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Welcome back RotoBallers! As we head into Week 8 of the NFL season, we are approaching the time where bye weeks and injuries start to kick in, which can have your fantasy lineups looking less than ideal heading into Sunday.
It's more critical than ever to make the right lineup decisions and start the right players to put out your optimal lineups, as we are getting into the point in the season where managers could be digging themselves a hole too deep to climb out of.
Listed below will be some players who could be in for a disappointing performance relative to their overall expectations. No matter how bad of a matchup some of these players may have, fantasy managers likely aren't in a position to leave them on their bench. Having said that, there are a couple of guys who are by no means a must-start in Week 8.
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Who Should You Bench or Sit in Week 8?
QB - Taylor Heinicke, Washington Football Team
Heinicke could find his way into some starting lineups this week for any fantasy managers who are trying to find a replacement for Lamar Jackson, as he has put on display his dual-threat ability the past couple of weeks, leading his team in rushing with 95 yards on the ground against the Green Bay Packers in Week 7. Heinicke and the Washington Football Team go on the road to take on the Denver Broncos and their stingy secondary which includes the likes of Patrick Surtain II, Kyle Fuller, and Justin Simmons. The run defense of the Broncos looked atrocious against the Cleveland Browns in Week 7, as D'Ernest Johnson had his way on the ground, meaning the Washington offense could look to exploit this again with a heavy dose of Antonio Gibson and J.D. McKissic.
The Broncos have given up just eight passing touchdowns through seven games, while Heinicke has just two total passing touchdowns in his past three games. Considering Terry McLaurin will likely draw a ton of attention and Curtis Samuel (groin) and Dyami Brown (knee) likely won’t play in Week 8, Heinicke could struggle in the passing game once again without some of his top weapons. Considering Heinicke has turned the ball over five times in his past three games while not throwing for more than one touchdown since Week 4, the 28-year-old is an easy fade if you need a streaming option. Some better options would be Kirk Cousins, Daniel Jones, Carson Wentz, and Teddy Bridgewater.
Is Leonard Fournette A Risky Start in Week 8?
Fournette has taken over as the workhorse this season, and after a slow start, he has reached at least 100 total yards in three of his last four games while scoring four touchdowns in that span. Unfortunately, Fournette is in for the toughest matchup he can face this season considering he will never have to go against the Tampa Bay run defense. The New Orleans defense is allowing just 80.3 rushing yards per game and 3.3 yards per carry, so the former fourth-overall pick in the NFL draft will likely need a massive workload and a touchdown to have a productive day for fantasy managers.
The Saints are near the top of the league in almost every category when it comes to defending the run, as they've given up the fifth-fewest number of rushing touchdowns with five to go along with the fewest yards per carry. To make up for any inefficiency on the ground, fantasy managers could hope for a big play to skew Fournette’s numbers in this one, but once again, the Saints are among the league's best at preventing explosive plays on the ground. They have allowed just one play of 20 yards on the ground, which is their longest play given up all season. We have seen Tom Brady and the passing offense get a ton of volume before, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see the former LSU star have a more limited role than usual in Week 8. He is likely in must-start territory for fantasy managers, but expectations should be tempered quite a bit.
Should You Start Myles Gaskin in Week 8?
Gaskin saw his highest rushing attempt total in Week 7 with 15, while also catching all four of his targets. With Malcolm Brown now on the shelf, Gaskin will likely get another significant workload in Week 8, albeit against one of the best defenses in the league. In his first meeting with the Bills, Gaskin finished with just five rushing attempts for 25 yards and caught four passes for 21 yards. In what was an extremely poor game script for a rushing attack, the most likely outcome in their second meeting is much of the same, which is the Dolphins needing chunk plays to keep up with the Josh Allen-led Bills offense.
The Dolphins have not been shy to completely abandon the run in the past, as they have the fifth-fewest rushing attempts this season with 144. When you consider a lack of volume and the matchup with one of the toughest run defenses in the league, Gaskin is an easy fade this week. If fantasy managers have no other options for a FLEX play, the best-case scenario would be Gaskin having a prominent role in the passing game as he did against Tampa Bay, catching 10 passes for 74 yards and two touchdowns.
Is Terry McLaurin A Risky Start in Week 8?
McLaurin is coming off of a huge performance as he caught seven of his 12 targets for 122 yards and a touchdown in Week 7. He faces a tough matchup this week as he will be drawing a lot of attention from Surtain, Fuller, and the rest of the Denver secondary. The third-year stud has shown in the past he can get the best of some tough opposing defenses, but this year he has posted some duds for fantasy managers expecting WR1 numbers.
