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

There could be some fantasy football points up for grabs Thursday night at NRG Stadium — but only from one of the two teams.

The Houston Texans will host the Miami Dolphins in a matchup of 4-3 teams, albeit ones going in different directions. The Texans have won four straight after starting the season 0-3, while the Dolphins have dropped three of their last four after a 3-0 start.

The Dolphins have talented players on both sides of the ball, but the offense hasn’t looked right for about a month. As such, most of Thursday night’s relevant fantasy options can be found on the Houston sideline.

Here’s who you should start and sit in Dolphins vs. Texans:

STARTS
Deshaun Watson, QB, Texans. Watson underwhelmed last week and suffered a disastrous performance in Week 6, but overall, the second-year quarterback has played well. We expect him to have a big game Thursday night against a Dolphins defense that rates 24th in the NFL in rushing the passer. Start Watson with confidence.

Kenyan Drake, RB, Dolphins. Drake hasn’t lived up to his lofty preseason expectations, but he might be turning a corner. The Alabama product rushed for 72 yards and a score last week, has 78 all-purpose yards in Week 6 and had 115 yards from scrimmage with a receiving touchdown in Week 5. He’s a good flex option this week.

DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Texans. Hopkins is one of the best receivers in the NFL and should be in your lineups on a weekly basis. Now is not the time to get cute.

Lamar Miller, RB, Texans. Fresh off his first 100-yard game of the season, Miller is set up to run over and around a Dolphins defense that ranks among the worst in the NFL against the run. We would like to see Miller get more action in the passing game, though. Expect RB2 numbers.

Texans D/ST. The Texans’ defense started slow, but has produced 12 sacks and 10 turnovers over its last four games. We expect that trend to continue, regardless of who the Dolphins start at quarterback.

SIT
Dolphins D/ST. This unit is capable of posting a strong performance from time to time, but it’s way too inconsistent to insert in your fantasy lineups.

Frank Gore, RB, Dolphins. The veteran back still hasn’t scored this season and doesn’t amass enough yardage on the ground to make up for it. We also believe Drake is starting to earn a larger share of the workload.

Any Dolphins quarterback. Brock Osweiler? He’s been OK the last two weeks — but no. Ryan Tannehill? Hell no.

Will Fuller V, WR, Texans. We’ve never been as high on Fuller as everyone else seems to be. Yes, he’s talented, and he did have a pair of 100-yard games earlier this season, but he’s too boom-or-bust for our liking. He’s a WR3, at best, for this matchup.