LOS ANGELES – We have reached the portion of this World Series where fans may want to avert their eyes.

Oh, not from the surroundings: Palm trees will sway, sunsets will dazzle and the Micheladas will flow in an overstuffed Dodger Stadium as the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers resume an already entertaining World Series knotted at one game apiece.

The aesthetic pleasure, so far, is off the charts, unsurprising when the Dodgers tout three former MVPs atop their lineup and just produced one of the greatest starting pitching performances in World Series history, all pitted against a Blue Jays team that’s never met a nine-run rally it didn’t like.

Yet in Games 3, 4 and 5, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Kevin Gausman will be nowhere to be found. The starting pitchers aligned almost certainly won’t last as deep into the game. And the next three games will be contested without an off day.

Those factors create an inconvenient reality for both clubs: An increasingly narrow circle of trusted relievers will be forced to take the ball, again and again, to perhaps diminishing returns.

Grab a snack. And some Maalox, a necessary possession for every manager when they have to push the buttons and summon relievers into such high-stakes games.

“We limit our three-in-a-rows throughout the regular season,” Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman tells USA TODAY Sports. “If you crush yourself with three-in-a-rows throughout the regular season it can play a big part in your fatigue. Our staff does a great job managing our bullpen throughout the year and put us in a place these next three days won’t affect us too much.

“We’ve got a bunch of guys that are going to take the ball no matter what, no matter how they’re feeling.”

And no matter the results.

Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani are making postseason history for the Dodgers with every start. So are their relievers – just not in the fashion manager Dave Roberts would prefer.

Dodgers starters have combined for a stunning 1.84 ERA this postseason. Their relievers? A 6.16 ERA that’s worse than any playoff team that played at least three games.

The loss of lefty reliever Alex Vesia due to a family emergency at the start of the World Series is a very small part of their quandary this week. The Dodgers bullpen has been a wreck almost since the start of the season, as $72 million projected closer Tanner Scott’s significant struggles created a downward slide from the back of the bullpen.

He and veteran right-hander Kirby Yates aren’t on L.A.’s postseason roster. Blake Treinen, a member of the Dodger bullpen since 2020, was leaned on for just one big out, in the Naitonal League Championship Series.

And manager Dave Roberts’ relief trust tree more resembles a hurricane-wracked sapling.

Yamamoto was excellent in throwing complete games. Yet Roberts’ options are so limited,  there was never a doubt he’d get a chance to finish.

Right now, it’s rookie Rōki Sasaki holding down the ninth inning, a role he’s assumed for barely a month. Lefty Anthony Banda and righty Emmet Sheehan are simply by-necessity buttons to push.

Any pressure on Game 3 starter Glasnow, Game 4 starter Ohtani and Snell, once again, in Game 5, to go deep?

“It’s critical,” says Roberts, knowing that sugarcoating it otherwise is simply not realistic. “I think that, unfortunately, we are comprised of a rotation that can log innings. Three (games) in a row is very important to vary reliever looks and get the optimum matchups that you can.

“But, yeah, it starts with the starters going deeper, absolutely.”

Yet that runs right into the grim reaper of Games 3 through 7: Hitters getting multiple looks at both starters and relievers, gaining familiarity, and, eventually, the upper hand.

Heck, the Blue Jays are here only because leadoff hitter George Springer ripped a go-ahead three-run homer off Eduard Bazardo in Game 7, as the Seattle reliever was pitching for the fourth time in the series and facing Springer for the second time in as many nights.

“You have to be able to adapt and show a guy a different look, a different pitch, a different location. So it’s a battle,” says Blue Jays manager John Schneider. “These guys have really good stuff, our guys have really good stuff, we have really good hitters, they have really good hitters.”

But mostly really good hitters and a paucity of truly trustworthy relievers.

That can make it difficult for managers to expand their level of trust when circumstances dictate. The Blue Jays have helped mitigate that by putting starter Chris Bassitt in the bullpen the past two series, forming a solid base with Hoffman and fireballing set-up men Louis Varland and Seranthony Domínguez.

“I’ve said it all along: I trust everyone that’s on the roster, and we’re probably going to need everyone when you’re playing three games in a row,” says Schneider. “So we tried to build it to where there’s multiple guys that can give you multiple innings, but I think that it starts on the mound with the starter

“If you can churn through some innings and — even if it’s just saving one inning here or there for one of your bullpen guys, that’s huge.”

