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Fantasy football starts/sits for TNF, expert advice for all Vikings vs. Chargers Week 8 matchups on Thursday Night Football. Our start em, sit em picks for Quentin Johnston, Ladd McConkey, Jordan Mason, more.
Welcome to our Thursday Night Football start/sit chart for Week 8 of the 2025 NFL season. Below you will find our start/sit matchups chart for all players in the SNF game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Los Angeles Chargers.
In addition to our start/sit recommendation and matchup ratings for each player, you can also read the fantasy football outlooks for key players like Quentin Johnston, Ladd McConkey, Keenan Allen, Jordan Mason, Jordan Addison, Aaron Jones Sr., and Oronde Gadsden. Which Vikings and Chargers players should you start or sit in Week 8?
Make sure to set your winning lineups for Week 8, whether you're setting season-long or DFS lineups. We will have our fantasy football start/sit matchup charts available all season long -- focusing on who to start, who is on the fence, and who should find the bench -- so be sure to check back. Good luck in Week 8, RotoBallers!
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings
- Running back (RB) rankings
- Wide receiver (WR) rankings
- Quarterback (QB) rankings
- Tight end (TE) rankings
- Defense (D/ST) rankings
- Kicker (K) rankings
- FLEX rankings
- Dynasty rankings
Minnesota Vikings Start/Sit Matchups
See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections
| Player | Start/Sit | Matchup Rating |
Game Matchup |
| Justin Jefferson, WR | Start | 117 | @ LAC |
| Jordan Addison, WR | Start | 115.1 | @ LAC |
| Carson Wentz, QB | Risky Start | 109 | @ LAC |
| Jordan Mason, RB | Start | 108.5 | @ LAC |
| T.J. Hockenson, TE | Risky Start | 105.8 | @ LAC |
| Jalen Nailor, WR | Sit | 103.4 | @ LAC |
| Aaron Jones Sr., RB | Risky Start | 101.7 | @ LAC |
| Zavier Scott, RB | Sit | 99 | @ LAC |
| Minnesota Vikings, DST | Risky Start | 97.5 | @ LAC |
| Adam Thielen, WR | Sit | 96.7 | @ LAC |
| Josh Oliver, TE | Sit | 96 | @ LAC |
| Cam Akers, RB | Sit | 94.6 | @ LAC |
| Tim Jones, WR | Sit | 90 | @ LAC |
Jordan Addison, WR, Vikings
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison has been on a tear to start his 2025 campaign after missing the first three games due to a suspension for violating the NFL's Substances of Abuse Policy. Addison has been highly efficient since returning, hauling in 18 of 26 targets for 283 yards and a touchdown. His 94.3 receiving yards per game ranks third in the NFL, only trailing superstars Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Veteran quarterback Carson Wentz honed in on Addison in their Week 7 loss to the Eagles, leading the team with 12 targets. Wentz will make another start in Week 8, where Addison will look to stay hot as the Vikings face the Chargers on Thursday Night Football.
Carson Wentz, QB, Vikings
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said on Tuesday that veteran quarterback Carson Wentz (shoulder) will make another start in Week 8 on Thursday Night Football against the hosting Los Angeles Chargers, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic. Max Brosmer will serve as the backup, with J.J. McCarthy (ankle) likely serving as the emergency third QB on game day again.
McCarthy will be Minnesota's starting QB again when he's fully recovered from a high-ankle sprain that he suffered in Week 2, but the Vikes aren't going to rush the former first-rounder back. Barring a setback, it's more likely that McCarthy makes his return as the starter in Week 9 versus the division-rival Detroit Lions.
Wentz has played through an injury to his left (non-throwing) shoulder since Week 5, but he's fine to play through it and will make for a low-end QB2 option in superflex leagues this week against the Bolts. He has completed 66.9% of his 142 pass attempts for 1,072 yards, five touchdowns, and four interceptions in his four starts in place of McCarthy.
Los Angeles Chargers Start/Sit Matchups
See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections
| Player | Start/Sit | Matchup Rating |
Game Matchup |
| Keenan Allen, WR | Start | 116.5 | vs. MIN |
| Ladd McConkey, WR | Start | 114.2 | vs. MIN |
| Quentin Johnston, WR | Start | 113.9 | vs. MIN |
| Justin Herbert, QB | Start | 113.2 | vs. MIN |
| Cameron Dicker, K | Start | 111.2 | vs. MIN |
| Oronde Gadsden, TE | Start | 108.3 | vs. MIN |
| Kimani Vidal, RB | Start | 105.1 | vs. MIN |
| Los Angeles Chargers, DST | Risky Start | 102.1 | vs. MIN |
| Tre' Harris, WR | Sit | 98.4 | vs. MIN |
| Tyler Conklin, TE | Sit | 97.9 | vs. MIN |
| Will Dissly, TE | Sit | 97 | vs. MIN |
| Keandre Lambert-Smith, WR | Sit | 93.5 | vs. MIN |
| Trey Lance, QB | Sit | 92.1 | vs. MIN |
| Derius Davis, WR | Sit | 91.8 | vs. MIN |
Oronde Gadsden, TE, Chargers
Los Angeles Chargers rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden broke out in Week 7 against the Colts, recording seven catches for 164 yards and a touchdown on nine targets. Gadsden's snap count has increased each week this season as he's worked his way into a full-time role at tight end. Over the last two games, he's run 69.2% of routes and caught seven of eight targets for 68 yards in Week 6 before upping that to a season-high 78.7% in Sunday's breakout performance.
There's plenty of competition for targets in the Chargers' offense, but Quentin Johnston's return in Week 7 after missing Week 6 with a hamstring injury didn't cut into Gadsden's role, as Johnston had his quietest game of the season with just two catches on six targets for 30 yards. Gadsden is a good option to start on Thursday night against the Vikings in all standard leagues.
Ladd McConkey, WR, Chargers
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey saw a heavy workload in Week 7, catching nine of 15 targets for 67 yards in the team's 38-24 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. He led the team in targets for the second straight week, continuing to earn Herbert's trust on short and intermediate routes, although he didn't score after back-to-back games with a touchdown.
In Week 8, the Bolts face a tough Minnesota Vikings secondary, allowing just 26.9 PPR points per game to wide receivers. With a short week and tired legs, McConkey's ceiling might be limited, but his growing role and target share keep him in the WR2 consideration for most leagues.
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 8 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Quentin Johnston, Ladd McConkey, Keenan Allen, Jordan Mason, Jordan Addison, Aaron Jones Sr., and Ordone Gadsden. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 8.
Week 8 Player Decisions. 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.
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, 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:
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