Week 8 Fantasy Football Start/Sit: Players to Trust, Risky Starts & Toughest Decisions! (Ep. 2303)

Expected to miss at least one to two weeks with an injury similar to a previous injury; the source Jake assumes Aaron Jones will not play this week, which impacts the Jordan Mason versus Blake Corum decision; the source Fitz notes the decision would be tougher if Aaron Jones sits but still might favor Corum.

With Terry McLaurin out for the season due to a torn patellar tendon, Williams is positioned to play an expanded role as the Commanders' receiver. He has already accumulated 205 yards on 26 targets in a limited role early in the season. The source notes Williams is a terrific athlete (4.41 40-time, 39.5-inch vertical at the combine) who was a zone beater at Clemson and is dangerous with the ball in his hands. The primary uncertainty is whether Williams or Stefan Diggs will occupy the slot role against the Eagles, who funnel targets to the slot and have struggled with coverage there.

The Eagles defense has been a slot funnel this season, with Cooper DeGene struggling and Quinion Mitchell still tough on the outside. The source emphasizes wanting the slot receiver in this matchup. If Williams operates from the slot (as opposed to Stefan Diggs), he would be well-positioned to exploit this weakness. The source ranks Williams at WR33, well above consensus (WR40), reflecting confidence in his role expansion and matchup.

Ranked RB24 in ECR (two spots behind Jordan Mason at RB22), but received a season-high 18 touches in the Rams' first game without Devontae Adams; source the source Fitz ranks Corum three spots higher than Mason and believes the Rams will lean hard on running backs without Adams, raising Corum's touch floor to approximately 10 touches; Corum has elite upside on any touch but faces volume uncertainty against a Lions defense that is 21st in EPA per rush and 22nd in DVOA against the run.

Allen has essentially taken over the lead role in the Dolphins backfield with Jalen Wright dealing with recurring injuries. The source recommends starting him as a top-20 running back and enjoying the opportunity, noting he's been productive with the workload.

Brenton Strange hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 1 but has accumulated 19 catches for 207 yards over the last three weeks, ranking as tight end seven in PPR scoring without a touchdown. The source projects he gets the touchdown this week, suggesting touchdown upside despite recent scoring drought.

Christian Watson did not go off against the Lions in recent action despite the Lions being perceived as a favorable matchup for pass catchers; the source notes that Brian Branch's return to the Lions defense is a big difference maker that will reduce the Lions' vulnerability as a 'come one, come all matchup' for receivers.

Watson failed to produce against the Lions in Week 7 despite the matchup appearing favorable; the Lions' returning safety duo of Brian Branch and Kirby Joseph (coming off IR) significantly strengthens Detroit's pass defense, making them a tougher matchup for Green Bay receivers going forward.

Boston operates deeper downfield with more valuable targets than teammate Casey Concepcion; averaging 18.6 yards per catch and had his second-best yardage day of the season (four catches for 89 yards) against Pittsburgh. Higher ceiling due to explosive play potential with 40-yard plays possible; ranked inside top 30 consensus flex.

Boston is preferred over Casey Concepcion in a start-sit decision between rookie teammates; the source cites both the game he's coming off of and the matchup as reasons for the preference.

Smith's injury has opened up opportunities for Makai Lemon in the Eagles' passing game; without Smith's absence, Lemon would not be seeing significant volume at this point in the season.

Wilson's appeal is diminished by the Bears' trade for Jeffrey Simmons, who is expected to play early rushing downs, reducing Wilson's role and making him less attractive than Rashad White in a start-sit comparison.

Hunter Henry preferred over Travion Henderson in flex despite consensus flex rankings disagreeing; has been valuable recently despite roller-coaster production. Eli Raritan is horning in on tight end targets but Henry still offers more consistent value than Henderson who might get only four touches.

Brissett is mentioned as the source's streamer of the week on the waiver show, ranked higher than Jared Goff in consensus rankings for week 8. The source notes a specific stat about Brissett in games with 37+ (likely passing attempts or similar), but defers detailed discussion to later in the show. He is positioned as a viable streaming option but without full context provided in this segment.

