Week 8 of the NFL season is right around the corner, and fantasy football owners everywhere are trying to optimize their lineups. Deciding on who to start and sit isn’t easy, especially when a player like Kenny Stills suddenly gets a great opportunity. Let’s take a dive into all of the best start/sit matchups of the week to put together the best possible lineup.
Running Back Week 8 Start ‘Em, Sit Em’
Kenny Stills, Mohamed Sanu Highlight Fantasy Football Week 8 Start/Sits
Start: Kenny Stills
Will Fuller is down for the count, which means Kenny Stills is a must-play in any and all formats. Stills is a vastly underrated receiver, and he’s a perfect fit for Deshaun Watson and his vertical passing game. Stills boasts elite speed and the ability to stretch the defense, and Watson has the arm to reach him at any level of the field. Fuller went down early last week, and Stills recorded four receptions for 105 yards in his absence.
The Houston Texans face off against an Oakland Raiders team which just got destroyed through the air by Aaron Rodgers. Stills is going to see plenty of time on the field, and the Raiders don’t have a dependable corner capable of matching Stills’ speed. Look for the former Miami Dolphin to give you a solid starting performance in all scoring formats.
Sit: Mohamed Sanu
Mohamed Sanu has a new home, and he’ll eventually be a sizable part of New England’s offense. However, it’s too early to trust the newest Patriot do be relevant in fantasy football. The Patriots boast one of the most complex playbooks in the league, and it takes time for anyone to fully acclimate in the scheme. Additionally, Sanu still needs to earn Tom Brady’s trust. History shows that, no matter how talented a player is, Brady won’t give them the ball until he’s fully confident in their ability to understand the offense and run routes the way Brady wants them to.
Additionally, it’s not like the Patriots are short on offensive weapons. Julian Edelman is still going to receive the vast majority of targets, and Phillip Dorsett and Jakobi Meyers both have a developed rapport with Tom Brady. Sanu could into a startable fantasy asset for the playoffs, but right now he’s nothing more than a bench piece.
Start: Corey Davis
It turns out that Corey Davis just needed a new quarterback to find success in Tennessee. Marcus Mariota can be fine in the right system, but he’s simply not a fit for Mike Vrabel and his old-school offense. Fortunately, Tannehill is able to function in this offense and helped Davis have the best game of his young season in Week 7. Facing off against the Los Angeles Chargers, Davis recorded six receptions on seven targets for 80 yards and a touchdown.
Look for more of the same in Week 8. Corey Davis and the Titans face off against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team which simply cannot stop anything through the air. Davis should be wide open for the majority of the game, and Ryan Tannehill should have no problem connecting with the former first-round pick.
Sit: Marquez Valdes-Scantling
On the surface, Marquez Valdes-Scantling had a huge game in Week 7. The second-year receiver exploded for 133 yards and one touchdown in Sunday’s 42-24 dismantling of the Oakland Raiders. This is obviously a great stat line, but the underlying numbers suggest Valdes-Scantling won’t be able to come close to repeating that feat in Week 8.
For one, those 133 yards only came on two receptions and three targets. Producing like that is simply unsustainable when given such a small workload. Aaron Rodgers was on fire in Week 7, throwing five touchdowns and running in another. Nobody can sustain THAT level of play, so he’s going to come back to Earth in the coming weeks. The fact of the matter is that Valdes-Scantling hasn’t received more than four targets since Week 4, and he simply doesn’t have the volume to be a reliable start in fantasy.
Running Back Week 8 Start ‘Em, Sit Em’
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