Moats makes a case in Week 8

The pass-happy NFL took a backseat to some huge rushing performances in Week 8. We had several backs carry their team to victory, which was a shift from the pass-first trend that has ruled the day most of this season.

Before the Monday night game, there actually was just one 300-yard passer (Peyton Manning), and he didn't even score a touchdown. We did have some quarterbacks post some good touchdown totals, though, as four quarterbacks had three or more scores. But rushing still ruled the day Sunday. We had six 100-yard rushers with four of those guys rushing for 149 or more yards. There even was a 200-yard rusher (Chris Johnson). These guys carried fantasy teams this week. We also had six backs with two or more scores.

We still don't see the newfound rushing success as a trend, though. Teams should continue to throw often, but don't be surprised to see a few more big rushing games take place as the weather gets cold. Rushing games usually get a little more of a workout during the bad weather months.

Ravens 30, Broncos 7

Fantasy Stud: Ray Rice. Rice continued to show he is a must play no matter the matchup. He had another solid showing Sunday against a good Broncos defense. Rice had 108 total yards and a touchdown. He has touchdowns in three straight and at least 100 total yards in four straight and five of seven games this season. Rice is a yardage machine and a top No. 1 fantasy back.

Fantasy Dud: Kyle Orton. We expected better from Orton in a game against a Ravens defense that had some struggles against the pass this season. And the Broncos focused on throwing more than running, giving Orton 37 pass attempts but he threw for just 152 yards and failed to score a touchdown. This was the first game this season Orton failed to score a touchdown. The Ravens secondary finally came to play this week.

Game Notes: Willis McGahee continues to get phased out of the Ravens offense. He had just three touches for three yards. McGahee has fewer than five yards in three straight and hasn't had double-digit touches since Week 2. Rice is the only back to use in Baltimore right now.

Rookie Knowshon Moreno scored his third touchdown of the season. He was held in check most of the game, though, gaining 35 total yards on 12 touches. He also lost a fumble for the third time in four games, which could cut down on his playing time until he gets that straightened out.

Texans 31, Bills 10

Fantasy Stud: Ryan Moats. There wasn't a fantasy team out there that used Moats this week, which was unfortunate since he had the game of his life. He is owned in one percent of leagues and wasn't started in any game of the one percent that owned him. That will change after this week. Moats ran 23 times for 126 yards and three touchdowns. He got a ton of playing time after Steve Slaton was benched for losing another fumble. Moats could continue to get plenty of playing time in the Texans offense after his breakout game. He'll be a hot item on waivers.

Fantasy Dud: Steve Slaton. As mentioned, Slaton lost another fumble this week. This was his third straight game with a lost fumble and he has five fumbles this season. Slaton was benched very early in the game after this latest fumble. He didn't find his way back on the field, watching Moats run wild in his place. Slaton had three touches for 11 yards in the game. He could get a lot less playing time going forward after this turn of events. The sad part is Slaton has been a very productive back when he wasn't fumbling.

Game Notes: The Texans got terrible news, losing Owen Daniels for the season because of an ACL injury during the game. This is a huge loss as Daniels was having a breakout season. Matt Schaub will miss his safety valve and favorite red-zone target.

Terrell Owens was more involved in the offense, getting six touches. He had five receptions for 39 yards and a carry for a 29-yard touchdown. Owens had a season high for receptions and scored just his second touchdown this season.

Bears 30, Browns 6

Fantasy Stud: Matt Forte. Forte finally ran like a first-round fantasy pick this week, rushing for 90 yards and two touchdowns. He also added two receptions for 31 yards. Forte still didn't have much room to run behind the Bears offensive line, but was able to find the end zone twice. This was his first two-touchdown game of the season. We still weren't too encouraged with his 3.5 yards per carry average. Forte has just one game all season averaging more than four yards per carry.

