Week 8 DraftKings Daily Fantasy Football Picks, Lineup Tips for Sunday
The Week 8 main slate in DraftKings fantasy football is upon us, and it's a loaded Sunday afternoon schedule featuring 13 games, a host of superstars at all positions and tough choices for fantasy players to make everywhere.
It may be hard for players to pass up options such as Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who each dominated last week en route to tremendous individual performances.
Touchdown machine and San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey makes an appearance on the Week 8 main slate as well, and the same goes for reception machines Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua of the Los Angeles Rams (albeit against a tough Dallas Cowboys defense).
But with 13 games, there are plenty of good options throughout the entirety of the salary ranges to pursue. With that mind, here are some picks for the best point-per-dollar plays at each position.
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Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud ($6,300)
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Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is primed for a breakout game Sunday against the winless Carolina Panthers.
For starters, Stroud could have plenty of time to get settled and find his receivers, as Jacob Gibbs of CBS Sports Fantasy noted:
Per Pro Football Reference, the Panthers have also allowed the ninth-most net passing yards per attempt.
The Texans will also welcome back rookie wide receiver Tank Dell, who is returning after suffering a concussion against the Atlanta Falcons on Oct. 8. Dell has registered 19 catches for 324 yards and two touchdowns in four-plus games.
Houston is unfortunately likely to be without veteran Robert Woods, who hasn't practiced this week with a foot injury, but this could also mean an opportunity for exciting second-year pro John Metchie III to shine.
Stroud has proven himself capable of big passing days, notably throwing for 384 yards and two touchdowns against the Indianapolis Colts and 306 yards and two more scores versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. Another 300-yard, two-touchdown day may be on the horizon for Stroud.
Atlanta Falcons RB Bijan Robinson ($6,000)
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Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson began this season with an $8,000 salary, and it's now dropped like a stone to $6,000.
After being placed in contests with a $7,300 salary last week, the drop down might be an over correction related to having just one carry for three yards in a 16-14 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Sunday. It turned out Robinson was held out largely due to illness, specifically bothersome headaches.
Robinson isn't on the injury report this week and told reporters Wednesday that he feels "good." If so, then the Falcons are getting back a dynamic talent who has averaged 17.7 touches and 98.3 yards over his first five games before the Bucs contest.
Now he faces a Tennessee Titans team that may have serious trouble scoring with starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill (ankle) out. Tennessee plans to play both rookie Will Levis, who hasn't taken a snap yet in a regular season game, and second-year pro Malik Willis, who has potential but has struggled when given the opportunity thus far.
If the Derrick Henry-led run game doesn't get going, then the Falcons should be in the driver's seat all afternoon. And that means the team may be running downhill, leading to a huge opportunity for Robinson to author a breakout game.
Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase ($8,100)
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Don't let a matchup with the San Francisco 49ers, who have allowed the third-fewest point per game, fool you by any means.
In back-to-back weeks, San Francisco has allowed the opposing team's No. 1 wideout to go over 100 yards.
First it was the Cleveland Browns' Amari Cooper with four catches and 108 yards. Then it was the Minnesota Vikings' Jordan Addison with seven receptions for 143 yards and two touchdowns.
Now the 49ers play one of the NFL's best wide receivers in the Cincinnati Bengals' Ja'Marr Chase, who has averaged 14 targets per game over the past four weeks.
He's posted 12-catch, 141-yard and 15-catch, 192-yard, three-touchdown games this season, and it's not impossible to see him pull off another big game with a minimum of 10 catches and 100 yards.
Moreover, the 49ers' pass rush has struggled mightily in recent weeks, to the point where they couldn't sack Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins last Monday.
If the 49ers can't get to quarterback Joe Burrow, then he could be playing pitch-and-catch with his ex-LSU teammate all afternoon.
The guess here is that he does and Chase ends up as the top point scorer on the entire main slate.
Jacksonville Jaguars TE Evan Engram ($4,500)
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The Evan Engram breakout game has to be coming soon, right? He's had seven or eight targets in each of his last six weeks.
The opportunities are there, and only two tight ends playing Sunday (the Kansas City Chiefs' Travis Kelce and the Vikings' TJ Hockenson) have averaged more targets per game than Engram.
Engram has also proven to be incredibly efficient with those targets, catching 41 passes on 51 chances (80.4 percent catch rate).
Somehow, Engram has gone without a touchdown despite his opportunities and efficiency, but that has to change at some point.
Perhaps it's this Sunday at the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have an opportunistic and game-breaking defense but still allow the 11th-most net passing yards per game (6.3). With a very reasonable salary of $4,500 (only the seventh-highest on the main slate), Engram could be the key to a great lineup this week.
Minnesota Vikings D/ST
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Picking the right defense and special teams units feels like a complete crapshoot every week. You never know how fumbles are going to bounce, or which quarterbacks are going to get pick-six happy on any given day.
For DraftKings purposes, the suggestion here is to pick a defense/special teams unit with a lower salary to save money for more important spots and just hope for the best.
This week, the Vikings stand out at just $2,500. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores' unit has been sensational over the past month. Last Monday, they allowed just 17 points to a 49ers team that is second in yards per play (6.0) and points per game (28.7).
The Sunday before, Minnesota's defense amassed 21 fantasy points in a 19-13 win over the Chicago Bears. And in Week 4, Minnesota allowed only seven points (and earned 17 fantasy points) in a 21-13 win over the Carolina Panthers (six points were via a Kirk Cousins pick-six).
Now the Vikings face a Green Bay Packers offense that has averaged just 17 points in the past four weeks. The nadir occurred last Sunday, when Green Bay lost 19-17 to a Denver Broncos team that has allowed the most points per game (and 70 to the Miami Dolphins alone). Green Bay has averaged just 199 passing yards per game, and the rushing attack has only managed 3.8 yards per carry.
In sum, this is another opportunity for the Vikings' defense to produce a big game.
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