Tell your friends (just not your leaguemates until next week)

by Carly Manger

Published On: October 27th, 2025

Guess who’s back, back again? Oh, it’s me! Back again with another week of Unpacking the NFL. If you are new here, welcome! Every Monday, I will be posting a stat/takeaway dump, unpacking different players and fantasy-related situations around the league.

Week 8 included National Tight End Day! I, for one, was excited! It is usually my favorite. It was just okay this year, nothing special.

In 2024, we saw 16 TDs and 177 receptions from TEs around the league. This year, we got 12 TDs and 106 receptions. Eh. To be fair, there were six teams on bye this year, whereas in 2024, none were.

Here is the full list of TEs to score during the holiday:

Harold Fannin

George Kittle

Dallas Goedert x2

Hunter Henry

Jake Tonges

Charlie Kolar

David Njoku

Mason Taylor

Gunnar Helm

Tucker Kraft x2

At least the founder himself, George Kittle, was able to find the endzone on his own holiday.

That being said, let’s dive in and unpack the stats you need now from Week 8 of the NFL.

Stats provided by Fantasy Points. All scoring is half point per reception (Half-PPR) format with four-point passing TD.

Unpacking the NFL Week 8: The Stats You Need Now

Check out our Premium Tools – Use Code “OptimusFall” for 25% OFF 4 Months!

His Daddy’s Son

Oronde Gadsden has been featured in this article a few times now, and this week is no exception. The rookie TE has proven he can keep getting it done. Over the past three weeks, his route participation rate has increased from 69.2% to 78.7% to 88.2% in Week 8. He has also seen team target shares of 21.1%, 14.5%, and 20% in that same span. Since Week 6, he has averaged 17.1 Half-PPR points per game.

For those of you who don’t know, Gadsden’s father was an NFL WR who played for the Miami Dolphins in the late 90s. He caught Dan Marino‘s final TD pass of his career.

Target Hogs

In Week 8, the Chargers’ offense was extremely condensed. Gadsden and Keenan Allen both saw 20% target shares, and Ladd McConkey saw a season — and team-high 40% target share. This target distribution left one receiver out in the cold.

Despite running a route on 73.5% of the Chargers’ dropbacks in Week 8, Quentin Johnston failed to see a single target. This was the first time in Johnston’s career that he hadn’t seen a single target in a game.

In the first four weeks, Johnston was averaging a 24.3% target share. Since Week 5, he has averaged a 7% target share.

In the first four weeks, McConkey was averaging an 18.6% target share. Since Week 5, he has averaged a 27.6% target share.

Vidal Vision

In Week 8, Kimani Vidal exploded. He took his 23 carries for 117 yards and a TD and added one reception for 10 yards. Sure, the Vikings’ defense is known for being a run-funnel, but Vidal looked good. This was his second week this season with 100+ rushing yards. Since Omarion Hampton‘s injury, Vidal is averaging 15.3 Half-PPR points per game.

Three Backs Are Worse Than One

Where Vidal found success on Thursday night, the Vikings looked like they were running through cement.

In Week 8, Aaron Jones returned from his injured reserve (IR) stint and destroyed Jordan Mason‘s fantasy value. Well, it is not entirely his fault. The running game as a whole was atrocious.

Aaron Jones had 30 total yards: 5 carries, 15 yards, 4 targets, 2 receptions, 15 yards.

Jordan Mason had 6 total yards: 4 carries, 3 yards, 1 target, 1 reception, 3 yards.

Zavier Scott (rushing leader) had 24 total yards: 2 carries, 16 yards, 2 targets, 2 receptions, 8 yards.

WOOF. All Vikings’ RBs will be benched until morale improves.

Zavier Scott led the Vikings in rushing yards with 16, completely from those last 2 minutes

— Nathan Jahnke (@pffnatejahnke.bsky.social) October 23, 2025 at 10:19 PM

For anyone curious about the snap splits, this is what it looked like:

Aaron Jones played 25 snaps, Jordan Mason played 16 snaps, and Zavier Scott played six snaps.

Bi-Jan Disaster

I don’t even know where to begin with this one. Is Kirk Cousins the problem? Is it the coaching staff? Does the universe just hate fantasy managers? Who knows.

In Week 8, Bijan Robinson had only nine carries (yes, nine), which he took for 25 yards. He also caught all three of his targets for 23 yards. Giving one of the best RBs in the league nine carries against the 31st-ranked rushing defense in the league should be a felony. This week marked the fourth time in Bijan’s career that he saw single-digit rush attempts, and one of those games was the one he basically missed due to illness, despite not being on the injury report.

Just Keep Swimming

The Miami Dolphins may not have fired their HC after Week 7, but something clearly changed. They looked like an entirely different team this week. They absolutely demolished the Falcons.

De’Von Achane remains matchup proof, ending the day with 18 carries for 67 yards and five receptions for 24 yards and a TD. He saw a team high 25.9% target share. In Week 8, Achane set a new Miami Dolphins franchise record for being the fastest player (non-QB) to reach 30 career TDs (36 games).

Despite reports earlier in the week that Jaylen Waddle was dealing with hamstrings injuries (yes, plural), he bounced back after a rough Week 7, catching five of his six targets for 99 yards and a TD. His first read target share bounced back from Week 7 (15%), back up to 27.3%. Weirdly enough, Waddle actually ran three fewer routes in Week 8 than he did in Week 7.

Better Call Hall

Before I dive into Breece Hall‘s best game of the season, I would like to take a minute to shout out Evan Sather and his continued confidence in Justin Fields. Fields had a major bounce back this week, proving all of the naysayers, including the Jets’ owner and HC, wrong. I am happy for him. Keep blocking out the outside noise.

Now, back to the matter at hand. In Week 8, Breece Hall finally scored his first rushing TD of the season. He actually had two! He took his 18 carries for 133 yards and two TDs and caught two of his three targets for 14 yards. With Garrett Wilson sidelined with his knee injury, Hall put the team on his back. He even threw the game-winning TD!

This Is How You Do It

I said it last week, and I will say it again. All backup QBs have one job: target your best player over and over and over again. Joe Flacco understands the assignment. Since Week 6, when Flacco started with the Bengals, Ja’Marr Chase has seen 54 targets. The next closest WR? Ladd McConkey with 33 targets. With Flacco behind center, Chase is averaging a 43.8% team target share. That is bananas.

In Week 8, no other Bengal saw above an 8.8% team target share. Talk about consolidation.

