All 32 teams are playing in Week 8, which means that your fantasy football start and sit decisions are harder than ever. With a lot of good players to choose from, making the right lineup decisions will be the difference between winning and losing what should be a competitive slate of matchups.
As per usual, we’ll begin this article with a disclaimer: start your studs. If you have Christian McCaffrey or Tyreek Hill on your roster, you should be playing them no matter what. This article is strictly for flex-caliber players and matchup-specific starters.
Read More: Running Back Rankings | Week 8 Streamers
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Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Week 8
Quarterbacks
Start: Tyson Bagent
Obviously, Tyson Bagent is not going to finish as a top-five quarterback this week. However, if you need a streaming option that can put up a top-15 finish, you could do a lot worse. The rookie undrafted free agent played well last week, finishing as the QB20 in a game that was effectively over before halftime. Bagent took advantage of the terrible Las Vegas Raiders defense, and he should be able to do it again against an even worse Chargers defense. The biggest difference here is that the Chargers actually have a quarterback in Justin Herbert capable of keeping up with opposing offenses. D.J. Moore should be running around uncovered all day long, and that connection should power Bagent to a decent finish.
Sit: Sam Howell
Sam Howell is coming off what is easily the worst start of his young career against the New York Giants, completing just 52.4% of his passes for 249 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception. Now, he gets to face off against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles have one of the best defenses in the league, and their front seven should wreak havoc on Washington’s offensive line. As it is, Howell takes too many bad sacks, so the second-year quarterback will probably spend most of this game on his back.
Running Backs
Start: Bijan Robinson
Bijan Robinson ruined everyone’s Week 7 with one of the strangest no-shows in recent memory. The running back never appeared on the injury report and was active for the game, but hardly saw the field. The first-round pick supposedly had headaches, but the Falcons coaching staff says he’s going to be fine. For the time being, we’ll write this off as a one-week fluke. If it happens again, it will be time to panic, but for now, Bijan Robinson is a start in fantasy football.
Sit: Darrell Henderson
The Zach Evans hype train didn’t even take one full week to derail, as Darrell Henderson and Royce Freeman saw all of the work in the Rams backfield. Henderson was clearly the starter, but you still shouldn’t start him in fantasy football. For one, this is going to be a committee approach. Henderson and Freeman split carries fairly evenly (18 to 12), and neither player does much of anything as a receiver. With this in mind, a low-volume player like Henderson needs to have the right matchup to justify a starting spot. Unfortunately, the Rams are facing off against the Dallas Cowboys and their elite front seven. Ultimately, Darrell Henderson is going to split carries against a great defense, and that is not a recipe for fantasy football success.
Start: D’Onta Foreman or Roschon Johnson
The Chicago Bears starting running back is going to be a smart start in fantasy football. The only problem is trying to figure out who that player will be. D’Onta Foreman has played well over the past two weeks, recording 154 rushing yards, 33 receiving yards, and three touchdowns with Johnson and Khalil Herbert sidelined. However, if Johnson is healthy enough to play, he should see most of the touches. As mentioned earlier, the Los Angeles Chargers defense is a fantasy goldmine, so whichever back ends up starting will have plenty of scoring opportunities. Keep an eye on the practice reports as the week progresses and set your lineups accordingly.
Sit: Emari Demercado
As expected, Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado saw most of the work in James Conner’s absence. However, volume alone doesn’t mean he’ll be a good fantasy football start. Demercado and the Cardinals face off against a borderline-elite Ravens defense that isn’t going to allow him to do much of anything with his touches. Even under the best of circumstances, Arizona’s offense struggles to move the ball and find the endzone, so you’ll want to stay away from this low-scoring affair.
Wide Receivers
Start: Joshua Palmer
With Mike Williams sidelined, wide receiver Joshua Palmer has emerged as a key part of the passing attack. The former third-round pick has recorded at least seven targets and 60 yards in four straight games, and that type of volume will make him a smart fantasy football start against a bad Chicago Bears defense. Rookie first-round pick Quentin Johnston simply cannot get the football, so Palmer should remain the second option in this offense for the remainder of the season.
Sit: Christian Watson
Anyone who knows anything about fantasy football knows that touchdowns are an unstable statistic. Last year, Christian Watson didn’t command a high target share, but he did find the endzone at a high rate. Well, regression has hit, and the former second-round pick simply isn’t worth playing in fantasy football. The fact of the matter is that he simply doesn’t see enough targets to be a reliable start, and Jordan Love isn’t very good at throwing touchdowns. This is a rough combination, and it means that Watson should remain on your bench for the time being.
Start: Rashee Rice
Don’t look now, but Kansas City Chiefs rookie wide receiver Rashee Rice looks like the real deal. Catching passes from Patrick Mahomes obviously means that he has a high ceiling, and we’re starting to see the volume and production pay off. The wideout has recorded at least five targets in four of his last five games, and he currently has an impressive 82.0 PFF grade, good for the 16th-best mark in the league. In short, he’s a talented player seeing targets from the best quarterback in the game – what’s not to like?
Sit: Josh Reynolds and Jameson Williams
Jameson Williams has singlehandedly ruined the fantasy football value of both himself and Josh Reynolds. During his six-game suspension, Reynolds emerged as a big-play threat and passable flex option. However, with Williams back, Reynolds simply isn’t seeing enough targets to justify a start in fantasy football. Williams is starting to see some work, but he and quarterback Jared Goff simply cannot get on the same page. Until these two actually start connecting on deep passes, you need to leave Williams on your bench.
Bonus Start: Josh Downs
Josh Downs is close to not qualifying for this list, as he’s nearing the “start your studs” category. However, he’s an honorary fantasy football start just in case there is anybody worried about his status as a rookie. While he is new to the league, he’s already playing like a veteran. He’s had six or more targets in four of his last five games and is coming off a massive five-catch, 125-yard performance. He’s firmly entrenched as the 1B in this offense and should be a smart start for the rest of the fantasy football season.
Tight Ends
Start: Dalton Kincaid
Rookie tight ends rarely contribute in fantasy football, but Dalton Kincaid could be the exception to the rule. The Buffalo Bills desperately need somebody to step up opposite Stefon Diggs, and Kincaid looks like he’s the guy for the job. The first-round pick has eight targets last week, and fellow tight end Dawson Knox is down for the count. With Josh Allen as his quarterback, the sky is the limit.
Sit: Jonnu Smith
Jonnu Smith was a pleasant surprise for a few weeks, but the natural order appears to be restoring itself. Kyle Pitts is stepping up as the TE1 in this offense, as Smith has only averaged four targets per game over the past two weeks. He’s not a big-play threat and Desmond Ridder isn’t great at finding the endzone, so you’re better off looking for a different streaming option.
Bonus Start: Taysom Hill
Sean Payton may be gone, but Taysom Hill is apparently here to stay in New Orleans. Over the past two weeks, the Swiss army knife has emerged as an honest-to-goodness tight end, hauling in 11 receptions on 13 targets for 99 yards. On top of that, the Saints are still using him as a runner, as he has compiled six carries for 20 yards and a score over that same timeframe. If this keeps up, the former quarterback will be a reliable weekly start at tight end in fantasy football.
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