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The top daily fantasy football lineup picks for DraftKings in Week 8. Ben Rolfe's NFL DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
Week 8 has similar bad news in the case of us losing a few interesting teams from the slate. With both the Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Chargers on a bye week, we lose two of the more explosive offenses and one of the weaker defenses. We have also lost the New England Patriots to Monday Night Football taking away another good offense. However, as always there are still some fascinating games and poor defenses for you to select your DFS options from this week. Below are my DraftKings DFS Lineup Picks for Week 8.
These DraftKings lineup recommendations are based on matchups, early week performances, overall upside/talent levels, opportunity, and other factors such as Vegas odds, home field advantage, and more. There are quite a few great value plays available, so read on to find out which players are the best for Week 8.
Good luck with your DraftKings DFS lineups!
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DraftKings DFS Quarterbacks - Week 8 Picks
Andrew Luck - IND @ OAK (DK $6,300)
It has sort of been lost in the Colts 2-5 start to the season but Andrew Luck looks like he might be back. Over his last four games, he has averaged 29.69 points per game on DraftKings. In that time he has thrown 15 touchdowns and averaged 321.5 passing yards per game, with just five interceptions given up. This week he travels to the Oakland Raiders, who are having a really tough season defensively. They rank 27th in terms of fantasy points surrendered to quarterbacks and rank dead last in sacks with seven. The Colts offensive line is not amazing but against this defense, Luck should have all day to throw.
DraftKings DFS Running Backs - Week 8 Picks
Kareem Hunt - KC vs. DEN (DK $7,100)
As hard as it is to not pick Todd Gurley this week, it is harder to pass up Hunt who is over $2,500 cheaper. Hunt has already had success against Denver once this season, rushing for 121 yards and a touchdown. He is coming off a three-touchdown game against Cincinnati and has scored a touchdown in every game this season since Week 2. The Broncos defense has struggled against the run, having surrendered over 200 yards to a lead running back in two of their last three games. That contributes to them having a ranking of 25th against the run heading into Week 8 and Hunt should be able to take full advantage in Arrowhead.
Marlon Mack - IND @ OAK (DK $5,400)
Mack and his injuries are infuriating. After dealing with a hamstring earlier in the season he has now popped up with an ankle injury. However, when Mack has been on the field the last two weeks he has been superb. He averaged 7.4 yards per rush on 12 carries in Week 6 against the New York Jets. He then backed that up with an impressive two touchdown, 159 total yard performance in Week 7 against the Bills. This week he draws the 23rd worst defense in terms of fantasy points surrendered to running backs and if he is on the field he should have a ton of success.
Raheem Mostert - SF @ ARI (DK $3,800)
Last week was not a good follow-up for Mostert in terms of fantasy points. However, that game got out of hand and the 49ers were chasing it from very early on, which is not an ideal situation for Mostert. This week against the Cardinals should be a tighter game and Mostert should be able to have success. Despite having just seven carries last week, Mostert rushed for 59 yards, averaging 8.4 yards per carry. In Week 6 he averaged 7.3 yards per carry, demonstrating that last week was no fluke. The other good sign is that Mostert was targeted four times last week, meaning the 49ers are not afraid to get him involved in the passing game.
DraftKings DFS Wide Receivers - Week 8 Picks
Tyler Boyd - CIN vs. TB (DK $6,700)
Last week was extremely disappointing for Boyd but that is often the nature of a number two receiver. Boyd saw just four targets, the lowest amount he has seen this season. However, the whole game was a mess for the Bengals and they seemed to just shut it down fairly early on. This week he gets to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who rank 31st in terms of fantasy points surrendered to receivers on DraftKings. The last four weeks Boyd has alternated good and bad weeks so is surely due a good week in Week 8 right?
Taylor Gabriel - CHI vs. NE (DK $5,100)
I am not really sure what happened to Gabriel last week as he seemed to drop off the radar for the Bears. Week 7 saw Gabriel receive his lowest target number of the season at four. It is possible that after being beaten by the speed of Tyreek Hill the week prior, the Patriots were intent not to let another speedy receiver get the jump on them. Week 8 brings another good matchup for Gabriel in the shape of the New York Jets, who rank 30th against receivers this season.
DraftKings DFS Tight Ends - Week 8 Picks
David Njoku - CLE @ PIT (DK $4,600)
Njoku made it two weeks in a row with a touchdown and over 50 yards receiving last week. This week he gets to face another team who struggled against tight ends. The Steelers allowed Austin Hooper to run riot on them a few weeks back and you can definitely make the case Njoku is more talented than Hooper. One thing to watch is that Njoku was limited in practice Wednesday so his availability is something to monitor Sunday during the day.
O.J. Howard - TB @ CIN (DK $3,900)
Howard is having a solid season in 2018 and his nine targets last week is extremely encouraging. In four of the six games he has been active this year, he has scored double-digit fantasy points and has two touchdowns to his name. Howard appears to be a crucial part of this offense and this week he faces a defense who rank dead last against the tight end in terms of fantasy points surrendered.
DraftKings DFS Defenses - Week 8 Picks
Indianapolis Colts @ Oakland Raiders (DK $2,900)
At the start of this season, I could not have envisaged picking the Colts defense for three weeks in a row. However, the defense has been solid, if unspectacular, and they are having a nice stretch of matchups. The Raiders offense is a mess. Derek Carr is scared to throw the ball downfield because his offensive line cannot protect him. They traded away their best receiver in Amari Cooper and their lead running back, Marshawn Lynch, is on injured reserve. The only thing I am nervous about is the Raiders having a back-to-the-wall mentality at home this week and coming out aggressive. However, I am going to pick against a rattled Carr and the lack of offensive weapons and frankly, I feel good about it.
