Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 8: Advice for Fringe Flex Fantasy Football Starters

There are seemingly fewer "must-start players" every week in fantasy football, and it makes choosing an optimal lineup even tougher. On the plus side, this allows more freedom to mix and match based on the opponent.  

While young running backs like Todd Gurley and Devonta Freeman have proved to be every-week starters, it would be hard to find 10 other players at the position you can say that for this season. This will leave some tough calls heading into the weekend for your fantasy team, but you can still come through with the most possible points if you do your research.

Here is a look at the borderline options to start and sit for Week 8.

Start 'Em

Pos.	Player	Team	Opp.
RB	Charcandrick West	Kansas City Chiefs	DET
RB	LeGarrette Blount	New England Patriots	MIA
RB	Ronnie Hillman	Denver Broncos	GB
RB	Charles Sims	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	ATL
WR	Tavon Austin	St. Louis Rams	SF
WR	Brandin Cooks	New Orleans Saints	NYG
WR	Rueben Randle	New York Giants	NO
WR	Stefon Diggs	Minnesota Vikings	CHI
TE	Eric Ebron	Detroit Lions	KC

Charcandrick West, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images

Although no one is going to confuse him with Jamaal Charles just yet, Charcandrick West came through with a solid 110 rushing yards and a touchdown on 22 carries in Week 7. After getting just nine carries in his first start, this type of workload is more of what you can expect going forward.

"We've known what he can do. It was just a matter of getting enough opportunities," Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, per Dave Skretta of the Associated Press. "I mentioned after last game that he needed a few more opportunities. He got those today. You saw what he did with it."

The Chiefs don't have many offensive weapons anywhere on the field, leaving West as one of the best options to move the football. With a reworked offensive line playing well against a tough Pittsburgh Steelers run defense, this is encouraging for West's production.

Against a Detroit Lions defense that's 24th against the run with the most rushing touchdowns allowed in the NFL, West could have a big game.

Tavon Austin, WR, St. Louis Rams

Mike McGinnis/Getty Images

The St. Louis Rams have become a run-first team behind Todd Gurley, but Tavon Austin has ensured he now stays on the field thanks to his work as a blocker:

This won't help fantasy owners directly, although it does mean more opportunities down the line for the playmaking receiver. Austin had four catches on seven targets in Week 7, marking the second time in the past three games he led his team in targets. Adding in a 21-yard rush, it's clear the team is working to get him the football.

All of this should pay off in Week 8 with a matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. The once-feared defense is averaging 293 passing yards allowed per game, second only to the Oakland Raiders for the worst in the NFL.

Austin should have plenty of room to get open and make plays after the catch, hopefully getting himself into the end zone.

Sit 'Em

Pos.	Player	Team	Opp.
RB	Alfred Blue	Houston Texans	TEN
RB	Melvin Gordon	San Diego Chargers	BAL
RB	Rashad Jennings	New York Giants	NO
RB	Isaiah Crowell	Cleveland Browns	ARI
WR	James Jones	Green Bay Packers	DEN
WR	Torrey Smith	San Francisco 49ers	STL
WR	Michael Crabtree	Oakland Raiders	NYJ
WR	Brandon LaFell	New England Patriots	MIA
TE	Vernon Davis	San Francisco 49ers	STL

Alfred Blue, RB, Houston Texans

George Bridges/Associated Press

It's understandable for Alfred Blue to be a big pickup off the waiver wire this week after Arian Foster went down with a torn Achilles. He is clearly the best option in the Houston Texans backfield, and any starting running back is valuable in fantasy.

That said, he isn't going to be the clear workhorse back Foster was in this offense. Graham Barfield of Rotoworld noted the split from earlier in the year:

Also, despite a huge 139-yard showing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Blue has not been all that impressive when given a chance. He has just a 3.3 career yards-per-carry average, and Pro Football Focus rated him just 44th out of 56 running backs this season in its elusive rating for the season.

With Chris Polk and Jonathan Grimes capable of stealing touches and Blue lacking efficiency when he does get the ball, there are likely better options for your fantasy team.

James Jones, WR, Green Bay Packers

Matt Ludtke/Associated Press

After being dropped from two different teams, James Jones clearly is right at home with the Green Bay Packers with six touchdowns in six games. The problem is a lot of his production is unsustainable for a season, as noted by Matt Harmon of NFL.com:

Another big issue will come with Davante Adams' return from an ankle injury that has kept him out for three weeks. With Adams, Ty Montgomery and even Jeff Janis could start taking away snaps and targets within the Packers offense and lower Jones' value for the remainder of the year.

In the immediate future, however, the biggest issue is the Denver Broncos defense. With a great pass rush and athletic cornerbacks, the unit has been the toughest in the NFL against the pass this season at just 192 yards allowed per game.

Even with Aaron Rodgers throwing Jones the ball, reduced targets and a tough matchup do not equal a big fantasy day.    

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