Typically, as the season goes along, we get fewer fun fantasy offenses as quarterbacks and key skill players get hurt, catapulting everyone involved into the dumpster.

Week 8 was different.

It started with rebirth for the Los Angeles Rams, and it continued Sunday with the Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns following suit.

We have to cherish these weeks when they come along.

Today, we'll dig into each of those offenses and outline what we should expect of them going forward, along with discussing other key takeaways, injuries, snap rates, and usages across the week thus far.

All snap-rate and average depth of target (aDOT) data is via Next-Gen Stats unless noted otherwise. A "deep" target here is a target more than 15 yards beyond the line of scrimmage.

Key Injuries to Track Entering Week 9

Jordan Love

The early reports on Jordan Love's groin injury that forced him out of Week 8 have been positive. If he does miss time, it torpedoes the pass-catchers but likely provides a boost to Josh Jacobs.

Jacobs had 25 carries on Sunday, his second most of the year, trailing only the 32 he had in Malik Willis' first start. He had 151 yards from scrimmage there and 125 this week, also his top two marks of the year.

The Green Bay Packers have shown they'll lean on Jacobs if Love is out, and that approach has worked. So while it's a bummer to push the pass-catchers out of play, a temporary boost to Jacobs helps a bit.

Stefon Diggs

The Houston Texans seemed to have elite receiver depth entering the year. But that depth is being tested now after Stefon Diggs left Week 8 with a non-contact knee injury.

The Texans didn't throw much after Diggs' injury with just five C.J. Stroud drop backs. Both Tank Dell and John Metchie III had two targets, and Robert Woods had one.

Dell has been frustrating all year long, and he had just 4 targets for 35 yards here. Dalton Schultz out-did him in both categories with 6 targets for 52 yards, all before Diggs left.

If Diggs misses time, Schultz is a quality streamer and a low-end DFS option until Nico Collins returns.

As for Dell, it just seems like he's still -- understandably -- trying to regain his burst after sustaining a gunshot wound in April. This does boost his target expectations, but I haven't seen enough to think Dell will suddenly be a target hog.

Instead, I wouldn't be shocked if the Texans lean even more on Joe Mixon. Mixon has 178, 132, 124, and 134 yards from scrimmage in his 4 full games while rocking a 58.5% red-zone share. He doesn't have a ton of room to go up, but he's among the best fantasy backs in the league right now.

As for the secondary pass-catchers, I'd rank John Metchie III highest. Yes, Xavier Hutchinson ran way more routes than Metchie (25 to 8), but Hutchinson has been running wind sprints the past couple games, and Metchie actually earned targets when given a chance. Both will get sent back to purgatory once Collins is back, but Metchie is the preferred dart throw.

Jordan Mason and Deebo Samuel

Hopefully this is all moot both because the San Francisco 49ers have a bye in Week 9 and because Christian McCaffrey is trending toward a return following that bye. But Jordan Mason left with a shoulder injury, and Deebo Samuel sustained a rib injury with neither returning.

Without Mason, Isaac Guerendo popped with a 65.6% snap rate, turning 14 carries and 4 targets into 102 yards from scrimmage. He separated from Patrick Taylor, who split work with him when Mason got banged up earlier in the season. Guerendo is the clear No. 3 on the depth chart behind McCaffrey and Mason.

Samuel still managed to play 62.5% of the snaps, tying George Kittle for the team lead with 7 targets. Kittle turned his into 128 yards and a touchdown, and Samuel had a long touchdown called back via penalty. Both would project for rock-solid usage even with McCaffrey back in the mix if Samuel winds up being okay.

If not, it'd open another door for Ricky Pearsall, who had 4 targets and a rush attempt for 77 yards from scrimmage. His status is murkier with Jauan Jennings also potentially returning soon, but he did at least look up to the task here.

Drake Maye

After some exciting moments in his first two starts and a rushing touchdown Sunday, Drake Maye was ruled out early due to a concussion. This puts his Week 9 status very much up in the air.

Jacoby Brissett came on in relief and helped lead the New England Patriots to a win. He played well. But thus far, Maye has been the better, more exciting player, and if Brissett has to fill in, it'd cross off all of the pass-catchers except potentially Hunter Henry.

