Week 8 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Advice on Fantasy Football Stars to Play or Bench
Outright NFL results don't seem like they're working too hard at getting the league back to something that looks like normal. Fantasy football owners, though, can take comfort in the idea the fake-football realm continues to readjust.
Week 8 follows a slate of games where the top scorers were all resurgent players who had been missing in action. Amari Cooper came out of nowhere for a monster line after a down season, as did his quarterback, Derek Carr. Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott put on a show after a ho-hum season, too. And you can add Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy to the list of players who had their best games of the season after struggling.
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This doesn't guarantee things are back to normal for notable players across the board—but it's a great sign for owners who have struggled to date.
What doesn't get easier is the schedule and matchups, so let's compare the top matchups at each position to form rankings of sorts and look at fantasy stars to start and sit.
QB
| Kirk Cousins (vs. DAL) vs. Andy Dalton (vs. IND) | Kirk Cousins |
| Carson Wentz (vs. SF) vs. Deshaun Watson (at SEA) | Carson Wentz |
| Tom Brady (vs. LAC) vs. Russell Wilson (vs. HOU) | Tom Brady |
| Philip Rivers (at NE) vs. Tyrod Taylor (vs. OAK) | Philip Rivers |
| Ben Roethlisberger (at DET) vs. Drew Brees (vs. CHI) | Ben Roethlisberger |
Star to Know: Carson Wentz (vs. SF)
Normally we'd mention a bit of regression for Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz.
It's only natural after Week 7 saw him finish as one of the top outright scorers thanks to 268 passing yards, four touchdowns and 32.02 points on just 25 attempts.
Then the schedule shows a Week 8 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.
Not only is this a matchup against a defense coughing up the second-most points to opposing quarterbacks on average, it's a team needing to put in hefty travel miles just to show up and get torched.
If Jacoby Brissett can gun for 18.96 points via north of 300 yards on the unit, Wentz can have another huge day similar to last week.
Star to Sit: Derek Carr (at BUF)
Regression for Carr is a different conversation entirely.
Carr got a nod in the intro because he gunned the ball 52 times, tallying 417 yards and three scores in the process on the way to 30.18 points.
Like San Francisco, though, Carr's Oakland Raiders now have to travel far from home for a date with the Buffalo Bills, a team permitting the eighth-fewest points to quarterbacks so far.
Remember, too, Carr only has two 20-plus performances to his name and three single-digit outings. He's a streaming option only this year, and on the road in cold Buffalo, he doesn't project to a big day.
RB
| Le'Veon Bell (at DET) vs. Joe Mixon (vs. IND) | Le'Veon Bell |
| Devonta Freeman (at NYJ) vs. LeSean McCoy (vs. OAK) | LeSean McCoy |
| Jordan Howard (at NO) vs. Kareem Hunt (vs. DEN) | Jordan Howard |
| Jerick McKinnon (at CLE) vs. Ezekiel Elliott (at WAS) | Ezekiel Elliott |
| LeGarrette Blount (vs. SF) vs. Melvin Gordon (at NE) | Melvin Gordon |
Star to Know: Jordan Howard (at NO)
Coming off a week of resurgences, Jordan Howard of the Chicago Bears looks ready to keep the trend alive thanks to a matchup against the New Orleans Saints.
Howard struggled in Week 7, finding little room against the Carolina Panthers over 21 carries, slotting him at 6.5 points.
But Howard is a back with breakout potential each week, hence performances of 17.6 and 26.6 points this season. The Saints happen to allow breakouts and the 13th-most points to fantasy backs on average, including 19.8 to the Green Bay Packers' Aaron Jones last week.
With the Bears on the road against a soft defense, the coaches will look to ride him and keep Drew Brees off the field, which sets up for a nice day.
Star to Sit: Frank Gore (at CIN)
The Indianapolis Colts have still tried to help Frank Gore be one of the league's most consistent running backs.
