NFL Week 8 Fantasy Football Recap: Atlanta Falcons vs. Carolina Panthers

Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. (88) runs past Atlanta Falcons cornerback Isaiah Oliver (26) in the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

D’Onta Foreman: 26 carries, 118 yards, 3 touchdowns

D.J. Moore: 6 receptions, 152 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 carry, 3 rushing yards


PFF's fantasy football recap focuses on player usage and stats, breaking down all the vital information you need to achieve fantasy success in 2022.

Jump to another recap:

DEN@JAX | CAR@ATL | CHI@DAL | MIA@DET | ARZ@MIN
LVR@NO | NE@NYJ | PIT@PHI | TEN@HOU | WSH@IND
SF@LAR | NYG@SEA | GB@BUF


The Panthers without Chuba Hubbard: D’Onta Foreman had no problem being the Panthers’ lead back, putting up a dominant game on the ground.

  • Foreman saw a clear majority of snaps in most situations, leading to his dominant game on the ground.
  • It’s worth remembering that Hubbard had double the carries and more routes than Foreman in three quarters prior to his injury.
  • Foreman rarely played on third downs, which is a good indication that Hubbard will still see the receiving work when healthy.
  • We would expect Foreman to probably lead the team in carries with how well he’s played the past two weeks, but that is no sure thing — it depends on how much the Panthers like Hubbard.

Add Terrace Marshall Jr.: The second-year receiver caught four passes for 87 yards in the Panthers' loss.

  • Marshall remains the clear second receiver for the Panthers. His playing time has blown up since the team traded Robbie Anderson to the Cardinals.
  • Laviska Shenault Jr. became more involved in the offense, but it was at the expense of Shi Smith instead of Marshall. This is a good sign Marshall will remain a clear starter for the rest of the season.
  • He is still only 22 years old and was very talented in college. This is similar to picking up any other highly drafted rookie in hopes they blow up in the second half of the season.

Sell high on Kyle Pitts: Pitts caught five passes for 80 yards and a touchdown, but this might not be a sign of things to come.

  • The Falcons have heavily relied on Pitts when playing from behind. He has 1.71 yards per route run with a lead compared to 0.85 while playing from behind.
  • Seventy-one of Pitts’ 80 receiving yards against the Panthers came when the game was tied or the Falcons were playing from behind.
  • Atlanta has the second-easiest remaining schedule. Six of their nine remaining opponents have a losing record so far this season, and no team is more than a game over .500.
  • Both Cordarrelle Patterson and Damien Williams are eligible to return from injured reserve this week.
  • We can expect Atlanta to become even more run-heavy going forward with a favorable schedule and their veteran backs.


Table Notes

Snaps include plays called back due to penalties, including offensive holding or defensive pass interference. The other three stats have these plays removed.

Targets may differ from official NFL sources. The most likely discrepancy would be from a clear thrown-away pass, where the NFL may give the target to the nearest receiver, while this data will not.

Carries are only on designed plays. Quarterback scrambles won’t count for the total number of carries in the game.

Subscriptions

Unlock the 2024 Fantasy Draft Kit, with Live Draft Assistant, Fantasy Mock Draft Sim, Rankings & PFF Grades

$24.99/mo
OR
$119.99/yr