The NFL season is back for another round of action, and fantasy football managers are ready for a full slate of games to flood their TVs this weekend. As not all matchups or roles are equal, we’re breaking down our top fantasy football start/sit Week 8 plays.
Week 8 Fantasy Football Start ’ems
Daniel Jones, QB, New York Giants
Is he the most efficient? No, but after last week’s performance, Daniel Jones is now the QB9 in fantasy points per game. His rushing has helped raise his floor and ceiling as Jones is third in rushing yards, second in touchdowns, and fourth in red-zone carries.
I think Jones can make it back-to-back weeks with QB1 performances against the Seattle Seahawks defense that sits 11th in points per game against QBs. He’s a top-12 RB in QB fantasy rankings.
Even if he isn’t on your roster, you can still get in on Daniel Jones’ action by taking the higher or lower on his projections thanks to Underdog Fantasy and their Pick’em contests, where you can earn up to 20x. Sign up today for Underdog Fantasy and receive a 100% deposit bonus of up to $100.
Derek Carr, QB, Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders deserve far more credit than they are getting for the season that they’ve had. The same goes for Derek Carr, who is a low-end QB1/high-end QB2 for Week 8. Carr has been hit or miss with three top-12 performances and his other three games finishing outside the top 16.
However, the Saints’ pass defense has been eviscerated. Since Week 4, they sit 22nd in passing defense, DVOA, and passing yards. The Saints are 28th in pressure rate and 31st in EPA per dropback. With Davante Adams looking like a go for Sunday, start Carr in Week 8 for fantasy.
Tony Pollard, RB, Dallas Cowboys
Ezekiel Elliott is out, meaning Tony Pollard should be started in every fantasy league imaginable. Sitting 36th in fantasy points per game, Pollard is second in yards after contact/attempt and 11th in yards per route run.
Since Week 2, he’s averaged 11.7 touches and 76.4 total yards and has put together five top 30 scoring weeks in his last six outings, despite recording only 40% of the rushing attempts and an 8% target share.
The Bears sit 29th in rushing yards allowed per game, 18th in EPA, and have surrendered the sixth-most fantasy points to running backs per game. Additionally, Chicago traded away one of their top defensive linemen earlier this week. Pollard is not only a starter in Week 8 but also a top-10 RB in our Week 8 fantasy RB rankings.
Raheem Mostert, RB, Miami Dolphins
Those who favored Raheem Mostert’s familiarity with Mike McDaniel’s system clearly made the right call, as Mostert is beginning to flourish. In Week 7, he played on 71% of the snaps while logging 16 carries and five targets and produced over 100 yards with a touchdown.
MORE: RB Red-Zone Report Entering Week 8
I don’t see this game being particularly close, especially with the Lions allowing the third-most fantasy points per game to the position at 29.2 in PPR, 31st in rushing yards allowed, and 30th in EPA/rush. Over the last four weeks, he’s the RB19 in PPR/game and is about to go on a tear with six of his next eight opponents, all sitting 24th or worse in rush DVOA.
Tyler Boyd, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
By no means should we expect Tyler Boyd to have another 155-yard explosion as he did last week. But with Ja’Marr Chase out for potentially multiple weeks with a hip injury, Boyd is a weekly WR2 for fantasy.
Boyd has a history of explosive plays, and given the passing volume, there’s no way to turn down Joe Burrow’s No. 2 target in this offense. Boyd is a must-start for Week 8 against Cleveland and cracks the top 20 in PFN’s Week 8 WR fantasy rankings.
Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Tyler Lockett has disappointed me in recent weeks, scoring just 15.2 points over his last two games, but he remains in the WR2 mix without DK Metcalf on the field.
The matchup is not the best against the Giants, who have allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers, but it’s hard to ignore Lockett’s 25.4% target share and 35.5% air-yard share. Adoree’ Jackson has been a tough matchup this year, but I favor Lockett’s volume to pull through for fantasy managers this week.
Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers
With Deebo Samuel officially ruled out, it appears to be wheels up on Brandon Aiyuk. Since Week 3, Aiyuk has a 22.2% target share with 26.3 of the team’s air yards this season with back-to-back 11-target games while finishing as the WR4 and WR18, respectively.
This is not the same Rams’ defense as years past. They’re 22nd in points against wide receivers, and with how many playmakers are on this 49ers team, there’s no way to single out an individual player like Aiyuk, who has produced 36 fantasy points over his last two games.
Irv Smith Jr., TE, Minnesota Vikings
Here comes the long-awaited Irv Smith Jr. breakout game. A late-round target amongst many, Smith is the TE20 on the season and sits 22nd per game at 7.3 PPR.
He has yet to record more than five receptions or 45 yards in a game, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Coming off the Vikings’ bye week, I’m all in on Smith in Week 8 against the Cardinals. He is the TE12 in Week 8 TE fantasy rankings.
Arizona has been obliterated by the position, sitting 28th in DVOA, while allowing the second-most fantasy points per game and the most receptions, yards, and touchdowns. It’s time for Big Irv to have a monster day as a low-end TE1.
Juwan Johnson, TE, New Orleans Saints
It’s a gamble, but I’m going to go with Juwan Johnson, who came through last week, catching all five of his targets for 32 yards and two touchdowns. I don’t see 20.2 PPR points in his future, but Johnson has put together back-to-back productive weeks after recording six targets and 8.1 PPR the week before.
