Four teams on bye means tougher lineup decisions in Week 8. Steve breaks down his favorite starts, biggest fades, and the matchups you should target or avoid at every position.
Photo: Jeremy Chen / Arizona Cardinals
We are heading into Week 8, and we have four teams on bye: Houston Texans, New York Giants, New Orleans Saints, and San Francisco 49ers.
That means you may be starting some players you typically wouldn't have to. Here are my starts and sits for Week 8!
Do you know who is averaging 268.1 passing yards per game and currently leads the league with 16 passing touchdowns? That would be Kirk Cousins, who happens to be the QB4 on the season. You like that, don't you?!
On paper, this seems like a middle-of-the-road matchup, but as we've seen this season, so long as Cousins is the starter, he provides a reliable 250 passing yards and two passing touchdowns per game. I don't know about you, but I'll gladly sign up for that!
Oh, and if DE David Bailey ends up missing the game due to a groin injury, my confidence level goes even higher, as he is the Jets' most disruptive defender.
I don't see his performance changing with this matchup, and Cousins has extra motivation to perform, as there has been increasing chatter about rookie Fernando Mendoza supplanting him as the starter due to this four-game losing skid.
Who I am playing Cousins over: Caleb Williams @ SEA, Matthew Stafford vs. LAC, and Jared Goff vs. MIN
This sit may come as a surprise since Detroit has been a team we've been targeting for opposing QBs. Although the Lions' defense has been very porous, what you may not be aware of is that their pass rush has been pretty good.
Lions defenders are averaging 3.5 sacks per game (third-most) and 21.0 pressures per game. This is not a good combination for Kyler Murray, who holds the ball for an average of 3.35 seconds, the fifth-longest in the league, and has been sack-prone this season. Through the first seven games, Murray has been sacked on 8.8% of his dropbacks, which is the fifth-highest rate at the position.
What you may have also missed is that last week, S Brian Branch was activated off IR after recovering from an Achilles tear last season. And as of today, S Kerby Joseph has returned to practice after being on the PUP list, meaning he may be able to play this week as well.
To me, this is a trap game where many will rush to start Murray because they see how favorable the matchup against the Lions has been all year. The problem with that thinking is that their secondary is getting some much-needed help. I project Murray as my QB16 this week.
Who I am playing over Murray: Tanner McKee @ WAS, Aaron Rodgers vs. CLE, and Geno Smith vs. LV
The Cardinals @ Cowboys game is going to be an absolute shootout. Of all the games in Week 8, Vegas has it tied for the highest projected total at a whopping 54.5 points.
Love has been practicing this week and is on track to be active for this game after missing the last two contests with an ankle injury. The Cardinals desperately need his production back, as the combination of Zonovan Knight and Tyler Allgeier simply isn't cutting it.
The Cowboys have allowed nine rushing touchdowns this season, which is tied for the fourth-most in the league. Love has certainly been a disappointment to begin the year, but I think he is in line for a boom week, so make sure you have him in your lineup.
Who I am playing Love over: Ashton Jeanty @ NYJ, Bucky Irving vs. ATL, and Jaylen Warren vs. CLE
D'Andre Swift is having a career year and is currently on pace to set a new career high in rushing touchdowns. He has seven rushing touchdowns through seven games and only needs three more to establish a new personal best.
And this is exactly why I don't like this matchup for Swift. In Joe's recent article, he highlighted the fact that in games where Swift does not record a touchdown, he has averaged just 10.4 PPR points per game.
This week, he plays at Seattle, where the Seahawks concede only 2.43 red-zone trips per game, the second-fewest in the league. Touchdowns are not a sticky stat and can often be due for regression. If Swift has fewer opportunities in the red zone, that means he'll have fewer chances to score a touchdown.
Regardless of whether RB Kyle Monangai is active for this game, I am inclined to sit Swift due to this matchup. If Monangai is active, that's even more reason to sit him because he'll likely see fewer opportunities.
Who I am playing over Swift: Quinshon Judkins @ PIT, Rhamondre Stevenson @ MIA, and Chase Brown vs. TEN
Will Omar Cooper Jr. record over 100 yards and a touchdown for the third straight game? I think it's quite possible, and I believe he's worth starting this week.
The Las Vegas Raiders' defense continues to struggle, allowing 28.1 points per game, which ranks 29th in the league. I think this game has a sneaky chance of being a shootout, with Geno Smith getting an opportunity for a revenge game against his former squad.
Cooper's value has been limited to big-play production, which makes him a risky play. However, based on last week's performance, some of the underlying metrics indicate that Cooper Jr. has surpassed Adonai Mitchell as the WR2 option in this offense, and I expect him to keep up this production.
Who I am playing Cooper Jr. over: Luther Burden III @ SEA, Jameson Williams vs. MIN, and DK Metcalf vs. CLE
The Los Angeles Chargers' offense has been the most disappointing in the NFL. There was so much buzz surrounding Mike McDaniel joining the coaching staff as the offensive coordinator, and it's been a complete flop.
The Chargers had the bye week to prepare for this game against the Rams, but I don't think it's going to help. The Chargers' offensive line has not been able to give Herbert the time of day, as they've allowed the second-most sacks (18) and the second-most QB hits (47). You don't think that will continue against DE Byron Young and DT Aaron Donald?
Could the Chargers' offense right the ship after their abysmal start? Maybe, but McConkey has been banged up all season, and now it appears CB Trent McDuffie will be active for this game after missing the past two contests with a groin injury.
What incentive do the Chargers have to give McConkey a ton of snaps when they're 0-6?
Who I am playing over McConkey: Keenan Allen @ JAX, KC Concepcion Jr. @ PIT, and Antonio Williams vs. PHI
The Eagles have been ravaged by injuries, and you may not have confidence in Goedert because Tanner McKee is now the starting QB. But that shouldn't persuade you to sit him.
Goedert feels like the last man standing with Eagles stars like RB Saquon Barkley and WR DeVonta Smith sidelined. Last week, Goedert recorded seven targets, five catches, and 48 receiving yards.
Goedert now gets the Commanders, who have been the worst team at defending the tight end position. Tight ends have caught 37 of 49 targets for 441 yards and eight touchdowns against them in six games. I expect that trend to continue, as a young QB's best friend is often a tight end.
Who I am playing Goedert over: Colston Loveland @ SEA, Dalton Kincaid vs. BAL, and Tyler Warren @ JAX
Is it possible that the Lions are punishing LaPorta after his recent comments about how frustrated he is that he's still playing on his rookie contract? This past game, he had only two targets, one reception, and 18 receiving yards.
Although that may be the narrative surrounding LaPorta, it isn't influencing my decision to sit him. Simply put, it's just a bad matchup, and he's worth fading against the toughest defense in the NFL.
The Vikings are the worst matchup for fantasy tight ends this season. Tight ends have recorded zero touchdowns against them, and when LaPorta doesn't score a touchdown, he averages just 6.67 fantasy points.
Who I am playing over LaPorta: Kyle Pitts Sr. @ TB, Chig Okonkwo vs. PHI, and Mike Gesicki vs. TEN
That does it for my Week 8 starts and sits. If you'd like to see my full Week 8 rankings, head over to FantasyPros to check them out!
