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Kev Mahserejian answers reader questions from the fantasy football mailbag with his weekly Q&A session. In Week 8, he will provide lineup advice to answer pressing start/sit questions for tough matchups.
This article's content may vary week-to-week, but generally, it will be answering questions fielded from either the @RotoBallerNFL twitter account or my personal one (@RotoSurgeon). This week, the focus is on start/sit questions, and there were plenty. Every week, many of us struggle with which quarterback to start, or who to flex, and I am here to help.
The questions selected will combat difficult decisions that might be specific to Week 8 starters. We have seen plenty of early risers and fallers who may not make the cut in our lineup as we stumble through the season. The hype and shine wear off some places and beginning to glisten elsewhere. However, sometimes, it is just best to not rock the boat (particularly if things are going well).
If you need any questions answered in the coming weeks, feel free to follow and ask either account and we will make sure to respond promptly.
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Week 8 Mailbag
Verdict: Ty Johnson
Melvin Gordon should be the answer here given name value but it is hard to trust him at the moment. Gordon looks exactly like a player that missed half of the season (including preseason) and just does not have much figured out yet. Austin Ekeler is clearly outplaying him and this matchup against a stout Bears' front is daunting. Although Chicago has given up 280 yards and five touchdowns on the ground over the past two weeks, they had to face to of the top offensive lines in the league in those respective games. This week, the Chargers return starting LT Russell Okung but even that addition cannot mask the poor play along the rest on the line. Gordon will have a hard time having holes created for him and will not have the luxury of Keenan Allen drawing defenders deep due to his injury status.
Ty Johnson finds himself thrust into a primary back role in an offense that is not half bad and facing one of the worst overall defenses in the league this week. Johnson saw over 60 percent of the snaps last weekend due to Kerryon Johnson's injury and looks to have a similar snap share this week along with a similar 15~ touch load which is more than enough to produce more than Gordon.
Verdict: D.J. Chark
This one is tough. Three respective top WRs on their own squads who have heavy target shares and big-play potential. Allen Robinson is the most heavily targeted of the bunch and is on a heater of late with 184 yards, three touchdowns and 17 receptions over his past two games. Unfortunately, he will draw coverage from Casey Hayward this week which could present some difficulties for mediocre quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. Also, the Bears have pressed the issue on having to run more and that may hurt Robinson in a game that should tilt in the Bears' favor due to the matchup. Sutton is officially the de facto WR1 in Denver with Emmanuel Sanders shipped to San Francisco but may not be the best start this week. He unfortunately still has Joe Flacco throwing him the ball and will be facing a team that could control the clock to such an extent that would squeeze Denver out of several potential plays.
Chark is the play here because the Jets' secondary is porous and this game could end up relatively close enough that neither is game-scripted in or out of anything. Leaving Chark as a safe option with great upside.
Verdict: Cameron Brate
Not that Defense vs TE matters too much but the Titans have bled points to the position all season. Brate has a great matchup this week and will command almost every TE snap with O.J. Howard out. Quarterback Jameis Winston fancies Brate in the endzone as the two have connected on several touchdowns throughout the past few seasons along with two in the last three games. Brate is not going to accrue many yards or targets but he gets the ball where it counts.
Dallas Goedert is a TE2 on his own team and should not get started outside of the deepest leagues. Greg Olsen is probably the "best" of this bunch but has to face a brutal 49ers' defense that will trouble young Kyle Allen all game when he tries to throw.
Verdict: Kyler Murray
Kyler Murray is significantly better than Mason Rudolph and is in a matchup that will require him to stay heavily active. Rudolph's Monday night meeting against the Dolphins could end quickly while not requiring him to pass often, if at all. The Steelers' gameplan since Big Ben went down has been to pound that rock and it has been effective. With Jaylen Samuels potentially returning, the ball will be taken out of Rudolph's hands early and often unless Coach Tomlin wants to give him this game as his trial to air things out. While it is a possibility, rolling with the "sure-thing" in Murray is better. Murray faces a Saints' offense that is returning Drew Brees. There will be plenty of points scored in this matchup by both teams and Kyler will have to be involved heavily due to the strength of New Orleans' run defense that could stymie Chase Edmonds.
More Start/Sit Advice
