Can you believe the halfway point of the NFL regular season is as close as it is? We are nearly there. It’s a bittersweet feeling – knowing what has happened so far in fantasy football and what the hopes of the remainder of the season will be. DFS lineups have been up and down, as per usual. But this week, the focus is on some games that should be heavy hitters in the scoring department. So let’s take a peek and see how to construct that winning NFL DFS lineup for Week 8.
(NFL DFS salaries courtesy of DraftKings)
Week 8 NFL DFS Picks & Lineup Advice (2024)
Quarterback
Jalen Hurts (Philadelphia Eagles) | $7,500
Jalen Hurts is by far and away the most expensive quarterback featured in this series so far this season. But listen, and you’ll find out why you should pay up for the former Oklahoma Sooner in Week 8.
This week, Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Cincinnati Bengals, who are pretty good against the run game. They’re nearly middle of the pack, allowing the 15th-fewest fantasy points to the running back position. The Bengals are also the sixth-best matchup for quarterbacks. They’re allowing 19.5 points per game to the position on the season. In addition, they’re allowing 2.8 points over the expected fantasy point total for said quarterback. Hurts is averaging 20.4 NFL DFS points per game. In the last two games, he’s had 22.8 and 21.9 points. He’s projected just over 20 points for this week’s matchup. So add at least the 2.8 points the Bengals allow over expectation, and he’s already sitting at 22.8 points.
There is also a possibility that point projection increases. The Bengals will be attempting to stop running back Saquon Barkley after the monsterous game he had last week. He should be their focus. This will ultimately take some attention off Hurts, who has a healthy A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith that should tear up the vulnerable Bengals secondary. The “tush push” is also definitely still a thing on the goal line, as Hurts had two rushing touchdowns last week because of it.
Running Back
Kareem Hunt (Kansas City Chiefs) | $6,300
There are a lot of great matchups this week for running backs in the top tier of the position. However, if you’re not looking to spend big money and drop $7,000+, Kareem Hunt is the player for you. Hunt has looked great in the last two games for the Chiefs. He’s scored at least 21 points in those contests. He’s also gotten a ton of work, having 24 opportunities in the past game and 28 in the previous one. This game shouldn’t be much different.
The Chiefs are favored by 10 against the Las Vegas Raiders with a mere 41 implied point total. That sure sounds like the potential for a solid game from Hunt. This leans towards the direction of the Chiefs getting up by a lot, and possibly early on. So what will Kansas City do once they get that lead? They will hand the ball off to the bell-cow, Hunt.
Just for good measure, the Raiders have allowed a whopping 24.1 NFL DFS points per game to the running back position. There’s no reason why he shouldn’t have another great performance. And for a mere $6,300, that’ll do.
Wide Receiver
Romeo Doubs (Green Bay Packers) | $5,700
How about we go a cheaper route at wide receiver to start your build? You can surely add more expensive players in the position to suit your fancy, but Romeo Doubs is a solid starting point. This way, you should have more cash to spend on other positions! Despite his one-game suspension by the team for “skipping work,” Doubs has come back even stronger for the Packers. In his last two games, he’s very much been involved. He is actually out-targeting his partner in crime, Jayden Reed, 14 to 10. Doubs has also outscored Reed 37.3 to 17.8 in the last two contests. Now, those numbers can change with the Packers’ high-flying offense and talented wide receivers at their disposal. But Doubs seems to be Jordan Love‘s main target at the moment.
The Packers face the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday in a game with an implied point total of 49.5. If you’ve followed football at any point during this season, you know the Jaguars love to give up points to receivers. They are the fourth-easiest matchup for fantasy wide receivers, allowing the position to score an average of 34.7 points a game.
Honestly, you’re probably safe with either Doubs or Reed this week, but we are talking about a discount on a player that is generating more targets and fantasy points than the more expensive option. Reed currently sits at $6,700, but I prefer Doubs for nFL DFS lineups because of his price and involvement.
Tight End
David Njoku (Cleveland Browns) | $5,100
This kind of seems like a layup, but those are deadly waters this season for fantasy tight ends. David Njoku is at the higher end of pricing this week, but for good reasons.
Last week, with the departure of wide receiver Amari Cooper, Njoku saw an instant uptick in targets. He had a total of 14 targets against the Bengals. Those targets turned into 10 receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown. The funniest part is that Njoku had three different quarterbacks throwing him the ball in the game. That says it doesn’t matter who is tossing him the ball, right? It’ll be Jameis Winston this week, and we all know he loves to sling the pigskin around the yard.
The matchup is also a thing of beauty. The Browns play Baltimore, and it should be assumed the Ravens get out ahead early and probably by a wide margin. The Browns aren’t going to be running the ball if they want to keep up. Who is the best pass-catcher they’ll be throwing it to? That would be Njoku. To put the cherry on top, if there’s a position the Ravens are weaker against, it’s tight ends. They allow the fifth-most points per game to the position at 11.3. To say the least, Njoku will be in nearly all of my NFL DFS lineups.
Defense/Special Teams
Los Angeles Chargers D/ST | $3,300
Unfortunately, you will likely have to spend $3,000+ for a D/ST this week. The Chargers are the pick since it’s on the lower end for this position. The matchup is certainly there. They face the battered and broken New Orleans Saints, who got dismantled by the Broncos in Week 7.
Last week, the Saints fumbled the ball twice, punted six times and gave up a defensive touchdown. The Chargers defense isn’t a joke by any means. Expect them to get after Spencer Rattler and possibly force a few interceptions while doing so.
Check out all of our Week 8 fantasy football content:
- PropKings: NFL Week 8 (2024)
- Week 8 In the Scope Targets (2024)
- Week 8 Shore Thing Sleepers (2024)
- Week 8 NFL DFS Picks & Lineup (2024)
- Fantasy Football Trade Targets | Week 8 (2024)
- Week 8 Fantasy Football Advice Mailbag (2024)
- Fantasy Football Whiplash! | Week 8 News & Notes (2024)
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*Photo Credit: Kirby Lee – USA TODAY Sports*