RADIO
Fantasy football starts/sits for TNF, expert advice for all Packers, Panthers. Week 8 matchups on Thursday Night Football. Our start em, sit em picks for Jalen Coker, Josh Jacobs, Chuba Hubbard, and more.
Week 8 of the NFL season kicks off Thursday night as the Green Bay Packers will host the Carolina Panthers at the historic Lambeau Field.
In addition to our start/sit recommendation and matchup ratings for each player, you can also read the fantasy football outlooks for key players like Jalen Coker, Josh Jacobs, Chuba Hubbard, and more. Which Panthers and Packers players should you start or sit in Week 8?
Make sure to set your winning lineups for Week 8, whether you're setting season-long or DFS lineups. We will have our fantasy football start/sit matchup charts available all season long -- focusing on who to start, who is on the fence, and who should find the bench -- so be sure to check back. Good luck in Week 8, RotoBallers!
Bookmark our updated and revamped fantasy football rankings portal for all league formats!PPR rankings | Half-PPR rankings | Standard rankings | Rookie rankings | Superflex rankings | Dynasty rankings | Who To Start? | Injuries | Matchup Ratings | Strength of Schedule
Carolina Panthers Start/Sit Matchups
See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections
| Player | Start/Sit | Matchup Rating ▾ |
Pos. | Team | Game Matchup |
| Tetairoa McMillan | Start | 116.7 | WR | CAR | GB |
| Jalen Coker | Start | 113.5 | WR | CAR | GB |
| Chuba Hubbard | Start | 111.8 | RB | CAR | GB |
| Bryce Young | Start | 104.5 | QB | CAR | GB |
| Ryan Fitzgerald | Risky Start | 103.1 | K | CAR | GB |
| Tommy Tremble | Sit | 101.6 | TE | CAR | GB |
| Darren Waller | Sit | 101.5 | TE | CAR | GB |
| John Metchie III | Sit | 99.7 | WR | CAR | GB |
| Brycen Tremayne | Sit | 99.6 | WR | CAR | GB |
| David Moore | Sit | 98.9 | WR | CAR | GB |
| Mitchell Evans | Sit | 98.4 | TE | CAR | GB |
| Carolina Panthers | Sit | 96.9 | DEF | CAR | GB |
| AJ Dillon | Sit | 95.9 | RB | CAR | GB |
| Trevor Etienne | Sit | 95.4 | RB | CAR | GB |
| Anthony Tyus III | Sit | 94.4 | RB | CAR | GB |
| Feleipe Franks | Sit | 91.7 | TE | CAR | GB |
| Ja'Tavion Sanders | Sit | 91.7 | TE | CAR | GB |
| Kenny Pickett | Sit | 88.5 | QB | CAR | GB |
| Haynes King | Sit | 87.9 | QB | CAR | GB |
Jalen Coker, WR, Panthers
Carolina wide receiver Jalen Coker spent time on the injury report this week, but he's been cleared to play in Week 8 against Green Bay on Thursday night. Coker was on the injury report with a shoulder ailment, being listed as limited on Monday, but becoming a full practice participant for Tuesday and Wednesday. He's coming off his worst game of the season in Week 7 against Tampa Bay.
Coker managed just one reception for nine yards across four targets in that one. He's also delivered three good fantasy showings across his other four appearances, so he's been a pretty steady fantasy option. Green Bay has struggled at times to slow opposing wide receivers, so Coker is set up to bounce back. Of course, Coker is the team's No. 2 wideout behind Tetairoa McMillan, making Coker a better flex-level option in standard leagues.
He checks in as WR15 in our RotoBaller Week 8 projections, so the matchup is getting him into most fantasy starting lineups. Now that he's off the injury report, fantasy owners should feel more confident in the young wideout delivering on Thursday night.