Christian Kirk, Brian Thomas Jr., and Gabe Davis

Christian Kirk had been the subject of trade talks entering the week, but those are dust after he left Week 8 due to a boken collarbone that will sideline him for the remainder of the season. To add to the Jacksonville Jaguars' issues, Brian Thomas Jr. left with a chest injury in the third quarter and didn't return, and Gabriel Davis missed the entire second half with a shoulder injury.

Not ideal!

With no updates on Thomas or Davis, we should expect decreased efficiency out of Trevor Lawrence in the short-term. Hopefully you weren't riding Lawrence in fantasy to begin with, but it's tough to put up good numbers without your top three receivers.

We should also expect tons of volume for Evan Engram. Although he had just five targets Sunday, Engram has a 23.1% target share in the games he has played. If he's no longer competing with that group for targets, he'll get all he can handle, making him a high-quality tight-end option for all formats.

Parker Washington would be next man up at receiver after he played 73.2% of the snaps. Thomas' aDOT was 14.4 yards on his 4 targets, so he has some juice, as well. He's worth a waiver add until we get clarity on the others here.

Kendre Miller

Kendre Miller has previously drawn the ire of head coach Dennis Allen for failing to stay healthy, so his hamstring injury Sunday is unlikely to help matters. It does, though, boost Alvin Kamara's stock as the New Orleans Saints start to get healthy.

Kamara's snap rate was just 55.9% Sunday, but he still had 10 carries and a season-high 11 targets. He turned that into 122 yards from scrimmage, his fifth time topping the century mark this year.

This is good timing for Kamara as Derek Carr could be back in Week 9, and the team got lineman Cesar Ruiz back this week. They'll have to hope Mason Tipton can help fill the shoes of Rashid Shaheed, but this is the healthiest they've been since kickoff in Week 3. Miller missing time would only further boost the appeal in Kamara in that offense.

Fantasy Football Role Changes

Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp

Even with just two limited practices under his belt, Puka Nacua returned to a full role for the Rams, and Cooper Kupp's usage wasn't too shabby, either.

Nacua led the Rams with 9 targets (26.5% share) in Week 8, followed by Kupp (8 targets, 23.5%). Kyren Williams was the only other player with a double-digit target share.

These weren't just bunny looks for Nacua, either, who had four deep targets, helping him rack up 106 yards in addition to 2 rush attempts. He looks like he's (somehow) fully healthy, meaning I'll treat him as such going forward.

As for Kupp, it wasn't as stellar of a night as he had just one deep target and wasn't as productive. I'll still be comfortable using him in season-long, but for DFS, I'll want to see a bit more upside in his targets before buying in.

Finally, this is massive for Matthew Stafford, who had 279 yards and 4 touchdowns against a tough defense. He's back on the streaming menu, and he can be a DFS consideration if the Rams are in a plum game environment.

DeAndre Hopkins

DeAndre Hopkins made his Kansas City Chiefs debut and played 32.4% of the snaps, but it was Travis Kelce who stole the show.

Kelce led the team with 12 targets, 3 of which were in the red zone. That was his second time hitting double-digit targets in three games without Rashee Rice, pushing his target share to 28.7% in that time.

Xavier Worthy isn't that far behind him at 23.4%, and he has 7 deep targets the past 2 games combined. He hasn't produced, but the building blocks are there. I'm slowly coming around on him, though he'll be tough to stomach in DFS if his salary remains in the $7,000 range.

As for Hopkins, of his three targets, two were deep, showing he has yardage juice, as well, as his role expands. That should happen soon, given how long he has been around.

This feels like the best-case scenario for the Chiefs. They can filter out some of the tertiary non-sense to Mecole Hardman and company, scaling up Hopkins without taking tons off of Kelce's plate and while still keeping Worthy involved. It's a much-needed boost for Patrick Mahomes' fantasy outlook.

For the first time this year, I'm excited to buy into this offense, and that applies to all three of these pass-catching pieces, as long as the alternative starters and DFS salaries are reasonable.