Per Evan Ringler: Ja’Marr Chase averaging a respectable 21 targets per game with Joe Flacco

— PlayerProfiler (@playerprofiler.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 4:08 PM

As a Ja’Marr Chase fantasy manager, I couldn’t be happier. However, I also have Tee Higgins in another league, and his situation scares me a bit. Yes, he finished with a respectable 10.9 Half-PPR fantasy points, but all of that came from one singular play. Higgins caught one of his two targets for a 44-yard TD. His average team-target share percentage is down by ~3% since Flacco joined the team. These targets are much better targets than the ones he was seeing from Jake Browning, but he is currently a boom-or-bust WR option in my eyes.

Double Trouble

This offense has seen another shift since Joe Flacco joined the team, this one at the RB position.

Before the trade, Samaje Perine averaged a 31.8% snap share and had nine total rush attempts through five games (1.8 attempts/game). Since Week 6, his snap share has increased to an average of 42.2% and he’s seen 22 attempts in that span (7.3 attempts/game).

In Week 8, both Perine and Chase Brown had 100+ yards from scrimmage. The breakdown looked like this:

Brown: 12 carries, 73 yards, 1 TD / 3 targets, 3 receptions, 32 yards, 1 TD

Perine: 9 carries, 84 yards, 1 TD / 1 target, 1 reception, 6 yards

Samaje Perine is worth adding in every format if he’s out there.

Fannin-tastic

Harold Fannin definitely enjoyed his first National Tight End Day. He caught six of his eight targets for 62 yards and a TD. He also had one carry for two yards. Since David Njoku injured his knee in Week 6, Fannin has averaged a 23.3% team target share. He has actually been the team’s top target the past two weeks. Fannin is second among all TEs in yards after contact with 94 yards.

Both TEs are startable when they are healthy. None of the WRs on this team is capable of doing much.

Wayward Son

Despite only playing 14 snaps, TreVeyon Henderson had 10 rush attempts that he carried for 75 yards. This was Henderson’s second game with double-digit carries and his first game above 35 rushing yards. It is criminal that he didn’t see a single target, but at least he is out there getting work.

Is this shift finally happening? I wouldn’t hold my breath, but who knows! The Browns have been tough to run on this year, and Rhamondre Stevenson clearly struggled. He only had 14 carries on 47 snaps, which he took for 34 yards. Stevenson also caught one of his two targets for 15 yards.

Goodnight Sweet Prince

The biggest news of Week 8 was Cam Skattebo‘s dislocated ankle. If you have not seen the video, I truly do not recommend looking for it. It is graphic. The rookie sensation is done for the year.

In his absence, Tyrone Tracy resumed his role as the starter for the Giants. He had 10 carries for 39 yards and caught two of his three targets for 14 yards. Nothing exciting. He will likely be the top waiver wire pick up of the week, and luckily for him, the Giants won’t have to play the Eagles’ rush defense every week.

One more thing before I move on, because as a Giants fan, I am still not over this:

THAT. WAS. A. FUMBLE.

Kayvon Thibodeaux rips the ball away as Jalen Hurts makes a tush push reach but, whoops, the refs rule his forward progress was stopped and the Eagles get the first down

[image or embed]

— Christian D’Andrea (@trainisland.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 12:46 PM

Gone In 60 Saquons

My hope that the Giants could sweep the Eagles was gone as quickly as Saquon Barkley‘s first TD (he scored 17 seconds into the game). Welp.

Saquon finally did it. He finally had 100+ rushing yards for the first time this season. He took his 14 carries for 150 yards and a TD and caught four of his five targets for 24 yards and a TD. He averaged 10.7 yards per carry!

Saquon injured his groin at the end of the third quarter. He says he could have returned if needed, but by then, they didn’t need him. In his absence, Tank Bigsby had a day. Despite only having nine carries, Bigsby had 104 yards on the ground. He is clearly the backup/insurance policy to own if something were to happen to Barkley.

Cook-ie Monster

James Cook had a DAY. He rushed for 200+ yards for the first time in his career. He became the fourth player in NFL history to have 215+ rushing yards and two or more TDs in a game with fewer than 20 carries. Absolute magic. Sure, it was the Panthers, and it was a blowout win, but who cares! This is fun!

Cook is also having an incredible season. He is currently on pace for 1,828 rushing yards, 189 receiving yards, and 17 TDs. For context, that would have ranked him as the RB4 in 2024 with 319.4 Half-PPR points, 70+ points ahead of his RB8 finish last year, and 10 points ahead of Bijan Robinson.

One major reason Cook is having such an incredible season is his snap share. He is playing more and being used more.

Cook 2024 snap share: 44.6%

Cook 2025 snap share: 60.6% (his career high by almost 10%)

I am not going to give him his own section, but it is worth noting that Josh Allen now holds the NFL record for most games with both a passing TD and a rushing TD (46), surpassing Cam Newton. Allen did it in 117 games, while Newton took 144.

King Of The Flock

The Ravens came out of the bye and remembered that to win football games, you need to get the ball in Derrick Henry‘s hands. Tyler Huntley did what every backup QB should do (see Joe Flacco) and got the ball to his best players over and over and over again.

Henry had 71 yards and two TDs on 21 carries. With those two TDs, he is now fifth all-time in career rushing TDs with 111.

Lamar Jackson should be back for Thursday Night Football against the Dolphins in Week 9 (please, Lamar, I need you), but even if he’s not, Huntley has shown he is capable of doing what needs to be done for fantasy managers.

Bounce Back As Promised

In last week’s Unpacking the NFL, I pointed out that Rome Odunze‘s upcoming schedule would likely allow him to bounce back from the slump that he had been in since the bye. Turns out I was right. He caught seven of his 10 targets for 114 yards. Let’s hope this trend continues.

Young Blood

With both Nico Collins (concussion) and Christian Kirk (hamstring) sidelined, the rookie WRs showed up in a big way for the Texans this week.

Jayden Higgins saw a season and team-high 20.5% target share. He caught four of his eight targets for 34 yards and a TD. Higgins ran a route on 78.6% of the Texans’ dropbacks in Week 8. Before this week, he was averaging a route on 41.2% of dropbacks.

Jaylin Noel saw a season-high 15.4% team target share, catching five of his six targets for 63 yards. Noel ran a route on 45.2% of the Texans’ dropbacks in Week 8. Before this week, he was averaging a route on 32.9% of dropbacks.

Higgins seems like the WR to roster moving forward, but I wouldn’t fault you for taking a shot on either one at the end of your bench.

There’s An Inappropriate Joke Here Somewhere…

In Week 8, we saw an increased backfield split between Nick Chubb and Woody Marks.

Their snap shares were almost identical:

Woody: 40% / Chubb: 42.7%

Chubb outcarried Marks 17 to 11, but Woody was much more efficient on the ground, rushing for 5.6 yards per carry to Chubb’s 3.3 yards per carry. Marks also out-targetted Chubb four to two.

