Although we rely on big-name players to guide our fantasy football teams to victory, knowing how to locate the sleepers in a given week could be what pushes your team over the edge. With Week 8 of the NFL and fantasy football season on the horizon, here are some sleepers to keep in mind when setting your lineups.
Top Fantasy Football Sleepers in Week 8
Davis Mills, QB, Houston Texans
Well, I think the NFL and fantasy managers alike are still trying to decide whether or not Davis Mills is good. Yet, in a pinch, he can be a viable fantasy option. On Sunday against the Raiders, Mills had his first 300-yard game of the year, completing 28 of his 41 passes for 302 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
Don’t want to risk your fantasy record? Well, you can always take a shot on Davis Mills in Underdog Fantasy Pick’ems by taking the higher or lower on his passing projections and so much more. Sign up now and get a deposit match of up to $100.
Ideally, we would see the strong-armed quarterback that we saw towards the end of last year right now, but that just hasn’t been the case, as Lovie Smith is using Mills as more of a game manager. However, I do like Mills this week against a weak Tennessee Titans secondary that is 26th in points allowed to QBs and 17th in passing DVOA. If you need a quarterback, keep Mills on the shortlist of the Week 8 sleepers at QB.
Taylor Heinicke, QB, Washington Commanders
You got to give the guy credit, he’s got moxie. Not only did Taylor Heinicke take over for Carson Wentz, but he led the Commanders to a win over Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. Heinicke completed 20 of 33 passing attempts for 200 yards and two touchdowns, and one pick while making the most of his opportunity.
MORE: Buy Low, Sell High Week 8 Fantasy Football
We’ve seen Heinicke perform in the past. He was 20th in points per game last season and even managed to crack the top 12 six times. With the Colts making the change to Sam Ehlinger, watch for the Commanders to have another good game this week. Indy has been somewhat difficult against quarterbacks this year, but the trends favor Heinicke as a Week 8 fantasy sleeper.
Gus Edwards, RB, Baltimore Ravens
The Gus Bus is back. My general rule of thumb is not to start players coming back from season-ending injuries. That bit me last week as Gus Edwards took full control of the Ravens’ backfield, and I don’t think it’s going away anytime soon.
Edwards carried the ball 16 times for 66 yards with two touchdowns against a very soft Cleveland run defense. This is the guy Baltimore really likes. Coming into last year, Edwards had three consecutive seasons of 130+ carries and 700 yards or more. With J.K. Dobbins on IR and Kenyan Drake ineffective, Edwards is quickly going from fantasy sleeper status to low-end RB2/Flex-play territory.
D’Onta Foreman, RB, Carolina Panthers
I wish we could’ve seen what this backfield would’ve looked like with both players healthy. I say that because Chuba Hubbard looked good to start and had the team’s only rushing touchdown. With that said, D’Onta Foreman remains the likely higher-upside player.
Foreman lead the team with 15 carries rushing for 118 yards and added two catches for 27 yards against a reeling Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense. Although we don’t know the extent of Hubbard’s ankle injury, Foreman has the momentum, and we saw him play well last year when filling in for Derrick Henry.
While neither of these backs carries anywhere in the same stratosphere of upside as Christian McCaffrey, Foreman is a Week 8 sleeper worth grabbing if you didn’t do it last week off the fantasy football waiver wire.
Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, New York Giants
If there was one player I talked about everywhere to pick up before everyone caught on, it was Wan’Dale Robinson. Nothing has changed, except for we have more data suggesting he is legit.
Robinson built off his momentum and played on over 90% of the snaps in Week 7 while recording a team-high 27.5% target share and a near 97% route participation. The rookie caught six of his eight targets for 50 yards, and while he didn’t find the end zone, there were a lot of positives to take away.
His upcoming schedule is fantastic, and I expect Robinson is going to move from the sleeper category and into the weekly WR3 range for fantasy.
Parris Campbell, WR, Indianapolis Colts
I don’t know about you, but I’m just glad to see Parris Campbell healthy. Although I’ve been on the side of Alec Pierce as the No. 2 for the Colts, Campbell has put together back-to-back games that are impossible to ignore.
Campbell’s 12 targets in Week 7 give him consecutive double-digit target outings, and he now has 17 receptions, 127 yards, and two touchdowns over the last two weeks.
MORE: Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups
But we now have a predicament in Indianapolis with Ehlinger taking over for Matt Ryan, not only for this week but moving forward. It’s hard to speak with any certainty regarding what this will look like, as we don’t have really any information at all for Ehlinger.
But of the Colts’ receivers, Campbell likely will be the easiest target as he works short to intermediate routes. I can see the logic in following the hot hand and streaming Campbell in Week 8 despite the change under center.
Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR, Cleveland Browns
Outside of Amari Cooper and David Njoku, no one else has stepped up for the Cleveland Browns in terms of the passing offense. That’s going to have to change after Njoku suffered an ankle injury that knocked him out of last week’s game. That is why I like Donovan Peoples-Jones as a sleeper for Week 8 in fantasy.
A WR3 in scoring this week, Peoples-Jones caught all six of his targets for 71 yards against the Baltimore Ravens and has 70+ yards in three of his last four games. Although he is still looking for his first touchdown of the year, Peoples-Jones could be a Flex option against the Bengals in Week 8.
Greg Dulcich, TE, Denver Broncos
Did the Broncos lose? Yes. Are there a ton of questions in Denver? Also, yes. But did Greg Dulcich look like one of the best players on the field for the Broncos? Absolutely.
After playing on 71% of the snaps with a near 80% route participation and 12% of the targets, Dulcich had another big game, catching six of his nine targets for 51 yards.
Whether it was Russell Wilson or Brett Rypien, Dulcich is going to be one of the top targets on this team and is everything we were hoping to get out of Albert Okwuegbunam. Dulcich is a high-end TE2 in Week 8 against the Jaguars.
Irv Smith Jr., TE, Minnesota Vikings
Don’t mind me, I’m just patiently sitting here waiting on Irv Smith Jr. to have a breakout game. A favorite breakout target amongst many, Smith is the TE20 on the season and sits 22nd per game scoring 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, which I really hope doesn’t turn out to be a freight train.
Coming off the Vikings’ bye week, I’m all in on Smith in Week 8 against the Cardinals. Death, taxes, and starting tight ends against the Cardinals. Chisel that in stone. Arizona has been obliterated by the position, allowing the most fantasy points per game and a league-worst nine touchdowns. It’s time for Big Irv to swerve into the end zone and into your lineups as a Week 8 fantasy sleeper.