Week 8 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Lineup Advice and Smart Sleepers to Exploit

Week 7 brought another round of exciting finishes, unexpected upsets and other NFL shenanigans. Unfortunately, it brought more injuries that will likely affect fantasy football managers.

Jayden Daniels, Mike Evans, Darren Waller, Cole Kmet and Dontayvion Wicks were among those who exited with injuries over the weekend.

With the Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks on bye this week, many managers will be forced to play the matchups with some second-tier starters. Let's dive into some of the best and worst matchups of Week 8 for point-per-reception (PPR) leagues.

Start: J.K. Dobbins, RB, Denver Broncos

AP Photo/Matt Rourke

Denver Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins has had an underwhelming couple of weeks. He had just 40 scrimmage yards against the New York Jets in London in Week 6, and he saw a somewhat light workload in Week 7.

Dobbins averaged an impressive 5.8 yards per carry against the New York Giants on Sunday, but Denver fell behind early, and Dobbins finished with just 14 carries, one catch and 80 scrimmage yards.

Fortunately, Dobbins managers shouldn't face a third disappointing week in a row. The Broncos are set to host the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, and they should take a run-heavy approach in order to keep the Cowboys offense off the field.

If that's the case, Dobbins will have a chance to thrive. Dallas has allowed an average of 4.7 yards per carry this season and has surrendered an average of 27.1 fantasy points per game to opposing backfields.

Sit: Tony Pollard, RB, Tennessee Titans

AP Photo/Samantha Chow

The Tennessee Titans fired head coach Brian Callahan last week and replaced him with senior offensive assistant Mike McCoy. In Tennessee's first game with McCoy as the interim head coach, though, the offense didn't really improve.

The Titans have averaged just 13.7 points per game this season. They tallied just 255 yards and 13 points against the New England Patriots on Sunday.

Running back Tony Pollard paced the Titans with six catches, but he recorded just six carries and 61 scrimmage yards. While that's respectable PPR production, Pollard's workload is concerning.

Also concerning is an upcoming matchup with the Indianapolis Colts, who have surrendered just 17.8 fantasy points, on average, to opposing backfields. Pollard doesn't need to be dropped just yet, but he should see the bench in larger leagues this week.

Sleepers who might be available on the wire and who could serve as sleeper replacements at running back this week include Chicago Bears rookie Kyle Monangai and Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell.

Start: A.J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

AP Photo/Adam Hunger

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown disappointed fantasy managers early in the season as the Eagles offense struggled to find a rhythm. Fortunately, Philly found a rhythm against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 7, and Brown thrived.

The three-time Pro Bowler had his best game of the season to date, finishing with four catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns.

This week, the Eagles have a rematch with the New York Giants, which may concern some managers. Just two weeks ago, the Giants handed Philadelphia a 34-17 loss in New York.

However, Brown still had a reasonable outing in that game, finishing with six catches for 80 yards. With home-field advantage in play, he should have a chance to thrive again.

The Giants have surrendered an average of 38 fantasy points to opposing receiver groups this season.

Sit: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins

AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman

Things are not going well for the Miami Dolphins, who suffered an embarrassing 31-6 loss against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw three interceptions in the game, and offensive changes could be on the horizon.

"I know at least one or two of them were extremely preventable from Tua and he knows that just wasn't good enough. We'll watch the tape and change our style of play if we [have] to," head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters.

What does that mean for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle? It's hard to know, but managers can't feel confident about him coming out of a one-catch, 15-yard outing. Those who have depth should consider sitting Waddle this week and seeing how the Dolphins offense responds.

Miami is set to visit the Atlanta Falcons, who have surrendered an average of just 24.3 fantasy points to opposing receiver groups this season.

Sleeper receivers to consider picking up and playing this week include New England Patriots receiver Kayshon Boutte, Broncos receiver Troy Franklin and Broncos wideout Marvin Mims Jr.

*Fantasy scoring information from FantasyPros.