As each week passes, the fantasy football matchups get more and more important. Not only are they important because the fantasy football playoffs are approaching but because the winner gets bragging rights as well. Winning your Week 8 matchup might go a long way into getting you into the playoffs but it will also give you something to hold over the head of your friend next time you meet face-to-face.
Fantasy Football Week 8 Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em: Last Chance for Chris Johnson
Having trouble decided who to start and sit on your fantasy football team in Week 8? Maybe this will help.
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If you really want to point and laugh at that fool of a coworker who had the audacity to field a team against you this week and have the right to steel his lunch, because to the victor go the spoils, then you may want to follow these tips on who to sit and who to start in Week 8.
Quarterbacks:
| Ben Roethlisberger QB Pittsburgh Steelers -- Start |
He'll be going up against the worst passing defense in the league when the New England Patriots come to Pittsburgh this weekend. With the Patriots' top-ranked offense, the Steelers may need to pass quite a bit to keep up on the score board as well.
Expect a top-notch performance from Big Ben on Sunday.
| Kevin Kolb QB Arizona Cardinals -- Sit |
After the Ravens' awful performance on Monday Night Football against the Jaguars, you can bet that they're looking for blood in Week 8. Unfortunately for Kevin Kolb and the Cardinals offense, it will be there blood. Kolb isn't a good starting quarterback for fantasy anyway unless he's your backup and even if that's the case, you should probably find somebody else to play in his spot this week.
Running Backs:
| Chris Johnson RB Tennessee Titans -- Start |
Okay. If I'm going to be completely honest with you, I have to tell you that I don't really have much faith in Johnson left anymore. He's been awful so far this season and there is no question that he is the biggest fantasy football bust this season. However, he's going up against the second-worst run defense in the NFL at home this weekend when the Indianapolis Colts come to town.
If Johnson doesn’t have a huge game this weekend, trade him, drop him or just stash him on your bench because it’s not going to happen. This should be his last chance.
| Marshawn Lynch RB Seattle Seahawks -- Sit |
Lynch has yet to go over 100 yards rushing this season and even though the Seahawks are playing at home, they're going up against the second-best defense in the NFL. They host the Cincinnati Bengals, who have only allowed one rusher to top 100 yards this season and they likely won't let it happen this Sunday.
If the Bengals get up to a lead against one of the league’s worst offenses, the ball could be taken out of Lynch’s hands early anyway.
Wide Receivers:
| A.J. Green WR Cincinnati Bengals -- Start |
The Seattle Seahawks are starting a rookie and a guy who has been playing in the CFL for the last few seasons at the cornerback positions on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, which means that one of these two guys will go head-to-head with rookie wide receiver A.J. Green. Green, who has proven that he deserved to be picked fourth overall in the 2011 draft, is leading all rookie receivers in both yards and touchdowns and as the weeks go by, he and Andy Dalton are just getting better together.
Green is a solid start every week, but you should definitely start him in Week 8.
| Larry Fitzgerald WR Arizona Cardinals -- Sit |
He's only managed two touchdowns so far this season and I seriously doubt that he's going to score against a very pissed off Baltimore Ravens team.
If you need more reason than that to bench Fitzgerald this week, see Kevin Kolb above.
Tight ends:
| Aaron Hernandez TE New England Patriots -- Start |
Coming off a bye week, Hernandez is likely completely healthy, which is good news for fantasy owners. He's one of the better pass-catching tight ends in the league and if any sort of pressure from the Steelers' No. 3 defense gets to Tom Brady, Hernandez could see a lot of targets along with fellow tight end Rob Gronkowski.
In fact, just go ahead and start either one of them.
| Dallas Clark TE Indianapolis Colts -- Sit |
Wow, what a difference once player can make. Without Peyton Manning, Clark and the whole team is just bad. Here's another reason to sit Clark this week though: as the Colts were being destroyed by the Saints last weekend, Curtis Painter didn't even try to throw the ball his way. Dallas Clark didn't have one catch.
Don’t you think that with as much the Colts passed the ball to try to stay in the game that Clark would have at least been targeted a few times?
It’s time to move on.
Defenses:
| New York Giants Defense -- Start |
They're at home and they're going up against the winless Miami Dolphins which means they're going up against Matt Moore. They're healthier on the defensive line now and you should go ahead and start them this week. I don't think the Dolphins will make you regret it.
| Pittsburgh Steelers Defense -- Sit |
Even though the Steelers have the No. 3 ranked defense in the NFL, they haven't looked too terrible great against good offenses. They were terrible against the Ravens in Week 1 and then they struggled against the Texans and Titans in back-to-back weeks (Week 4 and Week 5 respectively). They have played good against the Seahawks, Colts, Jaguars and they played just okay against the Cardinals.
Noticing a trend?
They go up against the league’s best offense in the league on Sunday and I don’t expect them to shut the Patriots down.
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