The Fantasy Footballers’ Starts of the Week for Week 8 (Fantasy Football)
Week 8 is here, which means it’s BYEMAGEDDON. Six teams are on bye this week, which means lineup decisions just got that much tougher. Whether you’re patching together a lineup from bench stashes or the waiver wire, there’s still plenty of sneaky matchups to take advantage of. The Ballers are back with their Week 8 Starts of the Week to help you win your week. Let’s dive right in.
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Andy’s Starts of the Week
QB –Jordan Love @ PIT
You might remember yesterday, Andy called Love his “second-half sleeper.” Well, he’s doubling down and making him his QB Start of the Week. Love gets a Sunday Night Football showdown against a Steelers defense that looks better on paper than it does in real life (ask Jason). Love hasn’t given fantasy managers the kind of production you’d hope for, but the efficiency numbers have quietly been among the best in the NFL. He’s currently 5th in yards per attempt, 4th in pass success rate, and #1 in expected points added per dropback. The Steelers defense, on the other hand, is 2nd-to-last in passing yards allowed and schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed to QBs. With Love trending up, Andy’s banking on that efficiency finally turning into fantasy fireworks.
RB- Jordan Mason @ LAC
Aaron Jones might be on track to return, but it’s a short week for Thursday Night Football, and that “questionable” tag is still lingering. Andy’s not waiting around for clarity. He’s rolling with Jordan Mason. Mason’s quietly been the steady workhorse in this backfield, averaging 66% of snaps, 17 touches, and a score per game over the past month. And the matchup? Chef’s kiss. The Chargers are a total run funnel defense, ranking 29th in yards before contact and 28th in fantasy points allowed to RBs. Even if Jones suits up, Mason should keep leading the charge.
WR – Chris Olave vs TB
Two TDs last week. Absolute stud. In fact, only Ja’Marr Chase has more total targets, and just George Pickens and Davante Adams have seen more endzone targets. The volume is elite, and the matchup is just good. Teams haven’t been able to run on Tampa, so they air it out. The Buccaneers rank 24th in yards per attempt allowed. Expect Spencer Rattler to keep feeding his No. 1. Olave did end up on the injury report, so monitor that going into the weekend. Reports say he should be a go, so if he is, fire him up without hesitation.
TE – Tucker Kraft @ PIT
Kraft has quietly become one of the most efficient TEs in football. He’s sitting at TE5 in fantasy points per game while averaging an impressive 14.2 yards per catch. He’s also a certified YAC machine, leading all TEs in yards after the catch this season after finishing No. 2 in 2023. And while we’ve already talked about how leaky the Steelers’ defense is against receivers, it’s somehow even worse versus TEs. They rank 31st in schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed to the position. Yes, please. Kraft’s blend of athleticism and after-the-catch juice makes him a nightmare matchup and an easy plug-and-play TE1 this week.
Jason’s Starts of the Week
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QB – Justin Herbert vs MIN
Herbert is putting together a monster season as the QB4 right now. He’s on pace for over 4,600 passing yards and 32 TDs… but wait, there’s more. He’s also on a career-high rushing pace, with 73 carries for 452 yards, which would make him the first QB in NFL history to post a 4,600/32/450 stat line. He’s not just using that monster arm of his — he’s using his legs to get it done. That Konami Code QB profile is exactly what you want in fantasy. With the run game decimated by injuries, the Chargers have been forced to air it out, ranking 3rd in pass rate over expectation. This week, they get a Vikings defense on a short week that’s been beatable through the air, ranking 24th in schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed to QBs over the last month. Start Herbert and thank Jason later.
RB – J.K. Dobbins vs DAL
Dobbins has been one of the most consistent RBs in fantasy this season. He’s a top-24 RB in 6 of 7 games. Only six other backs can say the same: Jonathan Taylor, Christian McCaffrey, Bijan Robinson, De’Von Achane, Cam Skattebo, Josh Jacobs, and Dobbins. Pretty elite company. The Broncos’ offensive line deserves some love, too. They’ve been dominant up front, ranking 2nd in adjusted yards before contact, giving Dobbins the kind of lanes most RBs can only dream of. This week, he gets the Cowboys. That’s really all you need to know to plug him into your lineup. Any team that plays the Cowboys has put up massive points against them. Dallas is bottom-five across nearly every rushing metric, ranking 31st in rush success rate allowed on zone runs, 30th versus man/gap runs, and dead last in schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed to RBs over the last month.
WR – Rome Odunze @ BAL
The last couple of weeks have been rough for Odunze coming out of the bye, finishing as the WR58 and WR63. You can’t be excited about that. So why is Jason firing him up as his Start of the Week? Simple: the matchup. Vegas has the over/under set at 49.5, and Jason loves that kind of game environment. The Ravens have also been a dream matchup for opposing wideouts, ranking 28th in schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed to WRs. On top of that, they play man coverage on 39% of snaps, the third-highest rate in the NFL. Rome Odunze THRIVES in man coverage. This is a perfect bounce-back spot. Fire up Odunze with confidence.
TE – Harold Fannin @ NE
The rookie has been balling. Through seven weeks, Fannin ranks 5th among all TEs in targets and 4th in receptions. Elite. On a 17-game pace, he’s tracking for 78 catches and 704 yards, which would put him in rare company. The only rookie TEs to ever hit 70+ receptions and 700+ yards are Brock Bowers, Sam LaPorta, and Jeremy Shockey (plus Tyler Warren, who’s pacing for it this year too). This week, the Browns take on a Patriots defense that’s been vulnerable to the TE position. Over the last month, New England ranks 23rd in fantasy points allowed and has given up the 8th-most receiving yards to TEs on the season. With his consistent volume and a plus matchup on deck, Fannin’s a locked-in TE1 start this week.
Mike’s Starts of the Week
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QB – Bo Nix vs DAL
“Mr. 4th Quarter” is heating up, and he gets a dream matchup at home this week. Vegas has this one pegged as the highest total on the slate, with the O/U set at 50.5. The Dallas defense? Let’s just say they have been the gift that keeps on giving. They rank 31st in yards per pass attempt allowed, dead last in adjusted completion percentage, and dead last in schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed to QBs. Nix has been cool under pressure all year, and this matchup sets him up for another big-time fantasy performance.
RB – Chase Brown vs NYJ
Yeah, the matchup isn’t perfect, but sometimes you chase the offense, and the Bengals are rolling. Cincinnati enters as 6.5-point home favorites, and Joe Flacco has this offense humming. Over the last two weeks, they rank 4th in EPA per play and 8th in points per drive. Chase Brown’s steady receiving work gives him a strong floor, sitting 8th among all RBs in targets this season. With game script on his side and plenty of scoring chances ahead, Brown’s in line for another solid fantasy day.
WR – Courtland Sutton vs DAL
Mike says if you’re rolling out Bo Nix this week, you’ve gotta pair him with his guy — Courtland Sutton. The connection has been money all season. Sutton is one of only four WRs this year with five or more games of 13+ fantasy points, joining elite company: JSN, Puka Nacua, and Amon-Ra St. Brown. And the matchup? We already talked about the high O/U and how bad the Cowboys are against opposing offenses. Start this stack and enjoy the fireworks.
TE – Juwan Johnson vs TB
Juwan Johnson was back in business last week — hauling in 5 of 7 targets for 79 yards while earning a 23% target rate per route run. That’s elite usage for a TE who might still be sitting on your waiver wire after a few quiet weeks. With so many teams on bye, Johnson’s a rock-solid plug-and-play option. The matchup is friendly, too. The Buccaneers rank 22nd in schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed to TEs. If you need a streamer this week, Juwan’s your guy.