Engel’s Angles: Week 8 stat book

Numbers are the lifeblood of fantasy football, but not all of them are relevant. Being a successful fantasy owner, as many of you veteran players already know, takes the ability to look back as well as forward. When we look back, though, what should we take forward? Each week, the Stat Book highlights some interesting numbers from the past and determines whether they’ll be meaningful or meaningless in the week ahead.

ITEM: Brandon Marshall(notes) has four TDs in his past four games.
ANGLE: The Baltimore pass defense has been vulnerable this season, and Marshall and Kyle Orton(notes) are working well together. Marshall should post solid yardage totals this week in addition to getting more scoring chances.

ITEM: Marshawn Lynch(notes) has averaged 118 scrimmage yards in his past four home games.
ANGLE: Lynch will have to be the focal point of the Buffalo offense against Houston, which has looked shaky against the run at times this season. Expect a quality outing from the Buffalo RB, who is on the verge of re-establishing himself as a major part of his team’s game plans.

ITEM: Jay Cutler(notes) passed for a career-high 447 yards with three TDs and an interception in his only meeting with the Browns, in 2008.
ANGLE: Cutler may not reach those yardage totals this week, but he should deliver an outstanding performance as the Bears quickly put a bad week at Cincinnati behind them.

ITEM: John Carlson(notes) had six catches for a career-high 105 yards in his last meeting with the Cowboys.
ANGLE: Carlson is needed to help the injury-riddled offensive line with blocking, and he has become a big fantasy disappointment. Don’t expect much from him this week, either.

ITEM: Donnie Avery(notes) has two TDs in the past three games.
ANGLE: The Rams desperately need to get the ball into the hands of someone besides Steven Jackson. Avery should get chances to make some big plays against the Lions this week.

ITEM: Kevin Smith(notes) has averaged 103 rush yards per game in his past five home efforts.
ANGLE: Smith should carry the Detroit offense against St. Louis. He’s a prime starting option in Week 8.

ITEM: Joseph Addai(notes) has 11 rush TDs in his past nine games against the NFC.
ANGLE: With Donald Brown(notes) out this week, Addai should be expected to shoulder a more significant load against the 49ers. He is a good starting choice and his yardage numbers may be impressive.

ITEM: Ronnie Brown(notes) and Ricky Williams(notes) are the only teammates with five-plus rush TDs in 2009.
ANGLE: Expect more of the same against the Jets this week. In a rivalry matchup, Miami will battle hard and the Dolphins’ seemingly unstoppable running game will continue to roll.

ITEM: Thomas Jones(notes) scored twice in his last meeting with the Dolphins.
ANGLE: The Jets will counter Miami’s strong running game with an outstanding ground attack of their own. Jones is a top start this week.

ITEM: Hakeem Nicks(notes) aims to score in his fifth consecutive game.
ANGLE: Mario Manningham(notes) is hurting, clearing Nicks for a bigger role this week, and he is a very good start when you consider there are many bye week concerns.

ITEM: The Eagles defense has held Eli Manning(notes) to fewer than 200 yards in five of the past six meetings, including the playoffs.
ANGLE: Manning may be limited in yardage again, but the Giants need to strike with optimum offensive balance again and Manning should be good for more than one TD pass.

ITEM: Louis Murphy(notes) totaled 87 yards and caught a TD pass in his NFL debut this year, against San Diego.
ANGLE: Murphy has become virtually useless in most leagues since then. He should not be started in most fantasy formats.

ITEM: LaDainian Tomlinson(notes) averages 115.4 rush yards per game in his career against the Raiders.
ANGLE: Tomlinson will produce very good all-around numbers this week, even if Oakland can hold him under 110 rush yards. A TD is also a strong possibility after he was denied the end zone more than once in Week 7.

ITEM: Mike Sims-Walker(notes) had a career-best two TDs in his last meeting with the Titans.
ANGLE: Just another reason to consider Sims-Walker among the top starts of the week against the lowly Tennessee pass defense.

ITEM: DeAngelo Williams(notes) is shooting for his third in a row against Arizona with 100-plus yards and one or more TDs.
ANGLE: Arizona has a much better run defense this season, so Williams may not repeat such feats this time.

ITEM: Steve Breaston(notes) had nine catches for 91 yards in his last meeting with Carolina.
ANGLE: Breaston is a viable bye week option, but expecting such reception totals again is a bit of a stretch.

ITEM: Sidney Rice(notes) has a TD catch in all four career games against the Packers.
ANGLE: Rice has become a major matchup problem for any secondary, and should be a top target for Brett Favre(notes) in his “homecoming” game.

For more Week 8 analysis from Scott Engel, check out his matchup previews on NFL.com.