NFL Usage Trends from Week 8: Fantasy Football Notes for All 32 Teams

Week 8 of fantasy football might be known as the blowout week. Or it might be known as the backup running back week. How about the backup quarterback who stinks week? Whatever it was for you, the Week 8 Byemaggedon is behind us, and we can hopefully build back our better lineups going forward. With so many teams on bye and so many players hurt, the usage trends were interesting.

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This weekly piece will look at those trends and make recommendations for players who might be worth rostering or starting in our fantasy lineups. We will look primarily at how roles changed over the first five games of the season for a player on each team, and if that is signal or noise this early in the year.

If you have interesting usage notes, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter/X (@CableBoxScore) and let me know. Let’s dive into the NFL Week 8 usage!

NFL Week 8 Usage Trends

ARIZONA CARDINALS

The Arizona Cardinals Were on Bye For Week 8

Happy National Tight Ends Day to all who celebrate! 😤 pic.twitter.com/8xHBufs3Ds

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) October 26, 2025

ATLANTA FALCONS

Two Big Duds

Bijan Robinson had what appeared to be the dream matchup against a Miami Dolphins defense that has been absolutely destroyed by opposing running backs. Because football can be a cruel game sometimes, Robinson finished the game with just 25 rushing yards, 23 receiving yards, and a lost fumble. A game like this, you have to just chalk it up as an outlier and hope he regresses back to his normal elite production next week.

Darnell Mooney looked like he also would have an incredible opportunity on Sunday after teammate Drake London was ruled out before the game started. Instead, Kirk Cousins found a way for Mooney to only get one catch for 11 yards in a game where the Falcons trailed by multiple scores almost the entire game. Mooney was a popular grab-and-stream player on Sunday morning, but did nothing to help fantasy managers.

BALTIMORE RAVENS

National Tight End Day Doesn’t Come for Mark Andrews

Mark Andrews wasn’t able to take advantage of backup Tyler Huntley’s 77% completion percentage or 186 yards on Sunday. Andrews finished National Tight End Day with just 34 receiving yards and no touchdowns. He hopes to get Lamar Jackson back next week so those end zone targets can tick back up.

BUFFALO BILLS

James Cook: Efficiency Hero

James Cook didn’t quite reach the fantasy points Jonathan Taylor produced, but Cook dominated his game as well. He rushed 19 times for 216 yards and a pair of touchdowns, amassing 33.6 fantasy points without catching a single pass. This was a much-needed reset for Cook after back-to-back games with fewer than 10 fantasy points. Somehow, he did this while only playing 44% of the team’s offensive snaps.

CAROLINA PANTHERS

Dowdle Disappointment

In a blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills, running back Rico Dowdle played only 36% of the snaps, and it seems the team is back to giving Chuba Hubbard most of the work (57%). Those consecutive 200-yard games didn’t go too far, I guess, but we will need to see how these two perform in a neutral game script before making any final determinations.

CHICAGO BEARS

We Now Have a Split Backfield

This game against the Baltimore Ravens was within one score for most of the contest, which makes the running back usage very interesting. D’Andre Swift played on 49% of snaps, while Kyle Monangai played 48%. Swift almost doubled him in touches (13 to 7), but even playing time is a new development here.

CINCINNATI BENGALS

Flacco to the Rescue

I knew Ja’Marr Chase had been seeing a lot of targets, but this is really something.

Most targets since Week 6:

54 – Ja'Marr Chase
53 –
52 –
51 –
50 –
49 –
48 –
47 –
46 –
45 –
44 –
43 –
42 –
41 –
40 –
39 –
38 –
37 –
36 –
35 –
34 – Ladd McConkey pic.twitter.com/byACFqX5Al

— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) October 27, 2025

CLEVELAND BROWNS

Quinshon Judkins Injury Fallout

We don’t know how serious Quinshon Judkins’ injury is yet, but after he left, Dylan Sampson played 46% of the snaps, and Jerome Ford played 24%. It appears the Browns want Ford to stay in a third-down, hurry-up role. That would mean Sampson would get all the base work if Judkins missed any time.

