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Who Should I Start for Week 8? Fantasy Football outlooks for Troy Franklin, RJ Harvey, Tez Johnson, Cade Otton, Alvin Kamara, Josh Downs, Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears, JK Dobbins, Alec Pierce, George Pickens.
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some of the most common Week 8 fantasy football lineup decisions involve players like George Pickens, Troy Franklin, RJ Harvey, Tez Johnson, Cade Otton, Alvin Kamara, Josh Downs, Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears, J.K. Dobbins, Alec Pierce. However, don't worry, we are here to help you make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 8. 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.
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Fantasy Football Matchup Outlooks
Below are some fantasy football outlooks written by our NFL team here at RotoBaller, bringing you their fantasy football analysis and advice on which players to consider starting in Week 8:
Cade Otton, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton has stepped up for this offense over the last few weeks. The Bucs are down multiple offensive players and Otton has been able to make a difference on offense. Last week, Otton hauled in seven of his nine targets for 65 yards in the loss to the Detroit Lions. The 26-year-old has finished with 50 receiving yards or more in each of the last three games.
This offense is without Mike Evans (collarbone), Chris Godwin (leg), and Bucky Irving (foot, shoulder) for the Week 8 matchup against the New Orleans Saints. Given the Bucs' injuries and the amount of teams on a bye this weekend. Otton should be treated as a TE1 for this favorable matchup against the Saints defense.
J.K. Dobbins, RB, Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins comes into Week 8 as RotoBaller's 13th overall-ranked running back with a juicy matchup against the Dallas Cowboys at home. So far this season, the Cowboys have allowed 141.3 rushing yards per game and eight total rushing touchdowns. Dobbins has been averaging a healthy 74.7 rushing yards per game and should be able to expand on that as long as the game script is in their favor.
The Cowboys' offense is second in the league with 31.7 ppg, which could foreshadow a shootout in Denver. Dobbins should get looks early and often with efforts to control the clock and should be started as a fringe RB1 with upside in a healthy matchup.
Josh Downs, WR, Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs missed his team's Week 7 contest after suffering a concussion following Week 6's win over the Arizona Cardinals. Downs practiced fully on Thursday and Friday heading into a Week 8 matchup against the Tennessee Titans and is listed without an injury designation. Downs' return crowds the Indy receiver room as Michael Pittman Jr. has been dominant in the red zone and Alec Pierce has also carved out a sizeable role for the team.
Downs can't be counted on as a PPR cheat code as he was in past seasons, but he will remain a decent, high-floor, low-ceiling fantasy option in Week 8. He sets up as a solid WR4 with six NFL teams on bye this week.
Tony Pollard, RB, Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard has struggled to find much success on the ground over the last few weeks. Last week, Pollard rushed a season-low six times for 18 yards in the loss to the New England Patriots. The 28-year-old was able to salvage his fantasy value by hauling in six receptions for an additional 43 yards through the air. The biggest problem Pollard is going to face now is that he'll split up the carries with Tyjae Spears in the backfield.
Pollard has seen his carries decrease every game since Week 5. Luckily, Pollard has been able to find some success in the receiving game. He'll likely be asked to continue being utilized in that role with top wide receiver Calvin Ridley (hamstring) out again in Week 8. Given his recent performances, Pollard shouldn't be viewed as again more than a flex option against the Indianapolis Colts this weekend.
Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara rushed 11 times for just 28 yards and added one yard on three receptions in the Week 7 loss to the Bears. Kamara's struggles continue, as he's posting career-low marks in yards per carry, yards per touch, yards per target, and receiving yards per game. Head coach Kellen Moore remains committed to feeding him the ball, but Kamara has been held to 31 or fewer rushing yards in three straight games, and hasn't found the end zone since Week 1.
He was limited in practice throughout the week with an ankle injury but is good to go in the Week 8 matchup against the Buccaneers. Kamara ranks as an RB2, and is in desperate need of a get-right game.
Who Should I Start Tool
You can also see the Who Should I Start tool here.
Week 8 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - George Pickens, Troy Franklin, RJ Harvey, Tez Johnson, Cade Otton, Alvin Kamara, Josh Downs, Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears, JK Dobbins, Alec Pierce. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 8.
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 name. In the second box, search for the second player 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 that our 'Who Should I Start?' tool has gotten an overhaul. 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, stats, projections, strength of schedule, players news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with 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 circle), 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 searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 8 for George Pickens, Troy Franklin, RJ Harvey, Tez Johnson, Cade Otton, Alvin Kamara, Josh Downs, Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears, JK Dobbins, Alec Pierce:
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