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Andy's potential Week 8 busts, fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks for players who may disappoint. You should consider benching these players in Week 8.
Hey RotoBallers! Another slate of NFL action is behind us, which means it's almost time to start setting our lineups for the upcoming Week 8 slate. With some teams off the board on bye and injuries piling up, managers may be forced to dig deeper to fill their lineups.
Below, we'll look at some potential busts (one at each position) who could greatly underperform this coming weekend.
Who should fantasy managers bench in Week 8? Let's dive in!
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Potential Fantasy Football Lineup Busts
QB: Caleb Williams (CHC) @ SEA
Caleb Williams missed a few weeks with a hamstring injury but is quickly back on the QB1 radar. He returned to action in Week 6 and went 30-for-36 against the Atlanta Falcons with one passing score. On Thursday night, he took a step further, tallying over 25.0 PPR points with 308 yards, two scores, and another 18 with his legs.
CALEB WILLIAMS LASER ON THIRD AND LONG.
NEvsCHI on Prime Video
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/HLNowyCVnN— NFL (@NFL) October 23, 2026
However, managers viewing him as a reliable QB1 should lower expectations this weekend. While some managers may not have a true alternate option, he could take major steps back against a tough Seahawks defense.
The Seahawks enter Week 8 allowing 17.9 PPG and are coming off a dominant showing against the Chiefs. On Sunday night, they held Patrick Mahomes and company to just three points and 165 passing yards. Williams' ceiling is significantly lower this weekend and profiles more as a low-end QB1 than a high-end play.
RB: Zach Charbonnet and D'Andre Swift (SEA/CHI) vs. SEA/CHI
While we usually spotlight just one running back, this week we will look at two, and both are in the same matchup. Once again, this Bears/Seahawks matchup is on our radar and should be a defensive battle.
Both running backs, D'Andre Swift and Zach Charbonnet, will face two of the sport's top rushing defenses. Swift has punched in four rushing scores in his last four games but has averaged a modest 3.5 YPC. The Seahawks just held Kenneth Walker III to 36 yards and have allowed an average of 89.6 rushing yards per game.
Charbonnet nearly made his season debut last weekend but is in line to return this weekend. While his projected workload already puts him on the bust radar, this Bears defense makes his path to fantasy relevance even tougher.
Mike Macdonald was only willing to say, "we are sticking with our plan," relative to Zach Charbonnet.
He stopped short of saying he will play.
Jadarian Price will practice this week. Game status, "we don't know yet." via @SeattleSports https://t.co/OnPwmJagcN
— Brian Nemhauser (@hawkblogger) October 26, 2026
So far, Chicago has limited opposing running backs to 87.8 rushing yards per game, the third-lowest in the sport. Managers who stashed Charbonnet should keep him comfortably on the bench in his season debut. In the event Charbonnet is not cleared, Emanuel Wilson carries just as much risk.
WR: Ladd McConkey (LAC) @ LAR
The 24-year-old has been dealing with a concussion, but he was cleared to practice on Monday, suggesting he should be in line to return in Week 8. However, managers should not view him as a high-upside option against the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams enter Week 8 allowing just 186.3 passing yards per game, the fourth-lowest in the NFL.
In addition, the Chargers' offense has been inconsistent and could struggle against the tough Rams defense. The Chargers have averaged 168.2 passing yards per game while scoring a pedestrian 15.0 points per game.
After his 19.2 PPR point effort in Week 1, McConkey has seen just 3.3 targets per game (excluding Week 6, when he left early) and averaged 5.7 PPR points per game.
TE: Sam LaPorta (DET) vs. MIN
Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta is coming off a bust outing and may not find much success in Week 8. Facing the Green Bay Packers, LaPorta caught one of two targets for 18 yards on National Tight Ends Day.
Unfortunately, the Lions will face potentially the best defense in the sport this weekend. Entering Week 8, the Vikings have allowed the second-fewest yards per game and a dominant 12.3 PPG (best in football). They've also been elite at shutting down opposing tight ends, allowing the fewest PPR points to the position.
Throughout the campaign, the Vikings have held Juwan Johnson to under 20 yards, Colston Loveland to under five yards, and Tucker Kraft to just three catches. LaPorta is borderline low-end TE1 with major risk.
Read more player news and updates for Week 8
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 8 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like D'Andre Swift, Zach Charbonnet, Sam LaPorta, Caleb Williams. 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 2026 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help you make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we'll 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 -- D'Andre Swift, Zach Charbonnet, Sam LaPorta, Caleb Williams. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 8.
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's name. In the second box, search for the second player's 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.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our Who Should I Start? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 8 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 8 (2026)? 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 Week 8 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for D'Andre Swift, Zach Charbonnet, Sam LaPorta, Caleb Williams compared to others:
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