Adam Koffler's Fantasy Football Starts and Sits: Week 8 Sleepers, Busts

October 31, 2026

Adam Koffler's fantasy football starts and sits for Week 8 of the 2026 season. His top sleepers and busts on the start-sit bubble, including Rachaad White and Luther Burden III.

Start 'Em, Sit 'Em for Week 8. This week, we've got four teams on bye (Texans, Saints, Giants, and 49ers). Last week wasn't great for this column, but we learn, move forward, and try to crush the next week.

All four of our starts (Tyler Allgeier, Michael Mayer, Tyler Higbee, and Keenan Allen) scored in single digits last week. We hit on two of our sits (Jaylin Noel and Carnell Tate) but missed on Blake Corum and Omar Cooper Jr., who looks like an absolute stud. We'll call it a success rate of 25%.

Remember, the goal of this article is to provide actionable advice on players being talked about. Guys who come up in the most questions asked by you. Here are my top trending starts and sits for Week 8, with some bonus names provided.

Week 8 Fantasy Football Starts

Rachaad White - RB, Washington Commanders vs. PHI

With Jacory Croskey-Merritt sidelined in Week 6, White saw 60% of the RB opportunities on a 69% snap share.

Coming out of the bye, he gets a juicy matchup at home vs. a struggling Philadelphia defense that has allowed 144 rushing yards per game in their last three games.

White won't blow anyone away with his rushing efficiency, but his usage in the passing game (five and six targets in the two games his route participation was over 45%), and his projected goal line role, gives him a nice floor/ceiling combination in a friendly matchup.

Germie Bernard - WR, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. CLE

After two big games in Weeks 5 and 6, Bernard came back down to earth in Week 7, catching just three of five targets for a grand total of 27 yards.

But in Week 8, he's back on the menu in a favorable matchup. Per Razzball, the Browns give up the sixth-most fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers lined up in the slot. That's where Bernard does most of his damage.

Per StatRankings, the Browns have the fifth-highest pressure rate this season (34.4%). Subsequently, they allow the eighth-fewest yards per pass attempt (6.0). Those short passes are right in Bernard's wheelhouse, as he has an average depth of target of 5.7 yards so far in his rookie season. Start 'em!

Ollie Gordon II - RB, Miami Dolphins vs. NE

It's going to be raining cats and dogs in Miami on Sunday. Advantage Gordon, who has been quietly elite since taking over for the injured De'Von Achane in Week 4.

He's had a couple of tough matchups vs. Minnesota and Cincinnati, but he's still found a way to produce. Per Fantasy Points Data, Gordon ranks fourth in yards before contact per attempt (3.12), eighth in yards after contact per attempt (2.48), and ninth in expected fantasy points per game (17.4) since Week 4.

The weather forecast calls for a ton of rain in Miami on Sunday, so expect a lot of running from Gordon in this one as the Dolphins try to play the possession game against the Patriots. Start 'em!

Makai Lemon - WR, Philadelphia Eagles @ WAS

The Eagles are set to be without DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks for a second straight week when they face the Commanders in Landover, Maryland.

That means another week of Lemon operating as the team's clear-cut WR1. Last week, he put up 7-67-1 on a season-high eight targets. Per Fantasy Points Data, Lemon had a 31.8% first read target share and produced 0.60 fantasy points per route run, which was 15th-most among wide receivers in Week 7.

The Commanders allow the seventh-most fantasy points to the wide receiver position this season. Start 'em!

Bonus starts: Michael Wilson @ DAL, Wan'Dale Robinson @ CIN, Ryan Flournoy vs. ARI, Jonah Coleman vs. KC, Tyler Higbee vs. LAC

Week 8 Fantasy Football Sits

Jonathan Taylor - RB, Indianapolis Colts @ JAX

If you roster JT, you probably don't have a better option at running back in Week 8. However, if you do have other options, this is the week to consider starting them over Taylor.

He faces off against the Jaguars in Jacksonville. The Colts are a disaster and are having a fire sale, while the Jaguars are fresh off of a bye and hungry to play football back in the U.S.

Jacksonville has been elite against the run this season, allowing the fewest yards per carry (3.2), rushing yards per game (72.2), and fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs per game (14.7).

With the Colts protecting their trade asset, Seth McGowan got a season-high 12 touches (36.4% RB opportunity share). My guess is we see even more of McGowan this weekend against the Jaguars.

It's Jonathan Taylor, you don't ever sit him, except this week against a stout Jacksonville front seven ahead of the November 10th trade deadline.

Quinshon Judkins - RB, Cleveland Browns @ PIT

Judkins returned in Week 7 after missing the Browns' Week 6 game due to ankle injury. He looked good, even scoring two touchdowns against a very porous Titans defense.

However, Judkins' usage in the passing game took a nosedive due to Dylan Sampson also returning from injury. Sampson played 46% of the snaps and got nine touches in his first game this season.

Judkins' route participation rate fell to just 18% last weekend. He had been averaging around a 35% route participation rate with Sampson out of the lineup.

Week 8 brings a tougher test vs. a Steelers defense allowing the sixth-fewest yards per carry (3.7) this season. The Browns are underdogs in this one, which could lead to a trailing gamescript and more work for Sampson, their pass-catching specialist out of the backfield.

Luther Burden III - WR, Chicago Bears @ SEA

Like suggesting sitting JT, this is another tough call this week. But it's a brutal matchup for Burden against a Seahawks defense allowing by far the fewest passing yards per game this season (144.4).

Per Razzball, they also allow the eighth-fewest fantasy points to opposing wide receivers lined up in the slot (8.8). Not to mention they've also allowed by far the fewest fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers as a whole (17).

Burden has had great games vs. bad defenses this season, and bad games vs. good defenses this season. He went for just 3-32-0 on seven targets against Minnesota in Week 2. He's also caught four or fewer balls in four of seven games this season.

It'll be tough to bank on a breakout game against the stingiest pass defense in the league in Week 8. Sit 'em!

Jameson Williams - WR, Detroit Lions vs. MIN

It's been an up-and-down season for Williams, but he's come on of late, averaging 20.3 fantasy points per game in his last three games thanks to four touchdowns.

But in Week 8, he'll face his toughest test of the season against a Vikings team that has allowed just three touchdowns and the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers this season.

They're also allowing just the second-fewest yards per pass attempt this season (5.2). They don't give up big plays and have allowed just 12.3 points per game this season.

The Lions still have a 24.5-point implied total this week, but it's a far cry from their average of 30.7 this season. Sit 'em!

Bonus sits: Travis Kelce @ DEN, Jordan Mason @ DET, Malik Washington vs. NE, Denzel Boston @ PIT

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