Price is expected to return to practice, signaling a potential return to action, though the exact timing and impact on the backfield rotation remains uncertain.

Hurts may not have trusted Makai Lemon early in the season, similar to how Aaron Rodgers withholds trust from certain receivers; Tanner McKee's arrival at quarterback could potentially help Lemon by providing a fresh start, though this remains speculative.

The source plants his flag on Goff as a QB1 inside the top 10 for week 8 against the Vikings, despite the Vikings' elite defense (league-best EPA per drop back allowed at -0.18). The key insight is that while the Vikings allow the fourth-lowest pressure rate (34.8%) against five-plus defenders, Goff has the seventh-best EPA under pressure this season and ninth-best since his second year starting with the Lions. The Lions are strong at picking up the blitz and protecting under pressure. Additionally, Goff has weapons (Amon Ross St. Brown, Jameer Gibbs, Jamison Williams, Sam Laporta) that can mitigate the Vikings' defense. In his one home game against Minnesota last year, Goff had 284 yards and two touchdowns. He is ranked QB12 in consensus, suggesting the source sees him as undervalued.

Wright got banged up again and is dealing with another injury, though he's practicing. The source notes this recurring injury issue has essentially made him a backup to Braylon Allen in the Dolphins offense, reducing his fantasy relevance.

Coleman played 30 snaps in his first game off IR last week compared to RJ Harvey's 16 and JK Dobbins' 14, establishing him as the lead back in Sean Payton's offense. He has had almost a quarter of his runs go for 10+ yards this season (well above the 10% league average), demonstrating elite explosiveness. However, the source notes uncertainty around his guaranteed workload and passing game involvement (two targets, two receptions last week), and the matchup against the Chiefs' eighth-ranked DVOA run defense presents a challenge. Emmanuel Wilson just had 100 yards and a TD against Kansas City, suggesting the defense is beatable.

Rest-of-season, the source ranks Coleman at RB26 with potential to reach low-end RB2 territory at best case. The comparison is to Mark Ingram's RB2 version in Sean Payton's offense, suggesting upside to crack the top 18 running backs for the remainder of the season. This reflects confidence in his talent and role despite the week-to-week volatility of the Payton system.

Jordan Addison is the clear third or fourth option on the Cardinals offense; Kyler Murray historically alternates between wide receiver and tight end usage and does not deploy a second wide receiver unless the tight end is irrelevant. Addison has only one top-50 PPR performance all season and is ranked as a wide receiver four, not three, due to this offensive architecture.

Despite facing the Detroit Lions defense that has given up many big games this season, the source would not start Jordan Addison in Week 8; the only scenario for starting him would be if both DeVonta Smith and Donovan Wicks were unavailable, which is not the case. The source frames any Addison touchdown as a low-probability 'Hail Mary play' requiring an unlikely high-scoring shootout.

Love and the Packers' passing game struggled against the Lions in Week 7, failing to go off despite facing what appeared to be a favorable matchup; the Lions' safety duo of Brian Branch (back from injury) and Kirby Joseph (returning from IR) makes them a significantly tougher defense than earlier in the season, reducing the appeal of Green Bay pass catchers against Detroit.

Ranked RB15 by the source Jake, positioned as a potential bell cow running back against the Lions with expected 70% or more of the workload in a matchup anticipated to be a shootout; the source prefers Mason over Blake Corum due to significantly higher touch volume despite Corum's upside, assuming Aaron Jones remains out.

Makai Lemon is coming off a mini breakout for the Eagles with seven catches, 67 yards, and a touchdown in his recent game; the source describes this as 'really encouraging' and notes he provides a discernible floor. His ranking depends on the availability of DeVonta Smith and Donovan Wicks, but the smoke around Smith's return is negative.

Lemon is viewed as a bye-week fill-in rather than a proactive start for the rest of the season; while first-round rookies often break out in the second half of the season, Lemon's emergence has been driven by injuries to Devontae Smith and Tamion Wicks rather than organic role growth, and Tanner McKee's arrival at quarterback may not significantly help given Jalen Hurts' apparent lack of trust in him earlier in the season.

