CLEVELAND (vs. Las Vegas)
Other than two games against elite defenses (Steelers and Ravens) the Browns have been putting up big numbers -- an average of 37 points and 4-plus touchdowns in their other five games. The Raiders are definitely...
... one of those non-elite defenses, allowing an average of 34 points and nearly 4 touchdowns per game. Don't underestimate the Cleveland offense this week. ... Baker Mayfield comes off a huge game, throwing for 297 yards and 5 touchdowns at Cincinnati. At one point he completed 21 passes in a row. Mayfield was brutal in the loss at Pittsburgh the previous week, probably bothered by a rib injury, but causing speculation that he was on the verge of being benched. But he came into that game having thrown 2 TDs in four straight weeks, with the offense scoring 4-plus touchdowns in three of those. Enter the Raiders, who have allowed 3 touchdowns in every game and 4-plus in each of their last three. They've been especially bad against the pass (28th), allowing at least 270 passing yards to every quarterback but Cam Newton, and multiple touchdown passes in three straight. No pass rush (7 sacks), and no opportunism (3 interceptions). Cleveland should also have plenty of success running it, perhaps limiting the kind of passing numbers Mayfield puts up. But with the Raiders also probably ...
This report is taken from today's Week 8 edition of Fantasy Index Weekly. The newsletter includes our player rankings and 19 pages of matchup previews, plus stat projections and custom rankings for the games being played this weekend.
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... scoring plenty, and this defense doing little to trouble opposing passers, another above-average outing from Mayfield looks likely. ... The Raiders are allowing 120 rushing yards per game, which is skewed by an outlier game at New England (where the Patriots rushed for 250 yards). Las Vegas' last three opponents all finished under 90 yards. But two of those teams have lesser ground games (Bills, Bucs), and there's also the fact this defense has allowed exactly 2 rushing scores in every game, a league-worst 12 total. With Nick Chubb (knee) definitely missing one more game (the Browns indicate he might return following the Week 9 bye), Kareem Hunt will be the beneficiary of this matchup. Hunt averages 84 total yards as a starter (63 run, 21 rec) and has scored 7 touchdowns on the season. Cleveland was giving D'Ernest Johnson a chunk of the work when Chubb was first sidelined; he rushed for 95 yards in that game (against a terrible Dallas defense) and handled 13 touches the next two weeks. But he touched the ball only once in last week's shootout, with Hunt getting 18 carries and 3 receptions -- looks like a workhorse until Chubb returns. With the Raiders suspect against both the run and the pass, Hunt's all-around production should be excellent, and there should definitely be a rushing score at some point. ... Odell Beckham is out for the year, and while it's a significant loss, it should be noted that his best game by far was against Dallas; in his other five he averaged 48 receiving yards, and with just 1 touchdown. The dropoff to Rashard Higgins -- who's scored in two of three and went over 100 yards against the Bengals -- might not be that pronounced, at least based on the numbers Beckham was putting up. Higgins and Jarvis Landry (averaging 52 yards per game; he might be playing hurt) should be the main targets, with Donovan Peoples-Jones the No. 3. (KhaDarel Hodge is another possibility; he was in that role earlier in the year, and could return from IR this week.) They'll face a Raiders defense that's allowed 7 touchdowns to wide receivers, which is average, but 6 in the last three games. With there perhaps not being a go-to wideout (Landry and Higgins look fairly similar), there might not be an elite option, but potential for good numbers if the game goes as anticipated (the over-under of 54 is one of the highest of the week). ... Austin Hooper (appendicitis) won't play, so it should be Harrison Bryant and David Njoku at tight end. The team didn't lose much with that duo last week; Bryant scored twice and Njoku once. Bryant had twice as many catches, yards and touchdowns last week and should be featured, with Njoku (hoping to be traded before next week's deadline) a step back. A tight end has scored against the Raiders in each of the last two weeks. ... Set aside the whitewashes against the Ravens and Steelers (which won't happen here), and the Browns are averaging a healthy 9 kicking points. The Raiders are allowing over 8 per game, making Cody Parkey (who's missed just one kick) look like a solid enough choice. ... The Browns Defense has a top-10 pass rush (18 sacks), led by Myles Garrett's 9. That's helped it also lead the league in takeaways (14), with 7 interceptions and 7 fumble recoveries. Derek Carr is a careful veteran (just 2 interceptions), but the Raiders aren't certain to have Trent Brown (COVID) in the lineup. Carr has been sacked 11 times (about 2 per game), but took 3 last week, and the Browns have that kind of potential.