That’s how it might look on paper. But this series is headed toward the halfway point. Expect things to get weird on the back end, perhaps even ugly for some.

Yet until the final out of Game 7, there’s always a chance for a previously untrusted, downtrodden dude to rewrite a narrative. A high-leverage inning from an unlikely arm might even be the difference between hoisting a trophy and a winter of regrets.

“No matter how yesterday or today goes for any given guy, you still gotta leave it in the past,” says Hoffman. “and look toward the next one.”

Which is the more desirable SEC football program: LSU or Florida?

ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum argued that will be the question Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin is peppered with most over the next several months as he tries to lead the Rebels to a College Football Playoff berth after Florida’s Billy Napier and LSU’s Brian Kelly were fired.

The coaches were hired days apart in 2021 — and fired a week apart in 2025.

While Kiffin has had remarkable success in Oxford, Mississippi, LSU and Florida are arguably two of the best head coaching positions in college football — let alone the SEC — with both programs looking for a new direction after their respective coach firings.

Finebaum gave his take on which of the two jobs is more desirable for Kiffin on the Monday, Oct. 27, episode of ‘Get Up.’

‘It’s a close call, but in my mind, LSU is a better job,’ Finebaum said. ‘It just had a great infrastructure down there, I say that, I realize they fired their last three or four coaches, but I think Lane Kiffin fits that culture pretty well. He’s familiar with it. He’s also familiar with Florida as we said last week, but I don’t think there’s any question that of the jobs opening, LSU is going to be the one that everybody wants.’

Florida fired Napier on Sunday, Oct. 19, following a 23-21 win over Mississippi State, that improved his record to 22-23 in three-plus seasons with the Gators. LSU fired Kelly on Sunday, Oct. 26, following a 49-25 drubbing to Texas A&M at home. Kelly ended his tenure with the Tigers with a 34-14 record.

The Jets got their long-awaited first win under coach Aaron Glenn, with Justin Fields stepping up amid a barrage of criticism.
The best team in football? Maybe that title belongs to the Colts, though the Chiefs also have a strong claim amid their resurgence.
Between having six teams on bye and National Tight Ends Day taking the spotlight, NFL Week 8 featured plenty of quirks. ]

The 32 things we learned from Week 8 of the 2025 NFL season:

0. Congratulations to the 2017 Cleveland Browns (0-16), 2008 Detroit Lions (0-16) and 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-14), who can all crack open a case of Natural Light and celebrate after the New York Jets became the final team to notch a win this season while exiting a path that was carrying them toward the first 0-17 record in NFL history.

1. The NYJ and rookie head coach Aaron Glenn staged quite a comeback to beat the Cincinnati Bengals 39-38 for win No. 1, overcoming a 15-point deficit entering the fourth quarter while scoring 23 in the final period − in what miraculously turned out to be the best game of an otherwise unremarkable Sunday slate. The Jets’ breakthrough also came on a day when they were without injured stars Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner and facing a Cincinnati team that hadn’t played in 10 days after beating the Pittsburgh Steelers.

2. And what a nice dose of redemption for Jets QB Justin Fields, who outdueled veteran (and former Jet) Joe Flacco to get his first win in green and while just days after being shredded by owner Woody Johnson amid the team’s sorry start. Fields took the high road in the aftermath of Johnson’s verbal vomit and remained there while basking in Sunday’s victory.

3. The number of teams (Jets, Eagles, Bills) that rushed for at least 245 yards Sunday – a benchmark no club had hit this season prior to Week 8.

4. For the Bengals, what could be an unforgiveable loss came on a day when the complexion of the AFC North might have begun changing. With a chance to get back to .500 as QB1 Joe Burrow’s return from a toe injury theoretically gets closer, Cincy instead dropped to 3-5. Their next three games are against teams with winning records (Bears, Steelers, Patriots) before they face the Baltimore Ravens in what could be a crucial matchup on Thanksgiving night.

4a. Still the number of quarterbacks to ever beat all 32 of the league’s teams … after Pittsburgh’s Aaron Rodgers failed to defeat his original club, the Green Bay Packers, on Sunday night – a victory that would have allowed him to join a list that includes Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Brett Favre and Peyton Manning.

