Week 8 NFL DFS Fades: A Guide to Avoiding Trouble
Week 8 NFL DFS Avoidance List: Unproductive DraftKings and FanDuel Athletes to Skip Over
Dragging yourself through the week waiting for Sunday to roll around? Me too, friend. Here's a rundown of players you might want to avoid in your daily fantasy football lineups for Week 8, as we delve into quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, and defenses.
Quarterbacks
Sneakily hoping for a big game from Matt Ryan (ATL, FD: $8,200, DK: $6,800) at New York Jets? You might be barking up the wrong tree. Though I'd love to see some fireworks from Matty Ice, his icy performance this season shows otherwise. With no 300-yard game since Week 1 and only one multi-touchdown outing, it's hard to pay up for him. Let someone else roll the dice.
Ben Roethlisberger (PIT, FD: $7,400, DK: $6,000) at Detroit Lions, while showing some signs of life, isn't the Steel Curtain's driving force anymore. Le'Veon Bell has taken over that role, reducing Big Ben's upside in the passing game. Detroit is also stingy against opposing quarterbacks, so I'd look elsewhere.
Running Backs
Steer clear of Jordan Howard (CHI, FD: $6,800, DK: $6,800) at New Orleans Saints. His hometown heroics from last season aren't translating well against the Saints. Chicago enters this game as nine-point underdogs, making for a game script that leans towards more throwing for Mitchell Trubisky. Running games tend to struggle when their team is playing catch-up.
Doug Martin (TB, FD: $6,500, DK: $5,400) vs. Carolina Panthers might be catching carrots instead of touchdowns in Week 8. The Panthers boast the fourth-fewest rushing yards allowed per game and the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs. They're also welcoming back Luke Kuechly, strengthening their rushing defense. Stick with the passing game in Tampa.
Wide Receivers
Ah, Dez Bryant (DAL, FD: $8,300, DK: $7,700) at Washington Redskins, with your four touchdowns this season. I'm not gonna rely on you to score two more without significant help. Washington has funneled targets towards tight ends and running backs, and they've allowed just four touchdowns to wide receivers all season. The fifth-fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers makes Washington a tough nut to crack.
T.Y. Hilton (IND, FD: $7,200, DK: $5,600) at Cincinnati Bengals might leave you hanging. His up-and-down season includes two 150+ yard games, but a 60-yard high for his other five games. Couple that with Cincy's coverage on wide receivers and the potential return of Adam Jones, and it's not looking great for T.Y.
Brandin Cooks (NE, FD: $7,900, DK: $6,800) vs. Los Angeles Chargers? I don't think so. While I like the matchup for the Patriots as a whole, Cooks might struggle against Casey Hayward, who's ranked as the ninth-best coverage corner by Pro Football Focus. Cooks' reliance on deep passes and Tom Brady's desire to get the ball out quickly don't bode well for Cooks’ production.
Tight Ends
You might want to pass on Zach Ertz (PHI, FD: $7,300, DK: $7,000) vs. San Francisco 49ers. Ertz's status as the #1 fantasy tight end is impressive, but falls short in this matchup. With Philadelphia being favored by 13 points, Carson Wentz might not air it out as much as usual, reducing Ertz's involvement. Plus, San Francisco has allowed the sixth-fewest catches and fewest receiving yards to tight ends, as well as just one touchdown.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins (NYJ, FD: $6,300, DK: $4,900) vs. Atlanta Falcons is priced too high for his potential. Seferian-Jenkins' three straight games with a touchdown have propelled him into a top-five tight end on both sites, but his ground game is lacking. With no 50-yard receiving game this season, counting on Seferian-Jenkins to deliver a touchdown-less game would leave you frustrated.
Defense/Special Teams
Bottom line? Buffalo Bills (FD: $4,600, DK: $2,900) vs. Oakland Raiders might disappoint. After giving up 27 points to Tampa in Week 7, all signs are pointing to an underwhelming outing for this banged-up squad. With more than half their starting defense potentially out, Derek Carr and the Raiders could wreak havoc on the Bills.
- In the world of American football, Ben Roethlisberger (PIT) might not be the go-to quarterback for Week 8 NFL DFS, as his passing game upside has diminished with Le'Veon Bell taking the spotlight.
- In the running back position, Doug Martin (TB) facing the Carolina Panthers could end up catching more "carrots" than touchdowns this weekend, as the Panthers have tight control over opposing running backs.
- The wide receiver Dez Bryant (DAL) seems to be a pass for Week 8, as he's scored four touchdowns this season but faces tough competition from Washington's tight ends and running backs who are receiving more targets.
