Week 8 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Top 10 Players, Stat Projections for Every Position
Many fantasy owners were missing their top players at multiple positions in Week 7, with some of the league's hottest teams, including the Green Bay Packers, Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos, on byes.
Those owners are looking to come into Week 8 with a vengeance as they load their lineups.
The players who played in Thursday night's game have been omitted from the projections, so in some cases the rankings may include up to the top 12 projected players.
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Consensus score projections from FantasyPros.com, which averages projections from ESPN, CBS Sports, numberFire and FFToday, have been used to give as accurate scores as possible.
Quarterbacks
| 2 | Ben Roethlisberger (PIT) | vs CIN | 20.7 |
| 3 | Cam Newton (CAR) | vs IND | 20.3 |
| 4 | Philip Rivers (SD) | at BAL | 19.5 |
| 5 | Matt Ryan (ATL) | vs TB | 18.7 |
| 6 | Andy Dalton (CIN) | at PIT | 18.5 |
| 7 | Russell Wilson (SEA) | at DAL | 18.5 |
| 8 | Aaron Rodgers (GB) | at DEN | 18.0 |
| 9 | Eli Manning (NYG) | at NO | 17.8 |
| 10 | Ryan Fitzpatrick (NYJ) | at OAK | 17.7 |
| 11 | Drew Brees (NO) | vs. NYG | 17.5 |
Start 'Em: Ben Roethlisberger (PIT)
Any fantasy owner who has been without Ben Roethlisberger for the last four weeks is going to start him, regardless of what the fantasy projection machines say.
Before he got injured, Roethlisberger was averaging more than 300 yards per game and had thrown four touchdowns.
While we won't know if Roethlisberger is officially in until game-day morning, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the team does indeed plan for him to return in Week 8 against division rival Cincinnati.
Owners of Antonio Brown, too, will be pleased by this news, for the star wideout has been less than stellar without his trusty signal-caller throwing him the ball.
Should Big Ben return, this game will also be the first for which Roethlisberger will have Martavis Bryant as a target, as the wide receiver returned from his suspension after Roethlisberger's injury.
Sit 'Em: Andrew Luck (IND)
It may officially be time for fantasy owners to permanently bench or even drop Andrew Luck.
While it may sound absurd, considering Luck was the first quarterback taken in many leagues, he has been nothing but a headache for owners all season.
Though he's still owned in 98.5 percent of leagues, 869 owners in NFL fantasy leagues dropped Luck heading into Week 8.
Sure, Luck has thrown 11 touchdowns this season, but he's also taken points off the board for owners in nearly every game, throwing a total of nine interceptions. His only interception-free game, in Week 6 against the New England Patriots, is an anomaly at this point.
Luck's completion percentage is also a paltry 56.2 percent, which has frustrated owners all season.
Things certainly aren't going to get better for the young quarterback this week against the Carolina Panthers. Carolina's secondary is currently eighth in the league in passing yards allowed per game, with 229.8 on average.
The Panthers have also allowed just 18.3 points per game on average. They've also taken away nine interceptions, the fourth-most in the league.
Luck owners will realize that Carolina will probably get a pass or two from the quarterback this week, too.
Running Backs
| 1 | Devonta Freeman (ATL) | vs TB | 17.8 |
| 2 | Le'Veon Bell (PIT) | vs CIN | 17.1 |
| 3 | Todd Gurley (STL) | vs SF | 15.9 |
| 4 | Justin Forsett (BAL) | vs SD | 15.9 |
| 5 | Adrian Peterson (MIN) | at CHI | 15.2 |
| 6 | Matt Forte (CHI) | vs MIN | 14.8 |
| 7 | Marshawn Lynch (SEA) | at DAL | 14.4 |
| 9 | Chris Johnson (ARI) | at CLE | 12.8 |
| 10 | Mark Ingram (NO) | vs NYG | 12.7 |
| 11 | Doug Martin (TB) | at ATL | 12.5 |
Start 'Em: Todd Gurley (STL)
No one knows how long the Todd Gurley train will continue hurtling forward, but there's no reason to get off now.
After sitting out the first part of his season, Gurley has continued to gain steam.
In fact, even though he's only played in four games so far this season, Gurley is already on pace to have a historic year, as NFL Network's Gil Brandt pointed out:
Gurley has earned at least 120 yards in his last three games, and last week he added two touchdowns, including his first of the season, into the mix. If the Rams rusher is going to keep up the pace in terms of yardage and start adding serious scoring prowess to boot, starting him will be a no-brainer every week.
