It’s that time again to get your fantasy lineups ready for another week of fantasy football. In Week 7, some great performances helped fantasy managers who had them started. Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase posted one of his best performances of his career against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 7. Chase saw 23 targets from new quarterback Joe Flacco (who just got to the team, mind you) for 161 yards and a touchdown. Chase easily paced fantasy wide receivers for the top spot last week. The demise of Niners running back Christian McCaffrey has been greatly exaggerated. McCaffrey put on a masterclass of versatility against the Atlanta Falcons. McCaffrey rushed for 129 yards and added another 72 yards on seven receptions. McCaffrey is still a top five fantasy running back this season and for good reason. He’s getting too much work to fade.
Heading into Week 8, there are six teams on the bye. The Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, Detroit Lions, Arizona Cardinals, Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Las Vegas Raiders are all unavailable for this week. That means fantasy managers will have to dig in their bags for some options to add to their lineups. Here are some choices for fantasy managers to consider when deciding whether to start or sit for Week 8.
Week 8 Starts and Sits
Quarterbacks
Start: Kirk Cousins vs. MIA
Penix will miss Week 8’s matchup against the Miami Dolphins as he recovers from a bone bruise he picked up last week. That paves the way for Kirk Cousins to come off the bench and get the start. While Penix hasn’t been consistent this season and currently ranks outside of the top 20 among fantasy quarterbacks, the Dolphins game presents “pick me up” game for the Falcons offense. Maybe even more if Cousins can have a good game. This game couldn’t be any more timely with the Dolphins being one of the punching bags for fantasy offenses. The Dolphins are allowing the seventh-most fantasy points at nearly 21 fantasy points per game. The Dolphins also have 203 yards per game and have allowed 11 passing touchdowns this season. If Cousins can have a good game and the Falcons passing attack looks better than it did under Penix, we could have a QB controversy in the making.
Start: Bo Nix vs. DAL
Bo Nix had a thriller against the New York Giants last week, but now he gets a much easier opponent in the Dallas Cowboys. Bo Nix took the Giants’ defense to the woodshed in the fourth quarter, leading the Broncos offense to score over 30 points. Nix finished as the QB1 for Week 7 with 40 fantasy points. The Cowboys’ defense showed improvement against the Washington Commanders, holding them to 22 points. But Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel were MIA. The Cowboys’ defense is still allowing the most fantasy points to quarterbacks at 26.7 per game. Nix should be locked into fantasy lineups for Week 8.
Sit: CJ Stroud vs. SF
CJ Stroud and the Texans’ offense have not been great this season. Stroud hasn’t been consistent in terms of fantasy production and the passing attack has struggled all season. Stroud is averaging 15.8 fantasy points per game and scored just 13.7 fantasy points against the Seattle Seahawks defense in Week 7. Now he gets the 49ers defense that’s keeping a lid on fantasy quarterbacks, holding them to just 16.6 fantasy points per game. The Niners rank 14th against the pass and have allowed 11 touchdowns after eight weeks of football.
Running Backs
Start: Cam Skattebo vs. PHI
Could this be a “spin the block” moment for the rookie running back? It looks like it. Last time Cam Skattebo saw the Eagles’ defense, he ran for 98 yards on 19 carries (5.2 yds per carry) and three touchdowns. The Eagles will be looking to get some “get back” on Skattebo, but they need to improve their run defense. The Eagles’ defense is giving up 4.6 y/a and the ninth-most rushing yards to running backs this season. Skattebo’s a dual threat back so expect him to be used in the passing game against the Eagles. Skattebo is averaging 4.3 targets per game heading into Week 8.
Start: D’Andre Swift vs. BAL
The Bears are running the ball more after coming out of their bye week. Swift saw a season-high 19 carries against the New Orleans Saints. That could be the trend going forward for the rest of the season. Swift finished Week 7 with 124 yards and a touchdown plus nearly 21 fantasy points. The Baltimore Ravens are giving up the second-most fantasy points to opposing running backs at nearly 30 fantasy points per game. The Ravens’ defense has been getting shredded on the ground this season, allowing 4.5 yards per attempt and nine touchdowns on the ground. Swift should see a lot of work against a vulnerable Ravens defense.
Sit: Tony Pollard vs. IND
Tony Pollard has been one of the few bright spots in this middling Titans offense. Pollard is averaging just 10.7 fantasy points per game and ranks as the RB2 heading into Week 8. The Titans’ offense ranks at the very bottom of the league in points per game at just 13.7 per. Now Pollard faces off against a red-hot Colts defense that is giving up 90.2 yards per game on the ground. The Colts are also allowing the fewest fantasy points per game to the running back position. Fantasy managers might want to steer clear of this matchup.
Wide Receivers
Start: Tez Johnson vs. NO
There’s a target vacuum in the Bucs’ wide receiver corps with injuries to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. While Emeka Egbuka looks to be the de facto WR1, fellow rookie Tez Johnson should be in line for more work going forward. Johnson saw an increased workload against the Detroit Lions, tying for second in targets with Cade Otton. With Evans on IR and Chris Godwin (fibula) likely OUT for another week, Johnson will get increased snaps. The Saints are allowing nearly 32 fantasy points per game to wide receivers. Johnson needs to be added off the waiver wire pronto and flexed if possible.
Start: Michael Pittman vs. TEN
The Titans are another team that is turning into an NFL punching bag for opposing offenses. The Titans are allowing the third-most receiving yards to WRs and 34.2 fantasy points per game to the position. Michael Pittman looks like a great start against a vulnerable Titans defense as the Colts offense has been humming on all cylinders. Pittman has 351 yards heading into the contest and is seeing enough volume as a strong WR2 (47 targets – 21st).
Sit: Josh Reynolds vs. CIN
The Jets offense is in shambles right now. Justin Fields is on the bench. Tyrod Taylor is getting the start in his place (and hasn’t looked much better). Garrett Wilson is OUT for Week 8 with a knee injury and the receivers behind him aren’t worth rostering. That includes Josh Reynolds. While he may see volume with Wilson out, the Jets offense isn’t generating enough positive drives to warrant even a dart throw on Reynolds. Leave him on the waiver wire.
Tight Ends
Start: Cade Otton vs. NO
Similar to Tez Johnson, tight end Cade Otton should see an increased workload with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin out. Otton looks to be Baker Mayfield’most reliable pass catching option next to Emeka Egbuka against the Saints. The Saints are giving up 13.6 fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends heading into Week 8.
Sit: Zach Ertz vs. WAS
Honestly, Zach Ertz has been pretty solid this season based on the matchup. But this week against the Kansas City Chiefs may be where the buck stops. No Jayden Daniels (hamstring) and Marcus Mariota starting against a Chiefs defense allowing the third-fewest fantasy points to the position (7.8) could mean a long day for the Commanders offense. Ertz may need to ride the pine this week but don’t drop him.
