5 breakout fantasy football stars to pick up for Week 8

1. Top fantasy football pickups for Week 8 – New England Patriots QB Mac Jones

The biggest riser in Week 7 was New England Patriots’ quarterback Mac Jones, who put together a strong performance against the New York Jets. Jones was allowed to let it rip against the Jets’ defense and took advantage of his additional freedom, completing 24-of-36 passes for 307 yards and two touchdowns.

Game flow actually worked against Jones in this contest since the Patriots were up so much that they pulled him with nine minutes to go in a 54-13 win. Jones was also denied another potential touchdown when the Patriots scored on a trick play on the opening drive, meaning that his stat line could have been even better.

The fact that New England is starting to open up their playbook for Jones does make him a much more appealing fantasy streamer in the right matchup. Week 8 provides such an opportunity against the Los Angeles Chargers, who could the Patriots’ defense major issues and leave New England trailing late in the game.

That would be an excellent development for Jones, who could rack up some strong counting stats by being forced into a game where he has to throw the ball early and often. Rostered in just 31 percent of Yahoo leagues, Jones is an excellent plug-and-play streamer for Lamar Jackson owners in Week 8 as well as any team that needs a boost at quarterback this week.