Cade Otton and Jalen McMillan

With Chris Godwin and Mike Evans sidelined, Cade Otton and Jalen McMillan were the two who stepped into the most volume.

Otton led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with 10 targets, turning them into 81 yards and 2 touchdowns. For as long as they're out, he's a no-thought starter in season-long and on the DFS radar.

McMillan led the team with 44 routes and was tied with Bucky Irving for second in targets at seven. He netted just 35 yards, but with 3 deep targets, the potential for upside was there.

McMillan has struggled to turn his targets into yardage, and that may continue. But I'd be willing to at least take swipes at him in the right spots for DFS given the kinds of looks he's getting.

Rhamondre Stevenson

Considering Rhamondre Stevenson at one point lost his starting job due to fumbles, it's a bit ironic that his expanded role today was due to the ball security -- or lack thereof -- of Antonio Gibson.

Gibson fumbled once and was involved in another botched exchange, and it led to a 79.4% snap rate for Stevenson. That was his highest since Week 1. He had 20 carries and 3 targets along with 6 of 15 red-zone chances.

The efficiency was still rough because the offensive line is a liability. But once Maye is back, Stevenson's role is good enough where he'll be a decent season-long starter and at least a fringe consideration in DFS.

Noteworthy Fantasy Football Usage

The Dolphins' Skill Players

Tua Tagovailoa was healthy in his return, which is what matters most. He was also efficient, and De'Von Achane was the biggest beneficiary.

Achane had 10 carries and 8 targets, very similar to his Week 1 usage with Tagovailoa (10 carries and 7 targets). He had 147 yards from scrimmage here with 97 rushing and 50 receiving. That pass-game usage is absolutely elite.

Raheem Mostert scored twice and had 5 of 12 red-zone chances compared to 3 for Achane. That's going to be an issue for Achane. But he's now a superb back we should covet in all formats.

Tyreek Hill played through a foot injury and led the team with nine targets, two of which were deep with two in the red zone. As long as the foot injury doesn't linger, it's back to status quo with him.

Jaylen Waddle was the one disappointing piece with 6 targets for 45 yards. Only one of those targets was deep for Waddle. I'd still want to buy Waddle because we know how talented he is, but the boost to him was smaller than what Achane and Hill got.

It is worth noting that Jonnu Smith tied Waddle with six targets, including one deep look. He's someone you can at least consider if you're in need of a streamer.

The Browns' Skill Players

Jameis Winston's first start for the Cleveland Browns ignited the entire offense, and it forces us to reset expectations for everyone.

Winston averaged 0.36 Passing Net Expected Points per drop back (NEP, numberFire's EPA metric) on 43 drop backs. Deshaun Watson was at -0.19 at the time of his injury. Winston won't maintain that -- it's an MVP pace -- but it's clear he's an upgrade for this offense.

While Cedric Tillman had the monster game, Elijah Moore led the team in targets.

That's, quite frankly, great usage for all four of Tillman, Moore, Jerry Jeudy, and David Njoku, who all had a target share of at least 17.1%.

Of the four, Njoku would be my preference because he has been productive under a bunch of different quarterbacks and fills tight end. He's more than just a streamer at the position going forward.

Tillman now has nine-plus targets in consecutive games with seven total deep targets, which easily leads the team. Because of that and the production, he'd be my preference among the group. Jeudy is at least close to him, and Moore is a distant fourth for me despite the high target total. He's a fine add in season-long, but I would try to keep expectations in check.

As for Nick Chubb, his snap rate increased to 62.1%, so he's basically back to a full role. He just had an impossible matchup here. I think we've got the green light to be aggressive with him going forward, especially now that the offense has shown some life. It's arrows up across the board here.

Calvin Ridley

Calvin Ridley's raw volume has been decent this year. It just didn't matter because he was getting prayer balls with poor quarterback play.

That shifted in the first game without Hopkins

Ridley's 15 targets were easily his most this year. But more importantly, 12 of them were within 15 yards of the line of scrimmage. His max in that category was five prior to this.

We need deep volume for a receiver to have upside. But when it was what Ridley was getting before -- where it was almost exclusively deep balls -- it made his median expectation abysmal.

