Fantasy football 2024: One QB, RB, WR and TE primed for huge Week 8 performances

Week 7 of NFL action is now behind us, which means that it’s time to look ahead to Week 8 fantasy football matchups..

This upcoming week features a number of exciting games, including a battle of top rookie quarterbacks … maybe.

The Bears and Commanders play on Sunday in what should be billed as a huge matchup between Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels, but Daniels has a rib injury and his status for this week is unclear. He hasn’t been ruled out, but it sounds like the team will be very cautious with him.

This is a shame because that game with both rookies playing would have been must-see TV. Both look like the future of the NFL and we’ll have plenty more chances to see them play against each other, but seeing them take the field as rookies would have been really special.

Anyway, let’s take a look at one player at each skill position who is set to have a strong 2024 Week 8 performance for fantasy football.

Quarterback: Caleb Williams - Chicago Bears

We might not get the Jayden Daniels part of this matchup, but we get the Caleb Williams part still, and he’s a smash start in Week 8.

The No. 1 pick got off to a slow start, throwing zero touchdowns and two picks over his first two NFL starts, but he’s come alive recently. That was capped off by his best game of the season last time out against the Jaguars, going 23-for-29 for 226 yards and four touchdowns. He was picked off once, but that was the only interception he’s thrown over the last three games. Williams also had 56 rushing yards in the victory.

Now, Williams is set for another strong showing against the Commanders, who have allowed 12 passing touchdowns while picking off just three passes this season. Washington hasn’t necessarily been as bad at stopping the pass as people expected they’d be this season, but part of that is about volume, as they’ve allowed the eighth-fewest pass attempts. The team is still giving up the 10th-most net yards per attempt. 

Running Back: Javonte Williams - Denver Broncos

It’s been a pretty disappointing season for Javonte Williams. Until last week’s game, Williams had yet to find the end zone in 2024 and he’s averaging the fewest rushing yards per game of his career.

But Williams figured some things out against the Saints on Thursday night when he carried the ball 14 times for 88 yards and two touchdowns. He also added three catches for 23 yards.

At this point, Williams isn’t getting the usage he needs to be a strong weekly play, but in certain matchups, he’s definitely worth starting, and this is one of those matchups as he takes on the Carolina Panthers.

The Panthers have allowed the third-most rushing yards in the league this season, but their struggles go beyond that as they give up the most fantasy points per game to the position by a wide margin. In half PPR, the Panthers have given up 30.2 points per contest to the running back position.

In second? The Bills at 26.3.

That’s 3.9 fantasy points per game more than Carolina allows. It might not sound like a huge number, but that 3.9 points is the difference between the Bills at No. 2 and the Buccaneers at No. 11.

Play running backs against the Panthers every chance you can.

Wide Receiver: Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs - Green Bay Packers

We’re double dipping here.

The Jaguars played in London the past two weeks and now return to the States without a bye week. An already bad defense is likely going to be very tired for this matchup. The Green Bay Packers might score every time they touch the ball.

Jacksonville has allowed the second-most passing yards in the NFL this season behind only the Ravens. Additionally, the team has allowed a league-high 16 passing touchdowns while picking off just one pass all year. Teams have been able to move up and down the field against the Jags.

Meanwhile, Jordan Love has thrown three or more touchdown passes in three of the four games since he returned to the lineup, and while those have been spread out a good bit, Jayden Reed has caught two touchdowns in that span, plus another from Love back in Week 1.

Reed is coming off a disappointing game, catching two of his four targets for 10 yards against the Texans last week, but he remains a key piece of this offense.

Romeo Doubs has outplayed him lately though. Doubs caught eight of his 10 targets for 94 yards against Houston. The week before, he pulled down two touchdowns against the Cardinals.

So, which do you play? In this matchup, I’m just going with both guys. There’s plenty of room for both players to be productive against a defense surrendering this much in the passing game.

Tight End: Dalton Schultz - Houston Texans

It’s been a fairly disappointing year for Texans tight end Dalton Schultz.

Scratch that. It’s been a very disappointing year for Texans tight end Dalton Schultz. He has just one weekly finish all year as a top 20 fantasy tight end and is coming off a game in which he saw just two targets.

So, why recommend him as a player set to have a big week? Two reasons.

First, the Texans remain without Nico Collins. In the first game with Collins sidelined, Schultz saw a season-high eight targets. He only finished with four catches for 27 yards, but the usage was definitely noteworthy. And while he saw a major drop in opportunities last week, a big part of that was that Houston’s passing attack was nonexistent. Quarterback C.J. Stroud finished with just 86 passing yards and threw a season-low 21 passes.

The second reason is that the Colts have allowed four touchdowns to opposing tight ends this season, tied for the most in the league. Schultz has yet to find the end zone, but this is a good matchup for that to finally potentially happen.