Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 8: Making the Call on Fantasy Football Fringe Starters

Fantasy football owners are at the point in the season where fringe starters decide matchups.

Look at Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Mohamed Sanu last week, for example. After two straight games of double-digit production and with A.J. Green watching in sweatpants from the sideline, Sanu went out and nabbed just five points while struggling with drops.

Such is life when it comes to fringe starters. Like the draft or waiver-wire decisions, the best moves are often birthed from a lengthy amount of research. Let's take the legwork out of the equation below with some of the notable Week 8 calls.

Note: All scoring info courtesy of ESPN standard leagues, as is points-against info and ownership stats. Statistics courtesy of ESPN.

Quarterbacks

Start 'Em: Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals (vs. PHI)

Ben Margot/Associated Press

It was understandable for owners to be skeptical of Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer.

Palmer exploded for 20 points to start the season and then missed three consecutive games with a scary nerve issue, hence his being owned in just 9.6 percent of leagues.

That number is inexcusable.

Palmer is back and healthy, and in the two games since his return he has scored a minimum of 16 points. Now Palmer, in the confines of coach Bruce Arians' quarterback-friendly scheme, gets to feast on a Philadelphia Eagles defense that allows the fifth-most points to quarterbacks.

The Eagles let just about anybody score well (except for the New York Giants). It says something when Washington and the St. Louis Rams have the highest outputs the team has allowed at the position this season.

Sit 'Em: Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals (vs. BAL)

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It is never wise to overreact too much when a quarterback has a bad day.

That said, Cincinnati Bengals signal-caller Andy Dalton was miserable last week in Indianapolis, scoring just five points, breaking a streak of five straight games in double digits. A note from Sigmund Bloom of FootballGuys.com puts the day into harsh perspective:

Up next is AFC North foe Baltimore. While Dalton tied for his highest output this season against the Ravens in Week 1, and it sounds like he might get A.J. Green back in the lineup, according to Fox 19 Cincinnati's Joe Danneman, this is not the same old Baltimore team.

The Ravens have allowed only two other teams to match or exceed Dalton's 18 points from opening week, and most recently they held Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons to just 11 points. Due to injuries around him and a stiff defense, Dalton needs to be on the bench.

Running Backs

Start 'Em: Joique Bell, Detroit Lions (at ATL)

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

Speaking of those Falcons, the miserable defense makes Detroit Lions running back Joique Bell a must-start option in Week 8.

Bell has been good to owners in recent weeks as his snap counts have taken a dramatic increase, scoring 15 and 11 points his last two times out. He is even beginning to steal critical carries from Reggie Bush, as Kyle Meinke of MLive Media Group observes:

Things will only get better for Bell thanks to an Atlanta defense that gives up the absolute most points to backs on average this season, and the next team on the list is a rather distant 31st.

Nobody would suggest Bell is going to go for 28 or more points, but the Falcons have allowed backs to do so in more than half of their games this season, with a high of 41.

Sit 'Em: Khiry Robinson, New Orleans Saints (vs. GB)

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The window for Khiry Robinson and his 89.9 percent of owners has been slammed shut for the time being, even with Pierre Thomas set to miss two to three weeks with a shoulder injury.

Robinson had a 14-point outburst in Week 5 before a bye, but owners knew that the shelf life on Robinson's usefulness was going to be limited. Now Mark Ingram is back in the fold to soak up carries, and Robinson went out and shot himself in the foot last week with a fumble, as noted by Larry Holder of NOLA.com:

So not only is Robinson on a reduced pitch count and in the doghouse, but he faces Green Bay next, a defense that has improved as of late, allowing 10, 14 and seven points to backs in the last three weeks.

Robinson is a great stash, but a start in Week 8? That will do more harm than good.

Wide Receivers

Start 'Em: Eric Decker, New York Jets (vs. BUF)

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New York Jets wideout Eric Decker is a solid option when healthy and in a favorable matchup, something he has not had a ton of this season.

Decker has been to double-digit land three times, although last week was an obvious must-sit situation—he scored just six points on his trip to Darrelle Revis Island.

The addition of Percy Harvin is something that should free up Decker for more looks than ever in this offense, but really, he is a smart play regardless thanks to an encounter with a Buffalo Bills defense that allows the ninth-most points to wideouts this season:

WK	OPP	REC	YDS	TD	PTS
1	@Chi	17	180	1	20
2	Mia	19	172	1	18
3	SD	8	157	2	26
4	@Hou	12	145	1	18
5	@Det	12	181	1	20
6	NE	15	240	3	41
7	Min	12	146	1	19

Decker is due for another big game and should have more space to operate if the coaching staff uses Harvin correctly. That is a big "if," but owners should feel confident with Decker nonetheless.

Sit 'Em: Cecil Shorts, Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. MIA)

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Jacksonville Jaguars wideout Cecil Shorts has been a major bust this season when actually healthy. 

He showed a pulse in Week 6 with eight points, but he went out last week and scored just a single point while being blanketed by Cleveland Browns corner Joe Haden, despite a team-high nine targets.

It gets worse in Week 8. Now Shorts must somehow find room against a Miami Dolphins defense that surrenders the sixth-fewest points to receivers this season thanks to the strong cornerback duo of Cortland Finnegan and Brent Grimes.

In that undesirable situation with a rookie quarterback under center, Shorts should be on the bench in all leagues.