Sit 'Em: James Starks (GB)
Due to starting Packers rusher Eddie Lacy's extremely slow start to the season, many owners have worked the waiver wire and picked up his No. 2, James Starks.
The veteran doesn't get much use when Lacy is at his best, instead just coming in on the occasional drive to keep Lacy fresh. But when Lacy struggles, Starks' use, and therefore his production, increase exponentially.
Many owners have figured this out; he was started in 80 percent of NFL fantasy leagues in Week 7.
However, Starks reportedly suffered a hip injury in the Week 6 game against the San Diego Chargers. He was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, according to Michael Cohen of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Lacy may not break out this week, but as of now he figures to get more carries than the ailing Starks. Owners who have handicapped the two rushers should play Lacy in Week 8.
Wide Receivers
| 1 | Julio Jones (ATL) | vs TB | 14.8 |
| 2 | DeAndre Hopkins (HOU) | vs TEN | 14.1 |
| 3 | Antonio Brown (PIT) | vs CIN | 13.4 |
| 4 | Odell Beckham Jr. (NYG) | at NO | 12.8 |
| 5 | Keenan Allen (SD) | at BAL | 12.5 |
| 6 | Brandon Marshall (NYJ) | at OAK | 12.4 |
| 8 | A.J. Green (CIN) | at PIT | 12.1 |
| 9 | Mike Evans (TB) | at ATL | 12.0 |
| 10 | Demaryius Thomas (DEN) | vs GB | 11.7 |
| 11 | Calvin Johnson (DET) | at KC | 11.6 |
Start 'Em: Antonio Brown (PIT)
Owners who made Antonio Brown one of the first players selected in 2015 fantasy drafts have been more than frustrated the last four weeks, as Ben Roethlisberger's absence has had an undesirable effect on Brown's production.
In the three games before Roethlisberger's first non-start, Brown was averaging 111 yards per game and just less than one touchdown per game, and life was good.
With Roethlisberger out, however, Brown was held to less than 50 yards per game for three weeks in a row and hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 2.
His yardage increased in Week 7 against the Kansas City Chiefs, when he caught 124 yards, but he still didn't find the end zone.
However, that should change this week with Roethlisberger expected to start. These two form one of the best quarterback-receiver tandems in the league and are bound to make the offense explosive again.
Owners who have been patient will be rewarded for starting Brown this week.
Sit 'Em: Michael Crabtree (OAK)
Veteran Michael Crabtree was a nice late-round pickup for many owners this year, scoring just under 10 points per week on average and finding the end zone twice. That's not bad for a player used primarily for bench depth.
There are some weeks when sneaking Crabtree into your starting lineup will pay off. Week 8, however, is not one of them.
The Raiders host the New York Jets in an important conference matchup that could determine wild-card berths down the road. The Jets have one of the league's best secondaries, allowing an average of just 211.7 passing yards per game. That's good for fourth among the league's defenses.
The Jets are also allowing opponents an average of just 17.5 points per game, meaning it will be tough for Oakland's weapons to find the end zone—Amari Cooper, perhaps, but probably not Crabtree.
Tight Ends
| 2 | Greg Olsen (CAR) | vs IND | 9.9 |
| 3 | Travis Kelce (KC) | vs DET | 9.0 |
| 4 | Tyler Eifert (CIN) | at PIT | 8.8 |
| 5 | Jimmy Graham (SEA) | at DAL | 8.7 |
| 6 | Gary Barnidge (CLE) | vs ARI | 8.3 |
| 7 | Martellus Bennett (CHI) | vs MIN | 8.1 |
| 8 | Delanie Walker (TEN) | at HOU | 7.8 |
| 9 | Ladarius Green (SD) | at BAL | 7.5 |
| 10 | Eric Ebron (DET) | at KC | 7.3 |
| 11 | Jason Witten (DAL) | vs SEA | 6.6 |
Start 'Em: Ladarius Green (SD)
Many fantasy owners made sure to pick up Ladarius Green during this year's drafts to start during the first four weeks of the season that veteran San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates was set to miss due to suspension.
However, those owners who kept Green after Week 4 are experiencing some payoff now, as the MCL injury that Gates suffered could prove to keep him out multiple weeks, as Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
Green himself has had some issues with injuries, suffering multiple concussions this season. But as we round the bend into the second half of the season, his production is really starting to pick up. He found the end zone in each of the last two games against the Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers.
Green's yards tend to hover around 50 per game, however, so he may be a better option in PPR leagues.
Sit 'Em: Eric Ebron (DET)
The Lions appeared momentarily to emerge from their funk in Week 6, winning their first game of the season.
