We’re on to Week 8, with Buffalo, Jacksonville, Philadelphia and Washington on bye this time. This start/sit list focuses only on Sunday’s games, so take them into account for season-long and DFS lineups. We’re leaning more towards PPR formats, but you should still weigh the following players’ outlooks for standard leagues as well.
Fantasy football start/sit advice advice, Week 8
Need help with your Sunday lineups? Take a look at this week’s start/sit list to help you break down your options.
Start
Eli Manning at Saints
New Orleans allows the most fantasy points to quarterbacks, the fourth-most to tight ends and the 10th-most to running backs. Wide receivers have scored eight touchdowns on the Saints secondary. Manning is coming off of two down weeks, but this is exactly the matchup he needs to get back on track.
Matthew Stafford vs. Chiefs
Four quarterbacks have scored 20-plus fantasy points against the Chiefs this season. That number would be five if you combined Ryan Mallett and Brian Hoyer's stats in Week 1. Firing offensive coodinator Joe Lombardi will hopefully provide a spark for Stafford, at least short-term. Plus, Kansas City has allowed the second-most passing touchdowns in the league.
Charcandrick West vs. Lions
Only the Falcons have allowed more rushing touchdowns to running backs than the Lions. West finished Week 7 with 24 touches. Knile Davis and De'Anthony Thomas combined for four total touches. This is West's backfield now. Start him with confidence.
Duke Johnson vs. Cardinals
The rookie led the Browns backfield in snaps in Week 7. It was his second-best performance of the season, as Johnson caught seven passes for 73 yards. The Cardinals continue to roll past their opponents, and they're minus-6 favorites for Week 8. Cleveland falling behind means even more opportunities for Johnson in the passing game. He's a great PPR play.
Stefon Diggs at Bears
Another rookie who's starting to stand out, Diggs has 19 catches for 324 yards and a touchdown over the past three games. The Bears allow the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers, giving up 11 scores so far to the position. With the way he's playing, Diggs is bordering on the WR2 conversation for PPR leagues.
Golden Tate vs. Chiefs
If you're confident in Stafford's potential for Week 8, you might as well get on board with Tate. Coming off a two-catch game in Week 7, the Lions know they need Tate to be more involved, and offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter should work to feature him more. The Chiefs have allowed 12 touchdowns to wide receivers. Tate's floor is low, but this is probably his highest-ceiling week so far.
Delanie Walker at Texans
Walker led the Titans in targets again last week, finishing with seven receptions for 55 yards. Rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota is always looking for his No. 1 tight end. Walker has now posted double-digit PPR performances in four of the five games he's played. The Texans have struggled with Travis Kelce, Greg Olsen and Julius Thomas so far, but regardless of the defense, Walker is going to eat for PPR owners.
Sit
Colin Kaepernick at Rams
Basically a no-brainer. Aaron Rodgers is the only quarterback to throw multiple passing touchdowns (2) against the Rams in 2015. Their defense yields the second-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Combine that with the 49ers' horrendous offensive play and you get a recipe for a disaster.
Jameis Winston at Falcons
The Falcons are the sixth-toughest team against quarterbacks for fantasy purposes. Vincent Jackson looks unlikely to play in Week 8. Atlanta hasn't allowed a passer to reach 20 fantasy points since Week 2. Winston is on the low end of quarterback rankings.
Darren McFadden at Seahawks
Seattle's only two rushing touchdowns allowed to running backs came against Jonathan Stewart in Week 6. While owners rushed out to grab McFadden off the waiver wire for Week 8, he's now going up against the No. 2 fantasy defense facing running backs. Hold off on getting excited about DMC's return to glory.
C.J. Anderson vs. Packers
Through six games Anderson holds a season-high of 43 rushing yards. Ronnie Hillman, who has two 100-yard rushing games, provides more upside in the Broncos offense at the moment, and it's hard to see Gary Kubiak turning to Anderson after a week off to review their first six weeks. It's best to keep Anderson on your bench until/unless he shows improvement.
James Jones at Broncos
According to numberFire, 36.22 percent of Jones' fantasy points have come from touchdowns. The Broncos have allowed one wide receiver to score in 2015. Those two don't match up. Only two WR2s have scored 10+ PPR points against Denver's defense. Jones is trending downward for Week 8.
Willie Snead vs. Giants
Snead only posted three catches for 25 yards last week against one of the league's most generous defenses for wide receivers. He's finished three of seven games with 10+ PPR points, not exactly the model of consistency we've been hoping for. The Giants secondary has only allowed four wide receivers to score over the last seven games. I'd rather wait on Snead to show something more before I start him.
Jimmy Graham at Cowboys
Sitting someone like Graham might not be an option for a lot of owners, but it's not shaping up to be a good week...again. Coming off a two-catch outing against San Francisco, Graham now faces a Dallas defense that ranks No. 3 against fantasy tight ends. Josh Hill is the only tight end to score on the Cowboys in 2015. Gronk posted a high of 67 yards against them in Week 5. Seattle will likely be able to cruise in this one. With the over/under at 41, I'm not expecting fireworks from Graham.
