Week 8 Passing Matchups

Go here for this week's Rushing Matchups.

Top 5 Passing Matchups

Green Bay vs Jacksonville

Jordan Love has hit midseason form and is playing at a high level for the Packers, lighting up his last two opponents with impressive stats. Love has completed 71% of his passes for 478 yards and 7 touchdowns over the past two weeks, showing significant progress in his development. His connection with a young, versatile receiving corps is a big part of this success, even though the Packers don't have a clear No. 1 target who commands most of the attention. Romeo Doubs appears to be emerging as a top option in this offense. Since returning from his one-game suspension, Doubs has earned 22% of Love's targets, making him the top receiver in the offense. Meanwhile, the Packers' deep pool of playmakers—including Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, and Dontayvion Wicks—has been a big part of Love's success, as they've combined for 35 touchdowns in their last 22 games with Love at the helm. Tight end Tucker Kraft has also emerged as a red-zone threat, catching four touchdowns. While this makes it challenging to predict which player will have the biggest game, the depth of options makes Love a top-tier fantasy quarterback play for Week 8.

The Jaguars defense has struggled immensely against the pass this season. They rank near the bottom of the league, 31st in yardage allowed per game and 30th in yards per attempt, while also allowing the most passing touchdowns. Despite the return of cornerback Tyson Campbell and the addition of solid veterans like Ronald Darby and promising rookie Jarrian Jones, the Jaguars' defense has been unable to stop opponents through the air. Their issues are compounded by a pass rush failing to produce consistently. The Jaguars rank 26th in pressure rate and rarely blitz, with only three players recording more than one sack. In the secondary, safeties Andre Cisco and Darnell Savage offer little help in coverage. While Cisco is a solid run defender, his struggles in deep coverage leave the Jaguars vulnerable to big plays, making this a highly exploitable matchup for Love and the Packers' offense.

Houston vs Indianapolis

C.J. Stroud is coming off of one of his least productive games as a professional, struggling against the Packers' pressure-heavy defense. Stroud completed fewer than 5.5 yards per attempt, a rare downturn in his usually high-efficiency play. However, with the Colts' vulnerable pass defense on tap, a strong bounce-back performance is highly likely. The Packers stifled Stroud, sacking him four times and applying relentless pressure throughout the game. This forced the Texans to lean heavily on their running game, taking the ball out of Stroud's hands more often than usual. Tank Dell was held in check, failing to catch any of his four targets. Despite the off week, the Texans' offense, particularly Stroud, should thrive against a Colts unit that has been porous against high-level passers. Even with star receiver Nico Collins potentially missing due to injury, Stroud still has reliable pass-catchers in Dell and Stefon Diggs, who continues to be an efficient target, catching 76% of his passes and scoring three red-zone touchdowns. Dell, who had a strong rookie season in 2023, is overdue for a big breakout game in 2024, and the Colts' secondary offers an ideal opportunity for him to do so.

While the Colts' defense appears improved over their last two games, having allowed just 95 and 161 passing yards, context is key. Those numbers came against the struggling Will Levis and a backup duo of Tyler Huntley and Tim Boyle. Before that, however, they were consistently shredded by more competent quarterbacks. Caleb Williams, Justin Fields, and Trevor Lawrence each topped 300 passing yards and completed nearly 70% of their throws in their matchups against Indianapolis. The Colts rank 21st in pressuring the quarterback and limiting yards per completion while also struggling to defend the red zone.  Historically, Stroud has dominated the Colts' defense. Across three career matchups, Stroud has completed 70% of his passes, averaged nearly 300 yards per game, and thrown six touchdowns with zero interceptions.

Miami vs Arizona

If Tua Tagovailoa clears the concussion protocol, it would mark a significant upgrade over the backup quarterbacks Miami has been forced to rely on, such as Tim Boyle, Snoop Huntley, and Skylar Thompson. Tua's return would breathe new life into the Dolphins' offense. Not only is he a massive talent upgrade, but in 2023, he led the NFL in passing yards, and his connection with star wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle was evident all season. Hill and Waddle are both fantasy powerhouses with Tua under center. In 2023, Hill averaged 7 catches and 106 yards per game, while Waddle posted a solid 5 receptions and 72 yards per game. Their explosiveness has been sorely missed in recent weeks, with backup quarterbacks unable to replicate Tua's rapport with the duo. Boyle's inefficiency in Week 7, where he misfired on several key passes, highlighted just how crucial Tua's presence is for this offense. While Miami's offense doesn't necessarily need a third playmaker to emerge, Jonnu Smith's Week 7 performance (7 catches for 96 yards and a touchdown) was encouraging. Should Tua return, the Dolphins' attack could once again become one of the most dynamic in the league, even without a standout third option.

Defensively, the Cardinals have been shredded through the air this season. Despite not facing a heavy passing volume, they rank at the bottom of the league in yards allowed per throw, tied with the struggling Carolina Panthers. Even in their Week 7 win, they allowed Justin Herbert to complete 69% of his passes for a season-high 349 yards. This secondary, which plays very soft coverage, leaves ample room for opponents to attack the field, especially through underneath routes. With top cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting potentially sidelined after suffering a neck injury in Week 7, the Cardinals secondary is even more vulnerable. This puts additional pressure on the backup cornerbacks and safeties, who have already struggled in coverage and tackling this year. Slot receivers and tight ends have exploited these weaknesses, as seen with George Kittle's recent 8-catch, 64-yard performance and Will Dissly's 8-for-81 outing. Mike McDaniel will surely look to exploit those lanes with Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and possibly Jonnu Smith if Tagovailoa can make his return.