It seems like Woody Marks is making a push to become the lead back in Houston, and he looks electric.

It is also worth noting that HC DeMeco Ryan said this morning that he has no update on Joe Mixon‘s status.

Vegas Knew Something

When I saw the line for the 49ers/Texans game, I thought Vegas was crazy. The Texans were 3.5-point favorites heading into the game. After the Week 7 mess that was the Texans’ offense, I thought there was no chance. I was wrong.

I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that Christian McCaffrey had by far his worst game of the season. He only had eight carries for 25 yards and caught three of his six targets for 43 yards. This was the first time all season he finished with less than 100 scrimmage yards.

I truly think this game says more about the Texans’ defense than anything, but the Mac Jones magic may be over in San Francisco.

Tuck or Treat

Week 8 saw a handful of backfield splits, and Tampa Bay was no exception. In Bucky Irving‘s continued absence, Rachaad White and Sean Tucker split the work, with Tucker finding the endzone.*

White: 57.1% of snaps, 13 carries, 8 routes run

Tucker: 33.9% of snaps, 12 carries, 3 routes run

*The Buccaneers went one for eight on goal-line attempts.

I do not know how things will shake out if Irving returns after their Week 9 bye. I would hold any shares of both White and Tucker until we know more.

J.K., Harvey Scores Again

The Broncos’ offense had a field day against the depleted Cowboys’ defense. J.K. Dobbins was still the team’s lead rusher with 15 carries for 111 yards, but rookie RJ Harvey was the big story of the week.

RJ Harvey maximized every opportunity he got; he scored three TDs on eight total touches (!!).

Troynado Warning

*Courtland Sutton managers look away*

For the third straight week, Troy Franklin has seen a higher target share than Sutton. Earlier in the season, I talked about how their target shares would ping pong back and forth. Now, it seems the ball has landed on and stayed on Franklin’s side. The second year WR had the first multi-TD game of his career, catching six of his eight targets for 89 yards and two TDs.

Since Week 6, Franklin has seen 23.8% of the Broncos’ first read targets, while Sutton has only seen 18.8% of the first read targets. Bo Nix may have a new favorite.

MVP: Taylor’s Version

As both a Jonathan Taylor fantasy manager and a University of Wisconsin alumnus, I had to include this section.

Jonathan Taylor is a god.

Players with most games of 3+ rushing/receiving TDs in a single season, since 2000:

6 – LaDainian Tomlinson
5 – Marshall Faulk
4 – Priest Holmes (2x), Shaun Alexander, JONATHAN TAYLOR*

*It’s only Week 8

[image or embed]

— NFL Daily News (@fantasynflnews.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 5:55 PM

If that isn’t enough to illustrate the insane season Jonathan Taylor is having, check this out:

Remember The Titans?

Another backfield split we need to discuss is the one between Tyjae Spears and Tony Pollard.

In Week 8, Spears out-snapped Pollard 34 to 32, ran five more routes than he did (20 to 15), and saw one more target (three to two). This is the second time in three weeks that Spears has out-snapped Pollard. It is clear that Spears is getting healthier every week, and with all the shifts going on in Tennessee, I wouldn’t be surprised if Spears’ opportunity continued to grow each week.

Kraft-O-Matic

In true Wisconsin fashion, Tucker Kraft saw what the other TEs did on National Tight End day and said, “Hold my beer.” Kraft had a monster night with a team-high 24.3% target share. He continues to be the YAC (yards after the catch) King. He is first among all TEs with 334 yards after the catch this season. He is also first among all TEs with 115 yards after contact (YACo).

RB Roulette

Before their Week 5 bye, Josh Jacobs was averaging 66.1% of the rush attempts. Since their bye, that number has dropped to 53.7% of rush attempts. I am not sure if it is the calf injury nagging him or if he is starting to slow down, but Emanuel Wilson is picking up the slack.

Before their Week 5 bye, Wilson averaged 14.2% of the rush attempts. Since their bye, that number has increased to 24.4%.

Wilson was the leading rusher in Week 8, with 11 carries for 61 yards. He also caught three of his four targets for 26 yards.

 

Well, that’s all I’ve got for this week. Tune in next week for another Unpacking the NFL!

Carly Manger isn’t just an analyst with Optimus Fantasy; she’s THE reason we’re able to bring you all of our great content, thanks to her role as Senior Editor. For breaking news and injury updates, follow Optimus Fantasy News on Bluesky!

Guess who’s back, back again? Oh, it’s me! Back again with another week of Unpacking the NFL. If you are new here, welcome! Every Monday, I will be posting a stat/takeaway dump, unpacking different players and fantasy-related situations around the league.

Week 8 included National Tight End Day! I, for one, was excited! It is usually my favorite. It was just okay this year, nothing special.

In 2024, we saw 16 TDs and 177 receptions from TEs around the league. This year, we got 12 TDs and 106 receptions. Eh. To be fair, there were six teams on bye this year, whereas in 2024, none were.

Here is the full list of TEs to score during the holiday:

Harold Fannin

George Kittle

Dallas Goedert x2

Hunter Henry

Jake Tonges

Charlie Kolar

David Njoku

Mason Taylor

Gunnar Helm

Tucker Kraft x2

At least the founder himself, George Kittle, was able to find the endzone on his own holiday.

That being said, let’s dive in and unpack the stats you need now from Week 8 of the NFL.

Stats provided by Fantasy Points. All scoring is half point per reception (Half-PPR) format with four-point passing TD.

Unpacking the NFL Week 8: The Stats You Need Now

Check out our Premium Tools – Use Code “OptimusFall” for 25% OFF 4 Months!

His Daddy’s Son

Oronde Gadsden has been featured in this article a few times now, and this week is no exception. The rookie TE has proven he can keep getting it done. Over the past three weeks, his route participation rate has increased from 69.2% to 78.7% to 88.2% in Week 8. He has also seen team target shares of 21.1%, 14.5%, and 20% in that same span. Since Week 6, he has averaged 17.1 Half-PPR points per game.

For those of you who don’t know, Gadsden’s father was an NFL WR who played for the Miami Dolphins in the late 90s. He caught Dan Marino‘s final TD pass of his career.

Target Hogs

In Week 8, the Chargers’ offense was extremely condensed. Gadsden and Keenan Allen both saw 20% target shares, and Ladd McConkey saw a season — and team-high 40% target share. This target distribution left one receiver out in the cold.

Despite running a route on 73.5% of the Chargers’ dropbacks in Week 8, Quentin Johnston failed to see a single target. This was the first time in Johnston’s career that he hadn’t seen a single target in a game.

