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

We’re midway through the fantasy football season, and for many managers, that means hopes of getting back to .500 and pressing toward a playoff berth.

Of course, the consistent injuries to high-end draft selections have made the 2020 NFL campaign a bit more difficult to navigate. Each week is its own animal and Week 8 for fantasy football manager is no different.

With that said, let’s dive into a few players who should benefit from their respective matchups, and others who you probably shouldn’t put much stock into this weekend.

Here are our Week 8 starts and sits:

STARTS:
Kareem Hunt, RB, Cleveland Browns
Hunt will be Cleveland’s lead back with Nick Chubb not expected to return until after the Browns’ Week 9 bye. The Browns lost another offensive weapon in receiver Odell Beckham Jr. this past Sunday, which means all the more work for Hunt. It’s a really good matchup for Hunt, going against a Las Vegas Raiders team which has allowed the second most fantasy points to running backs and nine rushing touchdowns.

Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Carolina Panthers
No team in the NFL has allowed quarterbacks to score more fantasy points than the Atlanta Falcons, who travel to Bridgewater’s Carolina Panthers on Thursday night. Atlanta is 31st in passing yards allowed (425.9 per game) and second-to-last in passing touchdowns (2.7 per game).

Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Quarterback Tom Brady expressed this week how he’s hoping to get Evans more involved. This week will be the one to do so without Chris Godwin (finger) and before Antonio Brown enters the fold. He’ll benefit from going up against the New York Giants, which should be a one-sided affair on “Monday Night Football.”

Jonnu Smith, TE, Tennessee Titans
Smith has fallen off a bit ever since his two touchdown-performance Week 5, but the fourth-year player enters a contest against the Cincinnati Bengals, who allow the fourth most points to a tight end this season. Notably, Cincinnati allowed three combined touchdowns to Cleveland Browns tight ends Harrison Bryant and David Njoku in Week 7.

SITS:
Mark Ingram, RB, Baltimore Ravens
Ingram enters a AFC North matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who held Tennessee Titans’ Derrick Henry to 75 rushing yards (second lowest this season) despite playing 74% snaps (second most). And while Ingram had a bye week to rest up his ankle, we’re not overly optimistic about upcoming production.

Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints
Brees enters a clash with the Chicago Bears, who have allowed the fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks this season. Throw in the fact that Brees will (again) be without receivers Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, like he was against the Panthers (287 yards, two passing touchdowns), and it could be a low-scoring contest.

Julian Edelman, WR, New England Patriots
The Patriots veteran wideout enters a game against the Buffalo Bills, who have allowed the sixth-fewest receiving yards per game to opposing receivers, a week after catching one pass for 13 yards against a banged-up 49ers defense. Edelman probably will be the Bills’ focal point on defense with receiver N’Keal Harry uncertain to play (concussion).

Gerald Everett, TE, Los Angeles Rams
Everett benefitted from teammate Tyler Higbee being inactive in a “Monday Night Football” win over the Bears, catching four of five passes for 28 yards and a touchdown. We don’t expect as noteworthy a performance from Everett against the Miami Dolphins this week, even if Higbee (limited Wednesday) is held out again. Miami has allowed the third fewest fantasy points to tight ends on the season.