This should be a fun week for Fantasy quarterbacks to see who you start, whether due to injuries, guys on a bye or just playing the matchups. Hopefully, a lot of the fill-in options will deliver.
In Week 8, you have Lamar Jackson and Dak Prescott on a bye. Patrick Mahomes (knee) and Matt Ryan (ankle) are out, and Cam Newton (foot) isn't ready to return.
That's a lot of star power.
In their place, Fantasy managers could be looking at a few quarterbacks you never expected to be using as starters, including Ryan Tannehill, Mason Rudolph and Daniel Jones. All three have the chance to be good based on amazing matchups.
Tannehill is coming off a strong performance in Week 7, and Rudolph just had his bye to get over the concussion he suffered in Week 5 against Baltimore. We're glad he's back to face the Dolphins in Pittsburgh on Monday night. Tannehill gets Tampa Bay at home, and that's a great situation.
As for Jones, he's struggled of late, but he gets to take on a struggling and beat up Lions defense. Hopefully, he plays at a high level.
I'm excited for all three as streaming options, and this could be a great week of quarterback production if they all deliver, especially with Drew Brees (thumb) back. While it's not ideal being without Mahomes, Jackson and Prescott, you have options to help you in Tannehill, Rudolph and Jones, with all three needed to potentially save the day.
Editor's Note: Projections are provided by CBS Sports and not Jamey Eisenberg. Projected points are for PPR leagues.
Start 'Em & Sit 'Em
START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Start of the Week
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The Lions are going through a change this week with Kerryon Johnson (knee) being placed on injured reserve. While there's a chance Ty Johnson or J.D. McKissic turn Detroit into a power-running team, once again it will be Matthew Stafford and the passing game carrying the Lions offense.
And if you have Stafford on your Fantasy team, you should love it.
He's been a solid Fantasy quarterback this season, scoring at least 28 points in three of six starts, while averaging 23.2 points per game. He just had his best performance of the season in Week 7 against Minnesota in the game where Kerryon Johnson got hurt, scoring 36 Fantasy points, and he should build on that this week against the Giants.
Only two quarterbacks have failed to score at least 21 Fantasy points against the Giants this year, and I'm confident in Stafford taking advantage of this matchup. The strength of this offense is with Stafford throwing to Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones, T.J. Hockenson and Danny Amendola, as well as Ty Johnson and McKissic out of the backfield.
Stafford is averaging 36.3 pass attempts per game, and it's a good thing the Lions are allowing him to challenge downfield. His 8.03 yards per attempt is the best of his career, and he should be able to torch this secondary. He's also averaged 27.3 Fantasy points per game at home this season.
I can see Stafford finishing Week 8 as a top-three Fantasy quarterback. He's the catalyst of this Lions offense, and he should be a star for your Fantasy team this week.
- I'm starting Stafford over: Jared Goff (vs. CIN), Aaron Rodgers (at KC), Tom Brady (vs. CLE), Philip Rivers (at CHI) and Carson Wentz (at BUF)
START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Quarterbacks
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Allen just had his best game of the season in Week 7 against Miami with 25 Fantasy points, and he has another favorable matchup this week against the Eagles. Three of the past four quarterbacks against this defense have scored at least 22 Fantasy points, with the lone exception the Jets when Luke Falk started for the injured Sam Darnold (mono) in Week 5. Allen has scored at least 20 Fantasy points in three of his past five games, and he's someone to trust once again at home this week, especially with the Eagles playing their third-consecutive game on the road.
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Goff is coming off his best game of the season in Week 7 at Atlanta, and I expect him to have a solid encore this week against the Bengals in London. Cincinnati's defense is banged up in the secondary with Dre Kirkpatrick (knee) and William Jackson (shoulder) hurt, which should allow Goff to post just his fourth game with 20-plus Fantasy points this season. He has yet to do that in back-to-back games, so hopefully that happens this week after he scored 28 Fantasy points in Week 7. The Bengals have allowed four quarterbacks in a row to score at least 21 Fantasy points, and five quarterbacks have hit that mark against Cincinnati in 2019.
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Minshew Mania could be coming to an end soon now that Nick Foles (collarbone) is back practicing this week. But we don't have to worry about that for Week 8, and Minshew is a solid starting option against the Jets. He's scored at least 21 Fantasy points in all but two games this year, and I expect Minshew to be the second quarterback to score at least 20 Fantasy points against the Jets this season. They've been stingy against opposing passers, with Tom Brady's 22 Fantasy points in Week 3 the season high, but I don't think that's an indication of this defense being good. Minshew Mania should run wild once again in Week 8.