Fantasy Dud: Jay Cutler. Sure, we could pick Derek Anderson for the "dud" but not many owners were using him. More were using Cutler, who failed to score a touchdown against one of the worst pass defenses in the league. Cutler threw for 225 yards with an interception and ran for 32 yards. His yardage totals weren't terrible, but his lack of a score was a killer for many fantasy teams. We expected better, but for once, the Bears ran in a couple scores.

Game Notes: Derek Anderson was pulled late in the game. He had another miserable showing, going 6-of-17 for 76 yards with two interceptions. Anderson has thrown for less than 125 yards in four straight games and has just one touchdown to five interceptions during that stretch. The Browns seem content with him as their quarterback, though, so we aren't sure if Brady Quinn is going to get another shot.

Devin Hester caught seven passes for 81 yards. He has three straight games with 80-plus yards. He is having a breakout year as the Bears top target in their improved passing attack.

Cowboys 38, Seahawks 17

Fantasy Stud: Tony Romo. Romo is as hot as any quarterback in the league right now. He had three more touchdown passes Sunday, giving him eight touchdowns without an interception his last three games. He was 21-of-36 for 256 yards against the Seahawks. The addition of Miles Austin to the starting lineup seems to have gotten Romo going. It also doesn't hurt to have all three of the Cowboys running backs healthy. Romo is a must start right now.

Fantasy Dud: T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Houshmandzadeh had a quiet game, considering the Seahawks had pretty good success throwing the ball. He had four catches for 24 yards, his lowest yardage total of the season. He has fewer than 40 yards in two straight games. You still have to like him in PPR leagues, though, catching at least four passes in every game this season.

Game Notes: Miles Austin found the end zone for the third straight game. He caught five passes for 61 yards and a touchdown. His yardage numbers were down compared to his first two starts, but still not bad by any means. Austin is playing like a top No. 1 for fantasy teams.

Matt Hasselbeck rebounded from a poor showing in Week 7, throwing for 249 yards and two scores without an interception. In five games, Hasselbeck has nine touchdowns to three interceptions. He is turning into a solid spot starter for fantasy teams.

Rams 17, Lions 10

Fantasy Stud: Steven Jackson. If Jackson were on a better team, he would be getting a lot more headlines. Instead, he plays for a bad Rams team, a team he carries offensively. He was the offense Sunday once again, running for 149 yards and the game-winning touchdown. He also caught three passes for 17 yards. Jackson has at least 100 total yards in six of eight games this season. The thing holding him back from being the top fantasy back is a lack of scores. His touchdown Sunday was his first of the year.

Fantasy Dud: Donnie Avery. Avery was starting to play better and had a great matchup this week, so many teams gave him a start. But he was a big disappointment, catching a pass for 15 yards. This was the fourth game this season with fewer than 20 yards for Avery. He has been far from consistent in a bad Rams passing attack.

Game Notes: Kevin Smith was in and out of the game because of ankle and shoulder injuries, eventually going to the bench for much of the second half. He was effective when playing, though, getting 94 total yards on 20 touches. Keep an eye on his injury this week.

Matthew Stafford misses Calvin Johnson. He was plagued by several drops from his receivers Sunday with Johnson out of the lineup. Stafford finished with poor numbers with little help from his receivers, going 14-of-33 for 168 yards with an interception and a rushing touchdown.

Colts 18, 49ers 14

Fantasy Stud: Reggie Wayne. Wayne sure didn't look like a guy playing on a sore groin. He finished with 12 receptions for 147 yards and a touchdown. Wayne is having maybe his best season as a pro, which is saying something. He has touchdowns in all but a game and three 100-yard games. He has a great rapport with Peyton Manning right now, making them the top fantasy duo in the game right now.

Fantasy Dud: Peyton Manning. Alright, we know Manning threw for 347 yards, but he failed to score a touchdown. You expect Manning to get at least a score every time out. This game was a surprise for Manning, considering he had at least two touchdowns in all but a game. Manning will be fine, though. He is posting tremendous numbers this season. You should be able to live with one so-so game.

