Footballguys Fantasy Football Show – Week 8 Recap (Oct 27, 2025)

Hosts: Alfredo Brown, Dave Kluge
Theme: Thorough, lively breakdown and fantasy reactions to every NFL Week 8 game, spotlighting this week’s biggest risers and fallers for fantasy football managers.
Tone: Informative, humorous, candid, and loaded with actionable advice.

Overview:

Alfredo and Dave dive game-by-game through the NFL’s Week 8 slate, evaluating players who climbed or dropped the most in fantasy relevance. They highlight breakout performances, worrying trends, and give pragmatic advice for the rest of the fantasy season—with plenty of banter and honest debate.

Key Discussion Points & Notable Insights

1. Crummy Slate, Deep Dives

• Both hosts bemoan the lack of compelling games:

  “It was a bad week of football.” (Alfredo, 01:37)
  “When they cut to Scott Hansen...These final 30 minutes would be a good bathroom break for everyone.” (Alfredo, 01:50)

• Silver lining: More attention to underlying trends and player usage, which matters for fantasy diagnostics.

2. Key Game Recaps and Fantasy Takeaways

Packers vs. Steelers

• Risers:
  • Christian Watson (Dave, 03:02): Came back from ACL, unexpectedly emerged as WR2.
  • Tucker Kraft (Alfredo, 04:01): “Locked in just top three tight end rest of the year, potentially even the top tight end.”
  • Kraft’s YAC and usage is elite, possibly now ahead of Jake Ferguson.
    • “He’s doing George Kittle things...the number one target on this offense.” (Alfredo, 04:28)
• Fallers:
  • Matthew Golden (both): Target share woes, role usurped.
    • “He has the tools. He probably can do it. I just don't end up thinking this is going to be the offense that will do it.” (Alfredo, 09:17)
  • Calvin Austin (Dave): “This pushes him completely off the fantasy radar and does make me a little bit intrigued in Roman Wilson.” (05:55)
  • Dynasty managers advised to reassess Golden’s future.

Ravens vs. Bears

• Risers:
  • Kyle Monungai (Dave, 09:41): Increased post-bye involvement, stable committee role (likely 60/40 with Swift).
  • Rome Odunze (Alfredo): “Continues to be the lead wide receiver for this team, earning targets at a higher rate than anyone else.”
• Fallers:
  • Caleb Williams (Dave): “First three weeks, it looks like Caleb Williams was taking this huge leap...since there, it has quieted up...trying to sell Caleb Williams if I can.” (11:25)
  • Mark Andrews (Alfredo): “We are at that time—even when Lamar comes back...I don’t have the faith to trust Mark Andrews.” (12:43)

Bills vs. Panthers

• Risers:
  • James Cook (Alfredo): “Running back one plug and play every single week.” (15:31)
  • Khalil Shakir (Dave): “If they just peppered this guy with like 12 to 15 underneath targets every single game, he would break fantasy football.” (15:59)
• Fallers:
  • Keon Coleman (Alfredo): “We have not seen the target share that everyone wants to see.”
  • Rico Dowdle (both): Despite efficiency, usage lags behind Chuba Hubbard inexplicably.
    • “I think Rico Doddle is just way better than Hubbard.” (Dave, 18:10)
  • Dalton Kincaid (Dave): Is a low-end TE1 but “I don’t feel great about having Dalton Kincaid.” (19:21)

Jets vs. Bengals

• Risers:
  • Justin Fields (Alfredo): “Good for you man. Winner this week.” (Justin Fields’ emotional postgame & job security, 22:34)
  • Mason Taylor (Dave): “Especially while Garrett Wilson is out, he is going to be a featured part of the passing offense.” (23:34)
• Fallers:
  • Chase Brown (Alfredo): Splitting heavily with Samaje Perine: “Glass ceiling...hovering around that running back 13–16.” (25:01)
  • Tee Higgins (brief): Minimal involvement.

Dolphins vs. Falcons

• Risers:
  • Tua Tagovailoa (Alfredo): “Get pink eye more often, buddy. Whatever it is...” (28:26)
  • Ali Gordon (Dave): “Big, big riser for me this week.” (31:00)
  • Jalen Waddle (both): Noted for repeated deep-crosser success.
• Fallers:
  • Darnell Mooney (Dave): “Just wasn’t even a part of the game plan.” (32:22)
  • Kirk Cousins (Alfredo): “There is no trade value for Kirk Cousins.” (33:11)

Texans vs. 49ers

• Risers:
  • Texans’ rookie WRs (Jaden Higgins, Jaylen Noel) (Alfredo): Roles and snaps on the rise.
  • Woody Marks (Dave): “He just looks better and better every single week.” (35:17)
• Fallers:
  • Kendrick Bourne (Dave): “He was here for a good time, not a long time.” (37:30)
  • Jauan Jennings (Alfredo): “He has not been a reliable fantasy asset...” (38:35)

Patriots vs. Browns

• Risers:
  • Drake Maye (Alfredo): “...matchup proof at this point.”
  • Dylan Sampson; TreVeyon Henderson; Harold Fannin (Dave): All trending up.
• Fallers:
  • Jerry Jeudy (Alfredo): “It’s just not happening on a week-in, week-out basis.” (40:42)
  • Quinshon Judkins (Dave): “Only because he got hurt. Left with a shoulder injury...” (42:14)