5. The number of sacks collected by Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett, a career high for the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year, in Sunday’s loss to the New England Patriots. Aside from trading Flacco to the Bengals, the Browns don’t figure to have much of an influence on the AFC North moving forward. But shoutout to Garrett, who had the 20th game with at least five individual sacks in league annals while pushing his career total to 112½, surpassing late, great Hall of Famer Reggie White for the most by a player yet to reach his 30th birthday.

5a. As in fifth place, where Ravens RB Derrick Henry is now alone with 112 career TD runs – he scored twice in Sunday’s win over Chicago – breaking his tie with legendary Hall of Famer Walter “Sweetness” Payton, who had 110.

6. It’s rough out here, y’all – “bye-mageddon” giving six teams (Cardinals, Lions, Jaguars, Raiders, Rams, Seahawks) the week off and throwing fantasy football leagues into utter chaos. Hopefully you didn’t stream a defense like the Bengals based on a matchup … like I did, a gambit that provided me negative points.

7. Back to those Ravens − the only team from the AFC North that won in Week 8, incidentally. Despite an additional layer of drama surrounding QB1 Lamar Jackson’s injured hamstring, Baltimore broke back into the win column Sunday – a revived defense and new temporary QB Tyler “Snoop” Huntley ending the Bears’ winning streak at four games. The big question now is whether the Ravens take a chance by playing Jackson, a South Florida native, this Thursday night at Miami or basically give him another two weeks to get healthy.

8. The reigning MVP, Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen, posted the 46th game of his eight-year career in which he both passed and ran at least one TD – an NFL record. Allen established the mark in Charlotte, formerly the home of former league MVP Cam Newton, with whom he’d been tied.

9. Yet Allen was a bit incidental Sunday, when the Bills got right – ending a two-game slide – by putting a 40-9 beatdown on the Bryce Young-less Carolina Panthers, who had won three straight. Buffalo RB James Cook powered the Bills with the first 200-yard rushing game (216) of his career.

10. Cook and his brother Dalvin are the only siblings in league history with 200-yard rushing games.

11. However Allen could be passing league MVP honors and Buffalo could be passing the AFC East throne to Drake Maye and the first-place New England Patriots, respectively. Maye had another big day as the Pats won 32-13, extending his somewhat arbitrary accomplishment by becoming the fifth quarterback in NFL history to post at least seven straight games with at least 200 passing yards and a passer rating of at least 100.0.

12. All the more impressive given Garrett relentlessly bedeviled Maye, who suffered a career-high six sacks overall.

13. The number of consecutive home games, postseason included, in which the Philadelphia Eagles have beaten the New York Giants – the longest active run by one divisional opponent over another.

14. Eagles RB Saquon Barkley hadn’t had a 20-yard run all season before bolting on a 65-yard TD run on Sunday’s second play from scrimmage.

15. Without a 100-yard day all season entering Sunday, Barkley finished with 150 against the Giants despite exiting early with a groin injury he didn’t deem serious. Fortunately for him, the Eagles don’t play again until Week 10.

16. And fortunately for the Eagles, they acquired RB2 Tank Bigsby earlier this season, and he rushed for 104 yards in relief of Barkley – making them the first Philly teammates in 12 years to crack the rushing century mark in the same game.

17. Are the Indianapolis Colts the best team in football? Their league-best 7-1 record suggests as much after they pummeled the Tennessee Titans 38-14 to remain atop the AFC. Indy has scored at least 29 points in all but one game this season and has yet to allow 29. Still, you’d like to see them beat a strong team − and the Colts caught the Chargers at less than full strength and needed a special teams penalty to beat Denver in Week 2.

18. For my money, the Kansas City Chiefs – despite their pedestrian 4-3 record at the moment – are basically back to being whole and back to being the team to beat … assuming they vanquish an undermanned Washington Commanders crew on Monday night.

19. Is Colts RB Jonathan Taylor the best player in football? It might be a more compelling question. He began Sunday with the most rushing yards (697) and touchdowns (11) in the league … before running over Tennessee for 153 yards (on just 12 carries) and three more scores (1 a receiving TD). At this rate, and without an obvious MVP QB to date, Taylor should remain squarely at the center of that discussion.