In the first four weeks, Johnston was averaging a 24.3% target share. Since Week 5, he has averaged a 7% target share.

In the first four weeks, McConkey was averaging an 18.6% target share. Since Week 5, he has averaged a 27.6% target share.

Vidal Vision

In Week 8, Kimani Vidal exploded. He took his 23 carries for 117 yards and a TD and added one reception for 10 yards. Sure, the Vikings’ defense is known for being a run-funnel, but Vidal looked good. This was his second week this season with 100+ rushing yards. Since Omarion Hampton‘s injury, Vidal is averaging 15.3 Half-PPR points per game.

Three Backs Are Worse Than One

Where Vidal found success on Thursday night, the Vikings looked like they were running through cement.

In Week 8, Aaron Jones returned from his injured reserve (IR) stint and destroyed Jordan Mason‘s fantasy value. Well, it is not entirely his fault. The running game as a whole was atrocious.

Aaron Jones had 30 total yards: 5 carries, 15 yards, 4 targets, 2 receptions, 15 yards.

Jordan Mason had 6 total yards: 4 carries, 3 yards, 1 target, 1 reception, 3 yards.

Zavier Scott (rushing leader) had 24 total yards: 2 carries, 16 yards, 2 targets, 2 receptions, 8 yards.

WOOF. All Vikings’ RBs will be benched until morale improves.

Zavier Scott led the Vikings in rushing yards with 16, completely from those last 2 minutes

— Nathan Jahnke (@pffnatejahnke.bsky.social) October 23, 2025 at 10:19 PM

For anyone curious about the snap splits, this is what it looked like:

Aaron Jones played 25 snaps, Jordan Mason played 16 snaps, and Zavier Scott played six snaps.

Bi-Jan Disaster

I don’t even know where to begin with this one. Is Kirk Cousins the problem? Is it the coaching staff? Does the universe just hate fantasy managers? Who knows.

In Week 8, Bijan Robinson had only nine carries (yes, nine), which he took for 25 yards. He also caught all three of his targets for 23 yards. Giving one of the best RBs in the league nine carries against the 31st-ranked rushing defense in the league should be a felony. This week marked the fourth time in Bijan’s career that he saw single-digit rush attempts, and one of those games was the one he basically missed due to illness, despite not being on the injury report.

Just Keep Swimming

The Miami Dolphins may not have fired their HC after Week 7, but something clearly changed. They looked like an entirely different team this week. They absolutely demolished the Falcons.

De’Von Achane remains matchup proof, ending the day with 18 carries for 67 yards and five receptions for 24 yards and a TD. He saw a team high 25.9% target share. In Week 8, Achane set a new Miami Dolphins franchise record for being the fastest player (non-QB) to reach 30 career TDs (36 games).

Despite reports earlier in the week that Jaylen Waddle was dealing with hamstrings injuries (yes, plural), he bounced back after a rough Week 7, catching five of his six targets for 99 yards and a TD. His first read target share bounced back from Week 7 (15%), back up to 27.3%. Weirdly enough, Waddle actually ran three fewer routes in Week 8 than he did in Week 7.

Better Call Hall

Before I dive into Breece Hall‘s best game of the season, I would like to take a minute to shout out Evan Sather and his continued confidence in Justin Fields. Fields had a major bounce back this week, proving all of the naysayers, including the Jets’ owner and HC, wrong. I am happy for him. Keep blocking out the outside noise.

Now, back to the matter at hand. In Week 8, Breece Hall finally scored his first rushing TD of the season. He actually had two! He took his 18 carries for 133 yards and two TDs and caught two of his three targets for 14 yards. With Garrett Wilson sidelined with his knee injury, Hall put the team on his back. He even threw the game-winning TD!

This Is How You Do It

I said it last week, and I will say it again. All backup QBs have one job: target your best player over and over and over again. Joe Flacco understands the assignment. Since Week 6, when Flacco started with the Bengals, Ja’Marr Chase has seen 54 targets. The next closest WR? Ladd McConkey with 33 targets. With Flacco behind center, Chase is averaging a 43.8% team target share. That is bananas.

In Week 8, no other Bengal saw above an 8.8% team target share. Talk about consolidation.

Per Evan Ringler: Ja’Marr Chase averaging a respectable 21 targets per game with Joe Flacco

— PlayerProfiler (@playerprofiler.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 4:08 PM

As a Ja’Marr Chase fantasy manager, I couldn’t be happier. However, I also have Tee Higgins in another league, and his situation scares me a bit. Yes, he finished with a respectable 10.9 Half-PPR fantasy points, but all of that came from one singular play. Higgins caught one of his two targets for a 44-yard TD. His average team-target share percentage is down by ~3% since Flacco joined the team. These targets are much better targets than the ones he was seeing from Jake Browning, but he is currently a boom-or-bust WR option in my eyes.

Double Trouble

This offense has seen another shift since Joe Flacco joined the team, this one at the RB position.

Before the trade, Samaje Perine averaged a 31.8% snap share and had nine total rush attempts through five games (1.8 attempts/game). Since Week 6, his snap share has increased to an average of 42.2% and he’s seen 22 attempts in that span (7.3 attempts/game).

In Week 8, both Perine and Chase Brown had 100+ yards from scrimmage. The breakdown looked like this:

Brown: 12 carries, 73 yards, 1 TD / 3 targets, 3 receptions, 32 yards, 1 TD

Perine: 9 carries, 84 yards, 1 TD / 1 target, 1 reception, 6 yards

Samaje Perine is worth adding in every format if he’s out there.

Fannin-tastic

Harold Fannin definitely enjoyed his first National Tight End Day. He caught six of his eight targets for 62 yards and a TD. He also had one carry for two yards. Since David Njoku injured his knee in Week 6, Fannin has averaged a 23.3% team target share. He has actually been the team’s top target the past two weeks. Fannin is second among all TEs in yards after contact with 94 yards.

Both TEs are startable when they are healthy. None of the WRs on this team is capable of doing much.

Wayward Son

Despite only playing 14 snaps, TreVeyon Henderson had 10 rush attempts that he carried for 75 yards. This was Henderson’s second game with double-digit carries and his first game above 35 rushing yards. It is criminal that he didn’t see a single target, but at least he is out there getting work.

Is this shift finally happening? I wouldn’t hold my breath, but who knows! The Browns have been tough to run on this year, and Rhamondre Stevenson clearly struggled. He only had 14 carries on 47 snaps, which he took for 34 yards. Stevenson also caught one of his two targets for 15 yards.

Goodnight Sweet Prince

The biggest news of Week 8 was Cam Skattebo‘s dislocated ankle. If you have not seen the video, I truly do not recommend looking for it. It is graphic. The rookie sensation is done for the year.

