Making lineup decisions can be the most frustrating or rewarding part of fantasy football. Our start and sit ’em picks are here to help you make those decisions. Fantasy decisions will only get more difficult from here on out, so let’s look at our Week 8 start/sit plays.
Start ‘Em: Caleb Williams, QB, Chicago Bears (at BAL)
There is no denying Caleb Williams’s noticeable strides in his sophomore season. With even better weapons and a coaching staff that is actually competent, Williams is in a much better position to succeed. He is still far from a complete quarterback, but the abilities that made him the No. 1 overall pick last year are showing.
This has translated into fantasy success, as Williams entered Week 7 averaging 20.8 fantasy points per game, firmly inside the top 12 quarterbacks. That average took a hit after his dismal 5.7-point outing against the New Orleans Saints. Fortunately, the sophomore QB is poised to bounce back this week.
The Baltimore Ravens are coming off a much-needed bye week. Invariably, the defense will get healthier. However, this is not suddenly going to become a stifling unit. The Ravens have allowed the most points per game to opponents. They allow the 10th-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks.
With Lamar Jackson returning, this goes back to being an offense that will force opponents to keep up on the scoreboard. Expect a lot of points in this one, which is excellent news for Williams’ fantasy managers.
Tyrod Taylor, QB, New York Jets (at CIN)
For about two weeks, the writing has been on the wall. Justin Fields’ time as the New York Jets’ starting quarterback was not going to last. The inevitable finally happened at halftime of their loss to the Carolina Panthers. Tyrod Taylor replaced Fields and finished out the game.
At 36 years old, Taylor is very clearly not the future. There is actually no benefit to the Jets starting him. As bad as Fields has been, he is still only 26 years old. He’s probably not an NFL-caliber starting quarterback, but there is absolutely no chance Taylor is this team’s Week 1 starter next season.
Of course, the NFL doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Even though the Jets are already playing out a lost season, everyone has a job to do, particularly Aaron Glenn. He needs to show the front office something, or he may be one and done. They are still trying to win games, and Taylor gives them the best chance to win.
Assuming Taylor displaces Fields as the starter this week, the matchup could not be much better. The Cincinnati Bengals allow the eighth-most fantasy points per game, consistently finding themselves in shootouts.
With Joe Flacco at the helm, the Bengals can now score points, forcing opposing offenses to keep up. We’ve already seen Taylor make one spot start. He posted a very respectable 17.7 fantasy points against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3.
Six teams are on bye this week, and several fantasy quarterback starters are injured. Amazingly, Taylor is a high QB2 option with QB1 upside.
Tyler Allgeier, RB, Atlanta Falcons (vs. MIA)
This week truly is bye-mageddon. The names firmly inside the top 36 at the running back position are wild. Plenty of fantasy managers will be out there just hoping to get a handful of points from their RB2.
Tyler Allgeier is coming off a game in which he managed 16 yards on four carries. The Falcons struggled against an improving San Francisco 49ers defense. Without the ability to control the game from ahead, Bijan Robinson dominated this backfield, playing a season-high 87% of the snaps.
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The thing with Allgeier is that he’s been one of the easiest players to project.
The Falcons are 3-3. In their three losses, all of which featured negative game script, Allgeier has topped out at 2.4 fantasy points.
In their three wins, all of which featured positive game script, Allgeier has hit double digits in every single one.
The Falcons are coming off a tough loss in San Francisco. They are now at home against a Miami Dolphins team with one win and just got blown out by the Cleveland Browns.
Miami allows the second-most fantasy points per game to running backs and the most rushing yards per game. Robinson is going to dominate. But he is not going to get 30 carries. This is the perfect script for Allgeier to mix in more frequently.
Allgeier posted carry counts of 16, 16, and 10 in Atlanta’s three wins. He’s also scored in all of them. He will need to score to justify his spot in lineups. However, with all of the players hurt or on bye, Allgeier is undoubtedly an RB3/Flex play in a very favorable spot.
