Week 8 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Projections for Top 10 Players at Each Position

A handful of fantasy football studs went off on Thursday Night Football. If that's any indication of how Week 8 of the NFL season is going to go for the rest of the game's top stars, then your fantasy team is likely in for a pretty good week.

Peyton Manning, Emmanuel Sanders, Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates all had big nights, while even guys like Ronnie Hillman and Branden Oliver performed well. Will even more stars follow suit?

There are multiple intriguing matchups this week that point to some potentially big performances. It's never an easy choice deciding whom to start and whom to sit, but hopefully the following rankings will help you make the tough decisions prior to kickoff on Sunday.

Quarterbacks

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Projection
1	Aaron Rodgers	GB	@NO	26
2	Tony Romo	DAL	vs. WAS	24
3	Russell Wilson	SEA	@CAR	22
4	Andrew Luck	IND	@PIT	21
5	Matthew Stafford	DET	@ATL	21
6	Matt Ryan	ATL	vs. DET	18
7	Tom Brady	NE	vs. CHI	18
8	Drew Brees	NO	vs. GB	17
9	Jay Cutler	CHI	@NE	17
10	Cam Newton	CAM	vs SEA	16

Start: Russell Wilson at Carolina

There's really nothing in Russell Wilson's way this Sunday. The Carolina Panthers defense ranks 27th in yards allowed per game, second-worst in yards per play allowed and first in total touchdowns allowed. He's also coming off his best game of the year. He tossed two touchdowns and racked up 313 yards in the air against the St. Louis Rams.

Following the performance, NFL RedZone's Scott Hanson tweeted that Wilson made history:

The Panthers defense won't be able to shut down the Seattle offense given how well Wilson has been playing. Get him active, and ride him to victory.

Sit: Andy Dalton vs. Baltimore

On the other side of the spectrum, we have Andy Dalton. Don't start him.

The Baltimore Ravens have allowed just seven passing touchdowns on the year, and Dalton still could be without top wideout A.J. Green, as he sat out practice on Tuesday, reports Mike Wilkening of NBC Sports.

Dalton posted just five fantasy points last weekend against the Indianapolis Colts. That's easily his worst output of the season. The Ravens defense is better against the pass in terms of allowing touchdowns, so that means bad news for Cincinnati's signal-caller.

Running Backs

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Projection
1	DeMarco Murray	DAL	vs WAS	26
2	Le'Veon Bell	PIT	vs IND	22
3	Arian Foster	HOU	@TEN	21
4	Jamaal Charles	KC	vs. STL	17
5	Lamar Miller	MIA	@JAC	17
6	Matt Forte	CHI	@NE	16
7	Marshawn Lynch	SEA	@CAR	15
8	Ben Tate	CLE	vs OAK	14
9	Joique Bell	DET	@ATL	13
10	LeSean McCoy	PHI	@ARZ	12

Start: Ben Tate vs. Oakland

Ben Tate was effective in Weeks 5 and 6 against the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers, but he ran into a tough matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars last week. Kevin Jones of ClevelandBrowns.com tweeted a quote from Tate regarding his mindset moving forward:

He should turn the tide in Week 8 against the Oakland Raiders, who just allowed the Arizona Cardinals to run for over 200 yards. Overall, Oakland is 29th against the run. And following last week's performance from Brian Hoyer, the Cleveland Browns could put the ball on the ground a lot. That means good news for Tate owners.

Sit: Chris Ivory vs. Buffalo

Chris Ivory has been the lone successful runner for the New York Jets, but he's in for a tough week. The Buffalo Bills front line of Mario Williams and Marcell Dareus won't make things easy.

Ivory is a bruiser who loves to push through the trenches and get into the second level of defenses. That likely won't happen much against the Bills. You can beat Buffalo with quickness, as Jerick McKinnon proved last week, but Ivory's lateral quickness isn't on the same level.

He's a good play against most defenses, as he's always capable of getting in the end zone. But the Bills won't make things easy for him in short-yardage situations.

Wide Receivers

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Projection
1	Jordy Nelson	GB	@NO	17
2	Dez Bryant	DAL	vs WAS	14
3	Golden Tate	DET	@ATL	14
4	Antonio Brown	PIT	vs IND	13
5	Doug Baldwin	SEA	@CAR	13
6	Jeremy Maclin	PHI	@ARZ	12
7	Mike Wallace	MIA	@JAC	12
8	Sammy Watkins	BUF	@NYJ	12
9	Randall Cobb	GB	@NO	12
10	Julio Jones	ATL	vs DET	11

Start: Doug Baldwin at Carolina

Start Doug Baldwin for the same reasons you're starting Russell Wilson. This Panthers defense is horrible. In fact, it has allowed the most fantasy points to wide receivers in the NFL.

Without Percy Harvin in the fold, Baldwin emerged as Wilson's top weapon in the offense. He hauled in seven passes for 123 yards and a touchdown. He leads the team in targets, which means a steady diet of passes will come his way against the porous Carolina secondary.

You should feel safe starting him as a No. 2 receiver this week. His role in the offense will only continue to grow.

Sit: Kelvin Benjamin vs. Seattle

Gail Burton/Associated Press

On the flip side of this contest, it's not a smart decision to start Kelvin Benjamin. The rookie wideout has been a stud for Cam Newton and the Panthers, but he draws his toughest assignment yet in Richard Sherman.

Sherman is 6'3". Benjamin is 6'5". That's not too much of a difference, but Benjamin is used to going up against smaller cornerbacks. That makes this a tough matchup.