In his absence, Tyrone Tracy resumed his role as the starter for the Giants. He had 10 carries for 39 yards and caught two of his three targets for 14 yards. Nothing exciting. He will likely be the top waiver wire pick up of the week, and luckily for him, the Giants won’t have to play the Eagles’ rush defense every week.

One more thing before I move on, because as a Giants fan, I am still not over this:

THAT. WAS. A. FUMBLE.

Kayvon Thibodeaux rips the ball away as Jalen Hurts makes a tush push reach but, whoops, the refs rule his forward progress was stopped and the Eagles get the first down

[image or embed]

— Christian D’Andrea (@trainisland.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 12:46 PM

Gone In 60 Saquons

My hope that the Giants could sweep the Eagles was gone as quickly as Saquon Barkley‘s first TD (he scored 17 seconds into the game). Welp.

Saquon finally did it. He finally had 100+ rushing yards for the first time this season. He took his 14 carries for 150 yards and a TD and caught four of his five targets for 24 yards and a TD. He averaged 10.7 yards per carry!

Saquon injured his groin at the end of the third quarter. He says he could have returned if needed, but by then, they didn’t need him. In his absence, Tank Bigsby had a day. Despite only having nine carries, Bigsby had 104 yards on the ground. He is clearly the backup/insurance policy to own if something were to happen to Barkley.

Cook-ie Monster

James Cook had a DAY. He rushed for 200+ yards for the first time in his career. He became the fourth player in NFL history to have 215+ rushing yards and two or more TDs in a game with fewer than 20 carries. Absolute magic. Sure, it was the Panthers, and it was a blowout win, but who cares! This is fun!

Cook is also having an incredible season. He is currently on pace for 1,828 rushing yards, 189 receiving yards, and 17 TDs. For context, that would have ranked him as the RB4 in 2024 with 319.4 Half-PPR points, 70+ points ahead of his RB8 finish last year, and 10 points ahead of Bijan Robinson.

One major reason Cook is having such an incredible season is his snap share. He is playing more and being used more.

Cook 2024 snap share: 44.6%

Cook 2025 snap share: 60.6% (his career high by almost 10%)

I am not going to give him his own section, but it is worth noting that Josh Allen now holds the NFL record for most games with both a passing TD and a rushing TD (46), surpassing Cam Newton. Allen did it in 117 games, while Newton took 144.

King Of The Flock

The Ravens came out of the bye and remembered that to win football games, you need to get the ball in Derrick Henry‘s hands. Tyler Huntley did what every backup QB should do (see Joe Flacco) and got the ball to his best players over and over and over again.

Henry had 71 yards and two TDs on 21 carries. With those two TDs, he is now fifth all-time in career rushing TDs with 111.

Lamar Jackson should be back for Thursday Night Football against the Dolphins in Week 9 (please, Lamar, I need you), but even if he’s not, Huntley has shown he is capable of doing what needs to be done for fantasy managers.

Bounce Back As Promised

In last week’s Unpacking the NFL, I pointed out that Rome Odunze‘s upcoming schedule would likely allow him to bounce back from the slump that he had been in since the bye. Turns out I was right. He caught seven of his 10 targets for 114 yards. Let’s hope this trend continues.

Young Blood

With both Nico Collins (concussion) and Christian Kirk (hamstring) sidelined, the rookie WRs showed up in a big way for the Texans this week.

Jayden Higgins saw a season and team-high 20.5% target share. He caught four of his eight targets for 34 yards and a TD. Higgins ran a route on 78.6% of the Texans’ dropbacks in Week 8. Before this week, he was averaging a route on 41.2% of dropbacks.

Jaylin Noel saw a season-high 15.4% team target share, catching five of his six targets for 63 yards. Noel ran a route on 45.2% of the Texans’ dropbacks in Week 8. Before this week, he was averaging a route on 32.9% of dropbacks.

Higgins seems like the WR to roster moving forward, but I wouldn’t fault you for taking a shot on either one at the end of your bench.

There’s An Inappropriate Joke Here Somewhere…

In Week 8, we saw an increased backfield split between Nick Chubb and Woody Marks.

Their snap shares were almost identical:

Woody: 40% / Chubb: 42.7%

Chubb outcarried Marks 17 to 11, but Woody was much more efficient on the ground, rushing for 5.6 yards per carry to Chubb’s 3.3 yards per carry. Marks also out-targetted Chubb four to two.

It seems like Woody Marks is making a push to become the lead back in Houston, and he looks electric.

It is also worth noting that HC DeMeco Ryan said this morning that he has no update on Joe Mixon‘s status.

Vegas Knew Something

When I saw the line for the 49ers/Texans game, I thought Vegas was crazy. The Texans were 3.5-point favorites heading into the game. After the Week 7 mess that was the Texans’ offense, I thought there was no chance. I was wrong.

I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that Christian McCaffrey had by far his worst game of the season. He only had eight carries for 25 yards and caught three of his six targets for 43 yards. This was the first time all season he finished with less than 100 scrimmage yards.

I truly think this game says more about the Texans’ defense than anything, but the Mac Jones magic may be over in San Francisco.

Tuck or Treat

Week 8 saw a handful of backfield splits, and Tampa Bay was no exception. In Bucky Irving‘s continued absence, Rachaad White and Sean Tucker split the work, with Tucker finding the endzone.*

White: 57.1% of snaps, 13 carries, 8 routes run

Tucker: 33.9% of snaps, 12 carries, 3 routes run

*The Buccaneers went one for eight on goal-line attempts.

I do not know how things will shake out if Irving returns after their Week 9 bye. I would hold any shares of both White and Tucker until we know more.

J.K., Harvey Scores Again

The Broncos’ offense had a field day against the depleted Cowboys’ defense. J.K. Dobbins was still the team’s lead rusher with 15 carries for 111 yards, but rookie RJ Harvey was the big story of the week.

RJ Harvey maximized every opportunity he got; he scored three TDs on eight total touches (!!).

Troynado Warning

*Courtland Sutton managers look away*

For the third straight week, Troy Franklin has seen a higher target share than Sutton. Earlier in the season, I talked about how their target shares would ping pong back and forth. Now, it seems the ball has landed on and stayed on Franklin’s side. The second year WR had the first multi-TD game of his career, catching six of his eight targets for 89 yards and two TDs.

Since Week 6, Franklin has seen 23.8% of the Broncos’ first read targets, while Sutton has only seen 18.8% of the first read targets. Bo Nix may have a new favorite.

MVP: Taylor’s Version

As both a Jonathan Taylor fantasy manager and a University of Wisconsin alumnus, I had to include this section.

