Week 8 is full of marquee matchups, rockstar rookies, and dominant defenses. Here’s a list of 10 sleepers and busts that can help fantasy managers set their lineup for this make it or break it week.
Week 8 Sleepers
Derek Carr, QB, Las Vegas Raiders
Looking to bounce back from a disappointing outing against the Buccaneers, Derek Carr should find success against a weak Browns secondary. The Browns rank 30th in the league for passing yards allowed per game, edging out only the Falcons and the Seahawks. Last week, rookie Joe Burrow threw for over 400 yards and three touchdowns against the Browns, who have allowed 16 passing touchdowns so far this season. With an arsenal of healthy receivers at his disposal, Carr won’t have any issue finding the end zone, making him a solid start in Week 8.
Zack Moss, RB, Buffalo Bills
Zack Moss outperformed Devin Singletary in last week’s matchup against the Jets. He rushed for 47 yards on seven carries and caught three passes for 25 yards through the air. Singletary continues to disappoint as the season progresses. With Moss healthy, Singletary’s role will continue to dwindle. The Patriots have allowed over 130 rushing yards per game. They surrendered four rushing touchdowns last week to the 49ers depleted running back corps. Moss will continue to see increased usage this week as he proves he can be the lead back. Assuming Josh Allen bounces back with John Brown finally healthy, Moss will take advantage of a positive game script and rack up yards in the second half.
Kendrick Bourne, WR, San Francisco 49ers
It’s no secret that the Seattle secondary is the worst in the league. They’ve given up over 370 yards per game to opposing pass catchers. With Jimmy Garoppollo back in the groove and Deebo Samuel out with a hamstring injury, Kendrick Bourne will be asked to step up this game. While rookie wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is the obvious man to roll out this week, Bourne is a sneaky play that could pay off in a huge way. There will be plenty of yards and passing touchdowns to go around for the 49ers offense this week, so expect Bourne to put up solid numbers.
Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR, Cleveland Browns
Rookie wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones (“DPJ”) was the hero in last week’s thriller against the Bengals, hauling in the go-ahead touchdown with just 11 seconds left in the 4th quarter. He gets bumped up to wide receiver three on the Browns depth chart with leading receiver Odell Beckham Jr. suffering a season ending ACL tear last week. Landry and Higgins will be Mayfield’s go-to receivers, but DPJ’s volume and incredible athletic ability catapult him into fantasy relevance.
He ranked first in the vertical jump at the combine, posting a massive score of 44.5 inches (over one foot higher than fellow rookie wide receiver Tee Higgins). On top of this, he has exceptional downfield vision and route creativity. These skills enable him to produce yards after the catch and find weaknesses in opposing defenses to extend plays. I expect DPJ to ride the momentum from last week’s win into a breakout game in Week 8.
Albert Okwuegbunam, TE, Denver Broncos
The connection between Drew Lock and Albert Okwuegbunam is finally starting to appear as the two college teammates connected seven times for 60 yards in last week’s game against the Chiefs. Noah Fant is still the top tight end on the depth chart, but he is struggling through injuries week to week, and hasn’t performed up to his potential since Week 2. Okwuegbunam has Lock’s trust and if Fant is limited on Sunday he could assume a large workload against a Chargers defense that has allowed almost 14 points per game to tight ends this season.
Honorable Mention: All Green Bay Packers pass catchers
The Packers and Vikings rivalry kicks off its second installment this Sunday. The Week 1 face-off put the lethal Green Bay offense on display, and I expect nothing less this weekend. Aaron Rodgers put on a show, throwing for 364 yards and four touchdowns, his best game of the season so far. This time around, the Vikings are missing three of their four starting cornerbacks, opening the door for Rodgers and his receivers to have another massive fantasy day. Davante Adams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Robert Tonyan should all be rolled out with confidence this week.
