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It's time for Week 8 of USFL action and there's not much that separates the teams in the league. Every team in the USFL South Division is within a game of each other, and North Division leader Philadelphia is above .500 as well.
With DraftKings offering USFL contests again this year, I'll be here every week with lineup picks for the league, covering the four-game slates every weekend.
Below, you'll find my thoughts on the Week 8 DFS slate of USFL contests on DraftKings, which goes live on 6/3/2023 at 12:00 p.m. ET. Be sure to also read all our other weekly XFL fantasy football articles. Let's get to it, and good luck RotoBallers!
DraftKings Quarterbacks - Week 8 USFL DFS Picks
Case Cookus - Philadelphia Stars - vs Birmingham Stallions - $9,300
Cookus has had some bad weeks, but he's thrown for over 200 yards in all but two games this season, and he's coming off of his second game of the season with double-digit touchdown passes, going 18-for-30 last week with 235 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He also added four carries for 28 yards.
This week, Cookus faces a Stallions team that's allowed the third-most passing yards per game this season, including allowing 279 yards to McLeod Bethel-Thompson last week. This should be a strong showing for Cookus.
Troy Williams - Pittsburgh Maulers - vs Houston Gamblers - $9,100
The biggest plus for Williams in DFS isn't his ability to throw the ball—it's his ability to run it. He's rushed for 40 or more yards in four of the last five games, including 44 yards last week on a season-high 11 carries. He's the Maulers' best rusher.
He also threw his second-most pass attempts of the season last week, throwing the ball 28 times in the loss to the Stars. This week, he faces a Gamblers team that allows more passing yards per game than any other USFL team, which further increases the upside for Williams. I think there's a good shot he has his second 200-yard passing game of the season.
DraftKings Running Backs - Week 8 USFL DFS Picks
Mark Thompson - Houston Gamblers - vs Pittsburgh Maulers - $12,800
Thompson had his worst rushing total of the season last week, finishing with 13 carries for 42 yards. His 3.2 yards per carry was his lowest mark of the season.
But Thompson also found the end zone twice on the ground and saw a season-high six targets, though he only brought in two of them. Maybe his efficiency has taken a hit the last couple weeks, but there's no one in this league with a better nose for the end zone. In five games, he has 11 touchdowns and has scored every week—including multiple trips to pay dirt in all but one game. His role gives him the highest ceiling at the position.
C.J. Marable - Birmingham Stallions - vs Philadelphia Stars - $7,700
The Stars have been gashed on the ground, allowing 132.0 rushing yards per game, the most in the USFL, which makes this the perfect time for a player on the upswing like C.J. Marable. After just one game with over 50 rushing yards over the first five weeks of the season, Marable's found some running room the last two weeks, with 18 carries for 100 yards against Michigan and then 86 yards last week against the Breakers.
And it wasn't just on the ground that Marable made an impact last week. He also saw a season-high seven targets, catching six of them for 52 yards. He's now had three games in a row with double-digit DraftKings points.
DraftKings Wide Receivers and Tight Ends - Week 8 USFL DFS Picks
Corey Coleman - Philadelphia Stars - vs Birmingham Stallions - $9,000
If I'm going to be high on Cookus, I should probably be high on one of his receiving options, and the obvious one to be high on is Corey Coleman.
Coleman has finished with 50-plus receiving yards in five of the seven games so far and is coming off a four-catch, 75-yard effort against the Maulers last week. He caught a touchdown in that game, his first since Week 3.
I think there's something to be said for Devin Gray at $8,700 as well, as he also had 75 receiving yards last week, but Gray hasn't found the end zone since Week 1 and his ceiling feels slightly lower than Coleman's, with both having similar floors.
Bailey Gaither - Pittsburgh Maulers - vs Houston Gamblers - $8,600
With Pittsburgh facing the league's worst pass defense by yards allowed, we should probably look at a Maulers receiver. And like with the Stars situation, there are two names to watch here: Gaither and Isiah Hennie.
And honestly, I feel this one is even more of a toss-up. Gaither has scored double-digit DFS points in five straight games, while Hennie has only done it in four games, but he added a fifth one in Week 2, so both have the same amount of those.
The only thing that really pushes Gaither ahead for me is that the Maulers have designed some run plays for him the last two weeks, and he found the end zone on one of them last week.
Johnnie Dixon - New Orleans Breakers - vs Michigan Panthers - $5,400
One thing that really surprises me is that Johnnie Dixon is so low priced on DraftKings, as he's only fourth in salary among New Orleans pass catchers. It's not even that he's better than the rest of the players, but you'd think he'd be closer in price to Sage Surratt and Jonathan Adams, as he's had double-digit fantasy points in three of the last four games.
Last week, Dixon was targeted 12 times, catching six passes for 97 yards. He's found the endzone twice in the last four games that he's played, though he missed some time in the middle with a quad injury. Healthy now, Dixon is a great value play this weekend.
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