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Who Should I Start for Week 8? Fantasy Football outlooks for Tucker Kraft, Darren Waller, Cade Otton, Darnell Washington, Mark Andrews, Colby Parkinson, Jake Ferguson, Eli Raridon, Evan Engram.
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some of the most common Week 8 fantasy football lineup decisions involve players like Tucker Kraft, Darren Waller, Cade Otton, Darnell Washington, Mark Andrews, Colby Parkinson, Jake Ferguson, Eli Raridon, and Evan Engram. 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 2026 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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Week 8 Fantasy Football 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:
Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft enters Thursday's Week 8 matchup against Carolina following another productive performance against Detroit. Kraft caught four of six targets for 48 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's loss, giving him two receiving scores over his past four games. He has recorded 29 receptions for 297 yards and two touchdowns through seven contests, drawing at least five targets in five consecutive games.
Kraft's consistent involvement has made him a dependable option for quarterback Jordan Love, including running routes on more than 80% of dropbacks against Detroit. Carolina has limited opposing tight ends to 4.7 receptions and 46.3 receiving yards per game, making sustained production difficult.
However, the Panthers have allowed four touchdowns to the position through six games, giving Kraft a chance to contribute in the red zone. Receiver Matthew Golden (shoulder/foot) is questionable, creating some uncertainty about Green Bay's target distribution. RotoBaller ranks Kraft TE3 for Week 8, making him a must-start TE1 with significant scoring upside against Carolina.
Darren Waller, Carolina Panthers
Carolina tight end Darren Waller has a very tough test awaiting in Week 8 against Green Bay on Thursday night. The Packers have been one of the toughest matchups for fantasy tight ends so far, and Waller himself hasn't delivered much, so the tight end is a low-level fantasy option for the coming week.
Waller was a bit involved across the team's first four games, tallying at least two catches and 28 yards in each contest, but he's managed just one catch across the past two games combined.
The reception was a 50-yard touchdown in Week 7 against Tampa Bay, so he still put up a solid fantasy score, but the bigger takeaway is his lack of involvement lately. He slots in 21st among tight ends in our RotoBaller Week 8 projections, showing he is a better option in deeper fantasy setups.
Colby Parkinson, Los Angeles Rams
Los Angeles Rams tight end Colby Parkinson has caught 10 of 12 targets for 79 yards and a touchdown over his last two games, making him an intriguing pickup in deeper leagues. Parkinson managed just four receptions for 24 yards in his first four appearances this season, but his recent involvement is encouraging.
With Davante Adams (hamstring) on injured reserve, Parkinson could continue seeing additional opportunities. However, Tyler Higbee remains involved, and Davis Allen caught two touchdowns in Week 7. Currently ranked TE22 by RotoBaller for Week 8 against the Chargers, Parkinson is worth stashing, although the crowded tight end rotation makes him a risky starter.
Eli Raridon, New England Patriots
New England Patriots rookie tight end Eli Raridon caught three of four targets for 56 yards and a touchdown in Thursday's Week 7 loss to Chicago, including a 30-yard scoring reception from Drake Maye. Raridon also caught five for 57 against Las Vegas in Week 5 and has 12 catches for 168 yards and two touchdowns in six appearances.
Hunter Henry remains New England's primary tight end, catching seven passes for 71 yards against Chicago, but Raridon is establishing a receiving role of his own. His big-play ability makes him an intriguing Week 8 pickup against Miami.
Darnell Washington, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington is a touchdown-dependent streamer, not a real receiving threat, and Sunday showed it. He caught his only target for a four-yard touchdown in the 16-10 victory over the New Orleans Saints, giving him three scores over the past four games, but he ran just seven routes to Pat Freiermuth's 26 despite playing 56% of the offensive snaps.
Freiermuth drew four targets while playing slightly fewer snaps. Washington's 6-foot-7 frame makes him a dangerous red-zone option, but his 23 targets and 160 receiving yards through seven games show how heavily his fantasy production depends on touchdowns. Stream him against the Cleveland Browns in Week 8 in leagues with at least 14 teams, particularly if you need scoring upside at a thin position.
Pittsburgh's Week 9 bye further limits his appeal as a longer-term addition in shallower formats.
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 - Tucker Kraft, Darren Waller, Cade Otton, Darnell Washington, Mark Andrews, Colby Parkinson, Jake Ferguson, Eli Raridon, Evan Engram. 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 (2026)? 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 Tucker Kraft, Darren Waller, Cade Otton, Darnell Washington, Mark Andrews, Colby Parkinson, Jake Ferguson, Eli Raridon, Evan Engram.
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