Rico Dowdle, RB, Carolina Panthers (vs. BUF)
This one is not necessarily about the matchup. It’s about the state of the Carolina Panthers’ backfield.
Chuba Hubbard returned after a two-game absence. He immediately reclaimed his starting role and played every snap on the team’s first drive against the Jets. But Rico Dowdle was way more involved than early in the season. He clearly earned an increased role.
This backfield was as even as it gets, with Hubbard playing just five more snaps and Dowdle handling just three more carries. What wasn’t even the production.
Dowdle was the vastly superior option, racking up 79 yards on his 17 carries compared to a putrid 31 on 14 attempts for Hubbard.
Head coach Dave Canales knows Dowdle is the better back. But he seems to feel that Hubbard might have lost his job due to injury and doesn’t want to relegate him to pure backup.
That is not what fantasy managers should expect, either. However, if Dowdle continues to outplay Hubbard, we have to assume the scales will continue to tip in his favor.
Regardless, Dowdle saw 17 carries and two targets. Split backfield or not, a running back seeing 15+ opportunities is worth starting. In what could be a high-scoring game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dowdle remains a weekly fantasy RB2.
Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos (vs. DAL)
Courtland Sutton’s 2025 season has been quite the ride. He’s posted at least 16.7 fantasy points in all but two games. Unfortunately, in those two misses, he’s completely disappeared with outings of 1.6 and 2.7. Overall, it’s hard to complain about what he’s given fantasy managers.
While Sutton has been way more helpful than not, we haven’t yet gotten that true spike week. In his five WR1-caliber performances, he’s been between the 16.7 points mentioned above and 19.1 points in four, with the lone outlier being 23.1. That massive game hasn’t come yet. This could be the week.
The Cowboys allow the most fantasy points per game to wide receivers. Even against a Commanders team missing their top three options, Jaylin Lane and Chris Moore combined for 119 yards. Sutton is going to have his way with this secondary.
Given the prolific nature of the Cowboys’ offense, they often find themselves in shootouts. That could lead to a high-volume day for Sutton in a high-scoring contest. Make sure he is in lineups.
Zay Flowers, WR, Baltimore Ravens (vs. CHI)
When we last saw Zay Flowers, he was battling through a shoulder injury. Yet, he still earned 10 targets, catching six for 46 yards while playing with Cooper Rush and Tyler Huntley.
Lamar Jackson is expected back this week, which will be a massive boost to the entire Baltimore Ravens offense. The Ravens will look to get back in the win column with a strong offensive showing against the Chicago Bears.
With the Ravens possessing one of the worst defenses in the league, they frequently find themselves in high-scoring affairs. This week should be no different. Flowers should see plenty of work against a Bears defense that allows the sixth-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers.
Romeo Doubs, WR, Green Bay Packers (at PIT)
The Packers keep drafting players to supplant Romeo Doubs as their WR1. Doubs keeps fending them off.
Doubs is on track for the best season of his career, averaging 13.1 fantasy points per game. After a slow start to the season, Jordan Love has honed in on him the past three weeks.
Since Week 4, Doubs has seen a total of 25 targets with no fewer than eight in each of his last three games. Now, he gets a Pittsburgh Steelers defense that’s been surprisingly generous to opposing wide receivers, allowing the sixth-most fantasy points per game to the position.
With the Steelers being better against the run than the pass, we could see the Packers go with more of an aerial assault this week. Matthew Golden’s role does not seem to be progressing, and Jayden Reed is not close to a return. It’s looking like the Doubs show once again.
Dalton Kincaid, TE, Buffalo Bills (at CAR)
When the Buffalo Bills last played, Dalton Kincaid did not join them. He played through an oblique strain in Week 5, but the injury prevented him from playing in Week 6. You have to think Buffalo’s Week 7 bye had something to do with it. Now, having had two full weeks to rest, Kincaid should be ready to go in Week 8.