20. The number of consecutive passes Packers QB Jordan Love completed at one point Sunday night in an epic performance against Rodgers, his mentor in Green Bay. Now 5-1-1, the Pack remain perched in the NFC’s top spot.

21. How could the NFL put the Cardinals on their bye for National Tight Ends Day and schedule Travis Kelce’s Chiefs for a Monday nighter? Malpractice. The Dallas Cowboys apparently didn’t get the memo, either, TE Jake Ferguson, grandson of former Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez, targeted just once (unsuccessfully) in their decisive 44-24 loss to the Denver Broncos.

22. At least San Francisco 49ers TE George Kittle, who basically invented a “holiday” that falls on the fourth Sunday of October, scored a TD – as did teammate Jake Tonges. Nothing much else went right for the still Brock Purdy-less Niners, who were walloped by the Houston Texans and fell out of a three-way tie for first place in the NFC West with the idle Seahawks and Rams.

23. But the tight end of the day wound up being the Packers’ Tucker Kraft, who racked up seven catches for 143 yards and two TDs − a major component of Love’s memorable performance.

24. If NFL hot seats are somehow contagious, then Raheem Morris is in trouble. His Atlanta Falcons were blown out – and at home – 34-10 by embattled counterpart Mike McDaniel and the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

25. Atlanta, which signaled it was in go-for-broke mode in the relatively weak NFC South by trading back into the first round for a pair of defenders during last spring’s draft, is now 3-4 after dropping three of its last five, Sunday’s loss to the drowning Fins by far the worst of those setbacks.

26. Morris was largely undone by Miami QB Tua Tagovailoa, who woke up Sunday with a swollen eye … and then naturally threw a season-high four TD passes against an Atlanta pass defense that began Sunday as the league’s stingiest.

27. The Los Angeles Chargers looked awesome while dismantling the Minnesota Vikings 37-10 on Thursday night – meaning totally awesome in their monochromatic all-navy ‘Super Chargers’ alternates, which serve as a nod to Hall of Famers Junior Seau’s and LaDainian Tomlinson’s days with the team. The NFL’s main X account even featured them over the weekend.

28. Prior to this season, the Bolts were 0-6 in their previous navy alternates, which featured dark pants, jerseys and lightning bolts on a white helmet.

29. From a fashion standpoint, the Chargers kicked off a wild weekend, despite the relative lack of participants. The best-looking game on Sunday – and we’re not talking about the quality of the football – was the Broncos-Cowboys matchup, Denver rocking its Orange Crush era throwbacks.

30. The Eagles checked a lot of boxes, their tight end (Dallas Goedert) having a two-touchdown day … while wearing the team’s resplendent (and lucky) Kelly Green throwbacks.

31. As for the Steelers and Packers? Hard pass.

32. It was nice for Jets fans to rejoice in a rare win Sunday. But their loss was far more poignant. Former All-Pro C Nick Mangold was the heartbeat of the team the last time it was relevant, basically during his career − which spanned from 2006 to ’16. I spoke with Nick personally and on the phone a few times back when the NYJ were Super Bowl contenders in 2009 and ’10. Couldn’t have been nicer, more affable or accommodating. The smile was perpetual and, usually, so was the backwards baseball cap. To lose him to kidney disease at age 41, a wife and four kids mourning him, is heartbreaking. RIP.

Aaron Rodgers could only do so much to propel a Steelers team that came apart in the second half of Sunday’s loss to the Packers.
Jordan Love outpaced his predecessor and counterpart, igniting Green Bay with 360 passing yards and three TDs.
Rodgers said he was ‘disappointed’ by the outcome on a night when cheers of ‘Go, Pack, Go!’ rained down from the crowd late in the game.

PITTSBURGH – “Come get me.”

Aaron Rodgers was undoubtedly game for the challenge of trying to hang one on his former team when he teased a particular Green Bay Packers edge rusher while in the midst of the drama on Sunday night at Acrisure Stadium.

Then again, Rodgers should be careful of what he wishes for.

“I told him, ‘I’m getting close,’ ” Packers defensive end Rashan Gary recalled of the in-game banter with Rodgers from the 35-25 smashing of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“He was saying, ‘I’m still moving good. I’m 41. You’ve got to come and get me, RG.’

