Welcome to Week 8. We only have the Cowboys and Ravens on bye this week, but that means you don’t have the top fantasy producer Lamar Jackson, and weekly starters like Dak Prescott, Mark Ingram, Zeke Elliott, and Mark Andrews.

There are still plenty of great matchups for some top talent and some struggling players that can see a bounce back.

Here are your starts and sits for Week 8.

Quarterback Starts of The Week

Matthew Stafford vs. New York Giants

Stafford has played well by scoring at least 23 fantasy points in two of his last three games.

This week he has a great matchup against the Giants who are allowing just under 19 fantasy points to quarterback this season and are the fourth-highest in passing yards-per-game.

Kerryon Johnson will miss some time with a knee injury; this could mean more passing opportunities for Stafford.

Josh Allen vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Allen came off the bye and started where he left off by putting up his second 20+ fantasy point performance this season.

He goes from one great matchup to the next against Philadelphia; they’ve allowed back-to-back 20 point performances to quarterbacks.

Other Quarterbacks To Start

Jared Goff, Kirk Cousins, Teddy Bridgewater, Sam Darnold

Sleeper Quarterback of The Week

Mason Rudolph vs. Miami Dolphins (Monday)

Rudolph had two weeks to get comfortable in this offense. As he gets more familiar, he’ll take more chances in the passing game.

He has a perfect opportunity against the misery that is the Dolphins, who have allowed an average of 24.2 fantasy points to quarterbacks.

Quarterback Sits of The Week 

Jacoby Brissett

I’ve praised Brissett a few times this season; he’s played really well for someone who was going to be the backup.

It’s a tough matchup this week; the Broncos are allowing the third-least amount of points to quarterbacks and haven’t let one QB throw for multiple touchdowns in three consecutive games.

Jameis Winston at Tennesse Titians

It’s been a peaks and valleys season for Winston. He hit a low point two weeks ago by throwing five interceptions in a loss to the Panthers.

He faces a Titans defense that’s only allowing 14.7 points to quarterback this season.

Other Quarterbacks To Sit

Carson Wentz, Gardner Minshew, Kyle Allen, Philip Rivers

Bust Quarterback of The Week

Baker Mayfield at New England Patriots

It’s been a rollercoaster season for the Browns quarterback, a passing and rushing touchdown saved his performance a couple of weeks ago when he threw three interceptions.

You thought his performance against the 49ers was bad? They were only the second-best defense against the quarterback. The first? A Patriots team that ghosted Sam Darnold to negative fantasy points last week.

Wide Receiver Starts of The Week

John Brown vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Brown enjoyed back-to-back 10+ point full-PPR performances and got into the end zone for the first time since Week 1.

I see him making another trip there this week against the Eagles who have allowed the most touchdowns and receiving yards to wide receivers this season.

Marvin Jones vs. New York Giants

We saw Jones have himself a game last week with four touchdowns. He gets back-to-back prime matchups against a Giants secondary who are allowing the fourth-most receiving yards to wide receivers this season.

Other Wide Receivers To Start

Golden Tate, D.K. Metcalf, Cole Beasley, Emmanuel Sanders, JuJu Smith-Schuster

Sleeper Wide Receiver of The Week

Corey Davis vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

I have not been kind to Davis this year with consistent appearances to the sit column.

This a week where he bounces back; the Buccaneers are allowing just under 30 points-per-game to the position, including a 20 point receiver in four consecutive games.

Wide Receiver Sits of The Week

Alshon Jeffery at Buffalo Bills

Jeffery struggled against a Dallas defense who is tied for second in points-per-game to the position. Who are they tied with? The Buffalo Bills.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling at Kansas City Chiefs

MVS put up a big stat line thanks to a 74-yard touchdown. Don’t expect lighting to strike twice; the Chiefs have held T.Y. Hilton, Deandre Hopkins, and Emmanuel Sanders to 152 receivers yards total the last three games.

Other Wide Receivers To Sit

Robby Anderson, DeVante Parker, Mecole Hardman, Mike Williams, Mike Evans

Wide Receiver Bust of The Week

Curtis Samuel at San Fransisco 49ers

Samuel went into the bye hot with a rushing and receiving touchdown. It’ll be tough to carry that over into a matchup with the resilient 49ers defense who has allowed the fifth-fewest receiving touchdowns and zero rushing touchdowns this year.