The Bills still lack a clear top option in the passing game. Josh Allen spreads the ball around. Even with Kincaid not being a full-time player, he’s still commanding a target on 23.3% of his routes run, the eighth-highest rate in the league at his position.
The Carolina Panthers have struggled to defend the tight end, allowing the fifth-most fantasy points per game to the position. Given all of the teams off this week, Kincaid represents a clear top-12 option.
Mason Taylor, TE, New York Jets (at CIN)
Let’s try this one more time. Mason Taylor’s breakout performance against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5 seems so long ago now. Since then, he’s managed a total of four receptions for 33 yards across two games.
Last week was especially disappointing in light of Garrett Wilson’s absence due to a knee injury. Taylor played all but four snaps in the game, yet earned a mere five targets, catching three for 31 yards.
There is a silver lining, though. All three of Taylor’s receptions against the Panthers came from Tyrod Taylor. The New York Jets are very likely making a change at quarterback. Tyrod is no savior, but he is better at getting the ball to his receivers than Justin Fields.
With Wilson expected to miss another game before returning after the team’s Week 9 bye, Taylor should be the primary option in the passing game. Against a Cincinnati Bengals defense allowing the most fantasy points per game to tight ends, by far, Taylor is once again in a smash spot. Hopefully, this time, he can deliver.
Sit ‘Em: Aaron Rodgers, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. GB)
It is challenging to find quarterbacks to recommend sitting that aren’t obvious. Perhaps fantasy managers are enticed by Aaron Rodgers’ throwback performance against the Bengals on Thursday night.
The oldest starter in the league threw 249 yards and four touchdowns against the Bengals. It was his second four-touchdown game of the season and his fourth multi-TD game this year. Rodgers has not been bad at all.
As fun as the revenge game narrative is against his former team, Rodgers may be running for his life against the Green Bay Packers’ pass rush.
Surprisingly, the Packers are allowing the 12th-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. However, a lot of that concerns Dak Prescott dropping 31 on them. Otherwise, they’ve been a formidable opponent for quarterbacks. You can do better than Rodgers this week.
Michael Penix Jr., QB, Atlanta Falcons (vs. MIA)
This is perhaps the most counterintuitive set of the week. Granted, Michael Penix Jr. isn’t precisely a weekly fantasy starter. But there’s no denying he is likely on the streaming radar in a week where six teams are on bye and several more quarterbacks are injured.
The Miami Dolphins allow the sixth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Penix should have no trouble moving the ball against them…and he won’t. So, why sit him?
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Two weeks ago, the Atlanta Falcons upset the Buffalo Bills. In that game, they ran the ball 30 times compared to 32 pass attempts from Penix.
Last week, the Falcons got away from what they do best. They went extremely pass-heavy with Penix tossing it up 38 times, while Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier combined for a mere 18 carries. And you can’t blame the game script. It was a one-score game for most of the contest.
The Dolphins are one of the three worst teams in football. They have the worst defense in football. No team is allowing more rushing yards per game than the staggering 159.3 allowed by Miami. Robinson might break Adrian Peterson’s single-game rushing record. I kid (kind of).
Expect the Falcons to go very run-heavy at home in a game they should control. Perhaps Penix happens to throw two touchdowns and salvage his fantasy outing. But even if he does, if the sophomore quarterback throws for only 150 yards, what is that really doing for fantasy managers? As great as the matchup is, don’t stream Penix this week.
Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots (vs. CLE)
Amazingly, despite fumbling three times and despite Antonio Gibson’s torn ACL, the New England Patriots’ backfield has shifted even further toward Rhamondre Stevenson. The veteran running back has seen his two-season highs in snap shares each of the past two weeks at 72% and 75%.
In New England’s victory over head coach Mike Vrabel’s former team, the Tennessee Titans, Stevenson carried the ball 18 times for 88 yards and a touchdown. TreVeyon Henderson touched the ball…twice.
Stevenson will see volume again this week against the Cleveland Browns. Unfortunately, the results will not be as good.
