Week 8 NFL FanDuel Salary Movers
Things can change quickly in fantasy football. To quote Ferris Bueller -- "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
We're here to "look around" and make sure we don't miss any week-to-week salary changes that could pay dividends on FanDuel.
Maybe a player had an outlier performance and saw their salary rise too high, making them a sub-optimal play. Or, perhaps a player saw an increase in their role but played on Monday night after salaries for the following week's slate already came out, and therefore they haven't been priced accordingly.
This week's article will take a look at which players' salaries have changed the most from Week 7 to Week 8.
Now that you're ready, let's get to it!
Quarterback
Matt Schaub, Atlanta Falcons
Week 7 Salary: $6,000
Week 8 Salary: $6,600
Matt Ryan had thrown for 300 yards in every game coming into the Falcons Week 7 game at home against the Los Angeles Rams. That streak was ended in part to an Aaron Donald sack in the fourth quarter and Ryan's ankle got caught up in the play. He ended the day just 16 of 27 passing for 159 yards and an interception. Veteran Matt Schaub came on in relief and completed all six of his passes for 65 yards and a touchdown in an ugly 37-10 loss.
Ryan had an MRI on his injured ankle Monday and his status for Week 8 is still undecided. With a Week 9 bye looming, Schaub may be in-line for his first start since 2015. Paying down at quarterback is usually the way to go and at just $6,600, he allows for plenty of salary savings in your lineup builds. For just $300 more you can still retain that lineup flexibility with Ryan Tannehill against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Other Big Movers:
Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions: $7,300 | $7,700
Teddy Bridgewater, New Orleans Saints: $7,000 | $7,500
Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans: $6,400 | $6,900
Running Back
Latavius Murray, New Orleans Saints
Week 7 Salary: $5,300
Week 8 Salary: $6,200
In Week 6, Alvin Kamara played through an ankle injury while Latavius Murray received 11 touches, a season-high, and tallied his second-best FanDuel performance with 9.4 points. Kamara was unable to go in Week 7, hobbled by the ankle and now knee injuries, opening lead-back duties to Murray against a stout Chicago Bears defense. It's no surprise he dominated the touches, rushing 27 times for 119 yards and two touchdowns as the Saints controlled the game on the road. Murray also showed capable hands, catching five of six targets for an additional 31 yards. His 29.5 FanDuel points were a massive boost if you were able to make a late change and swap off of Kamara.
Next on tap for the Saints is a home date against the struggling Arizona Cardinals defense. Outside of a big game for Christian McCaffrey (26.2), they've held running back scoring down as opponents have opted to attack through the air. Despite facing increased volume, the unit has just one interception against 17 touchdowns. With the Saints on a bye in Week 9, it wouldn't be surprising if both Kamara and Drew Brees are out again. If so, Latavius will find himself in another workhorse position as 9.5 point home favorites and is still a value despite the $1,100 salary adjustment.
Other Big Movers:
Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings: $8,300 | $8,900
Josh Jacobs, Oakland Raiders: $6,700 | $7,200
David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals: $7,400 | $6,800
Wide Receiver
Danny Amendola, Detroit Lions
Week 7 Salary: $4,700
Week 8 Salary: $5,800
Raise your hand if you thought the biggest mover was going to be another Lions receiver, Marvin Jones. Instead, it's Danny Amendola who is the biggest mover this week, up $1,100. Jones caught four touchdowns against the Vikings but Amendola was also heavily involved. Kerryon Johnson's injury almost certainly helped as the slot man caught eight of his 11 targets for 105 yards and 14.5 FanDuel points.
Amendola just had his best game since Week 1; a seven reception, 104 yard game with a touchdown against the Cardinals. He missed the Green Bay Packers game due to a chest injury but his target totals in the prior three contests were one, five, and one. The Lions were also forced to throw more due to negative game script against the Vikings and now face the New York Giants as seven-point home favorites. It's possible Amendola retains a more prominent role with Kerryon Johnson now on injured reserve but we need more than a one-game sample to bank on the production.
Other Big Movers:
Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints: $8,100 | $8,500
Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks: $6,500 | $7,200
Mike Williams, Los Angeles Chargers: $6,200 | $5,700
Tight End
Hunter Henry, Los Angeles Chargers
Week 7 Salary: $5,700
Week 8 Salary: $6,700
Hunter Henry missed the entire 2018 season due to an ACL tear. Fully recovered, Henry's 2019 season opener was cut short due to a tibial plateau fracture of his left knee. Henry avoided injured reserve and instead returned to the lineup on Sunday night in Week 6 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, catching eight of nine targets for 100 yards and two touchdowns. Because he played on Sunday night, Henry's salary didn't change for Week 7 and at $5,700, grabbed six of eight targets for 97 and 12.7 FanDuel points. Now Henry's involvement has propelled him up the salary scale $1,000 and is the third-most-expensive tight end on the slate.
His salary has finally caught up to his production but Henry's role in the offense isn't likely to change. Since his return, he's tied with Keenan Allen for the team lead with a 21 percent target share and 22 percent market share of air yards. However, Henry carries only the sixth-best projection at tight end this week, 9.3 FanDuel points. Combined with the Chargers implied team total of just 18 points, you can find better options this week.
Other Big Movers:
Darren Waller, Oakland Raiders: $6,200 | $6,800
Evan Engram, New York Giants: $6,800 | $6,300
Jonnu Smith, Tennessee Titans: $4,500 | $4,900
