Starts and Sits: Week 8

by Joe Goodwin and Tommy Harvey

Bye Week Teams

Los Angeles Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs

Sunday

Denver Broncos at Jacksonville Jaguars (London 9:30am)

Start: Courtland Sutton, Greg Dulcich, Travis Ettiene, Christian Kirk

Sit: Russell Wilson, Latavius Murray, Melvin Gordon, Jerry Juedy, Trevor Lawrence, Zay Jones, Marvin Jones, Evan Engram

Is there a more cringe-worthy player in the NFL right now than Russell Wilson?  That dude deserves all the mocking and jokes that come his way.  More will be coming along after he loses to the Jags on Sunday in London.  He has been a total disappointment in Denver and he is dragging the rest of the talented skill position players with him.  Jerry Jeudy should be one of the top WRs in the league.  However, we are left to discuss if he is even worth starting in your fantasy lineups every week.  Courtland Sutton has been fine, but that's it and Greg Dulcich is only startable because of the depressing state of the TE position.  Trevor Lawrence has been up and down this season, but the Broncos are giving up the least amount of fantasy points per week to QBs.  Travis Etienne is emerging into an RB1.  He is a weekly must start in fantasy now.

Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons (1:00pm)

Start: DJ Moore, D’onta Foreman, PJ Walker, Chubba Hubbard, Tyler Allgeier

Sit: Marcus Mariota, Kyle Pitts, Drake London, Terrace Marshall

Surprisingly, this Panthers defense stifled Tom Brady and company last week.  This week, the Panthers have a less talented offense to defend.  I think the Panthers keep the PJ Walker-led offense going strong and take advantage of the Falcons.  I am going to stick with both Foreman and Hubbard to continue to split reps and to be effective.  DJ Moore will continue as the most talented receiver, but I just don’t see Marshall being ready for a starting spot on your roster.  For Atlanta, I still haven’t seen enough from their passing game to trust Mariota, Pitts or London..  Go with Atlanta giving Allgeier a huge workload and continue to wait on this offense finding a better rhythm.

Chicago Bears at Dallas Cowboys (1:00pm)

Start: David Montgomery, Khalil Herbert, Dak Prescott, Tony Pollard, CeeDee Lamb, Noah Brown

Sit: Justin Fields, Darnell Mooney, Cole Kmet, Equanimous St. Brown, Zeke Elliot, Dalton Schultz

The Chicago Bears did a masterful job last week in kicking field goals and running the ball.  The offense ran for over 200 yards against the Buccaneers while Cairo Santos kicked 4 field goals.  The run game will continue to be their best way to win games and that is why Herbert and Montgomery are worthy of a start this week.  Justin Fields will have to run for his life against the Cowboys and their pass rush.  I don’t see any of the Chicago pass catchers worth starting this week. The Cowboys got their feet in the sand last week with Dak Prescott back behind center, and I believe they will feast this week on a Bears defense that lost a key leader in Robert Quinn.  Dak Prescott returns to being a top 12 QB, as Lamb and Brown become his 2 favorite targets and show how dangerous this Cowboys offense will be in the 2nd half of the year. There is a likelihood Zeke doesn’t play in this game, which opens the door for Tony Pollard to bust through.

Miami Dolphins at Detroit Lions (1:00pm)

Start: Raheem Mostert, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Tua Tagovailoa, Mike Gesicki, DeAndre Swift (monitor health), TJ Hockenson, Amon-Ra St. Brown

Sit: Chase Edmonds, Trent Sherfield, Jared Goff, Jamal Williams

Miami is the beneficiary of getting to play a Detroit Lions defense that has struggled to stop opposing offenses.  All of the main characters on Miami’s offense should start this week.  With Raheem Mostert’s ascension to RB1, I would sit Chase Edmonds.  For Detroit, they don’t get much of a break from last week, as this offense struggled against Dallas.  I expect the Lions to be down a bunch in the 2nd half, the passing game, with Amon-Ra St. Brown (please stay healthy!) and TJ Hockenson should amass yards.  I don’t advise starting Goff with his pension for turnovers and getting sacked.  And with a healthy Swift back in the line up, Jamaal William’s value takes a dive.  

Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings (1:00pm)

Start: Eno Benjamin, DeAndre Hopkins, Dalvin Cook, Justin Jefferson

Sit: Zach Ertz, Kyler Murray, Greg Dortch, Adam Thielen, KJ Osborn, Kirk Cousins, Irv Smith

I see this game being fought on the ground as Eno Benjamin and Dalvin Cook rack up points as the quarterbacks Kyler Murray and Kirk Cousins put up solid, but unremarkable numbers. DeAndre Hopkins came back last week, as Kyler Murray targeted Nuke 14 times.  This also means bad news for Zach Ertz (and the other receivers); as his target share drops and his fantasy relevance slips away.  Adam Theilen has become too touchdown dependent to be useful in fantasy as he, and KJ Osborn are sharing the 2a and 2b reps behind JJ.  Irv Smith has been relegated to short yardage and is not a startable fantasy player right now.

Las Vegas Raiders at New Orleans Saints (1:00pm)

Start: Josh Jacobs, DaVante Adams, Derek Carr, Mack Hollins, Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, Andy Dalton

Sit: Hunter Renfrow, Taysom Hill, Tre’Quan Smith, Michael Thomas (unless completely healthy)

Las Vegas had a nice “get right” game against Houston last week, topping over 30 points.  The Saints couldn’t stop Arizona last week, and I see the Raiders doing the same this week.  I also see Mack Hollins hitting on one of his bombs to make for a flyer if you need it, as DaVante Adams gobbles up a huge chunk of targets and Josh Jacobs gets a lion share of the runs.  Although I don’t love the 50% catch rate from last week, Chris Olave has ascended as the top target for Andy Dalton; especially with Michael Thomas not on the field.  Alvin Kamara continues to see a majority of the backfield work and is an automatic start until otherwise noted.

New England Patriots at New York Jets (1:00pm)

Start: Rhamondre Stevenson, Jakobi Meyers, Michael Carter

Sit: Mac Jones/Bailey Zappe, Damien Harris, Tyquan Thornton, DeVante Parker, Nelson Agholor, Hunter Henry, Zach Wilson, James Robinson, Garrett Wilson, Corey Davis, Elijah Moore, Braxton Berrios, Tyler Conklin

The QB situation is a mess in NE right now.  I don’t think anyone…including Bill Belichick… has any faith in Mac Jones, but they are afraid to move on to Bailey Zappe.  I think Zappe is the better QB, but Jones was a 1st round pick.  That makes it really difficult to start any of their pass catching options, but I’ll start Jakobi Meyers as a WR3/Flex because he’s the most consistent of them all.  Rhamondre Stevenson is where it's at right now.  He is the clear focal point of the Patriots offense…to the point where there have been talks of Damien Harris being traded away.  As for the Jets, injuries have really done them in lately.  Losing Breece Hall and Alijah Vera-Tucker are killers for this team.  I’m a huge Zach Wilson guy, but he may have to suffer through the growing pains for now.  Michael Carter will be the guy this week until newly acquired James Robinson gets fully acclimated into the Jets’ offense.  I’m not in on any of the WRs/TEs for NY this week. Corey Davis is out, Elijah Moore is disgruntled, and Garrett Wilson has not been productive. Tyler Conklin could be startable, simply due to the state of the position.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Philadelphia Eagles (1:00pm)

Start: Najee Harris, Pat Freiermuth, Jalen Hurts, Dallas Goedert, AJ Brown, Miles Sanders

Sit: Kenny Pickett, Chase Claypool, Dionte Johnson, George Pickens, DeVonta Smith

Ok! It's no secret I’m a huge Eagles fan and a huge fan of this offense.  They have provided plenty of firepower all season and will continue to do so against the Steelers.  The Steelers defense always plays hard, and will continue to make life tough for the Eagles.  In the end, Jalen Hurts will run and throw his way to a solid performance, as he targets AJ Brown and Dallas Goedert.  For the Steelers, the passing game will struggle against a tough Eagles defense (Slay and Bradberry) and the pass rush with a new face (Robert Quinn).  The Steelers will make this a tough game for a while, but the difference at QB will be the deciding factor.  The Steelers trifecta of Claypool, Johnson, and Pickens will find a hard time getting consistency and should be a coin flip start at best.

Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans (4:05pm)

Start: Derrick Henry, Dameon Pierce

Sit: Ryan Tannehill, Davis Mills, Brandin Cooks, Robert Woods, Austin Hooper, Rex Burkhead, Nico Collins, Brevin Jordan

This is the worst matchup of the week… and we also get the Pats and Jets.  Derrick Henry and Dameon Pierce are must-starts, but I don’t think anyone else is worth a look.  Tannehill and Mills are bottom of the barrel QBs, barely startable in 2QB leagues.  I would look for other options in SF leagues that don’t require a 2nd QB.  That puts a damper on all of the WR/TEs too.

Washington Commanders at Indianapolis Colts (4:25pm)

Start: Antonio Gibson, Brian Robinson Jr, Terry McLaurin, Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman Jr, Parris Campbell

Sit: Taylor Heinicke, Jahan Dotson, Logan Thomas, Sam Ehlinger, Nyheim Hines, Alec Pierce 

With RB being so thin right now, you may be forced to start Antonio Gibson. While his ceiling isn’t very high, he could still get you around 8-11 points in PPR. Taylor Heinicke and Sam Ehlinger should only be considered in superflex leagues. They are both low end QB2s this week. I have no problem starting Alec Pierce if you’re in a pinch, but I see his upside being limited with Ehlinger’s lack of arm strength. Parris Campbell has certainly taken on a large role in this passing game. Let’s hope it continues with the change at QB. 

San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams (4:25pm)

Start: Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Cooper Kupp, Tyler Higbee, Matt Stafford

Sit: Deebo Samuel, Jimmy Garoppolo, Brandon Aiuyuk, Allen Robinson

With Deebo Samuel not going and another week of practice under his belt, Christian McCaffery should be the primary focus of the San Francisco offense. I don't see a huge "air" game in this one, but George Kittle will still get his targets.  For the Rams, I see Matt Stafford having a solid game and worth a 2 QB league start.  Cooper Kupp is automatic and Tyler Higbee is solid at a position that has lacked any real consistency.

New York Giants at Seattle Seahawks (4:25pm)

Start: Saqoun Barkley, Daniel Jones, Wan'Dale Robinson, Kenneth Walker, Marquise Goodwin

Sit: Daniel Ballinger, Geno Smith, DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett (monitor health)

I have a feeling Geno Smith and Daniel Jones will put up some points in this one.  Both QB's will have ups and downs, but in the end, have solid QB 2 numbers.  With the injuries to the wide outs in Seattle, Marquise Goodwin (great last name!) has his time to shine.  Kenneth Walker is coming into his own and will try to match Saqoun Barkley all game. Daniel Jones uses his legs to his advantage, and with the back and forth expected by me, I can see Wan'Dale getting loose for a big touchdown. 

Green Bay Packers at Buffalo Bills (8:20pm)

Start: Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Jones, Sammy Watkins, Robert Tonyan, Josh Allen, Devin Singletary, Stefon Diggs, Gabriel Davis 

Sit: AJ Dillon, Allen Lazard, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, Zack Moss, James Cook, Dawson Knox

There’s not much to say about this game. You’re starting most of your Buffalo Bills. As far as Green Bay goes, it’s hard to sit Aaron Rodgers. I can see him getting a garbage TD or two. Sammy Watkins and Robert Tonyan look to be his most trusted pass catchers right now, making them decent streaming options this week. It’s hard to trust any other pass catcher in this Packers offense, especially with Allen Lazard being ruled out. 

Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns (Monday Night Football)

Start: Joe Burrow, Joe Mixon, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, Hayden Hurst, Nick Chubb, Amari Cooper, Donovan People-Jones, Harrison Bryant

Sit: Jacoby Brissett, Kareem Hunt

Out 4-6 weeks with a hip fracture and torn labrum.. Absolutely terrible news for Ja’Marr Chase owners. With that being said, this will certainly increase opportunities for Tyler Boyd, Hayden Hurst, and even wideout Mike Thomas. Joe Burrow, Joe Mixon, and Nick Chubb are chalk. Donovan Peoples-Jones and Harrison Bryant are sneaky PPR plays this week. They both could get you between 4-6 catches each. I have no confidence in Jacoby Brissett or Kareem Hunt this week. They should only be in your lineup if you’re desperate.