I still don't want to be overly high on Ridley due to the team's quarterback play. This is, though, a boost up that makes him tolerable in all formats.

Jonathan Taylor

Jonathan Taylor got a full workload in his first game off a high ankle sprain.

Taylor finished with 20 carries and a target for 117 yards from scrimmage on an 82.5% snap rate. He also handled all three red-zone chances for the team.

The Indianapolis Colts' offense is limited due to Anthony Richardson's play, and his aggressiveness means Taylor won't be super involved in the passing game. But we can go back to status quo with Taylor off the injury.

The Bills' Pass-Catchers

Amari Cooper is still ramping up as he had just 2 targets on a 50.7% snap rate Sunday. But as he gets more integrated, it seems like the team is growing more comfortable with the roles of Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, and Dalton Kincaid, who all get unique work.

Shakir led the team with 10 targets Sunday, and he converted that into 107 yards. He ran 61.5% of his routes from the slot, which is his ideal location.

As for Coleman, he had seven targets, which is great in itself. But three of those were deep with two in the red zone, pushing his red-zone target share to 24.2%.

Kincaid is a blend of the two where he gets both underneath and higher-leverage targets. After a season-high three deep targets last week, he had one this week with two in the red zone as part of a season-high seven-target day.

Because both Coleman and Cooper primarily play outside, Coleman's the guy most at risk of losing volume as Cooper ramps up. But he's also playing well enough where he could bully his way into a sustained role.

I'd like to have stock of all four guys. Josh Allen is back to playing good football, and we want pieces tied to him. It's just worth noting both that the offense is trending up and that we don't yet know for sure what usages will look like in the future.

Additional Notes

• Ladd McConkey racked up a season-high 111 yards and 2 touchdowns Sunday despite playing through a hip injury. He has 23.9% of the Los Angeles Chargers' overall targets with 25.0% in the red zone. As he gets healthier, I'd expect the arrow to continue to trend up on a quality player tied to a good quarterback.
• It was encouraging that Tank Bigsby again had decent usage in a more neutral game script this week. He played 66.1% of the snaps, logging 18 carries and 3 targets. I'd expect Travis Etienne back next week, and we don't know how things will play out then, but Bigsby's role without Etienne is definitely acceptable with a good combo of early-down and red-zone work with an occasional target.
• I remain skeptical of Mark Andrews, though his red-zone role is nice. He has multiple red-zone targets in three straight games, pushing his red-zone target share to 20.6%. He also did run a route on 27 of 41 drop backs, which is an improvement for him. But with a max of five targets in a game, I'm likely to remain below consensus on Andrews. He's acceptable for season-long, but that's as far as I can go for now.
• In the second game of Jameson Williams' suspension, we should boost expectations for Sam LaPorta. LaPorta had a season-high six targets -- a 40.0% target share on limited passing volume -- with four in the red zone. He still won't be as great for fantasy as he was last year, but it's better than what he has done with Williams on the field.
• Kyle Pitts' monster day came on just five targets, but it was his fourth straight game with five-plus targets. It pushes his season-long target share up to 16.2%, which still isn't great but is better than where it was. It still feels like his chunk gains come on broken plays, but I'm becoming more receptive to him each week.
• The Bucs' running back usage was similar to last week in terms of snaps, but Bucky Irving was decently productive, especially in the passing game. He had 84 yards from scrimmage on 9 carries and 7 targets. He's still the guy with the best upside, but for now, he's still nothing more than a low-end flex play.
• It's hard to get excited about the Carolina Panthers' offense, but it does seem like Jalen Coker can play. He had 78 yards Sunday -- double any other player on the team -- and earned four deep and three red-zone targets. We'll want to jump ship when either Diontae Johnson or Adam Thielen returns, but Coker's a name worth monitoring, if nothing else.
• Jakobi Meyers returned off injury to seven targets, two of which were in the red zone. He's someone you can trust in season-long if byes and injuries put you in a bind.
• With Rico Dowdle inactive, the Dallas Cowboys' backfield was still a full-blown committee. You don't want to touch anybody there until somebody separates.

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