Game Notes: Joseph Addai was the exclusive ball carrier for the Colts with Donald Brown out. Addai had 20 carries compared to one for Chad Simpson. Addai finished with 66 total yards and a 22-yard touchdown pass. He has touchdowns in six of seven games this season.

Alex Smith didn't have a bad showing in his first start of the season, facing a good Colts pass defense on the road. He was 19-of-32 for 198 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Smith is looking like a guy you could use in favorable matchups.

Dolphins 30, Jets 25

Fantasy Stud: Dolphins defense/special teams. This unit accounted for three touchdowns, which is amazing. Ted Ginn had two touchdowns, returning two kickoffs for scores. Both were 100-yard returns. Needless to say, Ginn was probably the difference in the game. Jason Taylor got the other score, returning a fumble 48 yards for a score. If you had the Dolphins defense this week, you likely won your game with this performance.

Fantasy Dud: Ronnie Brown. Brown will do this every once in a while, just put up a terrible game. That was the case in Week 8. Brown ran 11 times for 27 yards and caught a pass for two yards. It was the third game this season Brown finished with fewer than 50-rushing yards. He has four games with 70-plus rushing yards, though, and three two-touchdown games. We wouldn't sit him over this game, but don't be surprised if it happens again.

Game Notes: Jerricho Cotchery returned from his hamstring injury and looked fine. He caught three passes for 70 yards and played his usual number of snaps. He should be fine going forward.

Shonn Greene came back down to earth this week, serving as Thomas Jones' top backup. Greene had eight carries for 18 yards and lost a fumble. He is going to be up and down in his role, so don't base his value off his one big game.

Eagles 40, Giants 17

Fantasy Stud: Donovan McNabb. McNabb had one of his better games of the season. He got more time to throw this week and took advantage, going 17-of-23 for 240 yards and three touchdowns. He picked apart the Giants secondary, getting seven different players receptions. McNabb has at least two scores in three of the five games he has played this season.

Fantasy Dud: Eli Manning. Manning posted another unimpressive game Sunday after his big start to the season. He threw for 222 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Manning has three touchdowns to six interceptions his last three games. His receivers aren't playing at the same level, though, as they were early in the year, but Manning isn't as sharp either.

Game Notes: Fullback Leonard Weaver got some chances to run the ball with Brian Westbrook out. Weaver had eight carries for 75 yards, including a 41-yard touchdown run. He could get a few more carries if Westbrook misses anymore time.

LeSean McCoy started and had his best showing as a pro. McCoy finished with 92 total yards and a touchdown on just 13 touches. He was a big-play back for the Eagles throughout the game.

Eagles 24, Raiders 16

Fantasy Stud: Vincent Jackson. Jackson had another solid performance Sunday, catching eight passes for 103 yards and a touchdown. He has moved into must start material. Jackson has four 100-yard games this season and five touchdowns already. Expect his strong start to continue the rest of this season. Jackson is the real deal.

Fantasy Dud: JaMarcus Russell. It is hard to consider Russell a dud when he shouldn't be played by any fantasy teams. But you can't ignore the numbers. Russell threw for 109 yards and an interception, which led to an easy score for the Chargers. Russell has been horrific almost the entire season. He has fewer than 130-passing yards in six of eight games and nine interceptions to two touchdowns. It is amazing this guy continues to start.

Game Notes: Even though Darren Sproles looks like the much better back at this stage, LaDainian Tomlinson continues to dominate touches at running back for the Chargers. Tomlinson had 18 carries for just 56 yards but did find the end zone twice. Sproles had five carries for 38 yards, averaging 7.6 yards per carry compared to Tomlinson's 3.1 average. Tomlinson averages just 3.4 yards per carry for the entire season, lacking the burst he once enjoyed on a weekly basis.

