Three fantasy football RB options to stream in NFL Week 8, including Houston Texans’ Woody Marks.
Running back has been a difficult position to come by in fantasy football this season. With a half-dozen teams sitting on bye in Week 8, that doesn’t feel likely to change. I will admit that I was a little worried about finding decent options to include in this week’s low-owned fantasy football RB pickups column. Fully prepared to make the case for Devin Neal (1.6%) as an option in the wake of Kendre Miller’s injury, I was pleasantly surprised that we didn’t need to go quite that deep down the board. While Neal is a sneaky add for those with extra bench space, managers in need of a Week 8 streamer at the position should be able to find a better candidate available in their league.
Let’s take a look at some low-owned fantasy football RB pickups and streamers for Week 8. Also, make sure to check out our Week 8 fantasy football rankings!
Fantasy Football RB Pickups for Week 8
Woody Marks, Houston Texans (56.6%)
It’s no secret that the Texans’ offensive line is not great, but it comes as a bit of a surprise how quickly the fantasy world seems to be giving up on Woody Marks. A touchdown may have saved his night this past week, but Marks has now scored at least 12.5 PPR points in two of his last three games. Oh by the way, Week 7 saw Marks achieve his most favorable snap count to date relative to veteran backfield cohort, Nick Chubb. The rookie out of USC played 63% of the snaps, totaling ten carries and five targets in the passing game. Meanwhile, Chubb only played 25% of the snaps with just five carries and three targets.
As the better pass-catching back, it’s possible that the Texans falling behind early last week aided Marks’ snap share. Nonetheless, he is clearly the better RB of the two, with Chubb simply not being what he once was. As a result, we are looking at a young player who could see even more work as the season goes on in the top RB role for his tea,m available in over 40% of leagues.
Aiding Marks’ case as a fantasy football RB pickups option in Week 8 is a matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. The Niners are well-coached defensively but have lost their two biggest stars for the season to injuries. It’s also worth noting that the 49ers have allowed the fifth-most receptions (36) to opposing RBs. Marks could be lined up for a solid floor day in PPR formats thanks to his pass-catching abilities.
Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons (36.7%)
At this point, we pretty much know what Tyler Allgeier is, which is little more than a complementary/change-of-pace to fantasy football superstar Bijan Robinson. His workload varies week-to-week and is largely dependent on game script. Allgeier has been a focal point for the Falcons down in the red zone and has scored three touchdowns on the season to date. While he also has four games with double-digit rushing attempts, he typically doesn’t play more than 30% of the offensive snaps in a given game.
With all of that being said, there is no denying the value that Allgeier holds as a handcuff and insurance policy to Robinson. The right matchup could also allow him to have FLEX appeal even with Robinson healthy, and it appears Week 8 could be one of those instances. Allgeier and the Falcons will be hosting a Miami Dolphins team that ranks 31st in defensive EPA/rush and has ceded the third-most PPR fantasy points to the RB position on a per-game basis.
The Dolphins have also given up a whopping 159.3 rushing yards per game to their opponents. Only the Buffalo Bills are even in the same zip code of that dubious mark at this point in the season, and we saw what Atlanta’s offense was able to do that that defense just two weeks ago. The Falcons should be playing from in front in this game which will lead to more rushing attempts and, in all likelihood, more playing time in general for Allgeier to help elevate him into the fantasy football RB pickups and streaming conversation.
More Fantasy Football Streamers Week 8
Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans (31.6%)
Another week, another Tyjae Spears sighting amongst our top fantasy football RB pickups options. The Titans still stink, but this remains a split backfield since Spears made his delayed season debut after starting the year on IR. After holding a slight edge in snap counts over Tony Pollard two weeks ago, Spears was on the wrong end of the distribution in Week 7. Even so, he was still on the field for 43% of Tennessee’s plays and accumulated nine total opportunities (five carries, four targets).
It was interesting to see Pollard get six targets in the passing game last week, given the previous distribution of work between the two backs. While all signs pointed to Spears being the guy in passing situations, that changed in the Titans’ first game after firing Brian Callahan. It remains to be seen whether this was an outlier or a trend going forward. At any rate, Spears is involved in both phases of the game enough to warrant streaming/FLEX appeal on a weekly basis. The fact that he is rostered in just over 30% of ESPN leagues while Pollard’s ownership remains north of 85% is rather nonsensical given the balanced touch distribution.
In Week 8, Spears will get the opportunity to go up against an Indianapolis Colts defense that has exceeded expectations in the eyes of many up to this point. Dig a little deeper, though, and there could be some statistical regression coming. While the Colts have allowed the sixth-fewest rushing yards per game, they rank just 16th in defensive EPA/rush. If the Titans’ offensive line can win some battles up front, Spears could be primed for a better-than-expected performance. The beleaguered state of the team’s wide receiver room adds to his fantasy football RB pickups appeal.
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