DALLAS COWBOYS

Jake Ferguson Bombs

The number one tight end in fantasy football heading into Week 8 ended that game with just one target and no receptions. Jake Ferguson had a touchdown or at least 78 yards receiving in six straight games heading into this game, where he put up a big fat donut.

DENVER BRONCOS

Troy Franklin Breakout

Troy Franklin was the preferred target for Bo Nix (his University of Oregon teammate) on Sunday and pulled in six of eight targets for 89 yards and two touchdowns. Franklin’s 23.9 Half-PPR points were more than his last three weeks combined, but he did have 19 targets in those games. The usage has been there, and against Dallas, Franklin finally put it all together.

DETROIT LIONS

The Detroit Lions Were on Bye For Week 8

🏁🏁🏁 pic.twitter.com/vcgW5OWJ1g

— Detroit Lions (@Lions) October 25, 2025

GREEN BAY PACKERS

Kraft Time Again

Tucker Kraft bullied his way to seven catches for 143 yards and two touchdowns against Pittsburgh on Sunday Night Football. After some time missed, he is working his way back to the production he had in the first few weeks of the season when it looked like Kraft was going to be the clear TE1 this season. A full 25% of Jordan Love’s targets on Sunday night went to Kraft.

HOUSTON TEXANS

New Running Back Normal?

After a game where the Texans trailed the whole time in Week 7, it was interesting to see the running back breakdown when the Texans were winning the whole game. Woody Marks played 40% of snaps after playing 63% last week. Chubb was up from 25% in Week 7 to 44% in Week 8.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

Taylor the Terror

Jonathan Taylor played his lowest snap percentage since Week 1 (74%). Did it matter? Of course not. After three touchdowns, Taylor now has four games this season with at least three total touchdowns and is up to 14 touchdowns through less than half of the 2025 NFL season. He piled up another 174 total yards and three scores on Sunday, this time on just 14 total touches, for an average of 12.4 yards per play. He is having an absolutely ridiculous season and would be the clear 1.1 if we were to draft the 2025 season all over again.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

The Jacksonville Jaguars Were on Bye For Week 8

See y’all next week 🙂#DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/N9oQU3mvGF

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) October 26, 2025

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Rashee Rice Role Doubles

Last week, in his first game back from suspension and injury, Rashee Rice played on 41% of Kansas City’s snaps. In Week 8, that jumped to 80%. He caught nine passes for 93 yards and a touchdown (and almost another one), and is clearly Patrick Mahomes’ favorite target now that he is back to a full-time role.

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS

The Las Vegas Raiders Were on Bye For Week 8

We are signing free agent WR Tyler Lockett.

ℹ️ https://t.co/vYklIZ9W01 pic.twitter.com/FlIMNNFjBY

— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) October 27, 2025

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

Vidal Bellcow Evidence

With only Jaret Patterson available to back him up last Thursday night, Kimani Vidal touched the ball 24 times for 117 yards and a touchdown against Minnesota. He played 74% of the snaps, which was the highest number for a Chargers running back since Omarion Hampton in Week 4. With Hampton still in a walking boot as of this weekend, it could be the Vidal show for some time.

LOS ANGELES RAMS

The Los Angeles Rams Were on Bye For Week 8

pLAymakers📸 pic.twitter.com/tTajFQTYiv

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) October 23, 2025

MIAMI DOLPHINS

Jaylen Waddle Resurrection

Jaylen Waddle took advantage of a rejuvenated Tua Tagovailoa and managed to catch five of six targets for 99 yards and a touchdown. In a day when only one wide receiver hit 100 receiving yards, Waddle’s performance stood out, especially for a team that was ineffective on offense the last three weeks.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS

Aaron Jones Sr. Still the Lead Back

Aaron Jones missed five games with an injury, but immediately came back and took over the majority share of the running back workload for the Minnesota Vikings. He played on 53% of snaps while Jordan Mason played just 35%. Jones touched the ball more than Mason and outpaced Mason, who only finished with six total yards.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Maye-be the MVP?