And though they lost the following week, tight end Eric Ebron had an emergence of his own, finding the end zone for the first time since Week 2 and ending the game with a season-high 89 yards.
That led over 12,000 owners in NFL fantasy leagues to pick him up off waivers for Week 8, bumping his ownership percentage up from 7.8 percent in Week 7 to 16.3 percent this week.
However, those owners and anyone else who still has Ebron on the bench should be cautious about starting him this week against the Kansas City Chiefs. Kansas City's defense may be allowing 264 passing yards per game, but the Chiefs have allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points to tight ends in 2015.
If Tyler Eifert and Martellus Bennett couldn't have success against this defense, Ebron will likely struggle as well.
Defense/Special Teams
| 1 | St. Louis Rams | vs SF | 10.9 |
| 2 | Arizona Cardinals | at CLE | 10.3 |
| 3 | Seattle Seahawks | at DAL | 9.6 |
| 5 | Minnesota Vikings | at CHI | 8.8 |
| 6 | Denver Broncos | vs GB | 8.3 |
| 7 | Carolina Panthers | vs IND | 8 |
| 8 | New York Jets | at OAK | 7.6 |
| 9 | Green Bay Packers | at DEN | 7.5 |
| 10 | Atlanta Falcons | vs TB | 7.2 |
| 11 | Cincinnati Bengals | at PIT | 6.7 |
Start 'Em: St. Louis Rams
The Rams defense, with its abundance of playmakers and propensity for scoring and sacks, has been a must-start in multiple weeks this season.
But it doesn't get any better than a matchup with the San Francisco 49ers, whose offense has been struggling all season. The team managed to score just three points in Week 7 against the Seattle Seahawks, and that wasn't even the first time this season that's happened.
St. Louis is tied for second in the league in sacks with 23. Last week they scored 25 fantasy points, and there's an excellent chance that this week will be almost as productive.
Sit 'Em: New York Giants
The New York Giants have been the No. 6 defense in fantasy so far this season, scoring 66 points with nine sacks, 11 interceptions, five fumble recoveries and two touchdowns.
In fact, the Giants are coming off a 22-point game in Week 7 after dominating the Dallas Cowboys.
But things don't look so cheery this week for the Giants against the New Orleans Saints. Though the Saints have struggled at times this season, they're still a team that features multiple weapons.
New Orleans has been averaging 23 points per game on average, which isn't league-leading, but the offense is doing enough to make any owner second-guess starting New York's defense this week. Even in 12-team leagues, there should be better options.
Kickers
| 1 | Matt Bryant (ATL) | vs TB | 8.6 |
| 2 | Justin Tucker (BAL) | vs SD | 8.6 |
| 4 | Josh Brown (NYG) | at NO | 8.0 |
| 5 | Brandon McManus (DEN) | vs GB | 8.0 |
| 6 | Mason Crosby (GB) | at DEN | 7.9 |
| 7 | Chandler Catanzaro (ARI) | at CLE | 7.9 |
| 8 | Josh Lambo (SD) | at BAL | 7.8 |
| 9 | Chris Boswell (PIT) | vs CIN | 7.6 |
| 10 | Nick Folk (NYJ) | at OAK | 7.6 |
| 11 | Blair Walsh (MIN) | at CHI | 7.5 |
Start 'Em: Josh Lambo (SD)
Owners don't often surf the waiver wire looking to pick up kickers unless the one they drafted is on a bye.
However, if your matchup comes down to just a couple points, having the best kicker available can make all the difference in the world. San Diego's Lambo is 10th in scoring this season among kickers, with 55 total points on the season, but in Week 8 he's only owned in 7.6 percent of NFL fantasy leagues.
Meanwhile, the Ravens have allowed the most points to kickers so far this season, 11.14 per game on average. Lambo could give your lineup the boost it needs in Week 8 if you're projected to be neck-and-neck with your opponent.
Sit 'Em: Dan Bailey (DAL)
Dan Bailey is typically a fantasy mainstay, and indeed, he is owned in 78 percent of NFL fantasy leagues, with 70.9 percent of those owners planning to start him in Week 8.
However, Bailey is facing an extremely poor matchup against the Seattle Seahawks this week. The Seahawks are allowing just 6.29 fantasy points on average to kickers per game.
Moreover, Bailey is just 19th in scoring among kickers this season, with 45 total points on the year. Owners in 12-team leagues really have no excuse to hold on to him just because he's a big name in fantasy; there are plenty of kickers available on wires this week who can do better.
Consensus score projections via Fantasy Pros and updated as of Oct. 29. Scoring leaders, ownership percentage and ADP information via NFL.com.
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