Johnson’s seen roughly 75% of the snaps in the last two games and gets another decent matchup against a Raiders defense that has surrendered the fourth-most points to tight ends and is tied for the league lead in touchdowns allowed at six.
Week 8 Fantasy Football Sit ’ems
Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers
This is as much fading Aaron Rodgers as it is staying away from anyone playing the Buffalo Bills. Like some of the other aging quarterbacks, Rodgers, at the moment, looks past his prime, despite being the reigning back-to-back NFL MVP. His yards per attempt have dropped to 6.6. His completion percentage is down from 69% to 66.8%, and his 5.8% sack rate is the highest over the last three years.
Rodgers has just one touchdown that traveled 20+ yards through the air, and his completion percentage on deep passes is down to 23% compared to 42% and 38% during his MVP seasons. There’s not a chance you can touch Rodgers in Week 8.
Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
The QB11 in fantasy points per game, Trevor Lawrence has put together a solid start to the season and stabilized his value in the NFL after a dreadful rookie season. With that said, he’s also capitalized on a very easy schedule.
MORE: Fantasy QB Streamers and Rankings Week 8
That changes in Week 8 as the NFL takes the show on the road to London, where Lawrence and the Jaguars face the Denver Broncos, who sit third in pass defense DVOA with the lowest yards per attempt and passing TD rate in the NFL. Denver also sits third in blitz and seventh in pressure rates, which can rattle Lawrence, who is 26th in QBR when pressured.
AJ Dillon, RB, Green Bay Packers
At this point, AJ Dillon is not rosterable. Since Week 5, he’s played on just 32% of the snaps with six carries and zero targets. In Week 7, Dillon carried the ball only four times, and there’s no guarantee he will even see touches.
Like with Rodgers, I’m staying away from anyone playing Buffalo. They’re allowing just the sixth-fewest points per game to RBs and rank fourth in rushing DVOA, eighth in EPA/rush, and third in rushing yards per game. Dillon is someone not only to bench but to drop for someone like Tyler Boyd or Kadarius Toney if available. I would also sit Aaron Jones has a low-end RB2.
David Montgomery, RB, Chicago Bears
In fairness to David Montgomery, he’s probably playing some of the best football of his career. The downside is Khalil Herbert looks better.
With the team riding the hot hand, Montgomery watched his snap rate drop to 56% after comfortably sitting above 70 to 80% when healthy. While Montgomery did finish as the RB24, a touchdown saved his day, as he saw zero targets and 15 carries.
Herbert is stealing valuable touches in the passing game and looks more explosive on the ground. Additionally, Justin Fields is also running the ball, which we all hoped but consequently lowers Montgomery’s floor.
It’s already a tough matchup against the Cowboys, who’ve allowed just 17.3 PPR points per game, the second-fewest, and just two touchdowns all year. Montgomery is a sit for me in Week 8.
Romeo Doubs, WR, Green Bay Packers
At times, in fantasy, you can end up with addition by subtraction. That’s where a player gains value because someone else has been ruled out. That’s not the case for Romeo Doubs, despite Allen Lazard having been ruled out.
Even though Doubs had a snap and route participation rate north of 90% last week, he hasn’t been able to recapture the same hype that followed him during the summer. He’s the WR61 so far this year and sits 76th in YPRR. He’s now been held single-digit fantasy points and five of seven games, including each of the last three weeks.
Buffalo is not a get-right game, allowing the ninth-fewest points to receivers at 30.7 PPR. Add Doubs to the growing list of Packers to sit in Week 8.
Diontae Johnson, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
I don’t think this should be much of a surprise, as Diontae Johnson has been a floor play all season. He remains the Steelers’ leading receiver and has finished as a top-36 receiver in four of his last seven games, but it’s only once inside the top 24. Johnson is 13th in target share and 23rd in air yards, but due to his continued inefficiency, he’s 69th in YPRR. Not nice.
Johnson is about to get a true challenge in Week 8, facing a ridiculous duo of Darius Slay and James Bradberry. Philly sets 12th in fantasy points allowed, but they’re first in passing DVOA and top two to both No. 1 and No. 2 receivers. Sit Johnson in a brutal matchup.
Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons
This brings me no joy. In fact, it’s one of the things that is the most infuriating part of this entire season. Despite sitting fourth amongst tight ends with a 21.1% target share and second with a nearly 27% air-yard share, Kyle Pitts is not startable. He has 16 receptions and 178 yards on the season and runs just 19.2 routes per game.
Pitts has seen five or more targets only twice this season, with one game north of 30 receiving yards. It has nothing to do with him. It has everything to do with an archaic system by a coach who is too stubborn to admit he’s making the wrong decisions. But what do I know? I’m a guy sitting on his couch and talking about a make-believe game.
Regardless, you have to bench Pitts, even though he’s facing a Panthers defense that is 26th in DVOA and allowing the third-highest catch rate.
Robert Tonyan, TE, Green Bay Packers
After 12 targets two weeks ago, Robert Tonyan backed it up with just four last week, catching three for 32 yards. Although the Packers need consistent pass-catcher production, this is the place to look for it.
Tonyan, if anything, is still living off of his 2020 success, where he had more touchdowns than incomplete targets. Buffalo is brutal against TEs. They’re second in DVOA, allowing only the seventh-lowest yards per reception, and have yet to surrender a receiving touchdown. I think you have to sit Tonyan in Week 8 as a TE2 in a horrible match.