Fantasy Football Week 8: Starts, Sits For Dolphins Vs. Ravens ‘Thursday Night Football’

“Thursday Night Football” has been surprisingly useful for fantasy players this season — but that might not be the case in Week 8.

The Baltimore Ravens host the Miami Dolphins on Thursday in a matchup of two teams that don’t bring much to the fantasy table.

With quarterback Jay Cutler out due to a rib injury, the 4-2 Dolphins turn to veteran quarterback Matt Moore, who led Miami to victory over the New York Jets last Sunday. The 3-4 Ravens, meanwhile, boast a capable defense but also feature a wholly uninspiring offense led by the perpetually “meh” Joe Flacco.

That said — if you pick your spots, there could be some points up for grabs at M&T Bank Stadium.

Whether you’re playing a daily fantasy sports contest or making a last-minute roster move in your season-long league, here’s who we think you should start and sit Thursday night:

START
Jay Ajayi, RB, Dolphins. The Ravens have been strong against the pass this season but terrible versus the run, as they’ve allowed a league-high 1,017 rushing yards. That bodes well for Ajayi, who despite a couple disappointing performances this season still is seeing enough volume to warrant a start. Consider him a decent RB2.

Kenny Stills, WR, Dolphins. Since wideout DeVante Parker went down in Week 5, Stills has 10 catches for 134 yards and three touchdowns. Once Parker returns, Stills’ targets will take a hit. But for now, he presents enough value — especially in the red zone — to justify being slotted in as a flex, at the very least.

Ravens D/ST. Just because the Ravens are poor against the rush doesn’t mean you should avoid them. This physical unit surrenders the seventh fewest yards per game (189) to opposing NFL quarterbacks and ranks second in turnovers (15) to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Don’t let Moore’s play in Week 7 fool you into thinking he’s suddenly capable of carving up the Ravens.

SIT
Matt Moore, QB, Dolphins. Yes, Moore played well against the Jets on Sunday. No, that doesn’t mean you should put him in your fantasy lineups. If you’re truly desperate and are looking for simply average numbers from a bye-week fill-in, then Moore could suffice. Otherwise, move along.

Joe Flacco, QB, Ravens. Moore actually might be a better option than the guy under center in Baltimore. Flacco hasn’t thrown for more than 235 yards this season, and has thrown eight interceptions to just five touchdown passes. Part of that is the lack of weapons around him, and part of it is the guy just isn’t that good right now. You can do better this week.

Ravens running backs. As is the case seemingly every year, Baltimore’s backfield is impossible to predict. One week Terrance West is the bell cow, the next it’s Javorius Allen. Second-year back Alex Collins looks primed to get the most carries this week, but who really knows at this point? Avoid the Ravens backs at all costs.