Two weeks ago, Stevenson had 13 carries for 18 scoreless yards against the New Orleans Saints. He’s certainly not about to supplement his production through the passing game, as he has two receptions for a total of zero yards over his past two contests.
The matchup doesn’t get much more difficult than against a Browns defense allowing the second-fewest fantasy points per game to running backs. They’re allowing the fourth-fewest rushing yards per game and are even top-five in terms of limiting pass-catching from running backs (not that Stevenson contributes in that department anyway).
For the Patriots to win this game, they will need to lean on Drake Maye and the passing attack. Stevenson only shoots at a proper outing if he falls into the end zone.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt, RB, Washington Commanders (at KC)
Remember when Jacory Croskey-Merritt was set to take over the Washington Commanders’ backfield ahead of two pristine matchups against the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys, two of the worst run defenses in the league. How’d that go?
Croskey-Merritt followed up his breakout 111-yard, two-touchdown performance against the Los Angeles Chargers with a couple of stinkers. Against the Bears, he ran it 17 times for 61 yards. Against the Cowboys, he turned 13 carries into 33 yards.
Now, JCM gets a Kansas City Chiefs defense allowing the fewest fantasy points per game to running backs. With Marcus Mariota potentially starting, the Commanders are likely looking at a negative game script. That means more Jeremy McNichols and less Bill.
Perhaps the rookie can find his way into the end zone. But it was Chris Rodriguez who got the short touchdown against the Cowboys.
Given the bye week and injury situation, it’s hard to imagine you have a better option than Croskey-Merritt. If you do, JCM is very much a bench candidate this week.
Jauan Jennings, WR, San Francisco 49ers (at HOU)
The 49ers had a straightforward game plan against the Falcons on Sunday night. Feed Christian McCaffrey.
Mac Jones attempted a mere 26 passes, throwing for 152 scoreless yards. Jauan Jennings led the way with just 31 receiving yards on four receptions (aside from McCaffrey’s 7-72).
While Jennings has reestablished himself as the 49ers’ WR1, his production will be matchup-dependent. And he’s got another tough challenge ahead.
The Houston Texans allow the second-fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers. This is another game where the 49ers will try to lean on McCaffrey. We should also expect George Kittle to do better than zero catches on two targets. If Ricky Pearsall can return this week further dampens Jennings’ fantasy outlook. He is a low-upside play in Week 8.
Zach Ertz, TE, Washington Commanders (at KC)
It is difficult to advise sitting any fantasy-relevant tight end in a week as challenging as this one. Zach Ertz rebounded from his Week 5 goose egg in a big way, posting 16.3 and 12.7 fantasy points in his following two games.
You may not have a better option than Ertz this week, and that’s okay. But if you do, definitely consider sitting the veteran tight end. A lot is working against him and the Washington Commanders this week.
Jayden Daniels tweaked his hamstring against the Dallas Cowboys last week. We are very likely looking at Marcus Mariota making another start. In two games with Mariota under center, Ertz averaged 6.4 fantasy points per game. He’s been at an excellent 11.6 PPG otherwise.
Ertz benefited from being the last man standing in a decimated receiving corps. Noah Brown is on IR, but the Commanders could get Deebo Samuel Sr. or Terry McLaurin back this week, impacting Ertz’s target volume.
Finally, we have the matchup. The Kansas City Chiefs allow the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game to tight ends. This is a bad spot for a non-explosive player who relies on volume and touchdowns to produce.
Darren Waller, TE, Miami Dolphins (at ATL)
Stop me if you’ve heard this before. Darren Waller is injured. Shocking, I know.
Waller made it all of three games before getting hurt again. By the time you read this, he may already be ruled out. If so, take this as a recommendation to avoid any Miami Dolphins tight end this week.
The Atlanta Falcons have one of the best defenses in the NFL overall. They are adamant against tight ends, allowing the second-fewest fantasy points per game to the position.
It will be a challenge for fantasy managers to field full, competitive lineups this week. Do the best you can. Just don’t consider any Dolphins tight ends.
