Fantasy Start 'Ems, Sit 'Ems Week 8: Start Kenneth Walker, sit your Rams, and more advice at every position
- The NFL season is in full swing.
- Each week, we're listing players to start or sit in fantasy football.
START: Kirk Cousins, QB, Minnesota Vikings
Week 8 opponent: vs. Arizona Cardinals
Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $6,100 / FanDuel — $7,800
Why you should start him: Kirk Cousins is still waiting for a true breakout game this year, having not yet cleared the 300-yard mark in a game. Last week, Andy Dalton threw for 361 yards against this Cardinals defense while attempting to lead a comeback that never came to fruition. Cousins could find some similar success through the air.
SIT: Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams
Week 8 opponent: vs. San Francisco 49ers
Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $6,000 / FanDuel — $7,000
Why you should sit him: The San Francisco 49ers appear to have the Los Angeles Rams' number, having won seven of the past eight games between these divisional foes. In three of those seven losses, the Rams have failed to score more than 10 points against the 49ers, including when these teams met in early October. In that game, Matthew Stafford threw for 254 yards, no touchdowns, and an interception. If you have to start Stafford this weekend, don't expect much from him in terms of fantasy production.
START: Josh Jacobs, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
Week 8 opponent: at New Orleans Saints
Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $7,500 / FanDuel — $9,000
Why you should start him: There is no player in the NFL hotter than Josh Jacobs right now. Jacobs has rushed for at least 140 yards in three straight games, and scored six touchdowns over that same span. While the Saints defense is no pushover, it's shocking that Jacobs isn't priced higher simply because of the hot streak he's currently riding.
SIT: Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots
Week 8 opponent: at New York Jets
Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $6,400 / FanDuel — $8,000
Why you should sit him: Rhamondre Stevenson looked solid on Monday night against the Bears, taking a remarkable 11 carries while Damien Harris was stuck with just 3 carries out of the backfield. That said, this split in Stevenson's favor feels like something of an illusion, as much of it came while the Patriots were attempting to mount a comeback and thus in hurry-up offense. Should Sunday's game against the Jets be more mildly paced, expect Harris to regain a bit more of his workload.
START: Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seattle Seahawks
Week 8 opponent: vs. New York Giants
Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $6,500 / FanDuel — $8,400
Why you should start him: Kenneth Walker has not disappointed since taking over the starting job in Seattle, putting up his best game yet in Week 7 against the Chargers, with 167 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. While New York's defense presents a bigger challenge than Los Angeles did, Walker is still positioned to be a major factor in the Seahawks' game plan.
SIT: David Montgomery, RB, Chicago Bears
Week 8 opponent: at Dallas Cowboys
Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $6,300 / FanDuel — $6,700
Why you should sit him: David Montgomery looked fine against the Patriots last week, but he's still splitting carries with Khalil Herbert, who often looks like the more spry of the two backs. Going up against a Cowboys defense that hasn't allowed a 100-yard rusher since Week 1, there's a good chance you can find a better option at running back this week.
START: Adam Thielen, WR, Minnesota Vikings
Week 8 opponent: vs. Arizona Cardinals
Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $6,200 / FanDuel — $6,200
Why you should start him: Obviously Justin Jefferson is the receiver you would most want to pair with Kirk Cousins if you were making a lineup for daily fantasy, but if Jefferson is out of your budget, Thielen has gotten at least seven targets in every game since Week 1, and feels due for a big game soon.
SIT: CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys
Week 8 opponent: vs. Chicago Bears
Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $7,000 / FanDuel — $7,500
Why you should sit him: Dak Prescott looked good but not great in his first game back from injury. If CeeDee Lamb is on your yearlong fantasy roster, chances are you should be starting him, but for daily fantasy players, it feels like you can find a better value at the $7,000-mark than Lamb this week.
START: Romeo Doubs, WR, Green Bay Packers
Week 8 opponent: at Buffalo Bills
Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $5,000 / FanDuel — $5,600
Why you should start him: The Packers are likely going to be trailing against the Bills on the road, and Aaron Rodgers has to throw it to someone. With wide receivers Allen Lazard, Sammy Watkins, and Christian Watson all on the team's injury report, Doubs may be the last man standing.