Drake Maye led all quarterbacks in fantasy points heading into Sunday Night Football (he would eventually be passed by Jordan Love), and left the field to MVP chants on Sunday after blowing out the Cleveland Browns. Maye passed for 282 yards, threw three touchdowns, and added 50 yards with his legs. He has scored fewer than 23 fantasy points once in the last five weeks. At sportsbooks, Maye is now third in MVP odds behind Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Rattler No More?

Spencer Rattler was benched on Sunday against Tampa Bay in favor of rookie Tyler Shough. Rattler had accumulated three points and two turnovers when New Orleans made the change, even though Shough wasn’t able to do much better. There should be an announcement this week about who will start moving forward, but it shouldn’t matter. None of these guys belong on fantasy football rosters.

NEW YORK GIANTS

Darisus Slayton Missed Opportunity

Darius Slayton just hasn’t stepped into a bigger role for the Giants ever since Malik Nabers went down with an injury. He did have a long, 68-yard touchdown called back on an offensive pass interference call Sunday, but managed to finish with just two catches for 26 yards. The last time he had more than 44 yards in a game was on September 14. Can he produce without Nabers or Cam Skattebo? We will see.

NEW YORK JETS

Breece Hall Redemption Game

Breece Hall has been through the ringer this year and hasn’t scored more than 15 fantasy points in any game in 2025, while his team watched their season go down the toilet. On Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, Hall put the team on his back and led them to a 39-38 victory for their first win of the season. He rushed for 133 yards and a pair of touchdowns and also threw a touchdown to tight end Mason Taylor in the fourth quarter. When given the opportunity, Hall can still be one of the more dynamic players in the game.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Dallas Goedert Does a Lot With a Little

Dallas Goedert now has seven touchdowns in his last six games, as Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles have apparently decided to evolve into a passing team lately. Goedert’s day is a little fluky, as he only had three targets on the day, with two of them going for touchdowns, but he is Hurts’ favorite red zone weapon this season.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Roman Wilson Time

Roman Wilson has seen his targets, receptions, and yards increase each of the last three weeks. It culminated with four catches for 74 yards and a touchdown on Sunday. Wilson has played about half of the snaps for two weeks straight, and may start to get a bigger shot soon.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

Bold McCaffrey Strategy, Cotton

Christian McCaffrey did not touch the ball in the first quarter against the Houston Texans, which is certainly an interesting strategy against a team with one of the best pass defenses in the NFL. He finished the game with just 11 touches for 68 yards, with 38 of those yards coming on two receptions late in the game. His lack of usage in this game was certainly perplexing, considering he has been getting RB1 and WR1 usage combined through the first seven weeks of the season.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

The Seattle Seahawks Were on Bye For Week 8

The numbers speak for themselves. pic.twitter.com/gO4hyscrsR

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) October 25, 2025

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

Emeka Egbuka Targeted, But Production Doesn’t Come

Emeka Egbuka hoped to benefit from Chris Godwin and Mike Evans being out of the matchup against New Orleans. But he disappointed us all with just three catches for 25 targets. He did have nine targets to lead the team, so this just looked like a rare day where Baker Mayfield was off target on his throws, leading to a few field goals and only a couple of rushing touchdowns for Tampa Bay.

TENNESSEE TITANS

Tyjae Spears Taking Over

We know the Tennessee Titans are going to be trailing in a lot of games. That’s good news for Tyjae Spears, who actually outsnapped Tony Pollard in Week 8, 52% to 46%. He also outgained Pollard 82 yards to 53, and Spears is the one who ended up with a rushing touchdown against the Colts.

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS

Clearer Running Back Roles

Jacory Croskey-Merritt was in this game against Kansas City on 28 of 35 early-down snaps and was in on none of the third-down plays. Jeremy McNichols got a lot of work because of the Commanders trailing the whole second half and needing to play catch-up. JCM’s role will be bigger (only nine rush attempts Monday) in games where Washington is ahead or protecting a lead.

Data Sources: Pro Football Focus, NFL Next Gen Stats, Football Guys Snap Summary, FTN Air Yards, Pro Football Reference, Team Rankings, Fantasy Points Data Suite