NFL Week 8 Optimal Flex Plays: Darnell Mooney can have another big day against the Bucs

Week 7 saw a series of brutal injuries, highlighted by the loss of receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Chris Godwin for the season, and Mike Evans expected to miss at least three weeks. The question is: do you replace them with people from your squad? Or are you looking elsewhere?

Last week, players in this column like Tank Bigsby (RB8) and Rashod Bateman (WR2) performed well, but I fell hard with Jaylen Waddle, Jameson Williams and Austin Ekeler. Let's make up for that by adding some guys to your lineup who can help (not completely replace) some of the stars you may have lost to injury.

Darnell Mooney, WR, Falcons at Buccaneers

Mooney's had a modest record of 3-38-0 (Week 5) and 5-46-0 (Week 6) in its last two games. But in Week 4, he burst onto the scene by catching 9 of 16 targets for 105 yards and two touchdowns. He'll experience the same matchup again in Week 8, against a Bucs defense that defends the run much better than the pass. In Week 7, the Bucs allowed Ravens WR2 Rashod Bateman to catch all four of his targets for 121 yards and a touchdown, his best game of the season. The Bucs defense seems to have a penchant for giving a team's second-best wideout a day. Let's see if Mooney can do it again.

Jaylen Waddle, WR, Dolphins vs. Cardinals

Was Waddle in this column last week? Yes. Was his performance idiotic? Hell yeah. A catch for 11 yards looks bad no matter how you hit it or who the quarterback is. Let me start by saying I'll preface this when Tua Tagovailoa plays. If that happens, I expect Waddle to pick up right where he left off… way back in Week 1 (gulp). We just saw the Cardinals defense give up 349 passing yards to a guy named Justin Herbert who hadn't thrown for 245 passing yards all season. With Tua back, expect both Tyreek Hill and Waddle to do big jobs against the Cardinals. NOT Starting with Waddle, if the Dolphins' quarterback is anyone other than Tua, I wouldn't recommend this again (sorry).

Tank Dell, WR, Texans vs. Colts

If you can look past the goose egg (at four goals) in Week 7, you can process what I'm about to say here. The Texans' passing game was difficult to deal with overall, as CJ Stroud finished the game with 86 yards through the air. If the passing game is to be successful without Nico Collins, Dell has to get going. That appeared to be the case in Week 6, when Dell caught 7 of 9 for 57 yards against the Patriots. In fact, Dell achieved a target share of 19% in Week 7, second only to Stefon Diggs (33%). This gap is expected to close shortly. Praise Tank for the strong performance against the Colts' bottom-10 pass defenses.

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Jaxon Smith-Njigba/Tyler Lockett, WR, Seahawks vs. Bills

With DK Metcalf dealing with an MCL injury “week-to-week,” having JSN and Lockett step in will be critical. Neither will fill Metcalf's role, but if the Seahawks want to have success in the passing game, at least one of these guys needs to have a day. The Bills allow the seventh-fewest points in fantasy, but no quarterback has more pass attempts, completions and yards than Geno Smith. Something has to give, and with the Seahawks being three-point underdogs (over/under 47), it looks like Smith will have to let it happen. JSN and Lockett both had modest games in Week 7, as they combined for just 54 receiving yards. For JSN fantasy managers, this is more of a time to see if he can serve as the team's WR1.

Kareem Hunt, RB, Chiefs at Raiders

Ok, maybe Hunt is getting closer to RB2 status, but three weeks ago he was on your bench when you asked yourself, “Carson Steele or Kareem Hunt?” The Chiefs are a different kind of team these days as they focus more on the Attack with ball control and focus on defense. Hunt has been the primary beneficiary of this, as he has been RB9 in fantasy points per game since his time with the Chiefs. He has scored at least 22 runs and scored a touchdown in two consecutive games. In Week 8, he'll face a Raiders defense that has given up three rushing touchdowns to running backs in the last two games. The Chiefs are 10-point favorites, so Hunt will be in prime time again and set himself up for another nice fantasy day.

Najee Harris, RB, Steelers vs. Giants

Harris has been on the right track in his last two games, no matter who is at quarterback for the Steelers. He is RB8 in total fantasy points in Weeks 6 and 7. He recorded at least 100 rushing yards and a touchdown in two straight games, two things he hadn't accomplished all season. With the Steelers currently a 6.5-point favorite in a game with an over/under of 36.5, expect Harris to have another good game. The Giants have allowed a running back a rushing touchdown in two straight games and were just sacked by Saquon Barkley for 176 yards on the ground. Kenneth Gainwell also contributed a smooth .56. Expect Harris to be on the rise again in Week 8.