Justin Fargas scored his first touchdown of the season. He had 79 total yards, giving him at least that many yards in three straight games. Fargas has turned into a decent flex play for fantasy teams, getting most of the work at running back for the Raiders.

Titans 30, Jaguars 13

Fantasy Stud: Chris Johnson. Johnson gashed the Jags defense, averaging nearly 10 yards per carry. He ran 24 times for 228 yards and two touchdowns. This is the second game of the season Johnson has gained 200-plus total yards. He is already nearing 1,000 total yards for the season. Despite the Titans having a down year, Johnson is delivering top numbers for fantasy teams as a legit No. 1 back.

Fantasy Dud: David Garrard. Garrard got the worst pass defense in the league, but managed to have one of his worst games of the season. He was 14-of-27 for 139 yards and two interceptions. Garrard never got going against a bad Titans secondary. He is proving to be a guy fantasy teams can't trust, posting erratic numbers.

Game Notes: Maurice Jones-Drew was overshadowed by Johnson's huge game but played nearly as well. Jones-Drew ran eight times for 177 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged more than 20-yards per carry, but for some reason, Jones-Drew carried the ball just eight times in the game.

Vince Young should continue to start in Tennessee. The Titans won and Young actually played pretty well. He completed an efficient 15-of-18 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown without a turnover. He also ran 12 times for 30 yards. Young was impressive in his first start of the season.

Panthers 34, Cardinals 21

Fantasy Stud: Jonathan Stewart. After a down game last week, Stewart came back with a vengeance against the Cardinals. He ran 17 times for 87 yards and two touchdowns. Stewart is turning into a dependable No. 2 back in the Panthers run-heavy offense. He has four touchdowns the last four games and double-digit touches in three of the last four.

Fantasy Dud: Anquan Boldin. Boldin was held in check against the league's top pass defense. Boldin had just three receptions for 23 yards. He is having a disappointing season. He doesn't have a 100-yard game and just one touchdown all season. He should get going at some point, but doesn't seem like he'll repeat his stretch of games from last season.

Game Notes: Kurt Warner had a game to forget. He turned the ball over six times (five interceptions and a fumble). Warner had a terrible game, making some uncharacteristic mistakes for him. He looked more like his opposition, Jake Delhomme.

DeAngelo Williams had a huge game, running all over a very good Cardinals rush defense. He ran 23 times for 158 yards. Williams has 150-plus rushing yards in two of his last three. Williams is really starting to come on after a bit of a slow start.

Vikings 38, Packers 26

Fantasy Stud: Brett Favre. Favre had quite the homecoming, picking apart the Packers secondary. He had four touchdowns without an interception. Favre also threw for 244 yards. Favre is having an amazing season, his first with the Vikings. He has 16 touchdowns to just three interceptions. Favre also has 230-plus yards in six straight games, playing like a top No. 1 fantasy quarterback.

Fantasy Dud: Ryan Grant. Grant had a strong showing in his first game against the Vikings this season, but couldn't get going Sunday. He ran for just 30 yards on 10 carries. This was his lowest rushing totals of the season. Grant continues to lack burst, though, averaging less than four yards per carry in five of seven games. He is far from an exciting option for fantasy teams.

Game Notes: Aaron Rodgers apparently injured his foot at some point during the game, but played through the injury. He had a huge second half after doing about nothing the first half. He got the Packers back in the game, throwing for 287 yards and three touchdowns. Rodgers has at least two scores in five straight games.

Bernard Berrian was active and played well, catching three passes for 47 yards and a touchdown. His hamstring injury didn't seem to be an issue. Berrian doesn't have huge yardage totals this season, but does have scores in three of the last five games.

Please join me for my weekly fantasy chat, which was moved to Friday this week at 11 AM eastern time. A link to enter the chat will be provided on your league home page as well as your personal account page.

If you have any questions or comments, please email Jeff Paur at jeff@rtsports.com