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Who Should I Start for Week 8? Fantasy Football outlooks for Pat Freiermuth, Harold Fannin Jr., Tyler Warren, Dallas Goedert, Colston Loveland, Michael Mayer, Mason Taylor, AJ Barner, Mike Gesicki.
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some of the most common Week 8 fantasy football lineup decisions involve players like Pat Freiermuth, Harold Fannin Jr., Tyler Warren, Dallas Goedert, Colston Loveland, Michael Mayer, Mason Taylor, AJ Barner, and Mike Gesicki. However, don't worry; we are here to help you 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 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.
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Week 8 Fantasy Football Outlooks
Below are some fantasy football outlooks written by our NFL team here at RotoBaller, bringing you their fantasy football analysis and advice on which players to consider starting in Week 8:
Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer has recorded 31 receptions for 298 yards and a touchdown through seven games. Mayer surpassed 80 receiving yards against Kansas City in Week 4 and Buffalo in Week 6 before cooling off with three catches for 32 yards against the Rams on Sunday.
He played 82% of the offensive snaps in Week 7, as Las Vegas continues using both Mayer and Brock Bowers in multiple-tight-end formations. Mayer has enough opportunity to warrant a roster spot even with Bowers healthy, but his inconsistent targets make him a risky Week 8 starter against the Jets.
Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland caught seven passes for 69 yards and a touchdown on a game-high 12 targets in Thursday's 30-24 win over the visiting New England Patriots. Now that's more like it. Loveland built on a strong performance from a week ago in quarterback Caleb Williams' return from a three-game absence and was again a featured part of the game plan.
It's the former first-round pick's second straight game with at least six catches, 65 yards, and a touchdown, as Chicago's offense is rounding into form under Williams' direction. Wide receivers Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III will undoubtedly get more involved at times, but things are looking up for Loveland after a string of solid production.
Chicago's offense will be put to the test their next time out when they line up against a stingy Seattle Seahawks defense on the road.
Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki has scored a touchdown in four consecutive games, putting him on the fantasy football radar as a solid streaming option for Week 8 against the Tennessee Titans. In addition to the four-game scoring streak, Gesicki found the end zone back in Week 1, which means that he has a touchdown in five of the Bengals' six games so far.
The tendency to score touchdowns certainly gives Gesicki a solid ceiling, but managers also must acknowledge that he is touchdown-dependent and possesses a low floor. After all, he has just eight catches over his last five games, as well as four touchdowns on his last seven receptions. The Bengals love using him around the goal line, but the rate at which he is scoring touchdowns is not sustainable over the course of the full season, especially with a relatively low number of receptions.
His snap share has also dropped to below 50% in each of the last two weeks, which is another reason for fantasy managers to temper expectations. With that being said, managers looking to stream a tight end with touchdown upside should turn to Gesicki, even if he has a lower floor.
Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth is coming off another lousy performance, but he's still a decent fantasy option. Over the last two games, Freiermuth has hauled in four receptions for 31 yards. It has been a struggle for the big tight end, but he's still the TE11 at the moment despite some lackluster performances. He has seen four or more targets in every game but one this season.
He should continue to stay involved against the Cleveland Browns in Week 8. Fantasy managers looking for an option with their tight end on a bye week should consider snagging Freiermuth. He has a good track record despite some sluggish performances as of late.
Mason Taylor, New York Jets
New York Jets tight end Mason Taylor has taken on a much larger role offensively, and his two-touchdown performance from Week 7 has solidified him as a top waiver wire target going forward. In recent weeks, the 22-year-old has overtaken rookie Kenyon Sadiq as the No. 1 tight end on the depth chart. He has 12 catches, 119 yards, and two touchdowns over his last three games, and he has played at least 55% of the snaps in each of those contests.
As the Jets continue to find themselves in negative game script scenarios, opportunities will keep popping up for Taylor to command sizable target shares with impressive volume around the goal line. He ranks as the overall TE7 in half-PPR scoring over the last three weeks, and he's a fringe top-15 tight end going forward in redraft leagues.
Therein lies an opportunity for managers to add a potential fantasy starter off waivers, as Taylor remains available in more than 97% of leagues.
Who Should I Start Tool
You can also see the Who Should I Start tool here.
Week 8 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Pat Freiermuth, Harold Fannin Jr., Tyler Warren, Dallas Goedert, Colston Loveland, Michael Mayer, Mason Taylor, AJ Barner, Mike Gesicki. 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 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.
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, stats, projections, strength of schedule, players news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with 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 circle), 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 searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 8 for Pat Freiermuth, Harold Fannin Jr., Tyler Warren, Dallas Goedert, Colston Loveland, Michael Mayer, Mason Taylor, AJ Barner, Mike Gesicki.
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