Last week at San Francisco, Fantasy owners of Marshawn Lynch were thrilled by his vintage outing. Showing the form that has made him a Fantasy superstar over the last few seasons and a high draft pick coming into 2015, Lynch both battled and juked his way to 122 rushing yards and a TD. His 18.20 standard Fantasy points on NFL.com were his most so far this year.
Lynch has delivered rushing scores in two consecutive games and appears to be back in prime form as the Seahawks travel to Dallas in Week 8. It's another key matchup for the Seahawks as they aim to get to .500 and build the type of momentum that carried them through a great mid to late season run last season.
Lynch will be the centerpiece of the game plan against the Cowboys, as attacking them with the RB seems to be the best method of earning Fantasy points against them, and naturally plays to the long-established strength of the Seattle offense. The Cowboys allow the third-most Fantasy points to opposing running backs on NFL.com, at a rate of 24.07 per game. They have surrendered seven rushing TDs and two receiving scores to opposing RBs, while allowing 101.3 rushing yards per outing.
The yards per game allowed is ninth in the NFL, but only four teams have allowed more rushing TDs than Dallas' seven. Lynch may have to work hard for his yardage early on, but can pad his totals and get near Dallas' average yards per game with a healthy second half workload. Getting in the end zone will be the big key to boosting his Fantasy point total for the week. His recent scores, plus the Cowboys' propensity for giving up TDs on the ground, should lead to a solid and possibly outstanding Fantasy day for the Seahawks' star RB.
Russell Wilson continues to rely on timely play to keep the Seahawks both competitive and winning. While other Fantasy QBs may rely on volume, Wilson can boost his totals at any time with downfield TD strikes or big plays, as his extraordinary ability to buy extra time often leads to key and sizable completions. Dallas ranks 13th in passing yards allowed per game, but no team has less interceptions than their total of two.
Wilson should be a steady performer this week, and it seems unlikely that he will hurt your Fantasy team with turnovers. A solid running attack will help the Seahawks achieve some desired offensive balance, and Wilson may not feel extreme pass rush heat against an opponent that has generated only 13 sacks. If Wilson is your Fantasy starter this week, he'll at least provide you with adequate Fantasy production.
The Cowboys allow 4.85 Fantasy points to opposing tight ends, fifth-best on NFL.com. Yet that is no reason to bench Jimmy Graham, as he is still capable of an impressive performance at any time. Graham totaled 14.30 standard Fantasy points on NFL.com vs. Chicago earlier this year, and they allow only 5.40 FFPG to opposing TEs, one spot behind Dallas in Fantasy Points Against ranks. Graham remains a very strong Fantasy start regardless of opponent. There are not many other Fantasy TEs who will challenge his total output when he has one of his better weeks.
Doug Baldwin certainly deserves consideration as a bye week plug in for PPR players in larger leagues. He opened the season with a pair of seven reception games and should start to move back closer to those weekly totals as the Seahawks need him as a key performer as they look to generate more positive momentum. Jermaine Kearse can score at any time, so he can be used a fill-in for standard or TD-heavy leaguers this week.
This should be a strong week for the Seahawks defense. The Cowboys rank 27th in points per game at 20.2. Darren McFadden had a strong Week 8 outing against the Giants and runs behind a terrific offensive line, but Bobby Wagner will lead the way as the defensive front limits DMC's production. The Seahawks secondary will prevent Terrance Williams from breaking loose for big plays and will be very focused on containing Jason Witten. The Seahawks defense matches up very well with the Dallas offense and will be a top Fantasy start in Week 8.
In other games, Matthew Stafford should perform well against the Chiefs in London. Ben Roethlisberger returns for Pittsburgh and should immediately be locked into lineups again as he takes on the Bengals. Matt Ryan should be good for at least two TD passes against Tampa Bay.
Jonathan Stewart will have another strong outing as he faces the Colts. Ronnie Hillman will boost the Denver offense against Green Bay. Antonio Andrews is a sneaky flex play as he goes against the Texans. Charcandrick West should post good all-around numbers again vs. Pittsburgh.
Eric Decker will deliver another quality outing as he goes against the Raiders. Stefon Diggs is a must-start WR2 against the Bears. Marvin Jones is a good bet to score vs. Pittsburgh. Nate Washington could shine against his former team, the Titans.
Eric Ebron is a very good start at TE as he faces the Chiefs. Ben Watson will be a solid PPR start vs. the Giants. The Vikings defense is a quality option vs. Chicago, and while Denver faces Green Bay, the Broncos defense should not be reserved regardless of opponent.
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