“We got back to work, and I think they ran it the next play.”

Gary ultimately got to Rodgers, collecting two sacks, two quarterback hits and two tackles for a loss as the Packers defense forced the iconic quarterback to get off his rhythm in a contest that decisively flipped in the second half.

And that was just one layer of the trouble that left Rodgers and his team battered and frustrated after a second consecutive loss.

It wasn’t so much a prime-time showcase for a revitalized Rodgers to extract a measure of payback against the franchise he spent the first 18 years of his NFL career with.

Instead, it turned out to be the perfect opportunity for Rodgers’ former understudy, Jordan Love, to upstage his NFL mentor.

Love, 26, was simply fabulous – especially in a second half that saw the Packers score on all five of the their possessions, excluding the clock-killing drive at the end. In passing for 360 yards and three TDs with zero interceptions, Love provided another statement about the Packers’ future against the symbolic backdrop of the past.

It helped Green Bay (5-1-1) improve on its NFC-best record mark while the Steelers (4-3) stumbled yet again.

At one point, Love tied a franchise record by completing 20 consecutive passes. He weaved laser strikes into tight windows. He improvised to buy time for big plays. He stood tall in the face of blitzes and other forms of punishment. He was cool and confident.

Love looked, well, a lot like Rodgers in his prime.

“He was on fire,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “That’s why I wanted him to keep throwing the football.”

Rodgers couldn’t help but notice what the raucous crowd witnessed in Love, complimenting his patience, efficiency and ability to improvise.

“I thought J-Love played great,” Rodgers said. “He was super-efficient. He didn’t get sacked and moved around really well, made some plays outside the pocket. Thought he played outstanding.”

Someone asked Love if his time serving as Rodgers’ backup had an effect that played out on Sunday. Maybe. Maybe not.

“I’m just trying to play my game,” Love said. “Obviously, being behind Aaron for three years and being able to see him and the high-level play he was capable of going out there and doing, and just being able to put the money on the money at all times was very cool for me to see. But for me, it comes down to just being the best quarterback I can be.”

Which also says something about lessons learned well.

That’s not to suggest that Rodgers played poorly. He completed 24 of 36 passes for 219 yards with two touchdowns and posted a 101.5 passer rating. He didn’t commit a turnover. It’s just that on a night when the Steelers defense collapsed in the second half, when his team settled for too many field goals because it couldn’t finish touchdown drives, when self-inflicted mistakes were damning, Pittsburgh needed Rodgers to be even better.

Then again, that was a tough ask when he was under constant duress. He was sacked three times, including a takedown from Micah Parsons to go with Gary’s two cases, but it could have been much worse. He was nimble enough to avoid sacks for much of the night, which also meant that he was so uncomfortable running for his life.

Which is exactly what Green Bay envisioned.

“Going into the game, that was one of our goals, just trying to make it hard for him to see his reads, make him move around a lot in the pocket because…he’s a Hall of Famer,” Gary said. “You give him time in the pocket to pat the ball, he’s going to give his playmakers opportunities to make plays. You’ve got to find a way, when he does hold onto the ball, to get there. To get him off his spot.”

In the days leading up to Sunday night, Rodgers downplayed the revenge factor and maintained that the matchup would have been more significant had it occurred at Lambeau Field.

Maybe so. Maybe not. It was still weird enough for Rodgers, especially as a significant portion of the crowd supported the Packers – evidenced by the familiar, “Go, Pack, Go!” chant that got louder as the game progressed.

“I heard that chant for 18 years,” Rodgers said. “Packers fans really travel well. First time in a while I’ve used a silent count for a home game. That’s a credit to those Packers fans.”

It must have felt too weird. Like an out-of-body experience that went beyond the edge rushers seeking sacks.

“Disappointed,” Rodgers described of his emotions. “Disappointed that I didn’t play better, that we didn’t play better, especially in the second half.”

In other words, as game as he was, they didn’t have enough game.

Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow on X: @JarrettBell

Standout performances from players like Breece Hall and James Cook were among Sunday’s major fantasy football takeaways.
Several key players, including Saquon Barkley and Quinshon Judkins, suffered injuries, impacting fantasy football lineups.