Chuba Hubbard, RB, Panthers
Carolina running back Chuba Hubbard is set up for success in the team's Week 8 Thursday night game against Green Bay. The Packers have struggled to slow opposing backs so far, allowing 115 rushing yards per contest. Like most of his offensive teammates, Hubbard will be looking to bounce back after a rough showing in Week 7 against Tampa Bay.
The RB had just 33 rushing yards on seven attempts, while catching four of his five targets for 27 yards. Hubbard had been over 100 total yards in the three contests before that, so he'll be looking to get back on track in Week 8.
While his matchup is favorable, Hubbard will be running behind a couple of new offensive linemen as Taylor Moton (fibula) and Damien Lewis (knee) are each out, so expectations for Hubbard need to be tempered a bit. Hubbard sits ninth among fantasy RBs in our RotoBaller Week 8 rankings, so he's one to be starting in all leagues.
Green Bay Packers Start/Sit Matchups
See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections
| Player | Start/Sit | Matchup Rating ▾ |
Pos. | Team | Game Matchup |
| Christian Watson | Start | 115.6 | WR | GB | CAR |
| Josh Jacobs | Start | 115 | RB | GB | CAR |
| Matthew Golden | Start | 112.7 | WR | GB | CAR |
| Jordan Love | Start | 110.4 | QB | GB | CAR |
| Tucker Kraft | Start | 109.6 | TE | GB | CAR |
| MarShawn Lloyd | Sit | 101.1 | RB | GB | CAR |
| Savion Williams | Sit | 100.4 | WR | GB | CAR |
| Trey Smack | Sit | 100 | K | GB | CAR |
| Pierre Strong Jr. | Sit | 99.7 | RB | GB | CAR |
| Jonnu Smith | Sit | 98.2 | TE | GB | CAR |
| Kaleb Johnson | Sit | 97.8 | RB | GB | CAR |
| Bo Melton | Sit | 97.2 | WR | GB | CAR |
| Mark Redman | Sit | 96.2 | TE | GB | CAR |
| J. Michael Sturdivant | Sit | 95.4 | WR | GB | CAR |
| Green Bay Packers | Sit | 93.7 | DEF | GB | CAR |
| Coleman Owen | Sit | 92.4 | WR | GB | CAR |
| Josh Whyle | Sit | 92.4 | TE | GB | CAR |
| Tyrod Taylor | Sit | 87.1 | QB | GB | CAR |
Matthew Golden, WR, Packers
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden (shoulder, foot) has drawn 25 targets over his past two games, including 12 against the Detroit Lions in Week 7, when he caught six passes for 39 yards, but he is questionable for Thursday night's Week 8 matchup against the Carolina Panthers, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic.
His potential absence would leave a significant amount of recent passing volume available for other receivers, particularly Christian Watson and Savion Williams. Williams caught all three of his targets for 47 yards against the Lions and could see additional opportunities if Golden is sidelined.
Golden was listed as an estimated nonparticipant Monday and Tuesday but was promoted to limited participation on Wednesday, suggesting he is trending in the right direction to suit up. If he were to play, he would carry high-end WR2 upside in all formats.
Tucker Kraft, TE, Packers
Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft caught four of his six targets for 48 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's Week 7 loss against the Detroit Lions. The 25-year-old had a relatively quiet start to the season since he was still working his way back from an ACL tear, but he has turned a corner over the past four weeks. Throughout his last four games, he has had two touchdowns and three double-digit fantasy performances in PPR leagues.
There was never any doubt that Kraft had TE1 value in his future, but it's officially here now that he has fully recovered from the serious knee injury. He has re-established himself as one of quarterback Jordan Love's favorite targets alongside Christian Watson and Matthew Golden. Kraft should rank as a mid-range TE1 heading into Week 8 against the Carolina Panthers, who just surrendered 37 offensive points to the Buccaneers.
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 Jalen Coker, Josh Jacobs, Chuba Hubbard. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 8.
Week 8 Player Decisions. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 8 of the 2026 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.
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, 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 to 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:
More Fantasy Football Analysis
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!
