The Philadelphia Eagles will face the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 8. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, especially regarding WR DeVonta Smith.
Is DeVonta Smith Playing in Week 8?
Smith is not listed on the injury report this week, so barring any setbacks, he is on track to play this weekend.
We’ll continue to monitor the Eagles’ injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.
Should You Start or Sit DeVonta Smith in Week 8?
Smith sunk your roster last week (-2 yards), but this isn’t the first time we’ve seen the production lag from Philadelphia’s WR2. In the first half of last season, he had three straight sub-50-yard performances, and that season worked out just fine.
Patience is important, though context is, too. Smith isn’t just struggling to produce, he’s struggling to earn opportunities altogether.
Smith’s target shares, 2024:
- Week 2: 28.6%
- Week 3: 27.8%
- Week 4: 15.4%
- Week 5: 9.5%
Smith missed a game in the middle of that data set and has been unable to regain his traction as a weekly fantasy asset. Could this be a get-right spot?
I think so. I hope so. If he can’t get the job done against a defense that has allowed six receivers to clear 18 PPR points this season, he’s going to fall outside of my WR2 tier.
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Week 8 Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
DeVonta Smith’s Fantasy Points Projection in Week 8
Smith is projected to score 14.4 fantasy points in PPR formats. This includes 5.1 receptions for 67.2 yards and 0.4 touchdowns.
Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
DeVonta Smith’s Week 8 Fantasy Ranking
Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 6:00 AM ET on Thursday, January 2. If you're in a Superflex league, make sure you check out our Weekly Consensus Superflex Rankings.
Week 18 WR PPR Rankings
1) Ja'Marr Chase | CIN (at PIT)
2) Amon-Ra St. Brown | DET (vs. MIN)
3) Justin Jefferson | MIN (at DET)
4) Mike Evans | TB (vs. NO)
5) Puka Nacua | LAR (vs. SEA)
6) Brian Thomas Jr. | JAX (at IND)
7) Ladd McConkey | LAC (at LV)
8) Drake London | ATL (vs. CAR)
9) Terry McLaurin | WAS (at DAL)
10) Jaxon Smith-Njigba | SEA (at LAR)
11) Malik Nabers | NYG (at PHI)
12) Tee Higgins | CIN (at PIT)
13) George Pickens | PIT (vs. CIN)
14) Davante Adams | NYJ (vs. MIA)
15) Courtland Sutton | DEN (vs. KC)
16) Jauan Jennings | SF (at ARI)
17) Jordan Addison | MIN (at DET)
18) Tyreek Hill | MIA (at NYJ)
19) DJ Moore | CHI (at GB)
20) Nico Collins | HOU (at TEN)
21) Zay Flowers | BAL (vs. CLE)
22) Jameson Williams | DET (vs. MIN)
23) Garrett Wilson | NYJ (vs. MIA)
24) Jaylen Waddle | MIA (at NYJ)
25) DK Metcalf | SEA (at LAR)
26) Deebo Samuel Sr. | SF (at ARI)
27) Jalen McMillan | TB (vs. NO)
28) Adam Thielen | CAR (at ATL)
29) Calvin Ridley | TEN (vs. HOU)
30) Keenan Allen | CHI (at GB)
31) Jakobi Meyers | LV (vs. LAC)
32) Jayden Reed | GB (vs. CHI)
33) Cooper Kupp | LAR (vs. SEA)
34) Josh Downs | IND (vs. JAX)
35) Marvin Harrison Jr. | ARI (vs. SF)
36) Michael Pittman Jr. | IND (vs. JAX)
37) Quentin Johnston | LAC (at LV)
38) Darnell Mooney | ATL (vs. CAR)
39) Romeo Doubs | GB (vs. CHI)
40) Khalil Shakir | BUF (at NE)
41) Jerry Jeudy | CLE (at BAL)
42) Rome Odunze | CHI (at GB)
43) Rashod Bateman | BAL (vs. CLE)
44) DeMario Douglas | NE (vs. BUF)
45) Wan'Dale Robinson | NYG (at PHI)
46) Dontayvion Wicks | GB (vs. CHI)
47) Olamide Zaccheaus | WAS (at DAL)
48) Jalen Coker | CAR (at ATL)
49) Xavier Worthy | KC (at DEN)
50) Nick Westbrook-Ikhine | TEN (vs. HOU)
51) DeAndre Hopkins | KC (at DEN)
52) Hollywood Brown | KC (at DEN)
53) Brandin Cooks | DAL (vs. WAS)
54) Marvin Mims Jr. | DEN (vs. KC)
55) Parker Washington | JAX (at IND)
56) Amari Cooper | BUF (at NE)
57) Kayshon Boutte | NE (vs. BUF)
58) Tim Patrick | DET (vs. MIN)
59) Joshua Palmer | LAC (at LV)
60) Ray-Ray McCloud III | ATL (vs. CAR)
61) Andrei Iosivas | CIN (at PIT)
