Roman Bruno

Content Contributor

The classic, all-helpful Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em series has reached Woodward Sports! This will be a weekly series by yours truly, and I hope for it to be your main source for fantasy football advice throughout the season. Have any questions? I have the answers! Welcome to Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Week 8.

Start ‘Em

Quarterbacks

Tua Tagovailoa (MIA) @ Detroit Lions

It is becoming a trend to start which ever quarterback is facing the Lions. Tua looked solid in his return last week against the Steelers. He started out well, connecting to all of his weapons, but he started to fizzle out towards the end. However, Tua gets a porous Lions defense this week that has given up 32.3 points per game, which is the highest in the league. Most of the Dolphins offense can be started this week in fantasy, and Tua is a no-brainer.

Daniel Jones (NYG) @ Seattle Seahawks

Danny Dimes was one of the top waiver wire pickups of the week. For being the QB9 this season, we need to start paying more attention to him and what he can do for fantasy teams. Jones is producing quite a bit on the ground as well, as he rushed for over 100 yards and a touchdown last week. The Seahawks have been a great matchup for QBs this season, so it is a favorable spot to start Jones. He may not have the most secure floor, but we have seen him produce at a relatively consistent level this season. He can be started in leagues this week in what is the only matchup of Week 8 between two teams over .500.

Running Backs

Travis Etienne (JAX) vs. Denver Broncos

With James Robinson being traded to the New York Jets, it is officially the Travis Etienne show. Etienne was already starting to emerge as the leader in the backfield, but now there is no serious competition for touches. He had a fantastic performance in Week 7, rushing for 114 yards and a touchdown. The Jags travel to London (their second home) this week, so make sure to put him in your lineup Saturday night. They will face a Broncos defense that has allowed four rushing touchdowns to running backs. Denver’s defense is no easy task, but Etienne will get enough volume to pay off in fantasy this week and beyond.

D’Onta Foreman (CAR) @ Atlanta Falcons

Foreman was another top waiver wire pickup this week for his Week 7 performance. While he was not named the starter, he finished the game with 15 carries for 118 yards. Chuba Hubbard, who is nursing an ankle injury, is questionable for Sunday. If Hubbard were to miss, start Foreman with no hesitation. These two will compete for touches for the rest of the season, but Foreman already seems to have a head up on Hubbard in terms of health and availability. The Falcons have allowed 31.1 fantasy PPG to RBs in the past month, the third-most in that span. Once again, if he does have another solid performance, he will be considered a top sell-high candidate. Foreman can be a solid fantasy option this week.

Wide Receivers

Tyler Lockett (SEA) vs. New York Giants

With Metcalf unlikely to play this Sunday against the Giants, Lockett should see more targets. Lockett has been a volatile fantasy option this season, as he usually has been throughout his career. He has only scored three touchdowns this season, coming in just two games. Regardless, Lockett’s fantasy season is not down the drain, which many people expected it to be with Geno Smith at the helm. Seattle is currently atop the NFC West, and Smith and Lockett have the opportunity to extend their lead against a 6-1 Giants team. Lockett should be viewed as a WR this week with a higher floor in the absence of Metcalf.

Brandin Cooks (HOU) vs. Tennessee Titans

Cooks, similarly to Lockett, will see an increased target share due to an injury. Nico Collins was ruled out of last week’s game with a groin injury and is questionable to play this week. Cooks only has one touchdown this season, and his season so far has been disappointing. The silver lining is that the Texans play the Titans in Week 8, a team that has allowed over 200 yards per game to WRs this season. Sophomore QB Davis Mills has been playing decent football as of late, so he is more than capable of sustaining fantasy success for Cooks. Look for Cooks to have a bounce back game in what could be a predominantly passing game for Houston.

Tight Ends

Taysom Hill (NO) vs. Las Vegas Raiders

The Swiss army knife has proven to be a solid fantasy TE this season. Managers have been happy to roster and start him on a weekly basis, and this remains the same for Week 8. The Saints offense has success when Hill touches the ball, so expect him to continue to get valuable touches in addition to touchdowns. The consistency is lacking at times, but he is a fun fantasy option overall. Fellow Saints TE Juwan Johnson has also emerged as a nice option in the offense, as he scored two touchdowns last week. Hill’s versatility will keep him on the field, however, making him a startable option once again.

Irv Smith Jr. (MIN) vs. Arizona Cardinals

I’ve been waiting to include Irv Smith Jr. in one of these Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Ems. He is a very talented player, and while he has only commanded a few targets, this is a good matchup for him. The Cardinals have allowed 20.5 PPG to TEs this season, the second-most in the league. Tight ends just seem to go wild against Arizona, so perhaps the trend continues with Smith this week. Starting Smith would be a solid option for Kelce owners who have him on bye.

