The Week 8 matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Atlanta Falcons features two teams who have produced a surprising number of fantasy points at the running back position this season. We've got the fantasy projections courtesy of numberFire.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Who would have thought? Doug Martin is now one of the hottest running backs in fantasy football. He's rushed for over 100 yards in three straight games. He didn't score last week but finished with 136 of them on just 19 carries. He also caught three passes against Washington and even though his team looks destined to lose a lot of games this season, Martin is making it clear that when he's healthy, he's a top fantasy option. Only three other teams give up more fantasy points against rushers than the Atlanta Falcons, so Week 8 is looking like a juicy matchup for Martin.
The same could be said for wide receiver Mike Evans. Although he hasn't been as consistent as his running back, Evans had his second big game of the season last week. He caught eight passes for 164 yards and a touchdown. His performance against Washington marked the second time this season that Evans saw double-digit targets. He could be in line for another big game against Atlanta as it seems a matchup with the Falcons has proven to be a recipe for a shootout in the past.
Atlanta Falcons
Make no mistake about it, when it comes to fantasy wide receivers, Julio Jones is arguably the best. That said, he hasn't topped the 100-yard receiving mark since Week 3. It's because the dynamics of the team and how it produces points have slightly changed, and also because quarterback Matt Ryan just hasn't been playing like himself lately. Regardless, Jones will continue to produce due to high-volume usage, and also due to the fact that he is an athletic freak. It's only a matter of time before he gets back above that century mark. His added value in PPR leagues means he's totally worth starting even if he doesn't do that regularly.
As far as the dynamics of the team's offense changing is concerned, Jones' fantasy owners can thank running back Devonta Freeman for that. Freeman was actually held without a rushing touchdown last week for the first time since the opening game of the season. Yet, he still finished the game against the Tennessee Titans for the 116 rushing yards and has now topped 100 yards in each of the last three games. It seems he's the yin to Julio Jones' yang. When one produces the other does a little less. Either way, it's safe to say owning either of those players is a good thing this week.
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