Who Should I Start for Fantasy Football Week 8? Marcus Mariota, Deebo Samuel Sr., Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Isiah Pacheco, Hollywood Brown, Zach Ertz, Terry McLaurin, Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes

Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota will make his third start of the season on Monday Night Football against the Kansas City Chiefs. With Jayden Daniels (hamstring) ruled out early in the week, Washington will rely on the 31-year-old quarterback for a big primetime matchup.

Mariota led Washington to a 1-1 record and has been solid in both of his starts, completing 31 of 48 pass attempts for 363 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception while also adding value with his legs, with eight carries for 60 yards and a rushing score. And he'll be getting a big boost in Week 8 with both top wide receivers, Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) and Deebo Samuel Sr. (heel), cleared from the injury report and set to play on Monday.

Mariota will face a Chiefs defense that just pitched a shutout in Week 7 against the Raiders, but has been mediocre against the pass outside of that game, ranking 21st in dropback success rate (48.9%). The veteran QB has value as a streamer in a potential high-scoring matchup, ranking as RotoBaller's QB14 for Week 8.

Washington Commanders wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. has been cleared from the injury report ahead of Monday Night Football against the Kansas City Chiefs. Samuel missed only one game due to the heel injury that he's been managing for a few weeks, and will be joined by fellow wide receiver Terry McLaurin, who returns from a four-game absence because of a quadriceps injury.

Samuel has enjoyed an outstanding bounce-back season with Washington through six games, catching 34 of his 43 targets for 315 yards and three touchdowns, and has added eight rushes for 45 yards and another score on the ground. McLaurin's return could take away a few targets, but Samuel has operated as the focal point of the passing attack in his absence.

He's shown more downfield ability this year and continues to be one of the best YAC threats in the league. RotoBaller ranks him as WR25 in PPR leagues for Week 8 against a Chiefs defense that has allowed the second-fewest PPR points per game to opposing wide receivers.

Washington Commanders rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt broke out for 150 total yards and two touchdowns in Week 5 against the Chargers, but he has disappointed in the past two weeks despite favorable matchups. Croskey-Merritt is still the clear No. 1 back in Washington, posting his three highest rushing attempt and route participation rates of the season over the past three weeks.

The seventh-round rookie has still been one of the most efficient runners in the league despite the two-week lull, posting the third-highest success rate (60.3%) and eighth-highest explosive rush rate (6.8%) among running backs with at least 50 carries. He's not as involved in the passing game, which lowers his ceiling a tad, but he is still capable of delivering a big fantasy performance.

He'll face a Kansas City Chiefs defense that hasn't been great on a down-to-down basis, ranking 22nd in rush success rate (42.6%). Croskey-Merritt ranks as RotoBaller's RB23 in PPR leagues for Week 8.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco will take on the Washington Commanders in Week 8. The Chiefs running back handled 15 carries for 57 yards and a touchdown in their 31-0 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 7. Pacheco has seemingly taken over the lead role out of the Kansas City backfield, handling at least 12 carries and 50 yards in each of the past two weeks.

Pacheco has quietly been efficient with his touches, averaging at least 4.5 yards per carry in more than half of his games. The struggles of the Kansas City run game early on could more likely be attributed to the inefficiency of Kareem Hunt and the team's dedication to keeping him involved. Pacheco should continue being the lead back this week against the Commanders, who have been middle-of-the-pack in fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs this season.

The 26-year-old back should see a high volume of touches in a home game that the Chiefs have favored by nearly 12 points. Pacheco is ranked RB23 in our RotoBaller Half-PPR rankings, making him a low-end RB2 option on Monday night.

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin is set to return from a four-game absence with a quadriceps injury Monday Night Football against the Kansas City Chiefs. McLaurin will provide a much-needed boost to Washington's passing attack after a tough offensive showing in Week 7 against the Cowboys. The 30-year-old wideout was off to a slow start in the three games he played before getting injured, catching 10 of 17 targets for 149 yards.

A slower start was to be expected, as McLaurin missed most of training camp while negotiating a new contract extension. Washington's top wide receiver will be joined back by Deebo Samuel Sr., who missed last week with a heel injury, but will be without his star quarterback, Jayden Daniels (hamstring). McLaurin has had success with Mariota under center, however. He caught six of six targets for 98 yards in Week 7 of last season and then seven of eight targets for 57 yards and a touchdown in just the second half in Week 18.

In Week 3 this season, he caught three of four targets for 74 yards with Mariota before getting injured, and nearly had a long touchdown. It's a tough spot for McLaurin to make his return, as the Chiefs have allowed the second-fewest PPR points per game to opposing wide receivers. McLaurin comes in as the WR30 in RotoBaller's rankings for Week 8.