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Should I start DeVonta Smith, Tee Higgins, or D.J. Moore for Week 8? Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks and recommendations for the 2025 NFL season.
Once again, fantasy managers are caught navigating injuries when making lineup decisions in Week 8. Unfortunately, there are also six different teams on bye in Week 8, further complicating the player pool for fantasy managers.
Due to the number of unavailable players, fantasy managers may need to get creative or rely on players who have struggled to produce consistently in 2025.
Three such wide receivers are DeVonta Smith, Tee Higgins, and D.J. Moore. Can any of them be started in Week 8? Read below to find out.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings
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Should I Start DeVonta Smith for Fantasy Football?
Philadelphia Eagles’ wide receiver Smith is quietly having a good season, even if he is also suffering from the early inconsistencies of the Eagles’ passing attack. Smith is currently the WR21 in PPR points per game, averaging 14.3 points. The veteran wide receiver has at least five targets, four receptions, and 49 receiving yards in five of seven games this year.
HURTS TO DEVONTA. 79-YARD TD.
PHIvsMIN on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/0PMs1xTxSR
— NFL (@NFL) October 19, 2025
In most weeks, Smith is a solid WR2 in fantasy who can be a top-10 option in the right game script. However, Smith can be elevated into the top 10 conversation in Week 8 now that the Eagles have ruled A.J. Brown out for the week due to a hamstring injury.
Since 2022, Smith has played three games without Brown. In those games, he sees an average increase of 3.7 targets, 2.1 receptions, and 34.7 receiving yards per game. His PPR points per game also increase from a respectable 14.4 to 19.4, which is a locked-in top 10 receiver.
Smith should be considered a top-12 option in Week 8 against the New York Giants.
Should I Start Tee Higgins for Fantasy Football?
Higgins has benefited from the Bengals trading for Joe Flacco. Over the last two weeks, Higgins has caught 11 of 18 targets for 158 yards and a touchdown. The veteran receiver is the WR17 in PPR points per game in the two-game sample size (16.4), but is coming off a WR13 finish against the Steelers.
FLACCO DIME TO HIGGINS WHO MAKES A HIGH IQ PLAY 🔥
PITvsCIN on Prime Video
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/5kbBK0eoaO— NFL (@NFL) October 17, 2025
Like Ja'Marr Chase, Higgins has benefited from Flacco’s willingness to throw the ball to his wide receivers in tight windows. Higgins' upside will remain capped as long as Chase is healthy and commanding targets, but that matters less when Flacco has at least 45 pass attempts in his two games as a Bengal.
Higgins is a top-20 receiver in fantasy in Week 8 against the New York Jets.
Should I Start D.J. Moore for Fantasy Football?
It has been a hard season for Moore truthers. Chicago’s passing attack has continued to struggle with issues of consistency, thanks to Caleb Williams. However, even when the offense is clicking, the targets aren’t being funneled to Moore.
Moore is the WR49 in PPR points per game this season, with 9.2 points per game. He has just one game this season with more than 10.0 fantasy points per game. Moore has at least five targets in every game this season, but hasn’t had over 50 receiving yards since Week 1.
Chicago’s passing attack is getting funneled through second-year receiver Rome Odunze this season, which has limited Moore’s upside. Add in the general struggles of the passing attack, and you have a wide receiver who is impossible to trust in fantasy.
Chicago’s Week 8 opponent, the Baltimore Ravens, has struggled defensively this season, but is coming off their bye week. At this point, Moore should be considered a high-end WR3 that can be a WR2 if he sees enough volume or scores a touchdown. That is enough to hit starting lineups in fantasy in a week where six teams are on bye.
Who Should I Start Tool
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 8 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like DeVonta Smith, Tee Higgins, D.J. Moore. 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 2025 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.
Week 8 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - DeVonta Smith, Tee Higgins, D.J. Moore. 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 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 (2025)? 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 DeVonta Smith, Tee Higgins, D.J. Moore compared to others:
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