October 31, 2016

Ben Ruppert's Monday Night Football (MNF) matchups analysis and lineup starts/sits for Week 8 of the 2016 NFL season. Players to target or avoid for fantasy football lineups.

What's up RotoBallers. Below you will find our Week 8 NFL Monday Night matchups & fantasy football start/sit analysis for the 2016 NFL football season. Ben Ruppert breaks down the final portion of the Week 8 matchups to help you prepare your lineups to win this week.

Each week of the NFL season, we will be breaking down individual matchups and providing you with some fantasy football advice and lineup recommendations based on matchups that we love, matchups that we hate, and some high-risk/high-reward players, as well. It’s essential to analyze the weekly NFL match-ups to find lineup sleepers and gems, while also avoiding those players who may turn out to be busts.

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Vikings @ Bears - Monday 10/31 @ 8:30 PM EST

Matchups We Love:

Stefon Diggs (WR, MIN)

After be burst onto the scene in 2016 with two stand-out performances, Diggs has fallen back down to earth hard. He has not topped 47 yards in any of his past three games after going off for 285 yards in his first two games. However, this may be the matchup that gets him back on track; the Bears have given up the most fantasy points in the league to opposing WRs this season. Though he didn’t put up big results last week, Diggs looked to be fully healthy after returning from his groin injury. He is still a risky start given his low floor, but as we saw earlier this season Diggs is capable of having a monster game.

Matt Asiata (RB, MIN)

With Jerick McKinnon looking unlikely to play with an ankle injury, Matt Asiata will take over the starting RB role his week against Chicago. Over the past two weeks, Asiata has been the more effective RB in the rotation over McKinnon, averaging 90 total yards and scoring a TD. He has also caught 10 passes over the past two weeks to McKinnon’s two. With the role to himself, Asiata has RB2 potential this week. The Bears have been good at stopping the run this season, limiting opposing RBs to 80 yards rushing on 21 attempts per game. With Asiata being a running and receiving threat, he will be difficult for Chicago to contain.

Matchups We Hate:

Alshon Jeffery (WR, CHI)

Jeffery will finally have QB Jay Cutler back this week, who loves throwing the ball his way. Brian Hoyer was a much more safe and conservative QB, whereas Cutler will take some risky shots downfield from time to time. Jeffery would be a good play this week against a softer defense, but Minnesota has shut down opposing WR1s this season. Xavier Rhodes, the Vikings top CB, is allowing only 24.3 yards per game to WRs this season. He has already shut down Kelvin Benjamin, O’Dell Beckham Jr., and DeAndre Hopkins this year. He is someone in fantasy you need to avoid if possible. Sit Jeffery this week, but start him the rest of the season out of the bye week.

Ka’Deem Carey (RB, CHI)

Ka’Deem Carey took the bulk of the RB work last week, rushing 10 times for 48 yards. Jordan Howard was also in the mix, but only gained 22 yards on seven carries. Things will get even messier this week, with the expected return of Jeremy Langford. Langford was the starting RB to begin the year, but his ineffective play led to his time being split with Howard, until he went down with injury. As if a potential three-headed monster wasn’t enough to scare fantasy owners away, this matchup with the Vikings is as bad as it gets. Minnesota is only allowing 67 rushing yards on 18 attempts by opposing RBs per game this season. This RB situation is one to avoid this week, and moving forward until one back asserts himself.

Notable Players:

Jay Cutler (QB, CHI)

Jay Cutler is making his return to the Bears this week, after Brian Hoyer broke his arm last week against the Green Bay Packers. Cutler’s rogue style of play can hurt the Bears at times, but his ability as a QB makes him playable in good matchups. This week, is not one of those weeks. The Vikings have allowed the sixth least fantasy points to opposing QBs this season. Even if this wasn’t Cutler’s first game back from injury, this would be a situation to avoid. The Bears have this game then a bye week, look for the Bears offense to look better then, compared to how it will Monday night.

Cordarrelle Patterson (WR, MIN)

Patterson is questionable for Monday night while dealing with concussion symptoms, but head coach Mike Zimmer expects him to play. Patterson is a freak athletically, but has yet to translate all that talent into success on the football field. Over the past three games, the Vikings have been finding ways to get him involved in the offense. He has received six or more targets each of the past three games, hauling in 16 passes for 144 yards and two scores. He also has two rushes for nine yards. His increase in usage makes him an intriguing fill-in option this week; any time Patterson touches the ball he can take it to the house. It’s risky to rely on him for production, but if his involvement in the offense doesn’t waver he should get a few points with a chance for a TD.