RADIO
After having six teams on a bye week in Week 7, there are zero teams on a bye week in Week 8. That leaves us with a 13-game main slate in NFL DFS to dissect as the 2023 NFL season is approaching the midway point.
In this weekly article, we'll be taking a look at stacks and bring-back options that are ideal plays in GPPs (guaranteed prize pools) on DraftKings and FanDuel. Salaries and scoring formats can differ on both sites, making some players much better options on one site compared to the other.
When looking at stacks and bring-back players each week, you have to take into account potential game scripts and correlation. Before the eighth week of the season, here are my favorite stacks and bring-back options in NFL DFS on DraftKings and FanDuel.
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Baltimore Ravens at Arizona Cardinals
- Lamar Jackson ($8,100 DK, $8,800 FD)
- Mark Andrews ($6,400 DK, $7,700 FD) or Zay Flowers ($5,600 DK, $6,500 FD)
Lamar Jackson torched the defense of the Detroit Lions to the tune of 357 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, 36 rushing yards, and a rushing touchdown in Week 7. The former NFL MVP is looking more comfortable in Todd Monken's offense and is now set to face the Arizona Cardinals in Week 8. The Cardinals are 31st in pass defense DVOA and are allowing the sixth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Jackson is primed for another stellar outing as the Baltimore Ravens boast the third-highest projected team total (26.25) on the main slate.
On National Tight Ends Day against the Lions, Mark Andrews caught four of his six targets for 63 yards and two touchdowns. Andrews leads the Ravens with six targets inside the 10-yard line and that has resulted in three receiving touchdowns. Zay Flowers is posting a team-best 27.4% target share and the Ravens are utilizing him more down the field in recent weeks. There aren't really any other pass catchers in Baltimore's offense that are worth using in DFS aside from Andrews and Flowers. People still aren't going to be comfortable double-stacking with Jackson.
Bring-back options:
- Marquise Brown ($5,200 DK, $6,500 FD)
- Michael Wilson ($3,600 DK, $5,300 FD) or Trey McBride ($2,800 DK, $4,700 FD)
This is another week where I wouldn't mind stacking Jackson and the Ravens without using a bring-back piece from the Cardinals. Marquise Brown leads the way for Arizona with a 27% target share, but Joshua Dobbs just hasn't been able to connect with the speedy receiver in recent weeks. Even in a revenge narrative, it's hard to get excited playing Brown in any fantasy format against a defense that is giving up the 10th-fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers.
Michael Wilson has cooled off since combining for nine receptions, 162 receiving yards, and two touchdowns in Weeks 3 and 4. With Zach Ertz placed on injured reserve, Trey McBride now becomes a solid salary-relief option at tight end. McBride was already running more routes before Ertz suffered his injury, so the young tight end should see close to a full-time role.
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Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Commanders
- Jalen Hurts ($8,200 DK, $9,200 FD)
- A.J. Brown ($8,000 DK, $8,700 FD)
- DeVonta Smith ($6,700 DK, $6,900 FD) or Dallas Goedert ($4,600 DK, $6,200 FD)
In the win over the Miami Dolphins in Week 7, Jalen Hurts sustained a knee injury that forced him to wear a knee brace in the second half of the contest. Even if we get less rushing production from Hurts, he'll be going up against a pass-funneling defense of the Washington Commanders in Week 8. Hurts has thrown for at least 277 yards in five consecutive games and the Commanders are surrendering the second-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Washington's defense is also ranked 27th in pass defense DVOA and Philadelphia is third in neutral pass rate.
A.J. Brown is off to a historic start this season, becoming the first player since Calvin Johnson in 2012 to have five straight games of recording 125-plus receiving yards. The All-Pro wideout has a decent chance to set the NFL record versus a Commanders defense that he registered nine receptions for 175 yards and two touchdowns against back in Week 4. The opportunities are still there for DeVonta Smith to excel as the No. 2 behind Brown, but he's just fallen short in recent weeks. Dallas Goedert has now found the end zone twice in the last three weeks after being blanked in the first four weeks of the season.
Bring-back options:
- Terry McLaurin ($5,300 DK, $7,000 FD)
- Curtis Samuel ($4,200 DK, $6,000 FD) or Logan Thomas ($3,400 DK, $5,400 FD)
Teams are essentially forced to air the ball out against the Philadelphia Eagles as they boast the No. 1 ranked run defense in DVOA. While Sam Howell is apparently addicted to taking sacks, the Commanders are sixth in neutral pass rate and they are expected to be playing from behind in this divisional showdown. Terry McLaurin is the preferred bring-back option as he has seen nine or more targets in three of his last four games. The talented receiver also logged a season-best eight receptions in Week 4 versus the Eagles.
With Jahan Dotson mightily struggling in his sophomore campaign, Curtis Samuel has commanded seven-plus targets in three of the last four weeks. Samuel is always a threat to get manufactured touches and he's shown improvement as a receiver in recent years. Logan Thomas is TE12 in PPR points per game despite missing a game this season due to an injury.
Houston Texans at Carolina Panthers
- C.J. Stroud ($6,300 DK, $7,400 FD)
- Nico Collins ($5,500 DK, $7,200 FD)
- Tank Dell ($4,900 DK, $6,000 FD) or Dalton Schultz ($3,900 DK, $5,800 FD)
Both the Houston Texans and the Carolina Panthers will be coming out of their bye weeks to face each other in a matchup between the No. 1 and No. 2 picks in the 2023 NFL draft. C.J. Stroud has been fantastic to begin his rookie season, tossing multiple touchdowns in four of his first six starts. The Panthers are also allowing the sixth-most passing touchdowns per game to quarterbacks.
What makes Stroud such an enticing option is the fact his pass catchers are extremely cheap (especially on DraftKings). Nico Collins has the second-highest target share (21.2%) on the Texans and he's doing that with a solid 2.77 air yards per route run. Tank Dell missed Week 6 due to a concussion, but it appears he's on track to return in Week 8 against the Panthers. Dalton Schultz has caught a touchdown in three straight games and has recorded 20 combined targets in that span. The veteran tight end had zero touchdowns on 14 combined targets in the first three weeks.
Bring-back options:
- Adam Thielen ($6,600 DK, $8,200 FD)
- Miles Sanders ($4,900 DK, $6,300 FD) or Jonathan Mingo ($3,400 DK, $4,900 FD)
A 33-year-old Adam Thielen has been the lone constant for the Panthers on offense entering Week 8. The experienced receiver has caught at least seven passes in five consecutive outings and he's garnered at least 13 targets in three games thus far. Even with Thomas Brown taking over play-calling duties for the Panthers out of the bye week, Thielen should remain a focal point of the passing game.
It remains to be seen if Miles Sanders returns to action following an absence in Week 6 because of a shoulder ailment. If Sanders is either limited or ruled out, Chuba Hubbard becomes a solid bring-back option for the Panthers. With Brown now calling plays, we could see rookie Jonathan Mingo get more involved in the offense. Mingo is at his best with the ball in his hands and he's produced a higher target share (15.3%) than DJ Chark Jr. (14.3%) so far.
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