The Las Vegas Raiders will face the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, especially regarding WR Jakobi Meyers.
Is Jakobi Meyers Playing in Week 8?
Jakobi Meyers is the Las Vegas Raiders’ ostensible top wide receiver with Davante Adams gone, but he’ll actually need to see the field first. Meyers did not practice at all last week due to an ankle injury and has missed Vegas’ past two games.
While Meyers didn’t practice on Thursday, head coach Antonio Pierce said Meyers is expected to practice on Friday and play against the Chiefs in Week 8.
Tre Tucker and DJ Turner were the Raiders’ top two wideouts vs. the Rams in Week 7, with each playing 95% of the snaps. However, they combined for only five catches and 49 yards, highlighting the gaping vacuum to fill in Vegas’ passing game.
We’ll continue to monitor the Raiders’ injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.
Should You Start or Sit Jakobi Meyers in Week 8?
Meyers missed just four games from 2021-23, but a nagging ankle injury has now cost him consecutive games. Given how the game is geared in 2024, you’d think that any player who profiles as the clear WR1 on his team would project as a reasonable Flex option, but are we sure that’s the case on this Raiders offense?
Davante Adams averaged 9.0 targets per game for the team while Meyers, for his career, averages 16.6 PPR PPG when seeing at least nine looks. The role isn’t the problem — his quarterback and the matchup are.
I can’t imagine I have to statistic you to death on the limitations of Aidan O’Connell, and sharing the fact that this Chiefs defense has locked down far more established WR1s (Ja’Marr Chase and Chris Olave combined for 10.5 PPR points against them in their games, turning 78 routes into just nine targets) feels like overkill.
I like Meyers as a player, but asking him to make chicken salad out of … well, you get the idea. It’s asking a lot.
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Week 8 Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Jakobi Meyers’ Fantasy Points Projection in Week 8
Meyers is projected to score 11.1 fantasy points in PPR formats. This includes 4.3 receptions for 48 yards and 0.3 touchdowns.
Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
Jakobi Meyers’ Week 8 Fantasy Ranking
Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 11:45 PM ET on Saturday, January 25.Â
Conference Championship WR PPR Rankings
1) A.J. Brown | PHI (vs. WAS)
2) Terry McLaurin | WAS (at PHI)
3) DeVonta Smith | PHI (vs. WAS)
4) Khalil Shakir | BUF (at KC)
5) Xavier Worthy | KC (vs. BUF)
6) Hollywood Brown | KC (vs. BUF)
7) DeAndre Hopkins | KC (vs. BUF)
8) Keon Coleman | BUF (at KC)
9) Dyami Brown | WAS (at PHI)
10) Mack Hollins | BUF (at KC)
11) Amari Cooper | BUF (at KC)
12) Curtis Samuel | BUF (at KC)
13) Olamide Zaccheaus | WAS (at PHI)
14) JuJu Smith-Schuster | KC (vs. BUF)
15) Jahan Dotson | PHI (vs. WAS)
16) Jamison Crowder | WAS (at PHI)
17) Luke McCaffrey | WAS (at PHI)
18) Justin Watson | KC (vs. BUF)
19) Johnny Wilson | PHI (vs. WAS)
20) Parris Campbell | PHI (vs. WAS)
21) Nikko Remigio | KC (vs. BUF)
22) Ainias Smith | PHI (vs. WAS)
Kansas City Chiefs at Las Vegas Raiders Insights
Kansas City Chiefs
Team: The Chiefs haven’t lost consecutive games vs. the Raiders since 2011-12 (three straight). Kansas City’s last loss before its current 12-game win streak (including playoffs) was at home to the Raiders on Christmas Day 2023.
QB:23 quarterbacks have started all their team’s games this season. Patrick Mahomes’ TD-Int ratio (6-8) is tied for the worst out of that whole group (Matthew Stafford has thrown 3 TD to 4 Int for the Rams).
Offense: Are the Chiefs a smashmouth offense now? Kansas City has run by design on 48.8% of its plays, far and away its highest in any season since Patrick Mahomes became the starting QB (the prior high was 38.9% in 2018). That includes a 57.9% run rate on the first down, and in the first season with Mahomes, they’ve been above 50% on the first down.
Defense: The Chiefs have allowed a touchdown on just 47.4% of red zone trips, pacing them for their best rate since the 2014 team (38.9%).
Fantasy: This is a conservative offense, but as Xavier Worthy’s role increases, there is hope – Patrick Mahomes is completing a career-high 53.6% of his passes thrown 15-plus yards down the field.
Betting: Seven of Kansas City’s past eight road divisional games have come in under the projected point total, though the one exception was Week 12, 2023 … at Vegas (31-17 win with a total of 42.5 points).
Las Vegas Raiders
Team: The Raiders own the worst per-game turnover differential in the league this season (-1.9).
QB: Gardner Minshew has two more games with multiple interceptions than multiple touchdown passes this season and misfired on 19 of 34 passes last week against a vulnerable Rams defense.
Offense: Brock Bowers has received 25.1% of the Raiders’ targets this season. That’s on track to be the highest target share by any rookie tight end since at least 2000 and the highest by a TE period since Mark Andrews for the 2021 Ravens (25.9%).
Defense: The Raiders own the fifth-highest sack rate on play-action attempts this season (8.9%).
Fantasy: Brock Bowers has five top-five finishes at the position this season, and after not seeing a red zone target in any of his first three games, he’s had a red zone in scoring position in every game since.
Betting: Over tickets have cashed in four of Vegas’ past five home games (2-1 through seven weeks this season).
