep in mind, we aren’t going to inundate you with stats, nor are we going to do deep dives into these topics. We’re keeping things bite-sized on purpose, so you can get the quick hits and make decisions accordingly. Let’s dive in ahead of Week 8.
Sizzle: Jordan Addison Breakout is in Full Swing
Justin Jefferson is the WR 1 on the Vikings. Heck, he’s arguably the best player in the NFL when healthy. Unfortunately for us fans, Justin Jefferson is still shelved, and we don’t know when he’ll return.
Fortunately, though, the Vikings invested the 23rd overall pick this year in Jordan Addison, and we are starting to see why. After a good start, Addison had a small dip in production, then boomed in Week 7 with 7 catches for 123 yards and two tuddies. He’s thriving without Jefferson, and given the way Cousins is slinging the rock, Addison and Jefferson can easily co-exist when the latter returns. We love high-performing rookie WRs, and Addison fits that bill well. Keep it rolling and trust the Vikings offense for fantasy.
Fizzle: Josh Jacobs is an RB1 This Year
It was fun while it lasted. 2022 saw the ascension of Josh Jacobs, an absolute monster when unleashed. He finally lived up to his first-round pedigree, and his rapport with Derek Carr and co made him looked primed for another great year in 2023.
Then the Raiders franchise tagged him and the dam broke. Jacobs held out, the team threatened to cut or trade him, and the media ate it up. In the aftermath, Jacobs has seen awful efficiency on monster usage this year. While it’s extremely likely that he will swing back and reclaim his spot as an elite fantasy option, the Raiders’ offense is spotty at best and if they can’t get Davante Adams going, it’s hard to imagine a team playing from behind often can get the run game up to par.
Sizzle: Deshaun Watson is Done
Ooof. Insert the Homelander huffing meme here. This deal gets worse and worse for the Browns every week. Last year, Watson looked like a guy who hadn’t played football in 2 years. Now, he looks like a guy who is adjusting to a new offense and has lost a step athletically. Compound that with the shoulder injury, and Watson is on the verge of having almost 3 years of NFL football lost with nothing to show for it on the field.
Say what you will about the off-field issues, but as far as fantasy football goes, you can’t rely on Watson. He’ll remain a QB2/superflex option when healthy, but no one would fault you for moving on and streaming for the rest of the year. If he figures it out, great, but I’ll take my chances and fold this hand.
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