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I'm going back to Winston as a low-end starter this week coming off Tampa Bay's bye, but I can understand if you want to replace him with any of the other streaming options in Ryan Tannehill, Teddy Bridgewater or Mason Rudolph. They're safer, but I don't know if they present as much upside, especially with the Buccaneers getting right tackle Demar Dotson (calf/hamstring) back for this game. Two of the past three opposing quarterbacks against the Titans have scored at least 20 Fantasy points, and Winston has averaged 28.7 Fantasy points in his past three games coming off a bye. Winston also scored at least 21 Fantasy points in three games prior to his meltdown in Week 6 against Carolina in London. Winston will be better this week, and he's a low-end No. 1 option this week.
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Like Winston, I can understand going with Tannehill, Bridgewater or Rudolph this week over Murray. He has a tough matchup at New Orleans, but I still expect him to deliver quality Fantasy production, even if it comes in garbage time. The Saints have allowed an average of 22.1 Fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks, and five of seven quarterbacks have scored at least 21 points against this defense. Murray has scored at least 20 Fantasy points in three of his past five games, and I expect he will have to do some heavy lifting this week against the Saints, especially with his legs. I consider him a low-end starting option this week.
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Sleepers
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Tannehill did a nice job in his first start for the Titans in place of Marcus Mariota against the Chargers in Week 7. He passed for 312 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, and he scored 22 Fantasy points. We'll see what he can do for an encore in Week 8, but Tannehill should be considered a solid streaming option against Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers have allowed four quarterbacks in a row to score at least 21 Fantasy points, and they allow an average of 22.7 Fantasy points to quarterbacks for the season.
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In deeper leagues, consider Jones as a low-end starter this week against the Lions. Detroit has allowed three of the past four opposing quarterbacks, including two in a row, to score at least 22 Fantasy points. Jones has been terrible as a Fantasy quarterback aside from his big outing against Tampa Bay in Week 3. But given the matchup, he could be useful as a low-end starter in Week 8.
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Rudolph gets the Dolphins this week on Monday night, which is a great matchup for him. Every quarterback this season against Miami has scored multiple touchdowns, and the Dolphins allow the most Fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks for the season at 29.0 points per game. Rudolph only has one game with more than 20 Fantasy points since taking over for Ben Roethlisberger (elbow) in Week 2, but this is a great week to trust him as a streamer.
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Sit 'Em
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Garoppolo got a new weapon this week with the 49ers trading for receiver Emmanuel Sanders from Denver. I'm hopeful Sanders will make an immediate impact on San Francisco's passing attack, but it might not happen this week against the Panthers. This is a tough matchup against a good Carolina defense that has allowed just two quarterbacks to score at least 20 Fantasy points this year. Garoppolo has scored at least 20 Fantasy points just once this season, which was Week 2 at Cincinnati, and he's averaging just 14.3 Fantasy points per game for the season. He's barely an option in two-quarterback leagues this week against Carolina, which is coming off its bye.
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Wentz is more of a bust alert than a must-sit option, but I would try to bench him if you can. He struggled in Week 7 at Dallas with eight Fantasy points, and his offensive line and receiving corps are banged up. It would be tough taking on Buffalo at full strength, and the Bills defense has allowed just one quarterback to score more than 20 Fantasy points, which was Ryan Fitzpatrick last week. I'm concerned about Wentz scoring multiple touchdowns in this matchup, and I'm replacing him in several leagues of my own.
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Even though Patrick Mahomes (knee) is trying to practice this week, he's not expected to play against the Packers. That should give Moore the chance to prove himself in Andy Reid's offense. You can use Moore in two-quarterback and Superflex leagues, but I don't consider him a quality starter in one-quarterback formats. The Packers allow an average of just 15.6 Fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks, and the Chiefs offensive line woes should show up even more without Mahomes to bail them out.
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Mayfield coming off a bye should be a good thing, but it will be tough for him heading to New England. The Patriots defense is amazing, having allowed just five scoring drives, 3.96 opponents yards per play and leads the NFL in interceptions (18). Mayfield has one game with exactly 20 Fantasy points this season, which was Week 6 against Seattle, and he's averaging just 12.3 Fantasy points per game. He's barely an option in two-quarterback and Superflex leagues.
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Bust Alert
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Rivers was better than expected in Week 7 at Tennessee with 25 Fantasy points, and he eliminated the turnovers that plagued him in the previous two games when he had four interceptions. He's still worth using as a low-end starter in most leagues, but I expect him to be under 20 Fantasy points in this matchup at Chicago. While the Bears just gave up 31 Fantasy points against Bridgewater in Week 7, they are allowing just 14.7 Fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks for the year. Rivers should struggle in his second game in a row on the road, especially against a tough defense like the Bears.
