Passing Matchups Week 8

Photo: Imagn Images

Go here for this week's Rushing Matchups.

Top 5 Passing Matchups

Carolina at Atlanta

The Panthers are rarely a fantasy matchup to jump on, but their weapons could hardly be set up better for Week 8. The Falcons defense, after all, has already made fantasy studs out of Geno Smith (32 of 44, 325 yards, 2 touchdowns) and Jimmy Garoppolo (29 of 41 for 296 and 2). It’s so dire in Atlanta that any matchup gets a boost, and that extends even to P.J. Walker and the low-volume Panthers. Last week, Walker was more efficient (16 of 22 for 177 and 2) against the hard-nosed Buccaneers than anyone expected. Most importantly, he knew to feed the ball to lead playmaker D.J. Moore (7 for 69 on a 45% target share) and get out of the way. As long as the versatile, explosive Moore is manufactured touches, he should threaten his season highs against the overmatched Falcons.

The Falcons pass defense was struggling badly even before last Sunday’s disaster. They’d given up 291 yards a game to opposing passers, then watched Joe Burrow dismantle them for 481 and 3 touchdowns of his own (on 34 of 42 passing). Then, top cornerback A.J. Terrell left with a hamstring injury that coach Arthur Smith has since called “week to week.” With Casey Hayward also shelved and slot man Isaiah Oliver still easing back himself, this secondary is simply too beaten-up to bounce back anytime soon. Replacements Cornell Armstrong and Darren Hall have been burned repeatedly but will still be leaned on for snaps, and the shaky safeties can provide only so much support. It doesn’t help that the pass rush, still in desperate need of a talent infusion, sits dead last in pressure rate and fourth from the bottom in sacks. There’s no white knight coming to rescue this group, so it’s a weekly target for fantasy purposes.

New Orleans vs Las Vegas

The Saints are likely to start Andy Dalton this week over a healthy Jameis Winston, but the offense seems to be very similar with both quarterbacks at the helm. Dalton has technically been the more efficient passer, but his disastrous Week 7 showing doesn’t inspire much confidence; Dalton is no mystery at this point. What’s important to the fantasy community is that either guy can turn volume into usable numbers, especially in favorable matchups like this one. Last week, Dalton struggled mightily but produced 361 yards and 4 touchdowns in catchup mode. And Winston was able to average 286 of his own, with 4 touchdowns, over his 3 early starts. Chris Olave continues to pace an impressive crop of rookie NFL wideouts, and his playmaking ability makes him week-to-week fantasy dynamite. His dance with the undermanned Raiders is truly one to watch. It seems unlikely that Jarvis Landry or Michael Thomas will play this week for the Saints as they've yet to practice for the team.

The Raiders defense has made noticeable strides since 2020 or so when it was the laughingstock of the entire NFL. But it’s still in need of a few pieces, and its shaky depth has been tested (and beaten) throughout the young season. Five of their six opponents have topped 260 yards through the air, ranging from the likes of Patrick Mahomes II (29 of 43 for 292 and 4 touchdowns) down to Davis Mills (28 of 41 for 302 and 2 last week). They’ve yet to face any true marquee wideouts, yet 10 have managed to clear 50 yards against the Raiders. As top cornerback Nate Hobbs goes, so goes the whole unit, and Hobbs was put on injured reserve last week. Until complementary pieces like Rock Ya-Sin and Anthony Averett can show consistency, opposing receivers should continue to feast. Still, not all of the blame falls on the secondary. New addition Chandler Jones has added next to nothing to the pass rush, which sits dead last with just nine sacks. Maxx Crosby has performed as an All-Pro, but can only do so much for this snake-bitten unit.

Las Vegas at New Orleans

The Raiders continue to squeeze efficient, if not explosive, quarterbacking from Derek Carr. The nine-year starter has topped 290 yards twice this year but landed below 250 in three other outings. Carr is generally much more comfortable keeping the ball safely underneath, but he’ll likely loosen up a bit downfield with the Saints missing their top three cornerbacks. If he does, his tight-knit crew of receivers has proven it can capitalize. Davante Adams has dominated targets (30%), as expected, and he’s produced with them (a 6-85-1 average). But Mack Hollins has enjoyed a mini-breakout with a handful of deep balls, and slot man Hunter Renfrow has long proven he can turn his mid-sized role into a big day.

The Saints had finally cultivated a strong, stifling pass defense, one that gave up just 192 yards a game and only two touchdowns over the season’s first three weeks. Since then, they’ve been ravaged by injuries to their top three cornerbacks, and their last four opponents have found much easier footing. The loss of top cover man Marshon Lattimore was enough to make a dent, but Bradley Roby and slot specialist P.J. Williams have now joined him on injured reserve. Going forward, it’s hard to even project how their strained depth chart will shake out. Reserves Chris Harris and Alontae Taylor will be leaned on even harder, and neither impressed in last Sunday’s loss. While the team has few regrets over its new safety duo of Marcus Maye and Tyrann Mathieu, neither boasts the difference-making range on the back end that ex-Saint Marcus Williams brought to the table last year. The result of all these recent shifts has been a wholly beatable group that Derek Carr and his receivers should be able to poke holes in as well.

Houston vs Tennessee

The Texans offense is a tough sell, but there’s ample reason to believe in Week 8. There are big problems in Houston, but it’s not as though this group is devoid of offensive talent. Davis Mills may not be a Hall of Fame-level passer, but he’s proven the ability to compile numbers when the game script calls for it. He spent most of last week in catch-up mode, finishing with 302 yards and a pair of touchdowns. It would surprise no one to see speedster Brandin Cooks shatter his slump when working one-on-one against the Titans’ burnable cornerbacks. He’s set up for a season-best performance, with the matchup (and the likely game script) pointing his way.

The Titans have spent most of 2022 being shredded by opposing quarterbacks. Through 6 games, only the Falcons have allowed more than Tennessee’s 278-yard average, with 4 of their opponents clearing 300. It was most concerning to see struggling passers Matt Ryan (27 of 37 for 356 yards and 2 touchdowns) and Carson Wentz (25 of 38 for 359 and 2) have season-best lines against this crew. It’s not hard to identify the problem: despite ample cash and draft capital spent on edge rushers and cornerbacks, very little talent has panned out. Cornerbacks Kristian Fulton and Roger McCreary have been beaten consistently, while former first-rounder Caleb Farley seems to have tumbled out of the rotation altogether. The result has been a series of big stat lines from opposing wideouts, from Stefon Diggs to Alec Pierce to Dyami Brown. Until any of these guys at least hint at the ability to limit outside receivers, this will remain a juicy weekly target for fantasy folk.