Defense/Kicker Streamers of the Week

In addition to the skill player Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Ems, here are my top streaming options for Defense/ST and Kicker:

San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams

Jason Sanders (MIA) @ Detroit Lions

 

Sit ‘Em

Quarterbacks

Tom Brady (TB) vs. Baltimore Ravens

The Bucs are playing like a bad football team. There are many reasons for this, but Tom Brady is just as much responsible. They could not even score a touchdown against a Panthers team entering a rebuild. In terms of fantasy, Brady has only put up two 15+ point performances this season. Overall, he is currently sitting at QB16, which is a tough look. He plays the Ravens on Thursday night, a short week. Baltimore has been a good matchup for QBs earlier in the season, but they are starting to buckle down. For Brady and the Bucs’ sake they can take advantage and get a win to even their record. Brady simply is not playing like a fantasy QB1, and you do not have to start him until this Tampa offense revives.

Aaron Rodgers (GB) @ Buffalo Bills

Similarly with Brady, Rodgers looks abysmal as well. He has yet to reach 18 fantasy points in a game this season, but what else can you do without at least average weapons? Rodgers is struggling with no help. The Packers square off against the Bills, one of the best teams in the league, on Sunday night. This could be a public execution for Green Bay, and no one outside of Aaron Jones is appealing for fantasy this week. The Bills have allowed 10.79 PPG to QBs this season, the third-fewest in the league. It may be hard to bench a big name like Rodgers in favor of one of the more surprising QB options, but you got to do what you got to do.

Running Backs

Melvin Gordon III (DEN) @ Jacksonville Jaguars

This Broncos backfield has been so frustrating this season, even when Javonte Williams was healthy. Denver has deferred to using the “hot hand,” but no one has taken much of a command. Gordon has not scored a touchdown since Week 3, so it is very hard to trust him. With Mike Boone expected to miss some time, perhaps Gordon does seen an uptick in usage. I will need to see it to believe it. Gordon should not be started until he proves he can see and manage a consistent workload.

James Robinson (NYJ) vs. New England Patriots

We do not know yet if Robinson will even play yet against the Patriots. Regardless, fantasy managers are probably excited to see JRob get a breath of fresh air somewhere else. Be careful, however, as sophomore RB Michael Carter will get a fair amount of usage in the backfield as well. Carter will have a chance this week to prove his worth if Robinson is out. We will need to see the split first before determining what kind of production to expect. Whether active or not, use this week as a “wait and see” with Robinson before putting him in starting lineups in the future.

Wide Receivers

Terry McLaurin (WAS) @ Indianapolis Colts

Scary Terry had his best game of the season last week in their win against the Packers. He caught five balls for 73 yards and a touchdown. It was his first touchdown since Week 3. However, it is hard to expect that success to continue without consistent QB play. This would be a good time to sell high on McLaurin if possible. In terms of the upcoming matchup, the Colts have allowed just 190.3 passing yards per game. The Colts benched QB Matt Ryan in favor of Sam Ehlinger, so that will impact the game script quite a bit. Ehlinger starting may actually benefit Terry, but the Colts defense is not something to take lightly. This is more of a boom/bust scenario, and starting Terry is not worth the risk.

D.J. Moore (CAR) @ Atlanta Falcons

Will D.J. Moore eventually get traded? That is the big question at this point. Moore had a solid performance in Week 7 with P.J. Walker at the helm. He caught seven balls for 69 yards and a touchdown, his first since Week 2. The matchup this week is juicy as well, facing a Falcons defense that has allowed the most fantasy PPG to WRs this season. Why bench Moore then? Because as long as he is on the Panthers, he will never be a consistent fantasy player again. It is best for both parties to just move on, and Moore’s value would increase if he were to get traded to a contender. There are more certain WR options this week, so continue to lean on those guys instead of Moore.

Tight Ends

Robert Tonyan (GB) @ Buffalo Bills

Tonyan only has one touchdown this season and does not have a consistent target share in the Packers offense. He has been much of a non-factor in the fantasy world, but he has had moments. This week’s matchup against the Bills poses a significant challenge, as they have not allowed a touchdown to tight ends this season. There are better options this week, so avoid Tonyan if possible.

Dawson Knox (BUF) vs. Green Bay Packers

Staying in the same game, Knox has yet to top 45 yards in a game this season. The Packers are also stout against tight ends, only allowing 28 passing yards a game to the position. Buffalo does quite well with their two main weapons, Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. Their offense runs through them and QB Josh Allen. Knox does not present much opportunity and fantasy upside this week.

Stay tuned for next week’s Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em!

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