Starts and Sits: Week 8
Week 8 is here, so we need to know who to start and who to sit. Our start/sit article is not going to discuss the obvious players who should always be played. We aim to help you with the players that you might be on the fence about heading into the weekend. Good luck this week and don’t overthink it.
Here are the Starts/ Sits for Week 8:
Quarterback
Starts
Daniel Jones, QB, New York Giants Vs. Seattle Seahawks
Jones has had roller coaster-type production throughout the year with more downs than ups, but I believe he will continue his solid production from last week in week 8. Jones has a good enough offensive line and offensive weapons to be a streaming option this week. He also offers upside with his running production. The matchup against the Seahawks is as good as it gets for the QB position and it has the potential to turn into a high-scoring affair. Jones is a high-end QB2 with QB1 upside this week.
Geno Smith, QB, Seattle Seahawks Vs. New York Giants
Geno has been a little disappointing over the last two weeks after his hot start to the season, but I expect that to turn around this week against the Giants. The Seahawks have been flying high and should continue to show promise, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Geno has the ability to utilize the weapons he has and get the ball down the field, he should be viewed as a viable streaming option in week 8. He is a high-end QB2 with a safe floor and plenty of upsides this week against the Giants.
Jared Goff, QB, Detroit Lions Vs. Miami Dolphins
Goff and the Lions have been disappointing as of late, but things should turn around in what should be a good matchup this week against the Dolphins. Goff has been playing with a less-than-average offensive group since ARSB and Swift have been dealing with injuries the last few weeks. Both players are expected back this week against the Dolphins which should give Goff the upside needed to be a streamable option. Goff is a mid-tier QB2 with an upside.
Sits
Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers Vs. Buffalo Bills
Talk about the collapse of an offensive juggernaut. We didn’t know how much of a difference Davante Adams leaving would make on the Packers offense, it is easy to say that it was massive. Outside of Aaron Jones and Allen Lazard, the Packers don’t have many bright spots on the offensive side of the ball. I don’t like to assume but I fear this may very well be the true end for Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, unless they somehow turn it around and salvage this season. Rodgers is nothing more than a mid-tier QB2 this week against a tough Bills defense. He offers a low floor and low ceiling in week 8.
Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams Vs. San Francisco 49ers
Stafford has been disappointing for most of the year so this shouldn’t come as any surprise, but I am doubling down on sitting Stafford this week because he also has a bad matchup against the 49ers. Stafford’s offensive line is subpar and his RB group is average at best, which limits the overall upside that he has on a weekly basis. Stafford offers an extremely low floor and ceiling this week against the 49ers. You should have been able to find a different option with both a higher floor and ceiling off of the waiver wire. Stafford is a low-end QB2 in week 8.
Justin Fields, QB, Chicago Bears Vs. Dallas Cowboys
Fields looked great this past week against the Patriots, but faces a tougher defense in week 8 against the Cowboys. Fields has always had the pedigree to be a good quarterback but has not had the support needed to do so. He has shown his ability here and there but there is no true consistency in his production, so it is hard to know which weeks he will do well. This week against the Cowboys is not one of the weeks that I would roll the dice on Fields as my starting QB. We have seen what his floor is and I am concerned that he will offer more of a floor play than an upside play in week 8. Fields is a low-end QB2 in week 8 with limited upside.
Running Back
Starts
Raheem Mostert, RB, Miami Dolphins Vs. Detroit Lions
Mostert has been amazing as of late and it is easy to see that he will continue to be the lead back for the Dolphins going forward as long as he stays healthy. His ability to be utilized in the running and passing game makes him extremely valuable for fantasy football. Mostert has an amazing matchup this week against one of the worst defenses in the league and should be an auto-start for all of his fantasy managers. Mostert is a mid-tier RB2 with an upside in week 8.
Tony Pollard, RB, Dallas Cowboys Vs. Chicago Bears
I liked Pollard in this week’s matchup prior to Zeke missing two practices, I would love his upside if Zeke were to miss the game. Pollard has shown what he can do when he handles the entire workload for the Cowboys in the past. On a weekly basis, he offers flex value but when he is the lead back he can easily be an RB1. Even if Zeke plays, I expect Zeke to be extremely limited. Therefore Pollard is a start no matter what in week 8. Pollard would be a high-end RB2 this week with a high-end RB1 upside if Zeke were to be out.
Brian Robinson Jr., RB, Washington Commanders Vs. Indianapolis Colts
Robinson hasn’t been a league winner like we had hoped, but that doesn’t mean that he has been a useless fantasy asset either. Robinson has been a serviceable flex option over the last two weeks and should offer the same kind of production this week against the Colts. The matchup is good overall and Robinson should be able to offer his fantasy managers a decent ceiling as well in what should be a close game. Robinson
Sits
Jamaal Williams, RB, Detroit Lions Vs. Miami Dolphins
Williams was a good replacement when DeAndre Swift was out due to injury, but with Swift coming back I am hesitant to start Williams. He really needs the full workload to be worthy of starting, without a full workload he can leave fantasy managers extremely disappointed. Williams is no longer going to be a low-end RB2 with Swift back and can be looked at more as a low-end flex with limited upside in bad matchups.
