Fantasy Flex: Fantasy Football Sit-Start Recommendations For Week Eight

With Week Eight of the NFL season kicking off tonight, we’re taking a look at the best match-ups to exploit and avoid for your fantasy football roster. With six teams on bye this week and injuries and suspensions hitting fantasy lineups hard, choosing your starters could be harder than usual.

Bye weeks: Arizona, Green Bay, Jacksonville, Los Angeles Rams, New York Giants, Tennessee.

Start

Quarterback

Dak Prescott (QB - DAL) vs WAS)
With two high-powered offenses facing off in a division battle, this game between the Cowboys and Redskins could easily become a shootout. Prescott has been one of the most reliable quarterbacks for fantasy owners and should have another impressive outing in Week Eight.

Wide Receiver

Demaryius Thomas (WR - DEN) vs KC
Yes, the Broncos’ offense was a mess last week and yes, Thomas has been hit or miss this season. But a match-up with the Eric Berry-less Chiefs secondary should give him a shot at rebounding this week. The bout with Kansas City’s explosive offense could quickly turn into a shootout, giving Thomas a hefty workload and a good shot at a big stat line.

Running Back

Chris Thompson (RB - WAS) vs DAL
Thompson has been a dynamic receiving weapon for the Redskins over the past two weeks, with 131 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown over that span on top of his rushing yards. The Cowboys’ defense has given up a decent amount of points to multi-dimensional backs this season, so Thompson should continue to be a major target for Washington.

Tight End

Jordan Reed (TE - WAS) vs DAL
There was a period of time when I never thought I’d have to put Reed on a start list because he was a top five tight end all the time. But Reed has struggled this season, finally putting together his first decent game last week (and doing so in a big way - 64 yards and two touchdowns). Hopefully Reed has found his rhythm and will continue to shine in Washington’s pass attack for the rest of the year. In a week with six teams on bye, he should be started in most leagues.

Sit

Quarterback

Jacoby Brissett (QB - IND) vs CIN
Brissett has had two good games for fantasy owners this season, but he’s dropped the ball in every other performance. This week, he faces off with a Bengals defense that has been tough against the passing game. He should remain on your bench if you have a safer option.

Wide Receiver

Danny Amendola (WR - NE) vs LAC
Amendola is nursing an injury that has him marked questionable for this weekend’s bout with the Chargers, and he’s been relatively quiet in the passing game for the past few weeks. Keep an eye on his status heading into the weekend; it seems likely that you’ve got better options at wide receiver.

Running Back

Frank Gore (RB - IND) vs CIN
Gore hasn’t seen a major workload (or found the end zone) since Week Three, when he had 25 carries and a score for his most relevant fantasy outing of the year. With the emergence of Marlon Mack, its hard to see Gore putting together any huge performances moving forward. If you have safer options, roll with them.

Tight End

O.J. Howard (TE - TB) vs CAR
Despite a breakout performance last Sunday, it’s hard to trust Howard as a starter just yet. With four of his performances this season coming in under two fantasy points, Howard has yet to emerge as a reliable piece of the passing attack for the Bucs. Until he proves some stability to fantasy owners, he is safer stashed on your bench.

What are your thoughts, fantasy owners? Do you have anyone you’re looking to target or avoid on your roster this week? Feel free to discuss in the comments section below.