Week 8 hadn’t even started, and it was already a wild one.

First came bye-mageddon, as the NFL once again put six teams on bye for seemingly no reason.

Then, as Sunday approached, injuries kept popping up out of nowhere, making it even harder to fill fantasy lineups.

Once the games began, there were blowouts, shocking upsets, and more tough injuries. And with the Jets finally getting their first win, there are no longer any winless teams in the NFL.

Many fantasy football managers will be glad to see Week 8 go, but before it does, here’s a recap of every game with the key fantasy takeaways you need.

Week 8 fantasy football game recaps

Dolphins 34, Falcons 10

The Dolphins were able to take advantage of the Falcons, who did not have Michael Penix Jr. and Drake London.

Miami Dolphins

QB Tua Tagovailoa had his best game of the season. He completed 20-of-26 for 205 yards and four touchdowns. Still not someone to trust week-to-week.
Without TE Darren Waller, WR Malik Washington stepped up as the second receiver with five targets. Could be a deeper league bench option, but that is about it.
RB De’Von Achane led the backfield in touches, but it’s notable that Ollie Gordon received 10 carries. Most likely due to mop-up duties, but something to keep an eye on if it continues next week.

Atlanta Falcons

With no Drake London, Darnell Mooney was supposed to be the primary receiver. He did tie David Sills V in receiver snaps, but was second in targets, catching only one for 11 yards.
First in targets was WR KhaDarel Hodge, with a whopping eight. The offensive struggles meant he caught only three, but if London is going to miss time, Hodge is at least somebody to keep in mind for deeper leagues.
Bijan Robinson played a season low in snaps, but the Falcons barely played him in the fourth quarter when they were down multiple scores. No need to panic.
The Kirk Cousins tryout did not go well. Safe to leave him on waivers even if Penix is out again.

Jets 39, Bengals 38

It looked like there was no chance the Jets were going to win this game heading into the fourth quarter down 31-16, but they had other things in mind.

New York Jets

QB Justin Fields was not spectacular, but did enough to win. His ceiling in fantasy is great thanks to his rushing ability, but he is a landmine. Start at your own risk.
Breece Hall was story of the day. He rushed for 133 yards, two touchdowns and threw for one as well. He should be good in games in which the Jets are competitive.
TE Mason Taylor was good again, yet he continues to be under-rostered. Outside of a bad game in London, where he caught just one pass on two targets, he has had 38 targets in the other five games starting Week 3. That is elite usage for a tight end; go get him if he is out there.

Cincinnati Bengals

The snap count for RBs Chase Brown and Samaje Perine is getting closer each week. This week: 32-25. Brown is still getting the majority of the early-down work, but Perine is getting more as of late, and this week it led to 94 yards and a touchdown on nine carries. Perine is worth a flyer on teams as a bye-week flex option and a premium handcuff.
Joe Flacco is starting to look like a possible top-12 QB the rest of the way. Eight touchdowns in his first three games with the Bengals. Those relying on QBs like Caleb Williams and Jordan Love might want to take a look.

Patriots 32, Browns 13

Not even the Browns’ stout defense could hold down Drake Maye and the Patriots.

New England Patriots

RB TreVeyon Henderson ran the ball significantly better than Rhamondre Stevenson by quite a bit. One huge blemish is a fumble.
Fumbles have not stopped Stevenson from losing the starting role and better production has yet to give Henderson the role. It is great to see the game from Henderson, but we need to see the role change to trust him.
Mack Hollins led this receiving room this week in targets, receptions and yards. Don’t get too excited. This is still a spread-the-ball-around offense, led by Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte — the secondary receiver who’s a big play threat.

Cleveland Browns

Bad news: RB Quinshon Judkins left in the third quarter with a shoulder injury. The extent of the injury is unknown. It is possible he did not return due to the Browns being down so much. At the very least, they have a bye in Week 9 for him to recover.
Dylan Sampson would be the primary running back if Judkins misses time. Worth a stash pick up just in case, especially for Judkins managers.
TE David Njoku returned from injury, and both he and Harold Fannin Jr. played well, being the two best pass-catchers for the Browns. That should be the norm the rest of the season while Dillon Gabriel is the starting quarterback.