Kareem Hunt, RB, Cleveland Browns Vs. Cincinnati Bengals
I think we are all hoping that the Browns aren’t utilizing Hunt due to the fact that they are planning on trading him. If a trade were to happen, I would expect it to be after this week’s game. This means I am not planning on Hunt receiving a big workload this week against the Bengals. Hunt has not been getting enough carries/targets to be a flexible option in over 2 weeks and I don’t see that changing in this divisional matchup against the Bengals. Hunt is a low-end flex play in week 8.
Wide Receiver
Starts
Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers Vs. Los Angeles Rams
Aiyuk has had some ups and downs this season, but recently it looks like his stock is rising. There are two reasons why I am high on Aiyuk this week. The first is that the Niners added CMC a week ago and although he will take targets away from the offense, I don’t believe it will be from Aiyuk. The second is that Deebo Samuel has been ruled out due to an injury. That means Aiyuk will be the WR1 for the Niners in what should be a high-scoring game against the Rams. Aiyuk is a low-end WR2 in week 8 with an upside.
Tyler Boyd, WR, Cincinnati Bengals Vs. Cleveland Browns
If you were able to get Boyd off of the waiver wire this week, you landed yourself a major steal. Mainly due to the fact that you added him before the news broke that Ja’Marr Chase would be out for multiple weeks due to a hip injury. Boyd has already been performing at a decent level but should surely perform at a high and consistent rate until Chase returns from injury. The Bengals have been firing on all cylinders and should have no problem putting up points against the Browns this week. Boyd is a low-end WR2 with great upside, especially in PPR leagues.
Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, New York Giants Vs. Seattle Seahawks
Wan’Dale is pretty much the last man standing for the Giants, as Kadarius Toney was traded to the Chiefs earlier this week. Most had expected that Robinson would produce at some point and over the last two weeks, he has done just that. He has been receiving a great target share since being healthy and should continue to receive one as the weeks continue. I like Robinson’s upside even more in full PPR leagues, but would be happy starting this week in .5 PPR as I like his chances of having success against the Seahawks. Robinson is a mid-tier flex with an upside.
Sits
Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers, WR, Vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Johnson has been one of the more disappointing mid-round picks this year. Somebody that has been known for his stability and the consistent floor has not been able to produce on a regular basis all season. This week should be no different against the Eagles elite defensive back unit. I would recommend looking for an option with a much higher floor and ceiling this week. Johnson is a flex option with a low floor and ceiling in week 8.
Brandin Cooks, WR, Houston Texans Vs. Tennessee Titans
Similar to Johnson, Cooks has been pretty disappointing this year. The Texans passing offense has been nowhere as good as we had hoped. Cooks is still receiving a top-tier target share but it has done nothing for his fantasy production this year. The Texans have been much more efficient with their run game and I see that being the case again this weekend against the Titans. Cooks is also dealing with his own injury, so his overall upside is capped. Cooks is a risky flex option in week 8. We have seen his floor and his ceiling isn’t much better.
Tight Ends
Starts
Hayden Hurst, TE, Cincinnati Bengals Vs. Cleveland Browns
I like Hurst for pretty much the same reasons I like Tyler Boyd. They both benefit from Chase being out, and should both receive some of the targets that Chase would have usually received. Considering how inconsistent the TE position is, Hurst has been decently consistent throughout most of this season. He should continue to have a safe target share and offer a stable floor for his fantasy managers. Hurst is a low-end TE1 with a safe floor and decent ceiling this week.
Irv Smith Jr., TE, Minnesota Vikings Vs. Arizona Cardinals
If there was ever a week to start Irv, it is definitely this week. The Cardinals are one of the best matchups for opposing tight ends, so I like Irv’s chances of succeeding this week. This matchup could very easily be a high-scoring affair, which gives me even more confidence in Smith this week. Irv is a high-end TE2 with TE1 upside if everything works out as it should.
Sits
Dawson Knox, TE, Buffalo Bills Vs. Green Bay Packers
Knox has been pretty bad for most of the year, as he just isn’t needed to the same degree that he had been last year. Without the ability to score on a weekly basis, Knox is nothing more than a boom/bust TE with an extremely low floor. This weekend’s matchup against the Packers may also prove to be extremely lackluster due to how good the Buffalo defense is and how bad the Packers offense has been. Know is nothing more than a mid-tier TE2 in week 8.
Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons Vs. Carolina Panthers
It is a bit crazy to me that Pitts is ranked as the TE9 on the week. I guess that would have to do with the fact that there are some tight ends on bye and the matchup is good, but that doesn’t change my opinion on Pitts right now. Pitts is an extremely talented TE on a team that can’t produce one Top-36 offensive weapon, let alone two. Mariota is throwing an extremely low amount of passes each week which limits the overall upside of Pitts and the entire offense. Pitts floor is extremely low and so is his ceiling. Betting on Pitts right now is a bad bet and I would recommend looking elsewhere for a TE with a safer floor in week 8. Pitts is a mid-tier TE2 in week 8.