Eagles vs. Giants

• Risers:
  • Saquon Barkley (Alfredo): “We finally got the week that we have been hoping for.” (42:30)
  • Tank Bigsby, Tyrone Tracy (Dave): Tracy is now an RB2 after Cam Scadaboo injury.
• Fallers:
  • Giants Offense (Alfredo): Devastated by Scadaboo’s injury, noticeably demoralized. (43:55)

Buccaneers vs. Saints

• Risers:
  • Tyler Shough (Saints QB) and pass-catchers, especially Rashid Shaheed (Dave): “12 targets. That’s a season high for him.” (46:15)
  • Tez Johnson (Dave): “If Ted Johnson is a full time player...immediately into the wide receiver 3 discussion.” (48:04)
• Fallers:
  • Alvin Kamara (Alfredo): “The Alvin Kamara train...it's out of steam.” (47:15)
  • Rashad White (Alfredo): Inefficiency and workload share concerns.

Broncos vs. Cowboys

• Risers:
  • Troy Franklin (Alfredo): Emerging as WR2 in Denver.
  • Bo Nix; RJ Harvey (Dave): Bo Nix - back-to-back huge games; Harvey—explosive plays could lead to a larger role.
• Fallers:
  • Jake Ferguson (Alfredo): Showed “he’s not totally game proof or match-up script proof.” (52:52)
  • Marvin Mims (Dave): Role diminished as Franklin ascends.

Colts vs. Titans

• Risers:
  • Tajae Spears (Alfredo): “Only spark of the offense when they’re in passing situations.” (53:03)
  • Michael Pittman (Dave): “Very quietly just having this wide receiver one season.” (54:44)
  • Colts offense overall: Several players as weekly must-starts.
• Fallers:
  • Tony Pollard (Dave): “Just doesn’t look good.” (54:44)
  • Chigoziem Okonkwo (Alfredo): “Because of the environment, maybe it's just not going to happen.” (57:06)

Chargers vs. Vikings (Thursday Night)

• Risers:
  • Arande Gadsden (Alfredo): “Plug and play starting tight end every single week.” (59:24)
  • Trey Harris; Lad McConkey (Dave): McConkey back to old usage; Harris taking over QJ’s routes/targets.
• Fallers:
  • Jordan Mason (Alfredo): “Jordan Mason did not look good in this game against the Chargers.” (60:56)
  • Keenan Allen (Dave): Extremely low snap share, showing his age. “Keenan Allen is unk maxing so hard in this game...” (63:53)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Wherever you drafted Tucker Kraft, that was the steal of your draft. This sets you up for the ultimate success in fantasy football this year.” (Alfredo, 05:38)
• “Khalil Shakir...If they just peppered this guy with like 12 to 15 underneath targets every single game, he would break fantasy football.” (Dave, 15:59)
• “It just wasn't there...Chuba Hubbard was actively getting more snaps than Rico Dowdle throughout the game, got more carries throughout the game.” (Alfredo, 18:10)
• “Justin Fields got close to a couple of touchdowns as well, running the ball...just one broken tackle away from a couple of rushing touchdowns where it would have been an absolute monster game.” (Alfredo, 22:01)
• “Get pink eye more often, buddy. Whatever it is, he came into the game with his eye, his left eye swollen shut.” (Alfredo, 28:26)
• “Bo Nix...back to back huge performances...We say it all the time with these rookies, you need to exercise some patience.” (Dave, 51:34)
• “Michael Pittman...he is playing awesome football this year.” (Dave, 55:57)
• “Plug and play starting tight end every single week [Arande Gadsden] ... The upside is there. The floor is there every week with targets and a good Justin Herbert passing offense.” (Alfredo, 59:33)
• “Keenan Allen is unk maxing so hard in this game, catching the ball, falling over, standing up and not even jogging to the sidelines.” (Dave, 63:53)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Packers/Steelers Fantasy Fallout: 02:40–08:22
• Ravens/Bears: 09:41–14:50
• Bills/Panthers: 14:50–20:15
• Jets/Bengals: 20:45–27:43
• Dolphins/Falcons: 28:04–34:09
• Texans/49ers: 34:09–39:26
• Patriots/Browns: 39:26–42:30
• Eagles/Giants: 42:30–44:55
• Buccaneers/Saints: 45:15–49:45
• Broncos/Cowboys: 49:45–53:03
• Colts/Titans: 53:03–58:02
• Chargers/Vikings: 58:02–end

Concluding Thoughts

• Tight Ends in Flux: Dave highlights most veterans are outside his top-12 the rest of season—youth and unknowns dominate.
• Dynasty/Draft Wisdom: Hosts regret not sticking with early reservations on risky rookies.
• Actionable Advice: Plug in risers as week-in week-out options where noted; be ready to cut bait on declining “name brand” players.
• Fun Factor: Show is energetic and chatty, with witty asides (“unk maxing,” “pink eye buff,” “effort D.K. down there somewhere”) that bring a sense of camaraderie to serious fantasy analysis.

Summary for Non-Listeners

If you missed the episode, you’ll come away understanding which players took steps forward (or back) in the Week 8 fantasy football landscape, which breakouts might be real, when to cut your losses, and where to put your faith as the fantasy playoffs approach. Every riser or faller is supported by real in-game context—so you’ll know if that box score line is a trend or just a blip.

For more details, tune in to the Footballguys Fantasy Football Show each week, or follow their hosts for ongoing, actionable fantasy football insights.