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Justin's fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks for Week 8 of 2025. He looks at surprising performances from Oronde Gadsden, Kyle Monangai, Travis Hunter, Joe Flacco, Xavier Legette.
Like most of you who are reading this, I grew up playing Madden. I can't remember what year Madden it was, but there was one where Oronde Gadsden was a free agent and I always signed him to bolster the Texans receiving group, because this was back when the team had Andre Johnson and then, like, nothing else.
I bring this up because Gadsden's son, Oronde Gadsden II, was probably the biggest surprise of Week 7, as he caught seven passes for 164 yards and grabbed his first NFL touchdown. He finished as the overall TE1 in fantasy.
In this week's Fact or Fiction column, we'll take a look at Gadsden's game and decide if it was a Fact, i.e., a sign of more strong performances to come, or a Fiction, i.e., a mirage, a one-off, a performance that won't be replicated. We'll also look at Week 7 performances from Joe Flacco, Kyle Monangai, Travis Hunter, and Xavier Legette. Let's get to it.
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Joe Flacco, QB, Cincinnati Bengals
Week 7 stats: 31-for-47 for 342 yards and three touchdowns -- overall QB6
So, like...is Jake Browning just bad? Because Browning threw eight interceptions in four games with the Bengals, and the team went 0-3 in the three of those contests that he started. Then, along comes Joe Flacco, and suddenly the offense is humming.
The answer, I believe, is a simple "yes." Browning was clearly not the same efficient passer he was during his seven-game stint in 2023. Flacco, meanwhile, is a smart, veteran player who can take advantage of an offense that has Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins as the primary weapons.
Joe Flacco admits he was nervous the first time throwing to Ja'Marr Chase & Tee Higgins 😂
"The first couple times I threw to Ja'Marr and Tee I was a little bit nervous ... I want them to know I can put some nice touch on it." pic.twitter.com/W68AXc7JEO
— Fitz & Whit (@fitzandwhit) October 21, 2025
He won't be a QB1 every week. In this game, his performance was aided by running back Chase Brown finally having a good game, which forced the defense to account for the run and opened up room for Flacco to operate.
Flacco threw six interceptions in his four games with Cleveland before he was benched and traded, so his lack of picks in two games with the Bengals probably won't be a trend that continues. Flacco has fantasy appeal, but he's more of a QB2 with upside than he is a dependable QB1.
Verdict: Fiction as far as this level of performance goes, but there's streaming appeal
Kyle Monangai, RB, Chicago Bears
Week 7 stats: 13 carries for 81 yards and a touchdown, two catches for 13 yards -- overall RB12
Rookie Kyle Monangai is coming off the best game of his NFL career, finding the end zone for the first time while rushing for 81 yards in Chicago's 26-14 win over the Saints. He also played his highest snap percentage of the season as he was on the field for 46 percent of offensive snaps.
Ben Johnson finally unleashed RB Kyle Monangai
-13 attempts
-81 rushing yards
-1 rushing TD
-2 receptions
-13 receiving yardsCongrats to the rookie on the big day 🔥pic.twitter.com/d9ghQl3w64
— Just Another Year Chicago: Bears (@JAYChi_Bears) October 19, 2025
Monangai's fantasy managers had to like what they saw, but it's probably notable that he was still outplayed by D'Andre Swift, who ran the ball 19 times for 124 yards and also added a touchdown.
Swift is still the lead back in Chicago, and he's the right choice to be the lead back. Monangai showcased his strength in this one and should earn some more reps, but Swift should remain the top guy as far as workload goes.
With that said, we saw in Detroit how Ben Johnson likes to use multiple backs in his offense, and Monangai could be on his way to earning goal-line touches to keep Swift from taking a beating down there. You can definitely play him in matchups against bad defenses.
Verdict: This is like...a soft Fact, if that makes sense
Travis Hunter, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 7 stats: eight catches for 101 yards and a touchdown -- overall WR8
It's happening. The whole Travis Hunter thing is finally happening.
After the rookie's usage had just been maddeningly frustrating all season, the Jaguars unleashed him against the Rams, with Hunter recording new career-best marks in targets, receptions, and receiving yards while scoring his first NFL touchdown. It was the lone bright spot in a disastrous 35-7 loss to the Rams.
