Blue is the ‘ideal fit’ to complement Williams

Darnold really struggled through consistent pressure from Dennis Allen’s aggressive defensive front as the Seahawks gained just 252 yards of total offense. Things looked manageable in the first half while Darnold leans heavily on alpha wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, feeding his top option for 92 yards before the break. Allen’s second half adjustments all but removed JSN from the offense, holding him to just 26 yards after the break. Week 8 went down as only the third game of the 2026 season in which Darnold threw multiple touchdowns, leaving him outside QB2 range and on waiver wires ahead of a Week 9 meeting with the Cardinals.

Raymond’s lone “carry” came on a third-and-long in the fourth quarter in a three-point game, with the play ruled a rush attempt following a slightly backwards toss on a quick swing pass to the perimeter. Raymond did the rest as he turned on the jets for a 39-yard gain to the five, which D’Andre Swift would punch in for the second of his three rushing scores on the evening. Raymond remains unlikely to match his early-season exploits but can be stashed in case of injury to Luther Burden, Rome Odunze, or Colston Loveland.

Burden’s opening drive score was the first touchdown surrendered by the Seahawks on an opening possession in the previous 26 games, finishing tied with tight end Colston Loveland for the team lead in targets while catching the only passing score from quarterback Caleb Williams. He continues to operate as the team’s top option through the air in a role that is most malleable, which can either be concentrated on the short areas against zone or extended in the vertical against man. Burden is a WR2 in a pass-funnel matchup against the Buccaneers in Week 9.

Five of Loveland’s nine targets came on the team’s first drive as the Bears scored the first opening possession touchdown against the Seahawks in the previous 26 games. He would largely disappear until key receptions in the fourth quarter to extend drives, finishing the game tied with Luther Burden for the team lead in targets and second on the team in yards behind Rome Odunze. Loveland has shaken off an extremely slow start to the 2026 regular season with three consecutive games of at least six receptions and 65 yards. He’ll be a middling TE1 against the pass-funnel Buccaneers in Week 9.

Odunze was almost nonexistent in the first half, catching his first pass, an 18-yard reception over the middle of the field, with just under five minutes remaining in the second quarter. The Bears exploited the attention paid to Luther Burden and Colston Loveland after the half, with Odunze catching three passes for chunk gains in the third quarter to help position the team for their sixth victory. Odunze remains unlikely to challenge for the team lead in targets on a weekly basis while playing alongside Burden and Loveland, but his big play ability keeps him in the FLEX discussion, for the time being. That could change in a more favorable matchup through the air in Week 9 against the Buccaneers, where Odunze will be a WR3.

Swift managers were sweating early as he alternated drives with Roschon Johnson. Those worries were swiftly erased as the veteran lead back played almost the entirety of the second half, scoring all three of his short yardage touchdowns after the break. The three trips to paint marked his second game with three touchdowns through the first eight weeks, now the only player in the league with multiple three-touchdown games. Swift will be a matchup-based RB2 when the Bears host the Buccaneers in Week 9.

Williams marched the Bears down the field for a 17-play opening possession touchdown, snapping a 26-game streak in which the Seahawks kept opponents out of the end zone on first possessions in the process. The two teams traded defensive stops for much of the remainder of the first half before the Bears opened the flood gates after the break, vaulting to a 6-2 record and now just half a game behind the Vikings for the lead in the NFC North. Williams’ ball placement was impeccable in this one, the most notable of which came just after the half on three absolute dimes to Rome Odunze for chunk gains. Two surging teams meet in Week 9 when the Bears host the pass-funnel Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football, where Williams will remain a back end QB1.

The veteran receiver played through both ailments in Week 8 but was limited to only 54 percent of the team’s offensive snaps in a blowout win. Fantasy managers will want to monitor his status in the coming days, with the expectation that he continues to play through the injuries against the Ravens on Thursday Night Football.

This appears to be a non-issue as the veteran change of pace back should be fine for Thursday Night Football against the Ravens. Of greater concern was the absence of lead back Bayshul Tuten, something fantasy managers of both players will want to monitor as Thursday draw nearer. Rodriguez would seemingly be in line for a featured role if Tuten is unable to play on a short week.

Tuten briefly left the team’s Week 8 win in the first quarter but returned to amass 159 total yards and two touchdowns against the overmatched Colts. Fantasy managers will want to track his status closely as the team makes a quick turn to face the Ravens on Thursday Night Football.