Eagles 38, Giants 20

Philadelphia Eagles

Saquon Barkley looked like the Saquon from 2024: 14 carries for 150 yards and a touchdown. Also added four receptions for 24 yards and a score.
Bad news for Barkley is he suffered a groin injury at the end of the third quarter. Hopefully, he did not return due to the Eagles being up multiple scores. Also noteworthy, they have a bye this week.
If he is out, Tank Bigsby is the running back to roster as he saw 13 of 16 fourth-quarter snaps.
WR A.J. Brown was out, so it was DeVonta Smith and not a lot else. There didn’t need to be with how well the Eagles ran the ball. This led to Jalen Hurts only passing the ball 20 times.

New York Giants

Cam Skattebo looks to have suffered a season-ending ankle injury. This is going to open the door for Tyrone Tracy to take over the leading role.
Tracy is a clear top waiver option in all leagues where he’s available.
WR Darius Slayton returned from his hamstring injury and went right back to his role. He led the team in targets, although it didn’t amount to much. Not a must-roster, but could be sneaky in PPR some weeks.

Bills 40, Panthers 9

The Panthers offense was lifeless today without Bryce Young.

Buffalo Bills

James Cook “cooked” with 19 carries, 216 yards and two touchdowns. It had been a rough two-week stretch for him compared to his first five weeks, so this was great to see.
The only receiver to do much of anything, Khalil Shakir caught six for 88 yards and a touchdown. There are likely to be many more games like this when the Bills blow out their opponent and only need to pass the ball 21 times (19 from Josh Allen).

Carolina Panthers

WR Tetairoa McMillan had one of his more productive games of the season. Managers have to hope he can build off this and be more consistent. It’ll be hard with how much the Panthers want to run
Speaking of the run, the 50/50 rotation continues between Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard. Dowdle has outperformed Hubbard since the latter returned from his injury, so maybe they start leaning more on Dowdle.
In his second week back, WR Jalen Coker took on a much larger role, which significantly affected Xavier Legette. Coker is an intriguing speculative add, while Legette is droppable.

Ravens 30, Bears 16

In a must-win game, Tyler Huntley leads the Ravens to victory. Bears’ holes on offense are exposed, mostly at quarterback.

Baltimore Ravens

Derrick Henry’s buy-low window has officially closed. He now has 193 yards and two touchdowns in his last two games. It should only get better when Lamar Jackson returns, likely this week.
WR Zay Flowers still produced with Tyler Huntley at quarterback. He more than doubled the next receiver with nine targets. Zay has boom-bust games with Lamar for sure, but he is a must-start when Jackson is back.
TEs Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely will both be very hard to trust moving forward with how they are splitting snaps.

Chicago Bears

This was supposed to be a premium matchup for Caleb Williams. Instead, he turned in his second game in a row with zero touchdowns. The Williams from early in the season seems long gone and is best left on your bench if you want to roster him at all moving forward.
TE Colston Loveland did see an increase in snaps and routes run with Cole Kmet sidelined, but it only amounted to five targets and three receptions. Still a bit away from being trusted in fantasy.
The snaps are just about 50/50 now for RBs D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai. Swift is getting more usage when in the game though. This still limits Swift’s ceiling quite a bit.

Texans 26, 49ers 15

Looks like the Mac Jones magic has worn off for the 49ers.

Houston Texans

Without WR Nico Collins (concussion), C.J. Stroud spread the ball around to Xavier Hutchinson, Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel the most.
None of these receivers will reproduce this when Nico returns, but out of the three, Hutchinson and Noel are the most trustworthy while Christian Kirk is still out.
The Texans RB usage flip-flop continues. Woody Marks saw his snap count fall to 40%. He was behind Nick Chubb in carries 17 to 11, but doubled his workload in the passing game.
Marks has the higher ceiling due to being the more explosive back, but as long as Chubb is involved this much he will be hard to trust.

San Francisco 49ers

The Texans defense has shut down most quarterbacks and offenses this year; Mac Jones and the 49ers were no different.
For some good news. TE George Kittle (four receptions, 43 yards, TD) looked a little more like himself after being shut out last week.
WR Jauan Jennings looked healthier, leading the team in targets. Could be a good buy-low with Brock Purdy expected to return soon.

