The Kansas City Chiefs will face the Las Vegas Raiders 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 JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Is JuJu Smith-Schuster Playing in Week 8?
Having already lost wide receivers Rashee Rice and Hollywood Brown, as well as RB Isiah Pacheco, QB Patrick Mahomes could hardly afford to watch another one of his offensive weapons go down in Week 7.
Nevertheless, WR JuJu Smith-Schuster aggravated an existing hamstring issue against the 49ers. While he was initially listed as questionable to return, Kansas City officially ruled him out in the fourth quarter.
On Monday, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told reporters that Smith-Schuster will not play against the Raiders in Week 8.
Kansas City bolstered its wide receiver depth chart on Wednesday morning, sending a conditional fifth-round pick to the Titans in exchange for veteran WR DeAndre Hopkins. The 32-year-old should add a new dimension to a stagnant Chiefs offense and is expected to suit up in Week 8.
We’ll continue to monitor the Chiefs’ injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.
JuJu Smith-Schuster’s Fantasy Outlook
Smith-Schuster looked like a real difference-maker in Week 5 against the Saints (seven catches on eight targets for 130 yards), the thought being that he could be a poor man’s version of Rashee Rice in this low-octane-but-efficient offense.
He, however, has fallen victim to the hamstring epidemic that is sweeping the NFL this season and was ruled out for this week on Monday, an indication that this is an injury that is going to take some time. Due to the Chiefs’ perfect record, they can operate with caution.
I’m not sure that Smith-Schuster will earn volume at a high level when healthy, but his direct path to a role in a Patrick Mahomes-led offense makes him a player to keep rostered if at all possible, even with it likely that this injury lingers beyond just this week.
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.
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).