9) Emeka Egbuka vs. Saints
Whew. Most fantasy owners feared the worst as Egbuka left the Buccaneers’ Week 6 game with a pulled hamstring. He somehow made it through the week with the questionable tag and ultimately played in Tampa Bay’s Monday night loss against the Lions. He wasn’t particularly efficient as he was only able to convert his 12 targets into 4 grabs for 58 yards, but he was able to play the entire game. The questionable tag should follow him through this week, and while it may be prudent to rest the rookie with the bye week looming in Week 9, the Bucs are extremely shorthanded at receiver. Mike Evans is now lost for the majority of this season, and Chris Godwin will also miss yet another game, leaving Egbuka as the top target for Baker Mayfield, along with veteran Sterling Shepherd and fellow rookie Tez Johnson. Keep an eye on his status and be prepared to sub in one of his teammates if you can. The Bucs will look to get back into the win column against the Saints, and as they have all season, they will rely on Baker Mayfield’s arm to get them there.
10) Nico Collins vs. 49ers
Collins left last week’s game with a concussion and is currently in the league’s concussion protocol, something he will need to clear by Friday if we expect him to take the field on Sunday. As of now, he has not taken the practice field, so keep an eye on him as we get closer to kickoff. His teammate, Christian Kirk, is also still not practicing as he works his way back from a hamstring injury. If neither veteran can go, the Texans will have to find somebody to catch passes from C.J. Stroud other than Daulton Schultz and Woody Marks. Last week, rookie Jaylin Noel led the wide receivers with 7 targets for 4 catches and 77 yards. It’s possible that it will be Noel again, but if Collins has to miss the game, I would take a flyer on the other rookie, Jayden Higgins. Higgins played a season high 48 snaps last week, and although he failed to reel in any of his 3 targets, he profiles as a bigger body pass catcher that could step up should Collins not go. If Collins plays, he’s in your lineup, as Houston isn’t running the ball on anybody right now with very much success.
Also, make sure to check out our Top 10 Running Backs for Week 8.
