The Biggest Start/Sit Decisions for Week 8 (Fantasy Football)
We are halfway through the 2026 fantasy football season! In Week 8, the San Francisco 49ers, New York Giants, New Orleans Saints, and Houston Texans are all on bye week, which means plenty of lineups are missing Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Malik Nabers, and other reliable starters. Add a fallback from the daylight savings clock change (remember to set your lineups just in case!) and a few shaky injury reports, and Week 8 has already caused confusion. By combining the recommendations from the Fantasy Footballers Start/Sit tool with my weekly analysis, we are sorting out which Week 8 decisions you can feel good about.
Jacoby Brissett or Kyler Murray?
The Arizona Cardinals travel to Jerry’s World to face off against the Dallas Cowboys. The over/under for the game is 54.5, given that two of the worst defenses in the NFL are matching up. While the Cardinals are seven-point road underdogs, it is an indoor matchup against the Cowboys. The last time the Cardinals were in a matchup like this, they shocked the world and beat the Los Angeles Rams in an 18-16 victory. This game was a huge letdown for fantasy managers, as the 34-point total was not close to the 51.5-point over/under line. However, the Arizona Cardinals and the Detroit Lions came through the week before to combine for 66 points.
Former Cardinals QB Kyler Murray is projected for 16.5 points against the Detroit Lions in Week 8. Like Brissett, Murray is a positive matchup. The Lions rank last against fantasy QBs this season, allowing 27.7 fantasy PPG. The Minnesota Vikings will play indoors at Ford Field as three-point underdogs. Their 21.75 implied team total is slightly lower than the Cardinals’. As much as I like the idea of Kyler as a QB, he has not produced as a fantasy QB this season. His best finish was in Week 5, when he ran 10 times for 51 yards and finished as the QB15. I would feel much more inclined to start Murray if he guaranteed that rushing baseline.
2021: Cardinals are last remaining undefeated team behind Kyler Murray
2026: Vikings are last remaining undefeated team behind Kyler Murray
Nobody else in the Super Bowl era has been the primary starting QB for the NFL's last remaining unbeaten team with 2 different franchises. pic.twitter.com/Vz0LGeOXDB
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) October 26, 2026
Verdict: Start Brissett. We’ve seen him come through for fantasy managers in this spot this season, while Kyler Murray has yet to produce as a Viking.
Jonah Coleman or Omarion Hampton?
These AFC West RBs are tough to put into your lineup for different reasons. For Jonah Coleman, his high-ankle sprain may have delayed a breakout rookie season. He finished as the RB12 in Week 2 with 13.3 fantasy points before missing four games with his injury. In his limited workload against the Cardinals, Coleman gained 69 scrimmage yards on 11 opportunities. The three-headed monster of J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, and Jonah Coleman might not scare any NFL defenses off, but each RB eats into their combined workload too much to consider any of them a home-run play. The divisional matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs should also make you think twice when inserting Coleman into your lineup.
Jonah Coleman has played in three NFL games so far.
In the two games he got a single touch, he got 58+ scrimmage yards in each game. pic.twitter.com/xVJHr8Qb9f
— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevens) October 29, 2026
Omarion Hampton was widely considered to be this season’s breakout star, but it has yet to pan out for anyone on the Los Angeles Chargers. Hampton accounts for just 59% of the Chargers’ rushing attempts this season, which he has not done much with. In their last game, Hampton rushed the ball aseason-low seven times, but saw a season-high four targets. In a matchup that I believed we would see in this season’s Super Bowl, both LA teams are fighting for their season and will pull out all of their tricks. The 45.5-point over/under is significantly higher than the Broncos/Chiefs game, but both the Chargers and Broncos have an implied total of 19.5.
Verdict: Play Jonah Coleman. Until Mike McDaniel gives you a reason to start Hampton, you can keep him on your bench.
Omar Cooper Jr. or Carnell Tate?
The New York Jets’ first-round rookie WR Omar Cooper Jr. has been electric in his two games back from a high-ankle sprain. He has combined for 11/218/2 across two games against divisional opponents. The main dilemma with Cooper Jr. is his efficiency per catch. He is averaging 3.3 fantasy points per target this season, a ridiculously high number that cannot be sustained. However, his role in New York’s offense is intriguing. He has connected on 60-, 52-, 48-, and 30-yard deep balls, as well as a goal-line TD out of the backfield. The near-perfect pairing of Geno Smith and Cooper Jr. faces off against the Las Vegas Raiders this week.
The Tennessee Titans have improved their offense over the past two weeks, averaging 25 PPG. Carnell Tate saw seven targets in each of those games, recording 69 and 70 receiving yards. His production has been much better over the last month when compared to his first three games in the NFL. Tate was the WR21 over the past four weeks, but was still behind Cooper Jr., despite Tate playing in two more games. While the matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals is enticing, the Titans only have a 17-point implied team total. They are 12.5-point underdogs, so you are likely to see some second-half garbage time production from Tate.
Omar Cooper 👀 pic.twitter.com/MqmXEfgpKU
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) October 28, 2026
Verdict: Start Omar Cooper Jr. The Ballers suggest starting Tate, but this is one of the few times this season that I disagree with the Ballers’ rankings. If you have Cooper Jr. and Tate on your roster, I do not see how you would confidently sit the flashy rookie as a home favorite against the Las Vegas Raiders. Tate’s shoulder injury, as well as his lower upside, makes me hesitant to put him into my own lineups.
Kyle Pitts Sr. or Brenton Strange?
The Atlanta Falcons will travel to Tampa Bay to play in another NFC South divisional matchup. There is currently some light rain in the forecast, so make sure to tune in to Zach Langlois’ Week 8 weather conditions article. Pitts Sr. is projected for 7.6 fantasy points, but has topped that total in three straight games. He had a rough start to the season, totaling three points across his first three games, but has been much better since. Pitts Sr. is the TE4 since Week 4, averaging 12.5 fantasy PPG.
Brenton Strange has been a higher-floor, but lower-ceiling play so far this season. He averages 7.8 fantasy PPG and has gotten it done with only one TD on the year. He represents a completely different style of fantasy TE than Pitts Sr. While Strange is a consistent PPR and yardage play, Pitts Sr. relies on big plays and TDs for his production. Every matchup detail and expert projection favors Strange, except for his projected points, likely due to Jason’s TE9 ranking. The Jacksonville Jaguars are 10-point home favorites against the rebuilding Indianapolis Colts, with an implied team total of 28.25.
Verdict: Start Strange. If you went against someone on the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football and are projected to be a big-time underdog against your opponent in Week 8, I understand shooting for the stars and starting Pitts Sr. However, Strange is a much safer play this week, and should see an opportunity to score against a panicking Colts team.
Alright, Week 8 brings four teams on bye, no international game, and a change in the clock for most U.S. states (shoutout Arizona and Hawaii). If you are still stuck on a tough call before kickoff, hit me up on X or catch Mike live on his Sunday Start/Sit show. And do not forget about the Fantasy Footballers Start/Sit tool for any matchup not covered here. Let us survive the byes and grab another W!