5 breakout fantasy football stars to pick up for Week 8

1. Top Fantasy Football Pickups For Week 8 — New York Jets RB Michael Carter

We witnessed a changing of the guard in the New York backfield over the past few weeks as Breece Hall quickly supplanted Michael Carter as the Jets’ top running back. Hall’s explosive potential made him one of the NFL’s most exciting young players but that all may have changed on Sunday in Denver.

The Jets saw Hall go down with a knee injury against the Broncos and immediately ruled him out for the game, an ominous sign for Hall’s availability for the remainder of the season. The good news was that the Jets were able to go right back to Carter, who showed some solid skills in both the rushing and receiving game in Hall’s absence.

It is easy to forget that Carter was a talented rookie just a year ago, making an impact as the Jets’ fourth-round pick in a backfield by committee. Carter also started the year as the Jets’ top back but was only supplanted because Hall was a special talent, which is not a bad reflection on Carter’s own ability.

Keep an eye on the injury reports for Hall but if he is out for an extended period Carter is the unquestioned top back in an exciting run-first offense. Carter is rostered in 65 percent of Yahoo leagues but there is no reason that percentage shouldn’t shoot toward the high-90s if he becomes the starter. There is significant RB2 upside here so don’t miss out if he’s available in your league.