Fantasy Start ‘Em/Sit ‘Em Week 8
Start ‘Em
Carson Wentz, QB
The Eagles are flying high with only one loss and it looks like it’ll stay that way when they go up against the 49ers this week. A reminder that this is the 49ers team that got blown out 40-10 by the Dallas Cowboys. Now I understand that every week can be different in the NFL but this 49ers team looks as bad as the Browns do this year. Wentz should stay steady on his potential MVP path this week.
Chiefs D/ST
After two losses in a row, the Chiefs will look to get back on track against their division opponent Denver Broncos this week. Division games are always close but look at this, over the last four weeks, the Browns have scored 47 points against opponents while the Broncos have only scored 36 points. So even with all the quarterback changes, the Browns have had a better offense than the Broncos. The Chiefs come in struggling the last few weeks so look for this game to be a tight defensive matchup.
Joe Mixon, RB
Even though the Bengals blew it against the Steelers, Mixon has been thriving in Bill Lazor’s offense. Ever since the coordinator switch, Mixon has only had one game with less than 50 total yards. This week Mixon gets to go up against the Colts and their 26th ranked rushing defense. Look for Mixon to have a huge game and for him to guide the Bengals back to winning.
Jalen Richard, RB
With the Marshawn Lynch suspension, it will be a mostly split backfield between Richard and Deandre Washington. The reason why Richard is on this list? He’s more of the playmaker out of the two backs. Richard should get most of the third-down plays and get mixed in on early downs. The only knock is that Washington will get the majority of the goal line carries. But against Buffalo’s top 10 rushing defense, look for Richard to be a huge asset due to his passing game versatility.
Adam Thielen, WR
The Vikings look to lock up another win against the Browns this Sunday. Really, you can feel comfortable starting all of the Vikings fantasy viable players. The reason I specify Thielen is because Jason McCourty is having an underrated season. So if McCourty is covering Stefon Diggs, Diggs is still a start but has a lower ceiling. Thielen should be all over the field attacking the weak points in the Brown secondary. Since the Browns have a solid defense against the run, there should be a lot of Case Keenum to Adam Thielen Sunday in London.
Sit ‘Em
Frank Gore, RB
Early this week, I wrote in my waiver adds to pick up Marlon Mack, Gore’s backup. Throughout the season, the Colts look to be turning to their rookie runner and relying less and less on Gore. This changing of the guard plus the Bengals defense that’s been playing above average means this week is a sit for Gore.
Carlos Hyde, RB
The Eagles hold the number one spot against the run heading into week 8. This 49ers offense also just looked somewhat lost after the blowout they faced against the Cowboys. There was a sticking to the plan when it came to the run game last week but even still Hyde’s fantasy relevancy was poor. Find a replacement this week as it’ll be tough for Hyde to get something going.
Martavis Bryant, WR
The internet shenanigans and the lack of production is an easy sit for Bryant. There are some reports he won’t even see the field Sunday after all of the social media posts and controversy. I would even go to an extreme and think about dropping Bryant after this week if this continues.
Matthew Stafford, QB
After a bye week, the hope would be to bounce back from a three-interception performance. Sadly for the Lions’ quarterback, that’ll be hard to come by in week 8. After shutting down the Bengals halfway through last week, the Steelers are number one in passing defense. That’s not a pretty sight for Stafford, who struggled against the Saints secondary. Stafford will be on the wrong side of fantasy points this week so look for someone with a good streaming option.
Cameron Brate, TE
After an O.J. Howard breakout game, Brate’s stock in fantasy has been plummeting. Brate will not simply disappear as it seems like he will still likely split time with the rookie, but the matchup against the Carolina Panthers is not a pretty one. The Panthers hold one of the best defenses overall and the fourth-ranked pass defense. The Buccaneers have had their share of struggles and this offense is beginning to have too many mouths to feed for Brate to be a TE1 fantasy option.