Week 8 Start ‘Em & Sit ‘Em is here to highlight a few players at each position that we would like to sit or start (where possible). Welcome to BYEpocalypse. The BYEnado. BYEmageddon. Whatever you prefer to call it, with six teams on a bye, managers are going to need all the help they can get.
This series will avoid the “obvious” answers. So, just because I don’t tell you to start the RB1 in the week doesn’t mean you should sit him. It means I just felt it was a no-brainer and didn’t need to be discussed. Also, consider these suggestions in the context of your lineup. When I say to sit a player, there are obviously going to be situations where you have no choice but to play them. Bye weeks and injuries can cause us to start players with whom we are uncomfortable. Examine your squad’s situation before blindly following this column.
Week 8 Quarterback Starts Of The Week:
Daniel Jones, IND vs. TEN
It’s been 3 straight games where Daniel Jones has had 200+ yards passing and 2 touchdowns thrown. This is exactly what the Indianapolis Colts have needed as Jones has propelled them to a 6-1 record, atop the entire AFC. The Colts should move to 7-1 with a matchup against the 1-6 Tennessee Titans on the horizon. Daniel Jones is someone I am absolutely hitting the smash button to start this week. The Titans have allowed 20+ points every game this season, and the Colts will absolutely go over that mark. Jones should have another multi-touchdown game and should have 20+ fantasy points, making him another strong starting option.
Bo Nix, DEN vs. DAL
If you looked at your fantasy score with 5 minutes left in the Denver Broncos game this last weekend, you were probably disappointed with the performance of Bo Nix. If you waited until after the game, you were wondering what in the world happened. The answer is Bo Nix went nuclear in 5 minutes, finishing with nearly 40 fantasy points on the day. Bo Nix is going to be explosive again, facing the Dallas Cowboys defense, who give up the most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks. Bo Nix is an absolute must-start in week 8.
Week 8 Quarterback Sits Of The Week:
Michael Penix Jr, ATL vs. MIA
The Miami Dolphins are awful, 1-6 with a bottom-5 defense in the NFL. The Atlanta Falcons should absolutely crush the Miami Dolphins, but I don’t want to start Michael Penix Jr against them. It’s going to be Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier who get all the work done against Miami. The Dolphins give up the most rushing yards per game and just let Quinshon Judkins get 3 touchdowns. They also let Rico Dowdle put up 200+ yards. It’s going to be the run game exceeding all day, and I don’t expect the Falcons to pass the ball much.
Mac Jones / Brock Purdy, SF @ HOU
The San Francisco 49ers will start one of Mac Jones or Brock Purdy at quarterback, and I’m not touching either one of them against this Houston Texans defense. The Texans’ defense is allowing the fewest fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks. In non-fantasy, they are allowing the fewest actual points per game to opposing teams and the 5th fewest passing yards. The highest passer against them this year was Matthew Stafford with 245 yards. That is the same Matthew Stafford who has the 3rd-most passing yards in the NFL. I don’t care who starts; neither of them will be in my starting lineups this week.
Week 8 Running Backs Starts Of The Week
Chase Brown, CIN vs. NYJ
It was nearly one whole year for Chase Brown to have 100+ rushing yards on the ground. He had 108 against the Pittsburgh Steelers and last managed the feat in week 9 of last year. He might not hit that again this weekend, but he should be close. Joe Flacco has brought new life into this offense, and Brown has benefited from it. This should be a favorable game for the Cincinnati Bengals’ offense with red-zone opportunities for Chase Brown. If he manages to put up a touchdown, Brown should have between 17 and 22 PPR points, better than projections.
Tyler Allgeier, ATL vs. MIA
The Atlanta Falcons are 3-3 this season. In those 3 games they won, running back Tyler Allgeier had 10+ fantasy points. In the 3 games they lost, he was ineffective. This is going to be another one in the win column, which means Allgeier is in line for another double-digit performance. Add on top of that, against the worst run defense in the league, the Falcons are going to pound the ground game with the one-two punch of Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier. I’m starting Tyler Allgeier if I need a fill-in for the week.
Week 8 Running Back Sits Of The Week
Rhamondre Stevenson & TreVeyon Henderson, NE vs. CLE
I am not going near the New England backfield this week, but for different reasons. First, let’s start with TreVeyon Henderson – I was super high on Henderson entering the season. But as we saw, the New England Patriots went with Rhamondre Stevenson as RB1 and Antonio Gibson as RB2. With Antonio Gibson going down for the year, it seemed like Henderson was going to get the workload, but he didn’t. Last week, in a game where the Patriots won by almost 20 points, Henderson was only given 2 carries. He officially can be dropped and I’m not holding out on him any longer. If you don’t drop him, keep him on your bench. For Stevenson, he’s still getting the carries despite the fumble issues. He’s the only one worth starting in New England’s backfield for now, but I am not starting him this week against Cleveland. The Patriots should win the matchup still, but the Cleveland Browns are giving up the fewest yards to opposing teams and 4th-fewest rushing yards. Rhamondre is a fade this week, and I’m expecting the Patriots to pass the ball more in this game.