In Week 3 against Tre’Davious White and the Bills, McLaurin was able to catch just four passes for 62 yards and had back-to-back duds in Week 5 and Week 6, posting four catches for 46 yards against Marshon Lattimore, and just four catches for 28 yards against the Kansas City Chiefs. Yes, the former Ohio State star has undeniable talent. Still, with Heinicke under center and limited help around him on offense, there may simply be too much attention put on McLaurin for him to have a good game on the road in Denver. As mentioned before, the Broncos have given up just eight passing touchdowns in seven games this season, so a touchdown to offset a lack of yardage seems unlikely for the 26-year-old in this one. Fantasy managers likely can’t afford to sit someone of his caliber, but he should be downgraded to a higher-end WR2 in Week 8.
Is Mike Evans A Risky Start in Week 8?
Coming off a ceiling performance in Week 7, Evans faces his kryptonite in Week 8, as Marshon Lattimore has gotten the better of him in their recent head-to-head matchups. In Week 1 of 2020, Evans caught just one pass for two yards, albeit a touchdown, and was held to four catches for 64 yards in their second matchup last season. With Antonio Brown likely out in Week 8, there will likely be even more attention on Evans out wide. The Saints defensive unit as a whole hasn't looked like an overly-concerning matchup for wideouts, which is likely a sign that Chris Godwin is in for a huge game as Evans draws the most attention from the team's lockdown cornerback.
We only need to go back to Week 6 when Evans saw a lot of Darius Slay, who is another elite shutdown cornerback. Evans was targeted just four times, catching two passes for 27 yards. He has seen at least eight targets in five out of seven games this season, but it is clear that Brady will not force-feed his No. 1 wideout in a tough matchup. Fantasy managers likely don't have any better options this week, but expectations need to be tempered after his three-touchdown performance in Week 7.
It's Bucs vs. Saints week, which means it's Mike Evans vs. Marshon Lattimore.
Lattimore has shadowed Evans in 7 games since he was drafted...and it shows up in Evans' numbers. pic.twitter.com/sBAsFLAtUO
— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) October 28, 2021
Should You Start Tyler Lockett in Week 8?
To put it simply, Lockett is unstartable with Geno Smith under center. The Seahawks have almost completely phased their No. 2 wide receiver out of the game plan as he has been targeted just 10 times in the past two games, which has turned into just four receptions for 47 yards. Going back to Week 3, Lockett hasn't surpassed 60 receiving yards in a single game and hasn't found the end zone going all the way back to Week 2. The Seahawks have sheltered Smith from passing the ball a whole lot, as they have run the ball 53 times in the past two games.
The only appeal that Lockett has this week is a good matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but it is safe to assume that the juicy matchup still doesn't make up for the probable lack of volume. When you consider the presence of D.K. Metcalf as the alpha receiver, and the fact that Gerald Everett has outproduced Lockett in the past two games, the 29-year-old is an easy fade until his star quarterback is back in the lineup. Fantasy managers will likely only have to wait two more weeks until Russell Wilson returns to the lineup, and their patience could be rewarded with a couple of his signature boom performances against some good matchups after the team’s BYE week. For now, leave the speedy wideout on the bench until his role in the offense is once again solidified.
Targets with Geno Smith under center:
D.K. Metcalf (14)
Tyler Lockett (11)
Freddie Swain (10)Cool. Cool cool cool.
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) October 27, 2021
Should You Start Jared Cook in Week 8?
Cook may draw some appeal from fantasy managers looking to replace Mark Andrews and Darren Waller as their BYE weeks kick in, but it may be best to fade the 34-year-old in a matchup with the Patriots, who have been solid against tight ends this season. The Patriots have given up the second-fewest fantasy points with 7.16 per game, trailing only the Arizona Cardinals. In a high-flying Chargers offense led by Justin Herbert, fantasy managers may ignore the tough matchup and go chasing points, expecting Cook to have a good game based on who is throwing him the ball.
Sadly, that is not always the case. When you look at the pecking order for targets in this offense, Cook is at best the fourth option in the passing game in an offense that also likes to establish the run. Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Austin Ekeler all have a significant role in the passing game, and that isn't going to change this week. Yes, Cook could find his way into the end zone as he has done so twice in his past three games. But, this is hard to rely on when he has surpassed 30 receiving yards in just two out of six games so far this season. In his past four games, Cook has been targeted just 20 times, 14 of which came in Week 4 and Week 6. Considering his role in the offense seems inconsistent on a weekly basis, fantasy managers should look elsewhere for a streaming option. Some better ones could include Hunter Henry, Ricky Seals-Jones, and Dan Arnold.
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