Plus, Newton has said that he's not going to push it against Sherman, via ESPN.com's David Newton:

"

If the play is called for me to read it to Richard's side, by all means I'm going to do it. And I'm going to give each and every receiver an opportunity to make plays. 

I'm not going to force it. I'm not going to be an idiot. I'm going to do a great job of protecting the football and be aggressively patient in taking what the defense gives me.

"

Well, the defense might not give him too much.

Tight Ends

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Projection
1	Jordan Cameron	CLE	vs OAK	13
2	Rob Gronkowski	NE	vs CHI	11
3	Scott Chandler	BUF	@NYJ	11
4	Charles Clay	MIA	@JAC	10
5	Jordan Reed	WAS	@DAL	9
6	Zach Ertz	PHI	@ARZ	9
7	Greg Olsen	CAR	vs SEA	8
8	Martellus Bennett	CHI	@NE	8
9	Dwayne Allen	IND	@PIT	7
10	Delanie Walker	TEN	vs HOU	6

Start: Scott Chandler at New York

Scott Chandler hasn't scored a touchdown this season, so it's understandable to be weary about plugging him into your starting lineup. But the Jets do not play tight ends well, allowing seven touchdowns to the position on the season. That makes Chandler a candidate to find pay dirt for the first time.

He didn't play particularly well last week, but that's because Sammy Watkins stole the show. Chandler might not rack up the yardage that you'd like to see from a tight end. He only has two games over 50 yards receiving this year. That said, the frequency with which tight ends score against the Jets makes him a good play.

Sit: Jason Witten vs. Washington

Brandon Wade/Associated Press

Is Jason Witten losing targets to Gavin Escobar?

Escobar grabbed two touchdowns against the New York Giants last week, prompting many to question Witten's role in the offense. Witten was targeted just twice in that game.

He has just four catches for 51 yards and a touchdown in his last two games, but that's also the only touchdown he has scored this season. Washington plays tight ends pretty well, allowing the 14th-most points to the position.

Witten could potentially break out, but the chances of that are slim. Leave him on the bench until he starts to pick it back up.

D/STs

Rank	Team	Opponent	Projection
1	Miami	@JAC	11
2	Buffalo	@NYJ	10
3	Detroit	@ATL	9
4	Houston	@TEN	8
5	Dallas	vs WAS	8
6	New England	vs CHI	7
7	Indianapolis	@PIT	7
8	Baltimore	@CIN	6
9	Minnesota	@TB	5
10	Arizona	vs PHI	4

Start: Miami at Jacksonville

The Miami Dolphins defense is coming off a great game against the Chicago Bears, as it held the potent offense to just two touchdowns. The Jaguars may have exploded for 24 points last week, but that won't happen against Miami.

Blake Bortles has thrown at least two picks in four of his five games. The offensive line has done him no favors, as he has been sacked 13 times. As a team, the Dolphins have recorded 17 sacks. They also rank fourth in the league in total defense, allowing just 313.7 yards per game.

They do have to be on the lookout for Denard Robinson and his speed, but stacking the box should help to contain the young running back.

Because of the potential for multiple sacks and interceptions, the Dolphins are a must-start.

Sit: Cleveland vs. Oakland

The Browns were considered a smart play last week against the Jaguars. Then they allowed 24 points and lost the game. That should make owners feel uneasy about giving them another chance against the Oakland Raiders.

Cleveland isn't super-talented defensively, but the thought of playing a low-ranking team made it an appealing option. The Raiders are 0-6 for a reason, but Derek Carr has shown a bit more offensive explosiveness than Bortles has in their rookie seasons.

A decent showing isn't out of the question, but most owners (or those scouring the waiver wire) should have lost nearly all confidence in this unit after last week's debacle.

Kickers

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Projection
1	Dan Bailey	DAL	vs WAS	12
2	Stephen Gostkowski	NE	vs CHI	11
3	Caleb Sturgis	MIA	@JAC	11
4	Cairo Santos	KC	vs STL	10
5	Justin Tucker	BAL	@CIN	9
6	Adam Vinatieri	IND	@PIT	8
7	Chandler Catanzaro	ARZ	vs PHI	8
8	Graham Gano	CAR	vs SEA	7
9	Billy Cundiff	CLE	vs OAK	7
10	Cody Parkey	PHI	@ARZ	6

Start: Caleb Sturgis at Jacksonville

Tim Ireland/Associated Press

Ryan Tannehill has been playing great (521 yards, four touchdowns) over his last two games. Against a below-average Jaguars defense, he should give the Dolphins plenty of opportunities to score. That should give Caleb Sturgis opportunities to kick plenty.

Extra points are good for tacking on a point here or there, but a kicker's value obviously lies in how often he converts field-goal tries. Sturgis was just 2-of-4 last week against Chicago, but he had previously made nine of 10 on the year.

Given how many opportunities he'll have to kick in some capacity, Sturgis is a must-start.

Sit: Matt Bryant vs. Detroit

Matt Bryant is not a good play. The Atlanta Falcons offense is inconsistent, and the stifling defense of the Detroit Lions won't make life easy for Matt Ryan. Moving the ball is going to be extremely difficult, meaning there will be limited field-goal attempts. Heck, he might only get a chance to convert an extra point or two.

Drop him, and pick up another kicker off the waiver wire. Almost every kicker in the league is a better play than Bryant this week.

Follow Kenny DeJohn on Twitter: @kennydejohn