The Jaguars feel like they've taken forever to find the right mix of usage for the two-way star, but the team's issues at wide receiver make it clear that, at least for 2025, the best thing is to use him full-time at receiver with a handful of defensive snaps mixed in. Brian Thomas Jr. is playing scared in Year 2. Parker Washington is just a guy. Jacksonville needs Hunter.
It also helps that the Jaguars are on a bye this week, giving the team time to look at this performance from Hunter and figure out how to replicate it. The team needs to come out on Nov. 2 against the Raiders with a plan to get the ball to Hunter as much as possible. I believe they will, which is why I view Hunter as an upside WR3 play going forward.
Verdict: Fact
Xavier Legette, WR, Carolina Panthers
Week 7 stats: nine receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown -- overall WR9
So...where did this come from? Carolina Panthers second-year receiver Xavier Legette had been virtually non-existent this season, totaling eight catches for 50 yards over his first four games of the season. In Week 7, he caught nine passes for 92 yards.
I'm sure Panthers fans would like to think this is the beginning of a breakout from the former first-round pick, but I'd slow my roll on that one.
For one thing, rookie Tetairoa McMillan tied his season-low in both receptions and targets in this one, offering extra opportunities for Legette. That was because McMillan spent this game covered by Sauce Gardner, forcing the Panthers to reevaluate things offensively. That won't be the case most weeks.
With quarterback Bryce Young expected to miss some time with an ankle sprain, you might think about using Legette in deep leagues due to his connection with Andy Dalton, but the targets will almost certainly go down this week against the Bills. This doesn't look like an offense that can sustain multiple fantasy-relevant receivers, and McMillan is clearly the best wideout on the roster.
Verdict: Fiction, though you might be able to flex him in deep leagues while Young is out
Oronde Gadsden II, TE, Los Angeles Chargers
Week 7 stats: seven catches for 164 yards and one touchdown -- overall TE1
The Los Angeles Chargers have a lot of solid pass-catchers on the roster. The trio of Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, and Keenan Allen isn't an elite group, but it's more than capable of producing big outcomes with Justin Herbert slinging the football.
And in Week 7, Herbert was SLINGING that football, as he had 55 pass attempts, completing 37 of those for 420 yards and three touchdowns. The defense let Herbert down and he was forced to go to the air often in an attempt to keep up with the Colts.
All those passes allowed Gadsden to take on a larger role than usual. The rookie tight end was targeted nine times, catching seven of those for a team-high 164 yards and a touchdown. Even with that, his nine targets ranked third on the team, as McConkey and Allen combined for 29 targets.
If you're finding a silver lining, it's the performance of Oronde Gadsden.
-Most yards by a Chargers rookie TE in a game
-Most yards by a rookie tight end in a game since 1985The Chargers have their tight end for the next decade.pic.twitter.com/2KI49VDxVp
— Alex Insdorf (@alexinsdorf99) October 20, 2025
Gadsden has 17 targets over the past two games, a sign that his role is expanding. The Chargers have Tyler Conklin and Will Dissly on the roster, but neither has done much. This week, Gadsden played 60 snaps while Dissly played three snaps and Conklin played exclusively on special teams. It's clear the rookie has become the No. 1 tight end in Los Angeles.
Still, there are three good wideouts who need targets and the Chargers won't be throwing this much every game. I wouldn't expect Gadsden to be a top-five tight end rest-of-season or anything, but I do think his recent uptick in usage makes him a low-end TE1 with upside. He'll have his boom weeks and his disappointing weeks, but the highs of the good weeks likely outweigh the risk of the bad weeks.
Verdict: There are too many pass-catchers for Gadsden to do what he did this week consistently, but it's a Fact that he's trending up
Who Should I Start Tool
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 8 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Joe Flacco, Kyle Monangai, Travis Hunter, Xavier Legette, Oronde Gadsden II. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 8. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 8 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Week 8 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Joe Flacco, Kyle Monangai, Travis Hunter, Xavier Legette, Oronde Gadsden II. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 7.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
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Popular Week 8 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 8 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 8 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 8 for Joe Flacco, Kyle Monangai, Travis Hunter, Xavier Legette, Oronde Gadsden II:
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