Start 'Em Sit 'Em Week 8: Breaking Down Weekend's Toughest Fantasy Decisions

Star-studded players dropped left and right in Week 7, as injuries took their toll on the NFL and left their mark on the fantasy football landscape.

From Reggie Wayne to Jay Cutler, Jermichael Finley and many more, players were lost that will impact your fantasy league and possibly your team. But as fantasy football has proved, when one player goes down, another one can emerge in his place.

Let's take a look at who to start and who to leave on your bench in Week 8.

Start: Packers WR James Jones*

This one deserves a major asterisk since he's still out with an injury, but signs are starting to point toward Jones coming back in Week 8, per ESPN. 

Should he be able to return, the Pack will greatly need him with Randall Cobb still out and Jermichael Finley out indefinitely after being released from the intensive care unit, following a spinal-cord injury suffered Sunday, per NBC Sports. 

Going up against a Minnesota team that is spiraling downward, Green Bay should be able to get the passing game going early and rely on Jones to fill the gaping hole at receiver. 

Projected statline: six catches, 73 yards and two touchdowns

Sit: Steelers RB Le'Veon Bell

Le'Veon Bell has turned into a solid player over the last few weeks, but he faces a top-10 rushing defense in Oakland this weekend. That doesn't bode well for the growing rookie. 

Even after a solid performance against Baltimore, he averages 3.6 yards per carry and hasn't gotten into the end zone since his debut despite 35 carries in those two games.

Considering he's owned in 93 percent of ESPN leagues, GMs might make a play at Bell in a flex role with bye weeks rolling along. But take a look at the matchup, and it looks like he's prone to struggle against the Raiders front seven.

The future is bright for Bell—but not in Week 8.

Projected statline: 12 carries, 39 yards; two catches, 14 yards

Start: Saints RB Darren Sproles

New Orleans running back Darren Sproles is quickly becoming a weekly fantasy starter, and he's a must-start in a favorable Week 8 matchup.

The Saints play the Bills, who are 29th against the run and aren't much better against the pass, ranked 26th. Sproles happens to be a danger in both of those categories as a big-time target for Drew Brees and also taking carries out of the backfield.

New Orleans likes to get Sproles out in space, and it'll certainly give him his touches against this mismatch. He should have a big day on Sunday against Buffalo.

Projected statline: four carries for 29 yards and a touchdown; five catches for 64 yards and a touchdown

Sit: Cardinals RB Rashard Mendenhall 

Mendenhall has struggled to gain yardage despite getting a lion's share of the carries in recent weeks. In his last three games, he has carried the ball 40 times for just over 100 yards. 

He faces the Falcons in Week 8, who have done well against fantasy rushers this season. They haven't given up 100 yards to a running back all season long and hardly let one get over 50.

Expect Mendenhall's struggles to continue even more against an Atlanta team that looks to be turning the corner after a slow start.

Projected statline: 10 carries for 30 yards; one catch for four yards

Start: Falcons WR Harry Douglas

Despite having a huge day in Week 7, Harry Douglas is still the best kept secret in fantasy football as he's only owned in less than 35 percent of ESPN leagues. He had 149 yards and a touchdown last week.

With Julio Jones gone for the year and Roddy White still getting back to 100 percent, Douglas will need to be a big target for Matt Ryan.

He got off to a good start. 

At Arizona this weekend, expect him to have more success against the 24th-ranked pass defense in the league. 

Projected statline: nine catches, 104 yards and a touchdown

Sit: Jets RB Chris Ivory

After being a fantasy non-factor to start the season, Chris Ivory had his best performance as a Jet last week by passing 100 yards and getting a hefty 34 carries.

But the Jets face a Bengals defense that ranks just outside the top 10 in total defense. Add that along with the fact that it took Ivory a 34-carry game to even be relevant in fantasy, and it becomes obvious he needs to prove his worth a bit more in fantasy.

Ivory has yet to score a touchdown as a New York Jet, and that won't change against the Bengals.

Projected statline: 18 carries, 46 yards