Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Top lineup picks (and benches) for Week 8 from Justin Boone Justin Boone October 24, 2025 at 6:55 PM 0 Justin Boone provides a weekly look at undervalued fantasy players to consider starting this week and potential busts you might want to leave on your bench.
- - Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Top lineup picks (and benches) for Week 8 from Justin Boone
Justin Boone October 24, 2025 at 6:55 PM
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Justin Boone provides a weekly look at undervalued fantasy players to consider starting this week and potential busts you might want to leave on your bench.
For the rest of your lineup decisions, consult his Week 8 rankings.
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Starts
Bo Nix, QB, Broncos
vs. Cowboys
Nix hasn't exactly picked up where he left off after overachieving as a rookie last season.
Prior to last week, his two biggest fantasy performances came in his easiest matchups against the Colts and Bengals. Even though his stat line from Week 7 got him to nearly 40 fantasy points and a QB1 overall finish, most of that production occurred during a miraculous fourth-quarter comeback.
Fortunately for him, he has a date Sunday with the Cowboys, who are giving up the most fantasy points to quarterbacks. It's enough to make him a mid-range QB1 with upside this week.
My recommendation is to sell Nix before he finds himself against tougher opponents like the Texans and Chiefs over the next month, but if you want to wait until after this game, I don't blame you.
Other QBs to start:
Baker Mayfield at Saints – Even with the injuries to his receiving corps, Mayfield has more than enough weapons to deliver against the Saints, who are the 10th-easiest opponent for fantasy QBs.
Daniel Jones vs. Titans – Jones finished as the QB11 when the Colts faced the Titans in Week 3. Since then, Tennessee has lost two of its best defenders with CB L'Jarius Sneed being placed on injured reserve and DT Jeffery Simmons now week-to-week with a hamstring injury.
Rachaad White, RB, Buccaneers
at Saints
White is coming off a down game against a stout Lions' run defense, but prior to that, he was a top-10 fantasy back in each of his first two starts filling in for Bucky Irving.
White deserves consideration in that range again this week versus a Saints' defense that's permitted the 11th-most fantasy points to RBs, including at least 100 scrimmage yards and/or multiple touchdowns to six different backs in seven weeks.
New Orleans has been a scrappy squad for most of the season, but you wonder how long the Saints can keep this up against superior opponents.
Other RBs to start:
JK Dobbins at Broncos – Dobbins' team is favored at home in a game with the highest projected point total on the week. If a likely positive game script isn't enough, just know that the Cowboys allow the fifth-most fantasy points to the position.
Breece Hall vs. Bengals – Hall was limited in practice this week with a knee injury, but he's expected to play versus the Bengals, who are the most generous defense to fantasy RBs.
Rome Odunze, WR, Bears
at Ravens
After being the third-highest scoring fantasy receiver through the opening four weeks, Odunze came back down to earth in his two contests since the Bears' bye, notching just two catches in each outing.
While the recent box scores weren't impressive, Odunze was close to much bigger days if it weren't for a few missed overthrows and a penalty that overturned a touchdown.
I'm projecting him to get back on track this week in Baltimore in a potentially high-scoring game thanks to the likely return of Lamar Jackson.
In addition to being the fourth-easiest matchup for fantasy wideouts, the Ravens have given up the fifth-most receiving touchdowns on the season.
Odunze is comfortably inside my top-12 WRs for Week 8.
Other WRs to start:
Courtland Sutton vs. Cowboys – Sutton just took advantage of a softer matchup with the Giants to post a 6-87-0 line on 10 targets. Now, he'll get the easiest draw possible in a high-scoring affair with the Cowboys.
Chris Olave vs. Buccaneers – Olave is averaging the fourth-most targets per game and it's finally turned into high-end production with back-to-back outings with 98 yards, including a pair of scores last week.
Kyle Pitts Sr., TE, Falcons
vs. Dolphins
Pitts has finished as a top-15 fantasy tight end in half of his games this year, but the best part of his schedule is just beginning.
In Week 8, he takes on the Dolphins, who permit the 10th-most fantasy points to his position.
Including Miami, Pitts' next nine opponents offer plus-matchups for fantasy tight ends, with six of them being inside the top-10.
The 25-year-old is a low-end TE1 this week and a buy-low for the rest of the season.
Other TEs to start:
Cade Otton at Saints – The injuries to the Buccaneers' receivers have catapulted Otton back into fantasy relevance with stat lines of 4-81-0, 5-51-0 and 7-65-0 over the last three weeks. Expect another solid outing versus the Saints with a good chance to find the end zone, which he's done in two of his last three meetings with them.
