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Brandon's fantasy football start em and sit em for Week 8 lineups in 2021. Sneaky players to start that may boom, and typical starters to disappoint or bust.
With six teams on bye and an abundance of injuries to factor in, Week 7 sent many fantasy managers into a tailspin to put together a workable starting lineup. Some managers were hit a little harder than others, but as a whole, this was the week that many had to get through as best as possible. With so many wildcards thrown into the mix, you would expect to see the scoring be one of the hardest to predict on the season. But outside of Taylor Heinicke finishing as a QB1, Derrick Henry NOT the RB1, and C.J. Uzomah topping out as the TE1, much of the week wasn't what you would call a double-take. The one takeaway from the week was just how much of a passing week it was from a production standpoint. We saw 14 quarterbacks produce over 20 FP on the week as opposed to the running backs that just saw five in Week 7.
That is another variable that is hard to put your finger on as a fantasy manager when determining how a week will play out. Some weeks can tend to be a little more run-heavy from a production standpoint, giving you a little more flexibility from your roster before you set your starting lineup. The more options in front of you, the more headaches that can present themselves for managers. Usually, the further along you get into a season, the easier it becomes to determine your core players. Whether it be through trades or free agency, most managers have begun the trim-down process at this point in the season. This alleviates those headaches every week, as you know the players that will be going into battle for you. But during the bye weeks, there will still be those final lineup decisions that will need to be made.
Those decisions are where the analytics can truly come into play. Sure, you can go by the projections and submit your lineup as they are a useful tool. But they do not tell the whole story. Having a true understanding of the numbers can lean a manager in the direction of another player. There are so many factors that are in play that can be used to help set the most optimal lineup each week. That is why I am here. To help clear the air and give you some players that should be considered in your lineups in Week 8. While also pointing out some names of players that could disappoint based on matchups, even though they are typical starters in fantasy.
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Week 8 Woos - Fantasy Football Booms
Teddy Bridgewater vs. Washington Football Team
When you look at Teddy Bridgewater, the word that typically comes to mind is "average." That is exactly how you can describe his fantasy season to date, it's been average. He's had just two QB1 finishes on the season and none of those have landed him inside the top 10. Some of his advanced analytics look good as he ranks inside the top 12 in passing touchdowns (12), red-zone attempts (39), and air yards (2,078). But he ranks only 18th in passing yards (1,701) and his lack of mobility (69 rushing yards) has brought his FPPG to a mediocre 16.6 (ranking 23rd). The matchup on paper in Week 8 is one that he should be able to take advantage of and improve upon those numbers. He will be facing the underperforming Washington Football Team defense that is the worst in the league in points allowed to quarterbacks (30.0 FPPG). With the expected return of Jerry Jeudy, Bridgewater will have plenty of weapons to utilize and should be viewed as a fringe QB1 on the week. With Lamar Jackson on bye, he is a more than capable streamer for the week.
Jamaal Williams vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Although D'Andre Swift has been getting all the love from fantasy managers because of what he has been doing as a pass-catcher, Williams quietly continues to get a solid amount of work in the Lions backfield. He is currently the RB27 on the year mostly due to his strong start to the season, as he has been absent in the passing game in recent weeks (three catches over the last four games). But he remains a focal point of the running game (71 carries on the season ranks 22nd), something that will continue to be a mindset of the Lions' offensive strategy. His FPPG has dipped down to under 10 (9.9) on the season, but look for him to top that number in Week 8. The Lions will be facing an Eagles defense that is a bottom-five unit in points allowed to opposing running backs (22.6 FPPG). I expect to see the see try and control the game with the run and slow the pace way down. If they can find success in doing so, Williams could be in store for a productive day as a sneaky Flex play.
Cole Beasley vs. Miami Dolphins
Beasley has been somewhat of a Jekyll and Hyde case for fantasy managers to begin the 2021 season. He's had three games in which he has totaled 35 targets, but in the other three, he has had just eight combined. Those levels of inconsistency can be maddening for fantasy managers. He ranks as the WR45 on the season and most of the numbers can point as to why. Although he ranks 23rd in receptions (33), he sits at 50th in yards (303) and 49th in routes run (174). It's all about finding the right matchup for Beasley on the season. In his three games in which he has provided solid production, he has been facing a defense near the bottom of the league in points allowed (Pittsburgh, Washington, and Tennessee). That is the case in his matchup in Week 8 as he will be facing a Dolphins defense that is next to last in points allowed to the position (28.6 FPPG) on the year. With all these variables at play, Beasley makes for an intriguing play as a WR3 in seasonal leagues, but also in DFS formats.