Running Back Starts of The Week

Latavius Murray vs. Arizona Cardinals

With Alvin Kamara missing last week, and the Saints having one more game till the bye, they may give him extra time to get healthy.

Murray has a great matchup against Arizona, who has given up over 100 rushing yards in every road game this season, including 153 yards to Christian McCaffrey.

Sony Michel vs. Cleveland Browns

As hard as it is to predict the Patriots offense, it looks like Michel is handling the lead-back duties.

It’s important to follow the status of Rex Burkhead. Whether or not he starts, I still like Michel, but he could steal some snaps.

Other Running Backs To Start

Aaron Jones, Tevin Coleman, Carlos Hyde, Ty Johnson

Sleeper Running Back of The Week

David Montgomery vs. Los Angeles Chargers

I said I’d never do this again, but here we go. Bears coach Matt Nagy said after the loss to New Orleans: “I know we need to run the ball more. I’m not an idiot.” I mean, if you look at Monty’s usage this season, we beg to differ.

This is the week, though. The Chargers have given up a rushing touchdown in three consecutive games, and the seventh-most rushing yards-per-game.

Running Back Sits of The Week

Chase Edmonds at New Orleans

Whether or not David Johnson plays, I don’t like Edmonds this week. The Saints run defense is tough; they’ve allowed the eight-fewest rushing yards and have not allowed a 100 rusher since Week 11 of 2017, that’s not a typo, it’s been almost two years.

Even if they get him involved in the passing game, which he’s not known for, New Orleans has not given up a receiving touchdown to a running back this season.

Royce Freeman vs. Indianapolis Colts

Freeman had the honor of being the lead back last week, which resulted in 67 total yards and a touchdown.

The Colts are stingy to runners by only allowing two rushing touchdowns, the seventh-fewest points to backs.

Other Running Backs To Sit

Jordan Howard/Miles Sanders, Frank Gore/Devin Singletary, Joe Mixon, Chiefs running backs

Bust Running Back of The Week

Derrick Henry vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

What’s strange about the Bucs is they are allowing the most passing yards-per-game, but the least amount of rushing yards-per-game.

Henry is the type of back that needs to get into a flow to have an impact; game-script won’t allow that to happen this week.

Tight End Starts of The Week

Jimmy Graham at Kansas City Chiefs

I like Graham’s involvement in the passing game with a banged-up receiving core. With those injuries, and Aaron Rodgers looking like Aaron Rodgers recently, he’ll continue to be productive.

Gerald Everett vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Everett has emerged into an exclusive club; he’s a tight end we can feel comfortable starting regularly.

He gets a great matchup against an awful Bengals defense.

Other Tight Ends To Start

Evan Engram, Vance McDonald, Jonnu Smith, Dawson Knox

Sleeper Tight End of The Week

Josh Hill vs. Arizona Cardinals

Hill caught all three of his targets and had a touchdown playing in place of the injured Jared Cook last time out.

If Cook is out again this week, Hill gets that prime matchup against Arizona, who are light years beyond bad at defending against tight ends.

Tight End Sits of The Week

Eric Ebron/Jack Doyle vs. Denver Broncos

You have to lump these guys together because you never know.

Denver is tough against tight ends; they’ve only given up one touchdown, and haven’t allowed a tight end to have over 45 receiving yards since Week 1, this includes someone named Travis Kelce.

T.J. Hockenson vs. New York Giants

The Giants defensive backs are horrendous, but they have a good front defensive line. New York is fourth in points allowed per-game to the tight end. They’ll disrupt Hock enough to keep him in check.

Other Tight Ends To Sit

O.J. Howard, Kyle Rudolph, Tyler Eifert, Ricky Seals-Jones

Bust Tight End of The Week

Greg Olsen at San Fransisco 49ers

It’s been a rough road for Olsen since those Week 2 and Week 3 performances; he’s only averaging two catches and 19 receiving yards in the last three games.

The 49ers are the second-best defense against the position with allowing just under three points-per-game.

 

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John “Supi” Supowitz is a graduate from Quinnipiac University with a Masters in Sports Journalism. He is also currently a part of the Game Day Production Staff for a minor league baseball team. If you want to pique his interest, bring up the Yankees, pro-wrestling, or King of The Hill. You can follow him on Twitter @Imthatsupi85 and Instagram @Imthatsupi.