Buccaneers 23, Saints 3

This was a poor offensive game by both teams, yet there are way more question marks from the Saints. Bucs win this game thanks to a defense that scored more points than it allowed.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

RB Sean Tucker saw a much larger workload with Rachaad White struggling. Both had double-digit carries.
The Bucs have a bye in Week 10, so maybe Bucky Irving can return after that. If not, still expect White to get first crack at it.
With Mike Evans and Chris Godwin out, WR Emeka Egbuka has dominated targets with 21 over the last two weeks. It has only led to seven receptions and 93 yards. Better days are ahead, but you wonder how healthy he is too.
Tez Johnson has taken advantage of Godwin’ being out’s absence. Despite a lackluster day, he has been the primary Z receiver.
Godwin could return after the bye. Don’t forget about Jalen McMillan as well.

New Orleans Saints

QB Spencer Rattler was benched after struggling early. Rookie Tyler Shough did not have any better luck.
The hope was that RB Alvin Kamara would get a massive bump in usage now that Kendre Miller is out. It is hard to read a lot into this one, but at least early in the game it appeared Kamara was the early-down back and Devin Neal was the third-down back. Kamara did not see much work in the run or pass game though adding to the frustration of managers
Neal is a stash only in deep leagues. He did not record a single rush, but did catch three passes.

Broncos 44, Cowboys 24

The Broncos defense was able to shut down the Cowboys offense, one that is still averaging the NFL’s second-most points per game.

Denver Broncos

Don’t get fooled by RB R.J. Harvey’s three-touchdown game. His role stayed mostly the same.
Troy Franklin stepped up and was the leading receiver. He has had games like this, only to disappoint thanks to a frustrating receiver rotation in Denver. But this feels different. Franklin’s snap percentage has been rising slightly all season.
TE Evan Engram might have a door open for more playing time with Nate Adkins suffering a knee injury.

Dallas Cowboys

WRs George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb both had solid PPR days, despite not being able to find the end zone. Expect even better days against weaker defenses.
This was likely due to the blowout, but RB Jaydon Blue saw a season-high eight carries. Something to keep an eye on, but not picking him up quite yet.

Colts 38, Titans 14

The Colts have surprisingly established themselves as one of the best teams in the NFL. This game did nothing to counter that opinion.

Indianapolis Colts

There really is not much to analyze about the Colts. They took care of business against one of the league’s worst teams as they should have.
Jonathan Taylor: 12 carries, 153 yards and two touchdowns. Oh, and two receptions for 21 yards and a touchdown. That is all. Moving on.

Tennessee Titans

WR Chimere Dike saw a significant usage increase with Tyler Lockett released and Calvin Ridley out again. He turned it into a team-leading seven receptions and 93 yards.
Will be interesting to see if Dike keeps the second wideout role over Elic Ayomanor when Ridley returns. That potential role change makes him a waiver add.
Tyjae Spears played more snaps than Tony Pollard; not a surprise given the game script. He feels like the running back to roster over Pollard since they should be behind in more games than not.

Packers 35, Steelers 25

The Packers ruined Aaron Rodgers’ revenge-game narrative with Jordan Love completing 20 consecutive passes at one point.

Green Bay Packers

RB Josh Jacobs played a vast majority of the snaps early, but struggled despite scoring. A lead, those struggles and a lingering calf injury caused the Packers to turn to Emmanuel Wilson in the fourth quarter. Don’t read more into the usage than that.
Romeo Doubs and Matthew Golden led the receivers in snaps as expected. The latter did not produce much at all, but keep in mind he was dealing with a hip injury.
WR Christian Watson had a big debut, playing the third-most snaps and catching four for 85. You could add him off waivers, but know the Packers’ depth at WR will cause him, like others, to be inconsistent. Even without that, Watson has been wildly inconsistent in his career.
The best of the best on National Tight Ends Day: Tucker Kraft. He should be safely locked into your starting TE slot the rest of the season.

Pittsburgh Steelers

WR DK Metcalf once again struggled to rack up yardage, but was saved in fantasy by a touchdown.
RB Jaylen Warren more than doubled Kenneth Gainwell’s touches. Gainwell is a solid handcuff, but will be hard to start, even in a flex spot.
Rookie RB Kaleb Johnson did not see a snap for the second week in a row.