Week 8 Fantasy Football: Biggest Surprise and Disappointment

By Guest Writer Maurice Moton:

Fantasy Surprise: Marvin Jones (WR)

In case you haven’t heard by now the Cincinnati Bengals offense is buzzing with the breakout of second-year wide receiver Marvin Jones, scoring four touchdowns against what seemed to be a formidable New York Jets defense. If there was any question about who’s the complementary receiver opposite A. J Green, Jones made it clear on the field Sunday. Any player that manages to score four times against a defensive unit under the coaching of Rex Ryan’s perceived defensive genius deserves mention. In a rare occurrence, the most productive Bengals’ wide receiver on the field was not A.J Green.

This week Jones was a pleasant surprise but he has scored in the previous two games and had 3 TDs prior to the game against the Jets. Bengals Quarterback Andy Dalton will certainly target Jones more often as the confidence in his young receiver has spiked after his Week 8 breakout performance.

Fantasy Disappointment: Eli Manning (QB)

A win is a win in reality but in Fantasy Football terms, Eli Manning did the least with the most statistical Fantasy Football potential in Week 8. The New York Giants took 5 drives to the redzone and Manning failed to convert any of the five possessions into a touchdown against a porous Philadelphia Eagles defense. Manning has a trio of wide receivers that’s capable of racking up points in bunches but had an average performance on Sunday. Manning overthrew Hakeem Nicks in the endzone early in the first quarter and Reuben Randle was held without a catch.

The Eagles bottom-tier defense was able to prevent Manning from executing inside the 20-yard line four times in the first half, in what should have been a blowout. If the Giants QB can’t breakdown an Eagles defense that allows ample scoring opportunities and a fast-paced offense that gives him plenty of time of possession (38:05) on Sunday, fantasy owners should be disappointed with his performance.