Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: 15 Players to Start or Sit in Week 8
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Fantasy football is not an easy game to play, and this year has been an especially difficult one for fantasy team managers.
As the NFL season draws on, fantasy players not only have to contend against other teams but wrestle with the injury trouble of their players and the dreaded bye weeks that force them to lean on backups.
The good news for fantasy football players in Week 8 is that all 32 teams are set to play with no NFL teams resting on a bye week. There will be plenty of players to choose from to put in a starting lineup, but that can be a double-edged sword as it could create difficult personnel decisions for NFL fantasy football managers.
That's why we're here to help make those decisions. Here's who to start (and who to sit!) for Week 8 NFL fantasy football.
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Quarterbacks to Start in Week 8
C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
Stroud and the Texans will be fresh off of their bye week to take on the Carolina Panthers in Week 8.
Owners of the rookie quarterback in fantasy may be discouraged after a couple of down weeks before the bye in which he failed to score 15 points, but don't be fooled by the small sample size. Stroud has been one of the best quarterbacks in taking care of the ball in the NFL this year with nine touchdowns to just one interception through six games. He's fourth in the NFL with an average of over 275 passing yards per game and has thrown two touchdown passes in four of his last five games.
Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
It has been an odd year for Burrow after his first Pro Bowl season in 2022. However, the quarterback has proven to be capable of overcoming slow starts to the season.
The former LSU Tiger finally started to look like himself a couple of weeks ago, throwing for over 300 yards and finally connecting with Ja'Marr Chase on three touchdown passes. The Bengals will be fresh coming out of their bye week, and Burrow could keep his upward trajectory going against a San Francisco defense that allowed nearly 400 passing yards from Kirk Cousins on Monday Night Football in Week 7.
Quarterbacks to Sit in Week 8
The reigning Comeback Player of the Year has struggled in recent weeks against the Giants, Bengals and Cardinals. Smith averaged just under 220 passing yards across his previous three games, and threw as many touchdowns (3) as interceptions over that span.
Don't expect those struggles to improve against a Browns defense that has started to prove itself to be one of the best — if not the best — in the league. Cleveland is the only team to have allowed an average of fewer than 150 passing yards per game through seven weeks.
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Despite being the quarterback of one of the NFL's most pass-heavy offenses with two excellent receiving targets in rookie Puka Nacua and veteran Cooper Kupp, Stafford has not been a good fantasy football quarterback in 2023.
He's averaging fewer than 15 fantasy points per game, in large part because he isn't throwing many touchdown passes. Stafford has thrown seven touchdowns and six interceptions in seven games and hasn't thrown for more than 300 yards in three weeks. With a tough matchup against the Cowboys looming in Week 8, Stafford is definitely a sit in fantasy football.
Running backs to Start in Week 8
Dameon Pierce, Houston Texans
Pierce has not had the sophomore campaign fantasy managers hoped for after a stellar rookie season, but he could be in a position to turn that around this week.
Out of their bye week, the Texans are taking on the Panthers, a team that has been second-worst in the NFL at stopping opponents' rushing offenses. They've allowed an average of 144.3 rushing yards per game and at least two rushing touchdowns in every contest besides a Week 4 clash with the Vikings. In all, Carolina is allowing an average of 33.6 total points to running backs per week, according to ESPN Fantasy. That's a great opportunity for Pierce to return to form.
Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs
Pacheco has been off and on throughout the 2023 fantasy football season, especially in non-PPR leagues, where fantasy owners are unable to capitalize on extra receiving targets in a Patrick Mahomes-led offense.
Like Pierce, Pacheco faces a prime opportunity to pile on rushing yards and fantasy points in a Week 8 matchup with the Broncos. Denver has by far the worst rushing defense in the NFL through seven weeks, allowing a staggering 167.3 rushing yards per game. Given they also rank near the bottom in passing defense, it's easy to envision the Chiefs taking a dominant early lead against their divisional opponent and giving Pacheco significant carries.
Running backs to Sit in Week 8
Alexander Mattison, Minnesota Vikings
This has not been the season that Mattison fantasy owners hoped for with the back replacing Dalvin Cook in Minnesota. The Vikings' lead back has yet to finish a game with more than 100 rushing yards and has zero rushing touchdowns this season.