There is only so much this depleted offense can do, though. Gore has eight or more points in four games, with half of those going to double-digit territory, but his straightforward playing style has coaches starting to turn more to the versatile Marlon Mack.
Gore's physical ways won't fly against a Cincinnati Bengals defense still ranking among the top 10 teams allowing the fewest points to backs, even a week after getting torched by Le'Veon Bell.
Given the matchup and coming off a week in which he took only nine carries, it seems like a good time to put the veteran on the shelf.
WR
| A.J. Green (vs. IND) vs. Alshon Jeffery (vs. SF) | A.J. Green |
| Julio Jones (at NYJ) vs. Kelvin Benjamin (at TB) | Julio Jones |
| Antonio Brown (at DET) vs. Keenan Allen (at NE) | Antonio Brown |
| Marvin Jones (vs. PIT) vs. T.Y. Hilton (at CIN) | Marvin Jones |
| Kenny Stills (at BAL) vs. DeAndre Hopkins (at SEA) | Kenny Stills |
Star to Know: A.J. Green (vs. IND)
The other side of the Colts-Bengals matchup creates one of the best possible scenarios for a wideout.
Cincinnati's A.J. Green has had trouble with consistency this year in an offense that has already fired an offensive coordinator and still made questionable decisions. He's coming off a 4.1-point showing, yet he had outings of 17.1, 12.3 and 22.9 points before that.
Expect Green to get back on track against a Colts defense allowing the fifth-most points to wideouts. The visitors don't have anyone who can physically match up with Green, and the Bengals will be angry coming off a divisional loss.
Green posting the best outright line of the week wouldn't come as a surprise.
Star to Sit: DeAndre Hopkins (at SEA)
The old adage about avoiding any passing options playing against the Seattle Seahawks still applies.
This even goes for a star like DeAndre Hopkins, who has predictably had an up-and-down season while a rookie goes through his paces under center.
Granted, Hopkins has received 12 or more targets four times, but he's only turned it into double-digit receptions once. It's hard to imagine he'll catch 10 passes against a Seahawks defense allowing the fourth-fewest points to wideouts, to say the least.
Hopkins is an attractive option because he has five touchdowns over his past three outings—but on the road against a secondary that has only allowed three notable touchdowns to wideouts overall, it's best to look elsewhere.
TE
| Zach Ertz (vs. SF) vs. Jimmy Graham (vs. HOU) | Zach Ertz |
| Kyle Rudolph (at CLE) vs. Austin Seferian-Jenkins (vs. ATL) | Kyle Rudolph |
| Tyler Kroft (vs. IND) vs. O.J. Howard (vs. CAR) | Tyler Kroft |
| Jason Witten (at WAS) vs. Rob Gronkowski (LAC) | Rob Gronkowski |
| Hunter Henry (at NE) vs. Coby Fleener (vs. CHI) | Hunter Henry |
Star to Know: Kyle Rudolph (at CLE)
Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph is a gamble, no doubt.
Though he's seen seven or more targets in three consecutive games, Rudolph only has one trip to double digits outright this season.
But we're talking about the Cleveland Browns.
These Browns, as expected, cough up the third-most points to opposing tight ends. And with how disappointing tight end has been all season, the matchup and recent usage hint at the idea of a big game for Rudolph, whose usage at least comes in the most important parts of the field.
Star to Sit: Jordan Reed (vs. DAL)
It's important not to overreact to Jordan Reed's breakout in Week 7.
There, Reed had his first game this season of more than 4.8 points—totaling 18.4 on eight catches for 64 yards and two touchdowns.
We call that an anomaly, folks.
Reed has had problems getting healthy and producing all year. He blew up in Week 7 against the Eagles because the defense lost its best coverage linebacker Jordan Hicks to an injury.
The Cowboys, injury bug willing, will still be the same unit only allowing the eighth-most points to opposing tight ends.
All scoring info, points-against info and ownership stats courtesy of Yahoo standard leagues.
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