NFL Week 8 Fantasy Wide Receivers: Start Lockett, Diggs; Sit Smith

The two most productive fantasy wide receivers, DeAndre Hopkins and Calvin Ridley, won’t be playing football Saturday, Sunday or Monday of week 8.

Instead, fantasy football owners will have to depend on receivers like Stefon Diggs of Buffalo, Seattle’s Tyler Lockett, Adam Thielen of Minnesota and Dallas’ Amari Cooper to amass bundles of fantasy football points (FFP).

There is a simple explanation for this scenario.  No. 1-ranked wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and his Arizona teammates have a week 8 “Bye” and No. 2-ranked receiver Calvin Ridley played Thursday night in a 25-17 win over Carolina.

Surefire Starters at Wide Receiver

• Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver, and Minnesota’s Adam Thielen are the most productive wide receivers in the “Red Zone” with 7 touchdown receptions.  Add 45 catches for 543 yards receiving and you have the No, 3 scorer (141.2 FFP) among wide receivers in fantasy football.
• Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills wide receiver, has been targeted 70 times, caught 48 passes for 603 yards and 3 touchdowns.  He has accumulated 126.3 FFP and averages 18 points per game. This weekend features a showdown with division-rival New England.
• Amari Cooper, Cowboys wide receiver, has been targeted 72 times by Dallas quarterbacks this season.  The results are 53 catches for 583 yards and 2 touchdown receptions.  Cooper averages 17.9 FFP per game.

Riding the Bench

Note:  These wide receivers have week 6 ”Byes”.

• DeAndre Hopkins, Arizona Cardinals wide receiver
• Will Fuller V, Houston Texans wide receiver
• Keelan Cole Sr., Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver
• Terry McLaurin, Washington Football Team wide receiver

Underrated

• Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver, is a Tier 1 receiver comprised by the inefficiencies of his team’s offense.  In his last game, Thielen was targeted 5 times, caught 3 passes for 51 yards and scored a touchdown.  Minnesota will have to throw him the ball more if they want to beat Green Bay on Sunday.

Overrated

• Tre’Quan Smith, New Orleans Saints wide receiver, was supposed to be a worthy substitute for injured receivers Michael Thomas and Emmanuel sanders.  Instead he had 4 receptions for 54 yards as quarterback Drew Brees threw to 10 receivers in a 27-24 win over Carolina.

Sleeper WR of the Week

• Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver, has been targeted 48 times, caught 31 passes for 439 yards and 5 touchdowns.  He has accumulated 116.3 FFP and averages 16.6 points per game. Hill could score 20+ points against the winless Jets.