Even against a Packers rushing defense that has been one of the NFL's worst, Mattison's turnover troubles and lack of production make him a sit for Week 8.
Brian Robinson Jr., Washington Commanders
After starting the season with a bang, Robinson's production has tapered off in more recent weeks. Though he's been a relatively consistent scorer with six rushing/receiving touchdowns in seven games, the second-year back has not been productive in yardage.
It doesn't help that he's sharing the backfield with Antonio Gibson, a better receiving threat. More recently, rookie Chris Rodriguez has also started to steal some of Robinson's carries while averaging more yards per carry. Robinson may not be the lead back in Washington much longer, so he's a sit for Week 8.
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Wide receivers to Start in Week 8
Josh Palmer, Los Angeles Chargers
Palmer has tallied at least 60 receiving yards in every week since veteran Mike Williams suffered a season-ending injury. He has more than picked up the slack as the Chargers' new No. 2 wide receiver, and proved it with a 133-yard game against the Chiefs, a defense that has allowed the sixth-fewest receiving yards per game.
The third-year receiver gets a much easier matchup with the Bears next week on Sunday Night Football and will look to have another big day.
Jordan Addison, Minnesota Vikings
In his previous three games, Addison is averaging over 20 fantasy points per game in PPR leagues and over 15 points per game in standard leagues. He has 215 yards and four touchdowns over that span.
Not so coincidentally, the rookie's production outburst directly matches up with the timing of Vikings star Justin Jefferson's hamstring injury that landed him on injured reserve. After a 123-yard game against the 49ers, it's become clear that Addison has taken over the lead receiver role in Minnesota during Jefferson's absence. He will look to keep the good times rolling against a divisional rival in Green Bay for Week 8.
Wide receivers to Sit in Week 8
DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks
Metcalf is off to a strong start this season, already averaging nearly as many yards per reception (15.3) as he did in his career-best season in 2020 (15.7). If not for the circumstances, he would be a starting option for most fantasy owners.
However, the fifth-year receiver has been battling a rib injury for three weeks and was inactive in Week 7 when he was listed with both a rib and hip injury. He is listed as questionable for Week 8, but expectations are low for a banged-up Metcalf against the Browns' league-leading passing defense.
Calvin Ridley, Jacksonville Jaguars
The last couple of weeks have been rough for Ridley fantasy owners. After a strong performance against the Bills in London, the former Falcon's production has dropped significantly.
Over the last two weeks combined, the receiver has just five catches for 35 yards while getting fewer targets than tight end Evan Engram and fellow wideout Christian Kirk. In Week 7, receiver/punt returner Jamal Agnew had more targets as a receiver than Ridley did. Week 8 is a fine time to sit Ridley while no teams are on bye and plenty of other options are available.
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Tight ends to Start in Week 8
Darren Waller, New York Giants
After a relatively slow start to the season on a new team on which he was expected to be a lead target, Waller is finally heating up. Since backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor has stepped in for Daniel Jones after the latter's neck injury, the former Raider has been one of the best tight ends in fantasy football.
Expect Waller to remain a significant part of the Giants' passing offense in Week 8 against a Jets defense among the worst in stopping tight ends.
Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans
Schultz is perhaps the only tight end with a slower start and more rapid increase in fantasy production than Waller. After three opening weeks with minimal production, the Texans' tight end has been on a tear with a touchdown in each of his past three games.
The former Cowboy could keep that streak rolling against the Panthers' defense as his rookie quarterback gets more comfortable working with the tight end.
Tight ends to Sit in Week 8
Kmet has simply not been a factor within the Bears' offense after an explosive Weeks 4 and 5. Rookie quarterback and Bears backup Tyson Bagent did little to make Kmet fantasy owners feel better in Week 7, targeting the tight end zero times against the Raiders.
With uncertainty remaining about which quarterback will start for the Bears in Week 8, the Notre Dame product can remain on the bench.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fantasy Football Week 8: 15 Players to Start or Sit