Jonathan Taylor is a god.

Players with most games of 3+ rushing/receiving TDs in a single season, since 2000:

6 – LaDainian Tomlinson
5 – Marshall Faulk
4 – Priest Holmes (2x), Shaun Alexander, JONATHAN TAYLOR*

*It’s only Week 8

[image or embed]

— NFL Daily News (@fantasynflnews.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 5:55 PM

If that isn’t enough to illustrate the insane season Jonathan Taylor is having, check this out:

Remember The Titans?

Another backfield split we need to discuss is the one between Tyjae Spears and Tony Pollard.

In Week 8, Spears out-snapped Pollard 34 to 32, ran five more routes than he did (20 to 15), and saw one more target (three to two). This is the second time in three weeks that Spears has out-snapped Pollard. It is clear that Spears is getting healthier every week, and with all the shifts going on in Tennessee, I wouldn’t be surprised if Spears’ opportunity continued to grow each week.

Kraft-O-Matic

In true Wisconsin fashion, Tucker Kraft saw what the other TEs did on National Tight End day and said, “Hold my beer.” Kraft had a monster night with a team-high 24.3% target share. He continues to be the YAC (yards after the catch) King. He is first among all TEs with 334 yards after the catch this season. He is also first among all TEs with 115 yards after contact (YACo).

RB Roulette

Before their Week 5 bye, Josh Jacobs was averaging 66.1% of the rush attempts. Since their bye, that number has dropped to 53.7% of rush attempts. I am not sure if it is the calf injury nagging him or if he is starting to slow down, but Emanuel Wilson is picking up the slack.

Before their Week 5 bye, Wilson averaged 14.2% of the rush attempts. Since their bye, that number has increased to 24.4%.

Wilson was the leading rusher in Week 8, with 11 carries for 61 yards. He also caught three of his four targets for 26 yards.

 

Well, that’s all I’ve got for this week. Tune in next week for another Unpacking the NFL!

Carly Manger isn’t just an analyst with Optimus Fantasy; she’s THE reason we’re able to bring you all of our great content, thanks to her role as Senior Editor. For breaking news and injury updates, follow Optimus Fantasy News on Bluesky!

Guess who’s back, back again? Oh, it’s me! Back again with another week of Unpacking the NFL. If you are new here, welcome! Every Monday, I will be posting a stat/takeaway dump, unpacking different players and fantasy-related situations around the league.

Week 8 included National Tight End Day! I, for one, was excited! It is usually my favorite. It was just okay this year, nothing special.

In 2024, we saw 16 TDs and 177 receptions from TEs around the league. This year, we got 12 TDs and 106 receptions. Eh. To be fair, there were six teams on bye this year, whereas in 2024, none were.

Here is the full list of TEs to score during the holiday:

Harold Fannin

George Kittle

Dallas Goedert x2

Hunter Henry

Jake Tonges

Charlie Kolar

David Njoku

Mason Taylor

Gunnar Helm

Tucker Kraft x2

At least the founder himself, George Kittle, was able to find the endzone on his own holiday.

That being said, let’s dive in and unpack the stats you need now from Week 8 of the NFL.

Stats provided by Fantasy Points. All scoring is half point per reception (Half-PPR) format with four-point passing TD.

Unpacking the NFL Week 8: The Stats You Need Now

Check out our Premium Tools – Use Code “OptimusFall” for 25% OFF 4 Months!

His Daddy’s Son

Oronde Gadsden has been featured in this article a few times now, and this week is no exception. The rookie TE has proven he can keep getting it done. Over the past three weeks, his route participation rate has increased from 69.2% to 78.7% to 88.2% in Week 8. He has also seen team target shares of 21.1%, 14.5%, and 20% in that same span. Since Week 6, he has averaged 17.1 Half-PPR points per game.

For those of you who don’t know, Gadsden’s father was an NFL WR who played for the Miami Dolphins in the late 90s. He caught Dan Marino‘s final TD pass of his career.

Target Hogs

In Week 8, the Chargers’ offense was extremely condensed. Gadsden and Keenan Allen both saw 20% target shares, and Ladd McConkey saw a season — and team-high 40% target share. This target distribution left one receiver out in the cold.

Despite running a route on 73.5% of the Chargers’ dropbacks in Week 8, Quentin Johnston failed to see a single target. This was the first time in Johnston’s career that he hadn’t seen a single target in a game.

In the first four weeks, Johnston was averaging a 24.3% target share. Since Week 5, he has averaged a 7% target share.

In the first four weeks, McConkey was averaging an 18.6% target share. Since Week 5, he has averaged a 27.6% target share.

Vidal Vision

In Week 8, Kimani Vidal exploded. He took his 23 carries for 117 yards and a TD and added one reception for 10 yards. Sure, the Vikings’ defense is known for being a run-funnel, but Vidal looked good. This was his second week this season with 100+ rushing yards. Since Omarion Hampton‘s injury, Vidal is averaging 15.3 Half-PPR points per game.

Three Backs Are Worse Than One

Where Vidal found success on Thursday night, the Vikings looked like they were running through cement.

In Week 8, Aaron Jones returned from his injured reserve (IR) stint and destroyed Jordan Mason‘s fantasy value. Well, it is not entirely his fault. The running game as a whole was atrocious.

Aaron Jones had 30 total yards: 5 carries, 15 yards, 4 targets, 2 receptions, 15 yards.

Jordan Mason had 6 total yards: 4 carries, 3 yards, 1 target, 1 reception, 3 yards.

Zavier Scott (rushing leader) had 24 total yards: 2 carries, 16 yards, 2 targets, 2 receptions, 8 yards.

WOOF. All Vikings’ RBs will be benched until morale improves.

Zavier Scott led the Vikings in rushing yards with 16, completely from those last 2 minutes

— Nathan Jahnke (@pffnatejahnke.bsky.social) October 23, 2025 at 10:19 PM

For anyone curious about the snap splits, this is what it looked like:

Aaron Jones played 25 snaps, Jordan Mason played 16 snaps, and Zavier Scott played six snaps.

Bi-Jan Disaster

I don’t even know where to begin with this one. Is Kirk Cousins the problem? Is it the coaching staff? Does the universe just hate fantasy managers? Who knows.

In Week 8, Bijan Robinson had only nine carries (yes, nine), which he took for 25 yards. He also caught all three of his targets for 23 yards. Giving one of the best RBs in the league nine carries against the 31st-ranked rushing defense in the league should be a felony. This week marked the fourth time in Bijan’s career that he saw single-digit rush attempts, and one of those games was the one he basically missed due to illness, despite not being on the injury report.