Matthew Golden did not produce against the Lions despite the matchup being perceived as favorable for pass catchers; he should have had a couple of catches that would have improved his and Jordan Love's day, but the Lions' defense, particularly with Brian Branch's return, is becoming less exploitable.

Golden failed to produce against the Lions despite being in position to have a strong game; he leads the league with seven dropped targets on the season and had at least one end zone target he failed to convert, meaning he could be a top-five fantasy wide receiver if not for his drop issues; he's compared to Dontavian Wicks in that he excels at getting open but struggles with ball security.

Ranked RB19 in ECR, behind both Rondre Stevenson (RB17) and Tony Pollard (RB18) in same-game running back comparison.

Gordon has scored a touchdown in four straight games and has been RB 18 in fantasy points per game since the Devon Achane injury; the source prefers him over Tony Pollard in a Week 8 start/sit decision despite Pollard's recent 130-yard, three-touchdown performance against Cleveland, citing Pollard's inconsistency (RB 25.5 PPR before last week, only one touchdown in his first six games) and a slightly tougher Bengals running game matchup (seventh in EPA per rush, Dexter Lawrence effect making inside runs difficult) versus the Patriots (19th in EPA per rush).

Gordon has been Mr. Consistency since taking over the starting running back spot; this consistency is being highlighted in a start/sit debate against Tony Pollard for Week 8.

Hampton doesn't have a good fit in the Chargers' offense; operating in a full-blown committee with a terrible offense. Even with potential bye week improvements, unlikely to reach eight to ten touches like Diggs; would need McDaniel to change running style or scheme to power-based approach for meaningful upside.

Stevenson is ranked ahead of both Gordon and Pollard in consensus rankings. The source has him at RB17, ahead of Pollard at RB18 and Gordon at RB19, making him the preferred option among this trio of running backs in the same week's matchups.

Diggs has been in the slot on 63% of his snaps this season according to Fantasy Points data, but the source notes that with McLaurin gone, the Commanders' slot/outside distribution may shift. Diggs could move outside while Williams moves inside, or vice versa. The coaching staff has indicated Diggs' overall role won't change dramatically, though his route work sits around 70-80%, similar to last year but an uptick. The source ranks Diggs in the low-end WR2 range, suggesting he remains a solid option despite the uncertainty around his exact positioning.

Diggs expected to have eight to ten touches per game going forward now that Terry McLaurin is gone; preferred over Marion Hampton in flex. Chargers' broken running game and terrible offensive line limit Hampton's upside despite potential bye week improvements.

McKee's arrival as the Eagles' quarterback could potentially provide a marginal boost to Makai Lemon's usage, though the source expresses limited conviction in this outcome; McKee might help Lemon if Jalen Hurts' earlier lack of trust was the limiting factor.

Pollard came off an unbelievable game against Cleveland with almost 130 yards and 29 receiving yards plus three touchdowns, but the source cautions against starting him in Week 8 versus the Bengals; Pollard was RB 25.5 PPR before the touchdown spree and scored only one touchdown in his first six games, showing inconsistency; the Bengals defense ranks seventh in EPA per rush (versus Patriots 19th), making a repeat three-touchdown performance unlikely due to the Dexter Lawrence effect making inside runs difficult.

Pollard delivered an unbelievable game against the Browns with almost 130 yards on the ground, approximately 29 receiving yards, and three touchdowns; this performance is being used as a reference point for Week 8 start/sit discussions.

Pollard is ranked RB19 and RB18 in consensus ECR, with the source ranking him at RB22. Cincinnati is the third-toughest defense against the run, while the Patriots are 23rd (closer to middle of the pack). The matchup analysis suggests Pollard faces a tougher run defense in Cincinnati compared to Gordon's Patriots matchup, though the difference is only about a point per game.

Ranked RB18 in ECR, behind Rondre Stevenson (RB17) and ahead of Melvin Gordon (RB19) in same-game running back comparison.

Charbonnet was activated off injured reserve but did not play last week, creating uncertainty about his readiness; his status affects the relative ranking of Rashad White and Emmanuel Wilson in start-sit decisions.

The source projects Zay Flowers to dominate in his Week 8 matchup.