Dalton Schultz vs. 49ers – Schultz is also seeing increased targets due to injuries in his receiving corps. The veteran tight end stepped up with five catches for 60 yards in Week 5 before the bye and then returned with nine catches for 98 yards in Week 7. He's a strong streamer if Nico Collins and Christian Kirk are out.
Sits
C.J. Stroud, QB, Texans
vs. 49ers
Stroud's struggles from 2024 have carried over to this season with a weak offensive line and an injured receiver room being the main culprits.
Houston has been unable to establish a consistent rushing attack and offensive coordinator Nick Caley hasn't had a solution most weeks.
With Collins in concussion protocol on a short week and Kirk dealing with another hamstring injury, Stroud will likely be even more shorthanded in Week 8.
The 49ers are trying to adapt to the loss of Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, but they did a good job shutting down Michael Penix Jr. last week.
This game has one of the lower projected point totals on the week at 41.5, so don't expect any fireworks from Stroud. He's best left on the waiver wire.
Other QBs to sit:
Marcus Mariota at Chiefs – Mariota has been a quality fantasy option when he's filled in for Jayden Daniels in the past, but the Chiefs are the most difficult matchup he's faced. Kansas City is allowing the fourth-fewest fantasy points to QBs and tends to be even tougher at home.
Mac Jones at Texans – It still seems like Brock Purdy is a week away from returning and Jones has failed to reach double-digit fantasy points in his last two outings. You shouldn't expect a spiked week versus the best pass defense in the league.
Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Patriots
vs. Browns
Stevenson has completely taken over the Patriots' backfield and just turned in 90 scrimmage yards and a touchdown last week.
However, let's not forget that it came in a blowout over the Titans.
Stevenson has been held under 40 rushing yards in five of his seven appearances this year and will now have to deal with the Cleveland run defense.
The Browns are allowing the second-fewest fantasy points to RBs, including the fifth-fewest rushing yards and third-fewest rushing touchdowns.
This is not the spot to put your faith in Rhamondre. He's just a TD-or-bust RB3 in this matchup.
Other RBs to sit:
Jacory Croskey-Merritt at Chiefs – JCM saw reduced snaps in a blowout loss to the Cowboys and only managed 33 yards on 13 carries. That game script is on the table again in a Monday night matchup with the Chiefs with Daniels sidelined.
Tony Pollard at Colts – Pollard managed just 18 yards on six carries last week and four of his six receptions came in garbage time. Tyjae Spears has turned this backfield into a committee and neither player is a strong fantasy option at the moment.
Jaylen Waddle, WR, Dolphins
at Falcons
When Tyreek Hill was lost for the season, Waddle excelled as the Dolphins' new No. 1 receiver with 12 receptions for 205 yards and a touchdown over his first two games in the role.
Last week's game against the Browns is easy to dismiss due to the weather issues that caused problems for the passing attack on both sides.
However, Waddle's matchup this week is his toughest one yet with an Atlanta defense that's shut down wideouts in 2025. The Falcons have only let one receiver reach 75 yards against them this year, while permitting just four total touchdowns to the position.
There is also the looming possibility that the Dolphins could implode any given week, which complicates Waddle's outlook and makes him a risky low-end WR2 at best.
Other WRs to sit:
Jauan Jennings at Texans – After managing an inefficient four catches for 31 yards on seven targets versus the Falcons, Jennings gets an even tougher draw against the Texans this week.
Khalil Shakir at Panthers – Shakir has only topped 45 yards in two games this year and really needs a touchdown to pay off most games. Even on a week with six byes, Shakir is just a risky WR3/flex.
Zach Ertz, TE, Commanders
at Chiefs
With Deebo Samuel Sr. and Terry McLaurin nearing a return to the lineup, Ertz might see his volume decline moving forward.
Perhaps even more concerning is the loss of Daniels to a hamstring injury. In the five games they've played together this season, Ertz has found the end zone in four of them.
With Mariota under center, Ertz didn't catch a touchdown and wasn't able to post 40 yards in either contest.
The Chiefs are the third-hardest matchup for fantasy tight ends, so look elsewhere for a streamer this week.
Other TEs to sit:
Hunter Henry vs. Browns – After a strong opening month against one of the easier schedules in the league, Henry has been held to yardage totals of 46, 27 and 33 over the last three weeks. I don't expect him to bounce back against the Browns' stingy defense.
Theo Johnson at Eagles – Johnson is always a threat for a TD with Jaxson Dart at the helm, but we saw him face the Eagles a couple weeks ago and the result was two catches for 27 yards. Philly is the fourth-most challenging defense for fantasy tight ends to face.
Source: "AOL Sports"
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