Let’s dive into some news and notes around the league, my top fantasy plays and favorite picks for Week 8.
Notes:
• We have reached the first critical week of byes as six teams will be out of action this week. Some of the game’s best will not play this week, including Matthew Stafford, Jahmyr Gibbs, Ashton Jeanty, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Trey McBride and many others. Make sure to check my player rankings this week when setting your lineups.
• It was a terrific week for several QB-WR combos around the league. Joe Flacco and Ja’Marr Chase got the week started with the duo connecting 16 times for 161 yards and a touchdown. Matthew Stafford and Devante Adams were next up, linking up three times in the end zone. Jalen Hurts silenced a lot of people, as DeVonta Smith finished as WR2 and A.J. Brown was right behind him at WR3. Patrick Mahomes welcomed Rashee Rice back to the lineup with a team-high 10 targets and two scores. Justin Herbert targeted Keenan Allen 14 times, and Allen reeled in 11 of them for 119 yards and a touchdown. If you have any of these stacks, you likely had a good week.
• It was not all good news for quarterbacks, as we have a lot of uncertainty entering a week with those six teams on a bye. Jayden Daniels suffered a hamstring injury against the Cowboys on Sunday, which likely puts Marcus Mariota in line to start against the Chiefs. Andy Dalton entered in relief of an injured Bryce Young, who exited Sunday’s game against the Jets with an ankle injury. Justin Fields and Tua Tagovailoa were benched by their coaches. It was ugly for Carson Wentz and the Vikings, and they have a quick turnaround on Thursday. I feel sorry for anyone who is looking for QB help this week.
• Tight end continues to be a guessing game on a weekly basis, but Oronde Gadsden II is starting to show why he was a popular late-round pick in dynasty and best ball leagues. He set franchise records in Week 7 and is looking like a player who is not a bye week fill-in. If you need a tight end, and most teams do, add him and start him right away.
• Remember to check the weather heading into Sunday for your kicker selection. Target kickers playing in domes and fair-weather conditions.
Thursday Night Game: Vikings vs. Chargers
Sunday Night Game: Packers vs. Steelers
Monday Night Game: Commanders vs. Chiefs
Start ‘Em:
Quarterback: Jordan Love
Running Back: Tyler Allgeier
Wide Receiver: DJ Moore
Tight End: Zach Ertz
Defense: Colts
Sit ‘Em:
Quarterback: Justin Fields
Running Back: Tony Pollard
Wide Receiver: Matthew Golden
Tight End: Dalton Schultz
Defense: Commanders
Sleepers:
Quarterback: Joe Flacco
Running Back: Isaiah Davis
Wide Receiver: Troy Franklin
Tight End: Gunnar Helm
Defense: Bengals
NFL Picks for Week 8
All odds are from FanDuel Sportsbook at time of writing
Weekly Pick ‘Em (Season Record: 68-38-1)
Chargers (vs. Vikings)
Bills (at Panthers)
Bengals (vs. Jets)
Ravens (vs. Bears)
Patriots (vs. Browns)
Falcons (vs. Dolphins)
Eagles (vs. Giants)
Buccaneers (at Saints)
Colts (vs. Titans)
Broncos (vs. Cowboys)
Packers (at Steelers)
Chiefs (vs. Commanders)
Five Picks Against the Spread (Season Record: 18-17)
Chargers -3 vs. Vikings
Jets +6.5 at Bengals
Bears +6.5 at Ravens
Titans +14.5 at Colts
Steelers +3.5 vs. Packers
Five Over-Under Totals (Season Record: 18-17)
Vikings-Chargers under 44.5
Bills-Panthers under 46.5
Browns-Patriots over 40.5
Dolphins-Falcons under 44.5
Cowboys-Broncos over 48.5
One Bold Prediction for the Week
Week 1: Trevor Lawrence finishes as a top-10 quarterback against the Panthers (miss)
Week 2: Zay Flowers remains the overall WR1 after torching the Browns (miss)
Week 3: Daniel Jones makes it three straight weeks finishing as a top-five fantasy quarterback (miss)
Week 4: Josh Allen accounts for five total touchdowns against the Saints (miss)
Week 5: A tight end leads all FLEX-worthy players in scoring (miss)
Week 6: Matthew Stafford finishes as a QB1 against the Ravens (miss)
Week 7: Quinshon Judkins is a top-10 running back against the Dolphins (finally got one!)
Week 8: Joe Flacco throws for 300-plus yards against the Jets
Photo Credit: Kenya Allen/PressBox