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Mike Fanelli gives his fantasy football bold predictions for Week 8 of the NFL season, giving fantasy players something to think about when setting their lineups.
Week 8 is here, and I’m back with another edition of fantasy football bold predictions. This week’s list of bold predictions will include Dak Prescott, Dameon Pierce, Nico Collins, Josh Downs, and Michael Mayer.
Every week, I will provide some fun and bold fantasy football predictions. While these bold predictions aren’t the most likely outcomes, they are things I believe could happen this week.
Let’s look at my five bold predictions for Week 8 of the 2023 NFL season.
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Dak Prescott…
Has his best performance this season
Prescott was once considered a top-10 or even top-five fantasy quarterback. However, those days are behind him. Unfortunately, the veteran is the QB20, averaging only 14 fantasy points per game this season. He has scored fewer than 14.5 fantasy points in all but two games. Yet, Prescott is prime to have a massive performance in Week 8 against the Los Angeles Rams.
The former Mississippi State quarterback had his best performance in Week 6, totaling 272 passing yards and 24.9 fantasy points, both season highs. Furthermore, he had an impressive 18-yard rushing touchdown, his first rushing score this year. More importantly, the Dallas Cowboys had their bye in Week 7, giving them two weeks to prepare for Los Angeles at home. Meanwhile, the Rams have lost two of their past three games, including against the Pittsburgh Steelers coming off a bye last week.
Los Angeles has one superstar on defense -- Aaron Donald. The rest of the unit is all non-household name players. More importantly, the Rams have struggled to slow down quarterbacks over the past month. Outside of the matchup against Joshua Dobbs, Los Angeles has surrendered 24 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, including 15.2 to Kenny Pickett in Week 7, despite the young quarterback not having a passing touchdown.
Dameon Pierce…
Is a top-12 running back
Last year, Pierce was the RB15, averaging 11.6 half-point PPR fantasy points per game before an injury ended his rookie season after 14 weeks. Many had high hopes for the second-year running back in 2023. Unfortunately, the former Florida Gator has been a fantasy bust. He is the RB31, averaging only 7.8 fantasy points per game, scoring 8.8 or fewer in all but two games this season.
However, this is the week that Pierce turns things around and has a massive fantasy performance. The Houston Texans are facing the Carolina Panthers, one of the worst teams at stopping running backs this year. Carolina has surrendered 31.5 fantasy points per game to running backs, the second-most in the NFL. They have given up at least 32 fantasy points to opposing running backs in all but two games this season, including two consecutive contests.
The Panthers have allowed opposing running backs to total at least 130 rushing yards in all but one game in 2023. That one exception came in Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints without Alvin Kamara. More importantly, Carolina has given up two or more rushing touchdowns to running backs in all but one game this season, including five over their past two matchups.
Nico Collins…
Is the overall WR1
Let’s stick with the Houston Texans and their breakout third-year wide receiver. Collins has been outstanding for fantasy players in 2023. He is the WR13, averaging 14.5 half-point PPR fantasy points per game. The former Michigan wide receiver leads the team in receptions (29), receiving yards (547), and touchdowns (three). Furthermore, Collins has already matched his career total in receiving touchdowns (three) over the first six games this year.
More importantly, he has been a go-to guy for C.J. Stroud. The rookie quarterback has targeted the third-year receiver on nearly a fifth of his pass attempts this season. Despite having double-digit targets in only one game, Collins has scored at least 10 fantasy points in all but two contests. Furthermore, the former Michigan wide receiver had over 145 receiving yards in a third of the games in 2023.
Meanwhile, the Carolina Panthers have held wide receivers to 26.3 fantasy points per game, around the league average. However, they’ve gotten obliterated by opposing No. 1 wide receivers. The Panthers have surrendered an average of 5.6 receptions on 8.6 targets for 104.4 receiving yards and 18 fantasy points per game to No. 1 wide receivers since Week 1. Houston had their bye in Week 6 and should come out ready to pick apart a banged-up Carolina secondary.
Josh Downs…
Is a top-20 wide receiver
The 2023 rookie wide receiver class has been outstanding. Puka Nacua is a fantasy superstar, while Zay Flowers, Jordan Addison, Tank Dell, and others have flashed star talent. However, one guy not getting enough credit is Downs. The former North Carolina star wide receiver is coming off the best performance in his career.
Last week, the rookie wide receiver had five receptions on six targets for 125 receiving yards and a touchdown against the Cleveland Browns. Downs scored 21 half-point PPR fantasy points in the loss, a career-high. More importantly, the Browns had completely shut down opposing wide receivers before facing the Indianapolis Colts in Week 7, giving up only 14.3 fantasy points per game to the position.
However, the former North Carolina star has a more appealing matchup against the New Orleans Saints in Week 8. The NFC South team has done an excellent job slowing down outside wide receivers. Yet, they’ve struggled against slot players. According to Fantasy Points Data, Downs runs a route 86.1% of the time from the slot. More importantly, the rookie has been the WR10 over the past three weeks, averaging 14.8 fantasy points per game with Gardner Minshew under center.
Michael Mayer…
Is a top-six tight end
Tight ends usually don’t have much fantasy football value during their rookie season. However, the 2023 draft class has broken that trend. Sam LaPorta is the TE3, averaging 10.5 half-point PPR fantasy points per game. Meanwhile, Dalton Kincaid and Luke Musgrave have had solid fantasy performances. However, the one rookie not getting enough attention is Mayer.
Two weeks ago, the former Notre Dame star had a breakout performance in Week 6 against the New England Patriots, totaling five receptions on six targets for 75 receiving yards and 10 fantasy points in the win. The breakout performance was exciting since the rookie had only three receptions on five targets for 41 receiving yards and 7.6 fantasy points over the first five weeks.
Unfortunately, Mayer had a poor performance last week, totaling two receptions on four targets for 13 receiving yards and 2.3 fantasy points. However, that was with Brian Hoyer and Aidan O’Connell under center. Thankfully, Jimmy Garoppolo should start against the Detroit Lions. Meanwhile, the NFC North division leaders have surrendered 12.7 fantasy points per game to tight ends, the second-most in the NFL. They have given up three receiving touchdowns to tight ends over the past three games.
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