Week 8 of the NFL is upon us, and for fantasy football managers, those two words are whispered in horror. Between an up-and-down season that's turned fantasy expectations on their heads and an injury list longer than most CVS receipts, many fantasy managers have circled the six-team bye week as simply a matchup to write off.
But for others, Week 8 is an opportunity to get creative on the way to a free win. And for those of you wondering where to turn to at every major position, read on. These are our starts and sits of the week.
Quarterback
Start: Dak Prescott
Denver's defense is one of the best in fantasy football, but even with their big plays against the Giants in Week 7, they still let Jaxson Dart leave Sunday as the QB3. Dak might not be the rushing threat he once was, but he is more seasoned, better protected on the line and is throwing to a much better receiver duo. Over the last four weeks, Prescott has thrown for 14 TDs with zero picks and is flirting with set-it-and-forget-it territory. But for anyone worried about the matchup, don't be.
Sit: Jordan Love
Truthfully, neither Love nor Aaron Rodgers should be in your lineup going into what could be an ugly grudge match. But of the two, you're more likely to have Love in your lineup, and if that's the case, you'd be best advised to stream for the week instead. Love is currently the QB12 on the season thus far, but his performance for fantasy has been lackluster to say the least, only putting up 20 points or more against Washington and Dallas. Pittsburgh is going to be a boring matchup for him at best.
Running Back
Start: Rico Dowdle
It was a frustrating Week 7 against the hapless Jets, as Dowdle split the workload essentially down the middle with the newly returned Chuba Hubbard (17 carries to 14, respectively). More likely than not, the Panthers saw fit to play it safe with Dowdle's workload against such a soft matchup, and while it was ugly, they still pulled out the win. Regardless, Dowdle still put up way more efficient numbers than his counterpart (2.4 yards more per carry), and with Bryce Young either out or hobbled in Week 8, he should see at least 20 carries once more against Buffalo's awful running defense. Keep him in your lineups with confidence.
Sit: Brashard Smith
Until the trade deadline passes, no one will believe that the Kansas City Chiefs will be happy to attempt another deep playoff run with this godawful backfield, even with Rashee Rice back in the lineup. But while Brashard Smith has given them reason to hope against the usage of Isaiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt in Week 7, his own usage (5/5 receptions, 14 rush attempts) largely came in garbage time. Pick Smith up for sure to stash ahead of a juicy matchup against the Bills in Week 9, but don't expect him to follow up his performance against the Commanders when Kansas City's passing attack is so efficient.
Wide Receiver
Start: AJ Brown
Cheat sheet for Week 8: if you are rostering a Philadelphia Eagle, start them. Philadelphia was absolutely rocked by the G-Men just the previous week, but if they do take their own Super Bowl hopes seriously, there is no way that they drop both matchups against Jaxson Dart and Co. And while it's been tough to trust AJ Brown thus far this season (only three touchdowns and two games with over 100 yards), he's still the No. 1 receiver on a team that has seemingly turned the corner offensively. The Giants will be looking for blood in Week 8 after that debacle in Denver, but they're not good enough to back up their toughness just yet.
Sit: Khalil Shakir
Unless most of your roster is on a bye in Week 8, hopefully you've taken the hint thus far: No matter how talented Josh Allen is, he runs and spreads the ball around too much for Buffalo to have a clear alpha wide receiver. Even as their No. 1 option at the position, Shakir only profiles as a high-end WR3 on the week, and has still yet to rack up double-digit targets in a single game this season.
Tight End
Start: Oronde Gadsden II
Well, it looks like Week 6 wasn't a fluke for Justin Herbert's new best friend. Gadsden followed up his starting-caliber debut against the Dolphins (7/8 receptions) by detonating on the Colts (7/9 receptions, 164 yards, 1 TD). Herbert has the pick of the litter when it comes to his receiving options, and while Ladd McConkey, Keenan Allen and Gadsden will be playing roulette amongst one another week to week for his eye, Gadsden's done enough to start him with confidence against a Vikings defense that's been porous towards tight ends.
Sit: Hunter Henry
It's odd: Since Week 3, Hunter Henry has barely been targeted, finishing as the TE28, 32 and finally 25 over the past three outings. This is also while his QB, Drake Maye, has continued to get attention as a passer and New England's locked-in quarterback for the future, developing connections with Stefon Diggs (20/22 receptions last three weeks) and Kayshon Boutte (3 TDs in the last two weeks). Maybe the connection resurfaces against a Browns defense that loves putting quarterbacks under pressure, but at this point, I'm willing to cut bait on Henry.