Just Keep Swimming

The Miami Dolphins may not have fired their HC after Week 7, but something clearly changed. They looked like an entirely different team this week. They absolutely demolished the Falcons.

De’Von Achane remains matchup proof, ending the day with 18 carries for 67 yards and five receptions for 24 yards and a TD. He saw a team high 25.9% target share. In Week 8, Achane set a new Miami Dolphins franchise record for being the fastest player (non-QB) to reach 30 career TDs (36 games).

Despite reports earlier in the week that Jaylen Waddle was dealing with hamstrings injuries (yes, plural), he bounced back after a rough Week 7, catching five of his six targets for 99 yards and a TD. His first read target share bounced back from Week 7 (15%), back up to 27.3%. Weirdly enough, Waddle actually ran three fewer routes in Week 8 than he did in Week 7.

Better Call Hall

Before I dive into Breece Hall‘s best game of the season, I would like to take a minute to shout out Evan Sather and his continued confidence in Justin Fields. Fields had a major bounce back this week, proving all of the naysayers, including the Jets’ owner and HC, wrong. I am happy for him. Keep blocking out the outside noise.

Now, back to the matter at hand. In Week 8, Breece Hall finally scored his first rushing TD of the season. He actually had two! He took his 18 carries for 133 yards and two TDs and caught two of his three targets for 14 yards. With Garrett Wilson sidelined with his knee injury, Hall put the team on his back. He even threw the game-winning TD!

This Is How You Do It

I said it last week, and I will say it again. All backup QBs have one job: target your best player over and over and over again. Joe Flacco understands the assignment. Since Week 6, when Flacco started with the Bengals, Ja’Marr Chase has seen 54 targets. The next closest WR? Ladd McConkey with 33 targets. With Flacco behind center, Chase is averaging a 43.8% team target share. That is bananas.

In Week 8, no other Bengal saw above an 8.8% team target share. Talk about consolidation.

Per Evan Ringler: Ja’Marr Chase averaging a respectable 21 targets per game with Joe Flacco

— PlayerProfiler (@playerprofiler.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 4:08 PM

As a Ja’Marr Chase fantasy manager, I couldn’t be happier. However, I also have Tee Higgins in another league, and his situation scares me a bit. Yes, he finished with a respectable 10.9 Half-PPR fantasy points, but all of that came from one singular play. Higgins caught one of his two targets for a 44-yard TD. His average team-target share percentage is down by ~3% since Flacco joined the team. These targets are much better targets than the ones he was seeing from Jake Browning, but he is currently a boom-or-bust WR option in my eyes.

Double Trouble

This offense has seen another shift since Joe Flacco joined the team, this one at the RB position.

Before the trade, Samaje Perine averaged a 31.8% snap share and had nine total rush attempts through five games (1.8 attempts/game). Since Week 6, his snap share has increased to an average of 42.2% and he’s seen 22 attempts in that span (7.3 attempts/game).

In Week 8, both Perine and Chase Brown had 100+ yards from scrimmage. The breakdown looked like this:

Brown: 12 carries, 73 yards, 1 TD / 3 targets, 3 receptions, 32 yards, 1 TD

Perine: 9 carries, 84 yards, 1 TD / 1 target, 1 reception, 6 yards

Samaje Perine is worth adding in every format if he’s out there.

Fannin-tastic

Harold Fannin definitely enjoyed his first National Tight End Day. He caught six of his eight targets for 62 yards and a TD. He also had one carry for two yards. Since David Njoku injured his knee in Week 6, Fannin has averaged a 23.3% team target share. He has actually been the team’s top target the past two weeks. Fannin is second among all TEs in yards after contact with 94 yards.

Both TEs are startable when they are healthy. None of the WRs on this team is capable of doing much.

Wayward Son

Despite only playing 14 snaps, TreVeyon Henderson had 10 rush attempts that he carried for 75 yards. This was Henderson’s second game with double-digit carries and his first game above 35 rushing yards. It is criminal that he didn’t see a single target, but at least he is out there getting work.

Is this shift finally happening? I wouldn’t hold my breath, but who knows! The Browns have been tough to run on this year, and Rhamondre Stevenson clearly struggled. He only had 14 carries on 47 snaps, which he took for 34 yards. Stevenson also caught one of his two targets for 15 yards.

Goodnight Sweet Prince

The biggest news of Week 8 was Cam Skattebo‘s dislocated ankle. If you have not seen the video, I truly do not recommend looking for it. It is graphic. The rookie sensation is done for the year.

In his absence, Tyrone Tracy resumed his role as the starter for the Giants. He had 10 carries for 39 yards and caught two of his three targets for 14 yards. Nothing exciting. He will likely be the top waiver wire pick up of the week, and luckily for him, the Giants won’t have to play the Eagles’ rush defense every week.

One more thing before I move on, because as a Giants fan, I am still not over this:

THAT. WAS. A. FUMBLE.

Kayvon Thibodeaux rips the ball away as Jalen Hurts makes a tush push reach but, whoops, the refs rule his forward progress was stopped and the Eagles get the first down

[image or embed]

— Christian D’Andrea (@trainisland.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 12:46 PM

Gone In 60 Saquons

My hope that the Giants could sweep the Eagles was gone as quickly as Saquon Barkley‘s first TD (he scored 17 seconds into the game). Welp.

Saquon finally did it. He finally had 100+ rushing yards for the first time this season. He took his 14 carries for 150 yards and a TD and caught four of his five targets for 24 yards and a TD. He averaged 10.7 yards per carry!

Saquon injured his groin at the end of the third quarter. He says he could have returned if needed, but by then, they didn’t need him. In his absence, Tank Bigsby had a day. Despite only having nine carries, Bigsby had 104 yards on the ground. He is clearly the backup/insurance policy to own if something were to happen to Barkley.

Cook-ie Monster

James Cook had a DAY. He rushed for 200+ yards for the first time in his career. He became the fourth player in NFL history to have 215+ rushing yards and two or more TDs in a game with fewer than 20 carries. Absolute magic. Sure, it was the Panthers, and it was a blowout win, but who cares! This is fun!

Cook is also having an incredible season. He is currently on pace for 1,828 rushing yards, 189 receiving yards, and 17 TDs. For context, that would have ranked him as the RB4 in 2024 with 319.4 Half-PPR points, 70+ points ahead of his RB8 finish last year, and 10 points ahead of Bijan Robinson.

One major reason Cook is having such an incredible season is his snap share. He is playing more and being used more.

Cook 2024 snap share: 44.6%

Cook 2025 snap share: 60.6% (his career high by almost 10%)

I am not going to give him his own section, but it is worth noting that Josh Allen now holds the NFL record for most games with both a passing TD and a rushing TD (46), surpassing Cam Newton. Allen did it in 117 games, while Newton took 144.