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START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Running Backs
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Trusting Michel is always risky, especially in PPR. And we could see a scenario where Rex Burkhead (foot) plays this week, which would make this backfield even more clouded. But Michel's workload has been a constant for the majority of the season, with six games of at least 15 carries, including three outings in a row with at least 19 total touches. He's scored a touchdown in four of his past six games, and he's facing a Browns defense this week that allows the third-most rushing yards per game at 154.0. Cleveland has also allowed four touchdowns to running backs in the past two games. Michel is a quality No. 2 running back in all leagues, with his value higher in non-PPR. And James White is also worth starting this week in PPR, especially if Burkhead is still out.
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I hope the Chargers go back to Ekeler in a featured role instead of continuing to force the ball to Melvin Gordon. It's clear this team is having trouble opening holes up front because of a banged-up offensive line, and using Ekeler in space, whether in the run or pass game, makes more sense. He's had one bad outing so far this season, which was Week 6 against Pittsburgh when he scored just five PPR points. Otherwise he's scored at least 14 PPR points in his six other games, and he has two games in his past three outings with at least seven catches. The Bears are among the league leaders in receptions allowed to running backs this year with 45, so Ekeler is a must-start PPR option this week and at least a flex in non-PPR leagues.
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It probably seems risky to trust a running back facing the Saints, which is fair. New Orleans hasn't allowed a 100-yard rusher in 29 games in a row, and only three running backs have found the end zone against the Saints this season. But there have still been four running backs to score at least 12 PPR points against New Orleans this year, and they each had at least 13 total touches. It would be a shock if Edmonds had fewer than 13 total touches if he sees the majority of work again for the Cardinals in place of David Johnson. Now, we don't know what's going to happen with Johnson this week after he had one carry in Week 7 at the Giants but was basically rested in favor of Edmonds. If Johnson is back as the main guy this week then Edmonds should be reserved in all Fantasy leagues. But Edmonds has at least 14 PPR points in three games in a row, and I'm hopeful he stays hot, even in this tough matchup on the road.
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I'll gamble on Johnson going right from the waiver wire and into your lineup this week as the replacement option for Kerryon Johnson. Ty Johnson should inherit the majority of the 19.2 touches that Kerryon Johnson was averaging through Detroit's first five games of the season. He'll share with J.D. McKissic in some capacity (consider McKissic a sleeper this week), but I like Ty Johnson's chances to be a No. 2 running back in all leagues. He's facing a Giants defense that has allowed eight running backs to either score or gain at least 100 total yards this year, and Edmonds just went off against them in Week 7 for 148 total yards and three touchdowns.
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This feels like a squeaky wheel game for Montgomery after what happened to the Bears in Week 7 against the Saints, and then what coach Matt Nagy said following the game. On Monday, Nagy said in a news conference, "I know we need to run the ball more. I'm not an idiot." This was after Chicago had just seven running plays in a loss to New Orleans at home. Montgomery has been a disappointment so far this season, including the past two games against Oakland and New Orleans when he combined for 13 carries for 31 yards and a touchdown, as well as three catches for 24 yards. He needs more work, and he needs to get into a rhythm. We'll see if that happens this week against the Chargers, who have allowed four touchdowns to running backs in the past three games. I can understand your trepidation to play him this week, but I would stick with him as at least a No. 2 running back in all formats.
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Sleepers
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James Conner (quad) is expected to be fine for Monday's game against the Dolphins, but Snell should still get a decent workload with Jaylen Samuels (knee) banged up. In Week 6 against the Chargers, Snell had 17 carries for 75 yards, as well as one catch for 14 yards. Miami allows the most Fantasy points to opposing running backs, so taking a flier on someone like Snell this week makes sense if you need help at running back or flex.
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Todd Gurley came back in Week 7 at Atlanta, and he will hopefully be fine moving forward, especially this week against the Bengals. But if Henderson remains the No. 2 running back this week with Malcolm Brown (ankle) hurt, then he's worth a look as at least a flex option. Henderson had 12 total touches against the Falcons in Week 7, and Cincinnati is No. 2 in Fantasy points allowed to running backs. In a desperate situation, Henderson can be a plug-and-play guy this week.
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Williams is a borderline starter in all leagues, and he's scored at least 12 PPR points in three of the last four full games he's been able to play. While he only had seven total touches in Week 7 against Oakland, he still played 40 percent of the snaps in tandem with Aaron Jones. He also had four catches for the second week in a row, which is good for his value in PPR. The Chiefs are No. 7 in Fantasy points allowed to running backs.