SIT: Christian Kirk, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 8 opponent: vs. Denver Broncos
Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $6,000 / FanDuel — $6,900
Why you should sit him: Despite their poor team record, the Denver Broncos defense has been one of the best in the NFL, giving up just 173.1 passing yards per game to start the year, good for second in the league. They've also given up fewer passing touchdowns than any team in the NFL. Christian Kirk is a fine player, but this is just a tough matchup.
START: Parris Campbell, WR, Indianapolis Colts
Week 8 opponent: vs. Washington Commanders
Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $4,500 / FanDuel — $5,600
Why you should start him: If you're in need of a fill-in player due to bye weeks, or willing to take a long shot for one of the last roster spots in your daily fantasy league, Parris Campbell is an exciting flyer to take. Campbell has had 17 catches for 127 yards and two touchdowns over the past two weeks, and the Colts are officially in "wild card" mode with Sam Ehlinger making his debut as the team's new starting quarterback. It could be a trainwreck, but if it's not, Campbell could wind up looking like a steal at this price.
SIT: Robert Woods, WR, Tennessee Titans
Week 8 opponent: at Houston Texans
Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $5,400 / FanDuel — $5,700
Why you should sit him: Robert Woods has just not looked like himself this year. Through seven games, Woods has yet to record more than four receptions in a game, and has gone for more than 40 yards receiving just once. Despite a fine matchup against the Texans this week, I'm not interested in starting Woods until it looks like the Titans are interested in using him.
START: Mack Hollins, WR, Las Vegas Raiders
Week 8 opponent: at New Orleans Saints
Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $4,500 / FanDuel — $5,600
Why you should start him: This is another wild card pick, but Mack Hollins only needs one big play to make himself worth the start in fantasy. He's scored in two of his past four games and went off for an astounding 158 yards back in Week 3 against the Titans. That's a tough performance to duplicate, but at this price, he only needs to do a little bit to earn his roster spot.
SIT: Allen Robinson, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Week 8 opponent: vs. San Francisco 49ers
Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $5,200 / FanDuel — $5,600
Why you should sit him: In a season filled with disappointing performances from Allen Robinson, his earlier game against the 49ers was his worst, finishing the night with just two catches for seven total yards. Hopefully he's able to top those numbers in the rematch, but I would rather him watch from the fantasy bench.
START: Pat Freiermuth, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 8 opponent: at Philadelphia Eagles
Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $3,900 / FanDuel — $5,700
Why you should start him: When the Steelers were trailing the Dolphins late in the fourth quarter last week, Pat Freiermuth turned a mediocre fantasy day into a pretty great one, thanks to a load of cheap passes over the middle in garbage time. Going up against the undefeated Eagles, the Steelers could be looking at a lot more garbage time this week, which means a lot more points for Feiermuth in the middle of the field.
SIT: Tyler Higbee, TE, Los Angeles Rams
Week 8 opponent: vs. San Francisco 49ers
Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $4,200 / FanDuel — $6,000
Why you should sit him: Tyler Higbee was one of the few Rams players to have a good day the first time they played the 49ers this season, finishing the game with 10 receptions for 73 yards. I doubt San Francisco allows him to repeat the performance.
START: New York Jets defense
Week 8 opponent: vs. New England Patriots
Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $2,900 / FanDuel — $4,500
Why you should start them: The Jets defense is looking pretty dang solid, and going up against a Patriots team that still can't decide which quarterback gives them a better chance at winning.
SIT: Miami Dolphins defense
Week 8 opponent: at Detroit Lions
Daily fantasy price: DraftKings — $3,500 / FanDuel — $4,000
Why you should sit them: Detroit's offense has been dismal the past two weeks, but before that, they were one of the most explosive in the league. The Dolphins defense is solid enough, but it feels like the Lions might have another huge day in them.
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