Week 8 Busts
Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens
It’s obvious that Lamar Jackson hasn’t lived up to the hype he generated coming off an impressive MVP season in 2019. While he has improved since the beginning of the season, he faces his toughest test this week against an imposing Steelers defense. They lead the NFL with 26 sacks, have eight interceptions, and allow just 217.5 yards per game to opposing quarterbacks.
These stats coupled with Jackson’s lack of elite pass catchers and poor 21.6-percent completion rate under pressure, is not promising. This means the majority of his yards will have to come on the ground. Lucky for him, the Steelers have only allowed 53 rushing yards and zero touchdowns from quarterbacks all season. Even looking back to last year’s matchup, Jackson had his poorest outing of the season, throwing three interceptions and rushing for a mere (for him) 70 yards. With a poor history against a hard-hitting defense, Jackson is anything but a safe start this week.
David Montgomery, RB, Chicago Bears
After being held to 48 rushing yards in the Week 7 primetime showdown against the Rams, the outlook isn’t much better for Montgomery this week as he faces a Saints defense that ranks 4th in the NFL against the run. Montgomery has yet to live up to expectations since becoming the workhorse back after Tarik Cohen suffered a season ending knee injury, and this week doesn’t appear to be the breakout game fantasy managers are waiting for. He has rushed for over 80 yards only once this season (against the Giants), and scored just one rushing touchdown. Further, while the Saints are effective at stopping the run, they are bleeding points to opposing wide receivers, allowing 17 touchdowns so far. Montgomery’s lack of production, coupled with a game script that will lean on Foles, makes him a risky start in Week 8.
James Conner, RB, Pittsburg Steelers
This classic battle of AFC North division leaders is one of the most anticipated games of Week 8. The loaded Ravens defense has only given up one touchdown to a running back this season, and allow a meager 17.3 points per game to opposing teams, ranking first in the NFL. Conner has been solid, but the odds aren’t in his favor come Sunday. Since Roethlisberger has a healthy wide receiving corps, led by star rookie Chase Claypool and the explosive Dionte Johnson, expect to see Big Ben sling it this weekend to take advantage of a defense that struggles against the pass. Against this daunting defensive line, fantasy managers should think twice about Conner being an automatic start.
Amari Cooper, WR, Dallas Cowboys
Since Dak’s injury this entire offense has yet to find a way to put points on the board. Now with backup quarterback Andy Dalton in concussion protocol, rookie Ben DiNucci is tasked with salvaging what is left of a flat-looking offense. The Cowboys offensive line is decimated by injuries, giving up eight sacks over the last two games, which may spell disaster for the rookie making his first NFL start. On the receiving side, Cooper’s production is wildly inconsistent so far this season with him racking up anywhere from 23 to 137 yards in a given game. With an abysmal passing game expected, look for the Cowboys to lean on Ezekiel Elliott to generate offense, and don’t expect much from Cooper this week.
T.J. Hockenson, TE, Detroit Lions
Hockenson is riding high after catching the game winning pass from Matthew Stafford as time expired in Sunday’s whirlwind game against the Falcons. He has been a productive and reliable tight end thus far, but this week’s matchup against the Colts is less than ideal. The Indianapolis defense ranks first in the NFL against tight ends, allowing an average of just 22 yards per game to the position. On top of this, they have not given up a single touchdown to tight ends through their first six games. I understand the tight end landscape is sparse these days, but with Hockenson being pretty touchdown dependent, fantasy managers should be cautious rolling him out this week.
Honorable Mention: The entire Miami Dolphins offense
Tua Tagovailoa gets his first NFL start this week against a stacked Rams defense that is coming off a big game against the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. While he’s had two weeks to step into the starting role, managers should give him some time to settle in and adjust to the speed of an NFL game. With Tua’s success uncertain, fantasy managers should also consider their Dolphins wide receivers risky starts. Not only are the receivers questionable this week, but so is running back Myles Gaskin. Until it is clear how Gaskin will be used with Tua under center, consider the Dolphins lead back a high-risk start.