62) Devaughn Vele | DEN (vs. KC)
63) Marquez Valdes-Scantling | BUF (at NE)
64) Jalen Tolbert | DAL (vs. WAS)
65) Ricky Pearsall | SF (at ARI)
66) Calvin Austin III | PIT (vs. CIN)
67) Michael Wilson | ARI (vs. SF)
68) Keon Coleman | BUF (at NE)
69) Tre Tucker | LV (vs. LAC)
70) Jalen Nailor | MIN (at DET)
71) Jamison Crowder | WAS (at DAL)
72) Elijah Moore | CLE (at BAL)
73) Xavier Legette | CAR (at ATL)
74) Kendrick Bourne | NE (vs. BUF)
75) KaVontae Turpin | DAL (vs. WAS)
76) David Moore | CAR (at ATL)
77) Adonai Mitchell | IND (vs. JAX)
78) Mike Williams | PIT (vs. CIN)
79) Demarcus Robinson | LAR (vs. SEA)
80) Malik Washington | MIA (at NYJ)
81) Allen Lazard | NYJ (vs. MIA)
82) Alec Pierce | IND (vs. JAX)
83) Tyler Lockett | SEA (at LAR)
84) John Metchie III | HOU (at TEN)
85) Robert Woods | HOU (at TEN)
86) Darius Slayton | NYG (at PHI)
87) Van Jefferson | PIT (vs. CIN)
88) Troy Franklin | DEN (vs. KC)
89) Mack Hollins | BUF (at NE)
90) Tyler Boyd | TEN (vs. HOU)
91) Luke McCaffrey | WAS (at DAL)
92) Tutu Atwell | LAR (vs. SEA)
93) Kevin Austin Jr. | NO (at TB)
94) Dante Pettis | CHI (at GB)
95) Xavier Hutchinson | HOU (at TEN)
96) Ryan Miller | TB (vs. NO)
97) Greg Dortch | ARI (vs. SF)
98) DJ Chark | LAC (at LV)
99) Lil'Jordan Humphrey | DEN (vs. KC)
100) Michael Woods II | CLE (at BAL)
101) Cedrick Wilson Jr. | NO (at TB)
102) JuJu Smith-Schuster | KC (at DEN)
103) Devin Duvernay | JAX (at IND)
104) Justin Watson | KC (at DEN)
105) Tylan Wallace | BAL (vs. CLE)
106) Jahan Dotson | PHI (vs. NYG)
107) Josh Reynolds | DEN (vs. KC)
108) Ryan Flournoy | DAL (vs. WAS)
109) Trey Palmer | TB (vs. NO)
110) A.J. Brown | PHI (vs. NYG)
111) DeVonta Smith | PHI (vs. NYG)
Philadelphia Eagles at Cincinnati Bengals Insights
Philadelphia Eagles
Team: Since 2022, the Eagles have been the best team in Weeks 1-9 (20-3, 87% win rate) but rank 12th in win percentage after Week 9 (9-8, 52.9% win rate).
QB: Jalen Hurts is coming off of a double Tush Push game, his 13th regular season game with multiple rushing scores since 2021, the most in the league.
Offense: The Eagles are still the only team yet to score in the first quarter this season. Philly’s six-game streak without scoring in the first quarter is tied for the longest streak to begin a season since 2000 (done most recently by the 2021 Jets).
Defense: The Eagles allow 9.3% of passes to the slot to result in a touchdown, the third-highest rate in the league (only the Texans and Colts have been worse).
Fantasy: You had more receiving yards than DeVonta Smith last week and with the Eagles allowing pressure at the highest rate in the league (46.1%, no other team is at even 43%), the down weeks could continue.
Betting: The Eagles are just 2-8 ATS in their last 10 road games against the AFC North (0-2 ATS in Cincinnati over that stretch).
Cincinnati Bengals
Team: The Bengals are 3-3 over their past six games, with their three wins coming against teams with five victories this season (Panthers, Giants, and Browns). The three losses came against teams on the other end of the spectrum (Chiefs, Commanders, and Ravens).
QB: Joe Burrow wasn’t himself when active last season – he completed just 29.4% of his deep passes with a 59.3 passer rating on such passes after consecutive seasons with at least a 50% completion rate and 107 passer rating. Through seven weeks this season, he’s completed 57.6% of his deep passes with a 129.1 passer rating.
Offense: The Bengals are blitzed at the second-lowest rate in the league (17.3%).
Defense: The Bengals own the third-lowest sack rate in the NFL (4.6% of dropbacks) through seven weeks.
Fantasy: Chase Brown received 60% of the Bengals’ rush attempts in Week 7, the third straight week he’s led them in carries. Brown’s percentage of team carries has increased six weeks in a row (every game since Week 2).
Betting: The Bengals are 0-3 ATS at home this season – they covered eight of 12 such games in the two seasons prior.