King Of The Flock

The Ravens came out of the bye and remembered that to win football games, you need to get the ball in Derrick Henry‘s hands. Tyler Huntley did what every backup QB should do (see Joe Flacco) and got the ball to his best players over and over and over again.

Henry had 71 yards and two TDs on 21 carries. With those two TDs, he is now fifth all-time in career rushing TDs with 111.

Lamar Jackson should be back for Thursday Night Football against the Dolphins in Week 9 (please, Lamar, I need you), but even if he’s not, Huntley has shown he is capable of doing what needs to be done for fantasy managers.

Bounce Back As Promised

In last week’s Unpacking the NFL, I pointed out that Rome Odunze‘s upcoming schedule would likely allow him to bounce back from the slump that he had been in since the bye. Turns out I was right. He caught seven of his 10 targets for 114 yards. Let’s hope this trend continues.

Young Blood

With both Nico Collins (concussion) and Christian Kirk (hamstring) sidelined, the rookie WRs showed up in a big way for the Texans this week.

Jayden Higgins saw a season and team-high 20.5% target share. He caught four of his eight targets for 34 yards and a TD. Higgins ran a route on 78.6% of the Texans’ dropbacks in Week 8. Before this week, he was averaging a route on 41.2% of dropbacks.

Jaylin Noel saw a season-high 15.4% team target share, catching five of his six targets for 63 yards. Noel ran a route on 45.2% of the Texans’ dropbacks in Week 8. Before this week, he was averaging a route on 32.9% of dropbacks.

Higgins seems like the WR to roster moving forward, but I wouldn’t fault you for taking a shot on either one at the end of your bench.

There’s An Inappropriate Joke Here Somewhere…

In Week 8, we saw an increased backfield split between Nick Chubb and Woody Marks.

Their snap shares were almost identical:

Woody: 40% / Chubb: 42.7%

Chubb outcarried Marks 17 to 11, but Woody was much more efficient on the ground, rushing for 5.6 yards per carry to Chubb’s 3.3 yards per carry. Marks also out-targetted Chubb four to two.

It seems like Woody Marks is making a push to become the lead back in Houston, and he looks electric.

It is also worth noting that HC DeMeco Ryan said this morning that he has no update on Joe Mixon‘s status.

Vegas Knew Something

When I saw the line for the 49ers/Texans game, I thought Vegas was crazy. The Texans were 3.5-point favorites heading into the game. After the Week 7 mess that was the Texans’ offense, I thought there was no chance. I was wrong.

I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that Christian McCaffrey had by far his worst game of the season. He only had eight carries for 25 yards and caught three of his six targets for 43 yards. This was the first time all season he finished with less than 100 scrimmage yards.

I truly think this game says more about the Texans’ defense than anything, but the Mac Jones magic may be over in San Francisco.

Tuck or Treat

Week 8 saw a handful of backfield splits, and Tampa Bay was no exception. In Bucky Irving‘s continued absence, Rachaad White and Sean Tucker split the work, with Tucker finding the endzone.*

White: 57.1% of snaps, 13 carries, 8 routes run

Tucker: 33.9% of snaps, 12 carries, 3 routes run

*The Buccaneers went one for eight on goal-line attempts.

I do not know how things will shake out if Irving returns after their Week 9 bye. I would hold any shares of both White and Tucker until we know more.

J.K., Harvey Scores Again

The Broncos’ offense had a field day against the depleted Cowboys’ defense. J.K. Dobbins was still the team’s lead rusher with 15 carries for 111 yards, but rookie RJ Harvey was the big story of the week.

RJ Harvey maximized every opportunity he got; he scored three TDs on eight total touches (!!).

Troynado Warning

*Courtland Sutton managers look away*

For the third straight week, Troy Franklin has seen a higher target share than Sutton. Earlier in the season, I talked about how their target shares would ping pong back and forth. Now, it seems the ball has landed on and stayed on Franklin’s side. The second year WR had the first multi-TD game of his career, catching six of his eight targets for 89 yards and two TDs.

Since Week 6, Franklin has seen 23.8% of the Broncos’ first read targets, while Sutton has only seen 18.8% of the first read targets. Bo Nix may have a new favorite.

MVP: Taylor’s Version

As both a Jonathan Taylor fantasy manager and a University of Wisconsin alumnus, I had to include this section.

Jonathan Taylor is a god.

Players with most games of 3+ rushing/receiving TDs in a single season, since 2000:

6 – LaDainian Tomlinson
5 – Marshall Faulk
4 – Priest Holmes (2x), Shaun Alexander, JONATHAN TAYLOR*

*It’s only Week 8

[image or embed]

— NFL Daily News (@fantasynflnews.bsky.social) October 26, 2025 at 5:55 PM

If that isn’t enough to illustrate the insane season Jonathan Taylor is having, check this out:

Remember The Titans?

Another backfield split we need to discuss is the one between Tyjae Spears and Tony Pollard.

In Week 8, Spears out-snapped Pollard 34 to 32, ran five more routes than he did (20 to 15), and saw one more target (three to two). This is the second time in three weeks that Spears has out-snapped Pollard. It is clear that Spears is getting healthier every week, and with all the shifts going on in Tennessee, I wouldn’t be surprised if Spears’ opportunity continued to grow each week.

Kraft-O-Matic

In true Wisconsin fashion, Tucker Kraft saw what the other TEs did on National Tight End day and said, “Hold my beer.” Kraft had a monster night with a team-high 24.3% target share. He continues to be the YAC (yards after the catch) King. He is first among all TEs with 334 yards after the catch this season. He is also first among all TEs with 115 yards after contact (YACo).

RB Roulette

Before their Week 5 bye, Josh Jacobs was averaging 66.1% of the rush attempts. Since their bye, that number has dropped to 53.7% of rush attempts. I am not sure if it is the calf injury nagging him or if he is starting to slow down, but Emanuel Wilson is picking up the slack.

Before their Week 5 bye, Wilson averaged 14.2% of the rush attempts. Since their bye, that number has increased to 24.4%.

Wilson was the leading rusher in Week 8, with 11 carries for 61 yards. He also caught three of his four targets for 26 yards.

 

Well, that’s all I’ve got for this week. Tune in next week for another Unpacking the NFL!

Carly Manger isn’t just an analyst with Optimus Fantasy; she’s THE reason we’re able to bring you all of our great content, thanks to her role as Senior Editor. For breaking news and injury updates, follow Optimus Fantasy News on Bluesky!

By Published On: October 27th, 2025

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