Week 8 Wide Receiver Starts Of The Week
Tet McMillan, CAR vs. BUF
With Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young going down, the Panthers are turning to Andy Dalton. Dalton brings a veteran presence and can act like Joe Flacco by just slinging the ball all game. I’m expecting the pass offense to be elevated with the quarterback change. The receiver who benefits the most is rookie Tet McMillan, who’s been held back by the play of Bryce Young all season.
Tez Johnson, TB @ NO
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are playing with the next man up mentality. With Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan, and Bucky Irving all sidelined at some point this season, everyone else has had to step up to the plate. One player who has come out of the woodwork over the last three weeks has been rookie Tez Johnson. Tez has had 9 receptions, 162 yards, and 2 touchdowns during this time. With Mike Evans now sidelined again, Tez gets elevated up the depth chart. In a very pass-friendly game ahead, he should see an increase in targets and can have a true breakout game ahead of him.
Week 8 Wide Receiver Sits Of The Week
Jaylen Waddle, MIA @ ATL
If the matchup against the Atlanta Falcons wasn’t bad enough already, Jaylen Waddle has to deal with his poor quarterback play, holding him back. The Atlanta Falcons give up the fewest pass yards per game and 2nd overall yards per game. That doesn’t even matter; this matchup could be against a defense like the Baltimore Ravens, and Jaylen Waddle still would not be a great option. His quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, leads the league in interceptions and can’t move the ball downfield. Waddle finished with one reception last week in a game they played from behind for the majority of it. Tua is not a good quarterback, and it’s limiting a player like Jaylen Waddle from playing to his true potential.
Quentin Johnston, LAC @ MIN
Through the first four weeks of the season, Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston was the WR4 on the season. He averaged 19.9 points per game during this stretch. Over the last 2 games, he’s WR50 in points per game, averaging less than 10. The days of Quentin Johnston as a WR1 were short-lived, and the emergence of Oronde Gadsden II has taken over. Johnston is a low-tier flex, but his regression should persist, and I don’t trust him against a better Minnesota Vikings defense.
Week 8 Tight End Starts Of The Week:
Harold Fannin Jr, CLE @ NE
I don’t love this matchup, but a lot of us are desperate at tight end this week, so I’d be content with plugging in Harold Fannin Jr. He currently leads all Cleveland Browns players in receptions and receiving yards. With David Njoku doubtful to play this weekend, Fannin Jr should command a higher target share than he already has been. His ceiling isn’t high due to Dillon Gabriel being the quarterback, but he has a safer floor than other streaming options in PPR formats.
Mason Taylor, NYJ @ CIN
With Garrett Wilson out last week, it was supposed to be the breakout game for rookie tight end Mason Taylor, but that didn’t happen. Taylor only had 3 receptions for 31 yards. Regardless if Garrett Wilson is back or not, Taylor is someone I’m plugging in as a fill-in with normal starters like Sam LaPorta, Trey McBride, and Brock Bowers on a bye. This is the most favorable matchup of the season for Mason Taylor, with the Cincinnati Bengals giving up the most points per game to the tight end position. If Tyrod Taylor plays, Mason Taylor is elevated even more with someone who actually knows how to throw the ball under center compared to the struggling Justin Fields, with New York Jets owner Woody Johnson even questioning his play.
Week 8 Tight End Sits Of The Week
Zach Ertz, WAS @ KC
For Zach Ertz to be fantasy relevant, he needs quarterback Jayden Daniels to play. In the 5 games that Jayden Daniels has played, Zach Ertz has averaged 11.8 fantasy points per game. In the 2 games with Marcus Mariota under center, Zach Ertz has only averaged 5.5 fantasy points per game. Jayden Daniels was ruled out with his hamstring injury, and I’m not touching Zach Ertz until Daniels is back.
Theo Johnson, NYG @ PHI
With the players on bye across the league, it’s tempting to pick up Theo Johnson after coming off a career-best performance against the Denver Broncos. He racked up 66 yards and a touchdown in what became a high-scoring shootout. With the chance of that happening again for the New York Giants so slim, I don’t expect Johnson to get the same amount of targets he had and perform as well as he did. In the game two weeks ago against Philadelphia, he only had 2 receptions on the day for 27 yards. Johnson is someone you should just leave for some other tight-end-needy team to pick up.
For your final lineup decisions, check out the FSAN Rankings Page or check out our Sit & Start live show every Sunday before kickoff on Spilled Coffee.