Welcome to a spooktacular Week 8 edition of Start/Sit. Once again this week we are currently looking at a standard schedule, at least for now. Four teams are on a bye this week the Cardinals, Texans, Jaguars, and Generics, or Football Team, or the team formerly known as the Redskins, whichever name you prefer. As a reminder, in this fantasy football start sit article, we will be looking at players on the fringes at QB1, RB2 and WR2 in typical PPR fantasy leagues to help you not make any decisions that will haunt you.
Presenting your Week 8 fantasy football start sit, with some great horror movie titles thrown in for a treat…or trick.
Week 8 Fantasy Football Start/Sit
Quarterbacks | Fantasy Football Start/Sit
Start: Joe Burrow vs. Titans
Fresh off his best game of the season, Joe Burrow has another great spot where he can continue The Shining from last week. Burrow threw for 406 yards and three TDs and added another 34 and a TD on the ground, good for 34.6 fantasy points and a QB4 finish against the Browns. This week, he gets the Titans D, which is giving up 21.1 fantasy points per game (fppg) to opposing QBs and has given up multiple touchdowns each game since Week 1. Burrow makes a strong start this week.
Start: Teddy Bridgewater vs. Falcons
Last time Teddy Bridgewater played the Falcons and their porous pass D, he was featured in this same spot. Now, he gets another matchup vs. The Birds. From the looks of it, Bridgewater has had an up and down season in his first year with the Carolina Panthers. If you look a little closer at the matchups, he has done well in games he should, and this is as easy as matchups get, with the Falcons giving up a league-worst 28.3 fppg to opposing QBs. Bridgewater makes for a nice spot start at QB this week.
Sit: Drew Brees at Bears
Drew Brees has been a top-10 QB three of the last four weeks and performed admirably last week without his top two receiving options. This week, however, he draws the toughest matchup for QBs, going into Chicago, which is only giving up 13.1 fppg to opposing QBs. In addition, he is still going to be without both Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, and it also looks like the wind will be gusty during the game as well. It is likely that Brees will want to Get Out of Chi-town, and you should leave him out of your lineup this week.
Sit: Matthew Stafford at Colts
Let Us now look at the second-toughest matchup of the week for QBs, as the Indianapolis Colts are giving up only 13.4 fppg to the position. Matthew Stafford has had it pretty easy lately, with his last three games against defenses in the bottom six, in terms of fppg to opposing QBs. Despite this favorable schedule, he has only finished as a QB1 once this season, when he put up 23.3 points against the Saints in Week 4. Stafford is best left on benches this week, with this scary matchup looming.
Check out our Week 8 Fantasy Football Rankings, including scoring settings for PPR and half PPR leagues! Ranking are updated throughout the week.
Running Backs | Fantasy Football Start/Sit
Start: Le’Veon Bell vs. Jets
In his first game as a Chief, Le’Veon Bell had a minimal workload, with six carries and no targets in the passing game, but he was effective with those touches, finishing with 39 yards for a 6.5 yards per carry average. Now, he gets a revenge game against the Jets and their D, which gives up 21.8 fppg to opposing backs. He should also get an increased workload. With the Chiefs likely running out the clock for at least the fourth quarter, It Follows that Bell will be at least an RB2 this week.
Start: Jamaal Williams vs. Vikings
Aaron Jones missed practice again on Wednesday, after sitting out the game against the Texans on Sunday with a calf strain. It sounds like he is possibly going to miss this week as well, and that means Jamaal Williams becomes a borderline RB1 against a Vikings D giving up 18.6 fppg to opposing RBs. Last week Jamaal Williams had 19 carries for 77 yards and a TD, with four receptions for 37 yards, good for 21.4 points and a RB6 finish. Even if Lambeau is A Quiet Place this weekend, Williams makes an excellent play if Jones is out, and is still flex-worthy if Jones plays.
Sit: James White at Bills
With only one target last week in the Patriots’ implosion, he became The Invisible Man. This week, the matchup is more favorable against the Bills, who are giving up 19.3 fppg to opposing RBs. White is tough to trust though, as the Patriots offense has devolved into being almost completely unusable for fantasy. Leave White on your bench this week and until the offense shows some signs of life.
Sit: Jerick McKinnon at Seahawks
Another mysterious disappearance last week was Jerick McKinnon, who was given a rest last week by Kyle Shanahan after his heavy workload earlier in the season. This followed Weeks 5 and 6, where he had three and eight total touches, respectively. Perhaps he was being rested for this divisional matchup against the Seahawks, whose D is giving up a minimal 16.5 fppg to opposing RBs, as most teams have to take to the air against the them. With Tevin Coleman nearing a return and JaMycal Hasty lurking, you can’t trust Shanahan to Let the Right One in. Leave McKinnon on your bench this week.
Wide Receivers| Fantasy Football Start/Sit
Start: Brandon Aiyuk at Seahawks
After his first 100-yard game last week, Brandon Aiyuk gets the best matchup in the league for WRs, as the Seahawks give up 38.1 fppg to the position. With Deebo Samuel out, whether Aiyuk is Ready or Not, he stands to get plenty of targets this game. The 49ers will have to pass to keep up with the Seahawks, who are averaging 33.8 points per game, and Aiyuk will return value as an WR2 with a high ceiling.
Start: Tee Higgins vs. Titans
Don’t Look Now, but there are two recommended starts on the Bengals this week. Through the first seven weeks of the season, there are four rookie WR in the top-25 for PPR points. Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb were easy to see coming, but Chase Claypool and Tee Higgins, who round out the list, were a little tougher to predict. Since Week 2 ,Higgins is tied for WR15. This week, he gets a matchup against the Titans, who are giving up 28.8 fppg to opposing WRs. Start him this week and expect WR2 numbers.
Sit: CeeDee Lamb at Eagles
Another talented rookie WR, CeeDee Lamb is the WR18 through Week 7. Last week, he was held without a catch on five targets in a matchup against Washington. With Ben Dinucci at the helm and the team on the verge of a full fledge mutiny against the coaching staff, this is a team in turmoil. For the second straight week, we are going to see The Silence of the Lamb(s).
Sit: DeVante Parker vs. Rams
DeVante Parker was limited in practice on Wednesday with a groin injury he sustained in Week 6. In addition, it is also the first start for Tua Tagovailoa. The matchup is also a tough one against the Rams D, which gives up only 16.1 fppg to opposing WRs. Due to the injury, matchup and new QB, It makes sense to sit Parker this week, if you have a better option.
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