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Scott Engel breaks down his Week 8 fantasy football lineup rankings, spotlighting key NFL players to start and tougher lineup start/sit decisions to make.
Welcome to Week 8, RotoBallers! Below you will find some of my spotlight plays and tough lineup decisions for the upcoming week of the fantasy football season.
These player selections are based off my Premium Weekly Lineup Rankings, available as part of the RotoBaller's NFL Premium Pass. Enter promo code KING at checkout for a 10% discount and get access to all of my ranks in all formats, plus a full roster of tools and analysis for the rest of the 2019 season.
Note that all skill position picks here are based off of my PPR ranks.
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Spotlight RB Starters for Week 8
Marlon Mack vs. DEN: He has been up and down lately, and Mack has less than 45 rushing yards in two of his past three games. He has not scored in his last three outings. This will be a get-right spot for Mack against Denver. The Colts should be able to run against the Broncos, who are in the lower half of the league in rushing yards allowed to RBs. It’s likely that the Colts coaching staff wants to get Mack back into the offensive flow this week.
Austin Ekeler vs. CHI: The Bears Defense may rebound with sacks, turnovers and a rather low point total against a weakened Chargers offense this week. But Ekeler will still produce, because he may have to be the Chargers’ main playmaker. The Bears have allowed the fifth-most receiving yards to opposing RBs. Start Ekeler with confidence.
Jamaal Williams vs. KC: He is a good flex play as the Packers roll up a lot of points for the second consecutive week. The Chiefs Defense won’t play as well as it did last week as it spends too much time on the field. The Chiefs allow the sixth-most Fantasy Points Per Game in the AFC to opposing RBs.
Spotlight WR Starters for Week 8
Golden Tate vs. DET: He has been very productive in his last two games as a Giant and the Lions will be without both Darius Slay and the recently traded Quandre Diggs in their secondary. Sterling Shepard is still out, so Tate will continue to get targeted often. He has 12 catches for 182 yards in his past two outings and is certainly the type to revel in a “Revenge Game” scenario.
D.K. Metcalf vs. ATL: The Seattle rookie is a big-play man who is evolving in other areas of his game. But all you need to know is he averages 19.5 yards per catch and faces the Falcons, who allow the second-most receiving yards to WRs. Watch him get the ball in big gainer situations as the coaching staff tries to bolster his confidence after Metcalf lost a game-sealing fumble in Week 7.
A.J. Brown vs. TB: I already trumpeted him as a top streamer in my earlier lineup ranks column this week, and here is another reminder not to miss a breakout game from the exciting rookie. Brown has impressive downfield gears and is also willing to make important possession grabs. This will be his week to shine against the NFL’s worst pass defense.
Spotlight TE Starters for Week 8
Jonnu Smith vs. TB: The Buccaneers have allowed the second-most FFPG to TEs, and Smith caught passes of 35 and 24 yards last week in his first game working with Ryan Tannehill. It may be the Brown and Smith show for the Titans this week. Delanie Walker is out and Smith will deliver the fantasy goods in his place.
Josh Hill vs. ARI: Of course, if Tampa Bay is second in FFPG allowed to TEs, most savvy fantasy players know the Cardinals are first. Jared Cook is out and any TE that is the primary target at the position against Arizona should be strongly considered for usage. If you don’t own another Top 10 TE you should stream Hill this week.
Spotlight QB Starters for Week 8
Ryan Tannehill vs. TB: Yes, the Tennessee theme continues. The Tampa Bay pass defense looks broke and they aren’t likely going to be able to fix it. Tannehill threw for over 300 yards in his first start as a Titan and is a premier QB streamer for Week 8.
Matthew Stafford vs. NYG: He has re-emerged as a quality fantasy starter. The Giants allow the fifth-most passing yards in the NFC and Stafford will continue to ride the momentum from last week’s 364 yard, four TD outing against a much better Minnesota defense.
Tough Lineup Decisions for Week 8
Carlos Hyde over Ty Johnson: Both the Texans and Lions should give their starting RBs opportunities to finish off drives with TD runs. But Houston has averaged nearly 31 rushing yards per game more than the Lions, and Hyde has already shown he can provide adequate totals while Johnson still must prove that.
LeSean McCoy over Sony Michel: Neither of these guys have been impressive overall, But McCoy is more versatile and is the true lead RB in K.C. and the Chiefs may have to lean on the running game more with Patrick Mahomes out. Michel is coming off a three-TD outing but the Patriots could easily veer away from him and get in the ball in the end zone through other methods. They are both decent starts but McCoy is going to be more of a key performer in his team’s game plan.
Allen Robinson over Marvin Jones: I applaud Robinson for continuing to rise above the very low level of his inept offensive colleagues. Look for another quality week of production. Jones is obviously coming off a huge game, but that means Kenny Golladay will get his turn this week. In the NFL, when one WR busts out in a game, his receiving partner is a often good candidate to follow suit in the next matchup if he is a quality contributor.
T.J. Hockenson over Vance McDonald: The Miami matchup does look tasty for McDonald, and the Giants have been better defending the TE this season. But McDonald is overrated and Hockenson has the QB advantage.
Tannehill over Kyler Murray: The Saints Defense is not a good draw for the rookie, and Tannehill will outproduce him. We’ve all seen Tannehill have an occasional strong outing during his Miami days, and he has a better supporting cast now than he ever did as a Dolphin. He’s in a good enough situation to take advantage of his matchup and come through with back-to-back quality fantasy performances.
