Fantasy Football Week 8 Starts, Sits: Advice For Toughest Lineup Decisions

Week 8 has arrived, and now is when the real playoff push begins to ramp up in fantasy football.

If you’re in postseason contention, these are the weeks where little wiggle room exists to make mistakes when it comes to setting your lineup. There are a few lopsided matchups on deck for this week in the NFL, so some huge fantasy performances might await for not only big-name guys but also a few under-the-radar players.

Here are NESN.com’s Week 8 starts and sits:

STARTS
Jared Goff, QB, Los Angeles Rams
Goff typically is a bit of a gamble. Just see his absolute dud against the San Francisco 49ers two weeks ago. However, a matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals is too enticing to pass up.

Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
You could argue that amid the Chargers’ rushing struggles, Ekeler is more valuable to fantasy owners than Melvin Gordon. Ekeler is useful in the passing game and is coming off a solid Week 7 showing, so you can start him with confidence against the Chicago Bears.

Kenny Golladay, WR, Detroit Lions
Golladay has far more ups than downs, and he gets to face off against the New York Giants this week. Expect a big rebound after a tough performance against the Minnesota Vikings last week.

Darren Waller, TE, Oakland Raiders
Waller appears to be a great replacement for Jared Cook. The Houston Texans don’t boast a lockdown secondary, so Waller could be in position to feast versus Houston.

SITS
Baker Mayfield, QB, Cleveland Browns
He’s been way too erratic and is going against the New England Patriots, who feature arguably the best defense in the NFL. You’re taking a big risk if you start him.

Devonta Freeman, RB, Atlanta Falcons
Well, for one, he might be suspended this week. Even if he plays, though, the Falcons have been a complete mess this season and the Seattle Seahawks’ defense has some playmakers.

Alshon Jeffery, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
Following a quiet week against the Dallas Cowboys, Jeffery has a tough matchup against the Buffalo Bills’ defense. He’s probably best left on the bench unless you have no other options.

Greg Olsen, TE, Carolina Panthers
Really good weeks have been few and far between for him this season, so pass if you can as the Panthers face the San Francisco 49ers.