Dan Arnold @ Seattle Seahawks
Arnold hasn't wasted much time in making an impression after joining the Jaguars via trade. His 15 targets in three games have landed him third on the team behind receivers Mavin Jones and Laviska Shenault. His inability to find the end zone has affected him from a fantasy production standpoint (5.9 FPPG), where he ranks just 29th at the position. That could change in Week 8 as he faces a Seahawks defense that ranks as a bottom 10 unit in points allowed to the position (10.1 FPPG). They have also surrendered a score to an opposing tight end in three out of seven games played. With most of the coverage focused on the receivers, Arnold could turn in a productive day as a streamer for fantasy managers missing Darren Waller and Mark Andrews this week.
Week 8 Boos - Fantasy Football Busts
Dak Prescott @ Minnesota Vikings
Coming off his best performance of the season in Week 6 against the Patriots, you would assume things should be all systems go for the Cowboys quarterback right? Well, that could be wrong as he picked up the calf injury at the end of the Patriots game that has lingered into preparation for Week 8. On the season, he ranks just ninth in FPPG (22.3) and 18th in air yards (1,766). He has helped himself to this point with 16 touchdowns that have him ranked sixth on the season. But the matchup in Week 8 could be a tough one for Prescott. He will be facing a Vikings defense that currently ranks 29th in the league in points allowed to the position (16.2 FPPG). Couple that with the lingering injury and you could see the Cowboys' offense be more focused on the running game here. Managers will be starting Dak as long as he is capable of playing, but tempering expectations would be advised in Week 8.
Antonio Gibson @ Denver Broncos
As the conductor of the Antonio Gibson express, the 2021 season has been a tough one to deal with to this point. He has a high fantasy finish on the year of RB10 (Week 3) and has yet to run for over 100 yards in the ground. Yes, the workload has been there as he ranks fifth in carries (103), but his lack of utilization in the passing game has held him back (Ranks 32nd with 18 targets). Ranking just 22nd in FPPG (12.5) has been disappointing, to say the least, but you have to assume the shin injury that has been plaguing him is the culprit. Until we see him fully healthy, you have to expect that these subpar performances will continue. That is likely to be the case in Week 8 as he will be facing a Broncos defense that allows just 18.7 FPPG to running backs. If he plays at just a 50% snap share again this week, Gibson is a candidate to be benched with many options coming available off the waiver wire in recent weeks at the position. If you are playing Gibson in Week 8, proceed with caution.
Robert Woods @ Houston Texans
Ever since the get-right game for Woods in Week 5 (12/150), it's been back to the Cooper Kupp show for the Rams passing attack. Since that 14 target game, Woods has seen just 11 targets and eight receptions over the last two games. On the season he has an amazing 93% snap share, but his 35 receptions (19th) and 423 yards (21st) have led to a subpar 14.2 FPPG, where he ranks 27th at the position. I don't expect to see him improve those numbers in Week 8 as he will be facing a Texans defense that is allowing just 23.0 FPPG to the position. Add in the fact that game-script could likely not be in his favor, Woods could put together yet another underwhelming performance this week. Many managers will have him locked in as a WR2 in their lineups but expect to see a Flex play level of production in Week 8.
C.J. Uzomah @ New York Jets
Coming off the big performance in Week 7, many managers may be chomping at the bit to get Uzomah into their lineups. But beware as his current standing as TE11 on the year has been buoyed by two giant productive games. Yes, he ranks inside the top 10 in routes run (163), but his productive numbers show a lack of utilization where he ranks 22nd in receptions (17) and 13th in both yards (256) and FPPG (10.4). The matchup on paper looks nice for Uzomah in Week 8, facing a Jets defense that has been one of the league's worst in points allowed to the position (10.5 FPPG). But he could underperform based on game-script as the Bengals could get out to an early lead and lean on the run game to finish things out. Simply put, Uzomah is not the type of player that you lock in each week. He is a streamer at best and there could be better options to put into play for Week 8.
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