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The positive for Singletary in Week 7 against Miami was he got a season-high seven carries. The downside was he had no catches and scored fewer than 11 PPR points for the first time all year. He should bounce back this week against the Eagles, especially in the passing game. Philadelphia is among the league leaders in receptions allowed to running backs with 42, and four running backs have already caught at least six passes against the Eagles this year. I like Singletary as a flex option in PPR this week.
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Freeman has done a nice job in each of the past two weeks, and he's a borderline starter in all leagues, especially PPR. He has at least 12 PPR points in each of his past two games against Tennessee and Kansas City, and he has at least four catches in five of his past six outings. He just scored for the first time in Week 7 against Kansas City, and he should once again be heavily involved in the passing game while working in tandem with Phillip Lindsay.
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Sit 'Em
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Gordon went from having a productive Fantasy performance in Week 7 at Tennessee to a game to forget thanks to a late fumble on the goal line, which cost the Chargers a victory. Despite scoring a receiving touchdown earlier in the game, Gordon still finished with just nine PPR points. It's hard to score a touchdown and still get single digits in PPR when you get 18 total touches, but the turnover and Gordon's lack of production resulted in his bad outing. I'm not sure how the Chargers will use Gordon this week following his struggles in the past three games, as well as the offensive line continuing to fail, but Gordon should be considered just a flex at best this week at Chicago.
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Normally, I'm all about the revenge game motivation when a player faces his former team. But not this week. Peterson comes into this Thursday game at Minnesota on a bad ankle, and it's hard to trust him at 34 on little rest, especially with back-to-back games with heavy workloads. He's had 53 carries for 199 yards in the past two outings against Miami and San Francisco, as well as two catches for 18 yards on two targets. While I'm sure he'd love to put on a show in Minnesota, where he spent the first 10 years of his career, I doubt he'll be successful as a Fantasy asset this week.
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Gore was a minor letdown in Week 7 against Miami when he was a co-Start of the Week, along with Josh Allen and John Brown. While the other two did their part against the Dolphins, Gore was held to 11 carries for 55 yards, as well as one catch for 11 yards. He's now played three games with Devin Singletary on the field, and he's averaging 8.0 PPR points per game over that span, including two games with seven points or less. Gore did score 15 PPR points in Week 2 at the Giants when Singletary played, but he was unable to finish the game with a hamstring injury. It will be hard for Gore to have success running against the Eagles, who are No. 5 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to running backs. He'll need to score or be involved in the passing game, and I'm concerned for him doing either this week. I would only use Gore as a flex in non-PPR leagues.
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I'm fine with LeSean McCoy as a flex option this week, but I would try to bench Williams in most leagues. He's not playing well, and it's hard to trust him with Patrick Mahomes (knee) out. In his past four games, Williams has combined for 23 PPR points, and he's averaging just 1.7 yards per carry this year. And it's not like he's been productive in the passing game either with six catches for 28 yards and one touchdown on eight targets in his past three outings. McCoy will hopefully take advantage of this matchup against the Packers at home, but Williams should be kept in reserve in most leagues until he starts playing better, especially with Mahomes out.
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The past two weeks have been tough for Howard, who has combined for just 11 PPR points over that span. When he doesn't score, his Fantasy production has been minimal, and he only has two catches for 6 yards on two targets in his past three games. After a productive two-game stretch where he had 43 PPR points against Green Bay and the Jets, he has tailed off significantly, along with the offensive line struggling against tougher opponents. This week, he's just a flex option against Buffalo; it would be great if the Eagles started giving more work to Miles Sanders. While that's not likely to happen, I would stash Sanders and keep Howard on your bench as well. Three road games in a row has to be wearing on the Eagles, and it seems to be showing with their offensive woes.
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Bust Alert
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Mixon has been a bust for the majority of the season, so he fits well in this category. It's not totally his fault since the Cincinnati offensive line has been a disaster, but it's hard for Fantasy players to trust him this week against the Rams in London. In his past two games against Baltimore and Jacksonville, Mixon has 18 carries for 12 yards, as well as three catches for 31 yards and a touchdown on five targets. Even though he scored last week against the Jaguars, he still had just seven PPR points, which is hard to fathom. I'm hopeful Mixon will improve – as well as the Bengals offensive line – coming off their bye in Week 9. But in Week 8, he's barely a flex option in most leagues.
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START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Wide Receivers
Start 'Em
Brown delivered as one of the co-Starts of the Week in Week 7 against Miami with 19 PPR points, and he's now scored at least 11 PPR points in three games in a row. The Eagles allow the most Fantasy points to opposing receivers, and Brown has the potential to be a top-10 Fantasy option this week in all leagues. I also like Cole Beasley as a sleeper in this matchup at home.
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