“Shore Thing Sleepers” isn’t your ordinary fantasy football Week 8 start/sit article. Instead, our analyst duo of Seth Woolcock and Eric Romoff highlight lower-valued players that can provide starting-caliber production for a specific week. These are usually players near the end of your bench or even on the waiver wire/free agency. You can catch an additional sleeper pick live at the end of our weekly in-season Friday podcast episode.
Rostership percentages are based on ESPN Points Per Reception (PPR) redraft fantasy football leagues.
Week 8 Start/Sit Consideration: Shore Thing Sleepers
Cam Akers (RB, Minnesota Vikings) | 55.1% Rostered
Cam Akers played 39% of the snaps last week for the Minnesota Vikings. He’s taken on the role of the change-of-pace back behind Alexander Mattison, but he showed that he could contribute to the offense in various ways, totaling 10 carries, three targets and a red zone touch in the Vikings’ surprising victory over the 49ers.
In Week 8, the Vikings face the Green Bay Packers, who have struggled against running backs all season. Their defense has been a top-three fantasy matchup for the position, allowing four touchdowns to the position over their past four games. Akers could be a solid deep-league option, and in a week with no byes, he might not be on everyone’s radar. If you’re playing in deeper leagues, including leagues like the Scott Fish Bowl, consider giving Akers a look for your Week 8 start/sit decisions. – Woolcock
Roschon Johnson (RB, Chicago Bears) | 45.6% Rostered
Roschon Johnson is an interesting name to watch in Week 8. The Chicago Bears are up against the Los Angeles Chargers, a team that’s a top-10 matchup for running backs. The Chargers have allowed an average of 6.5 receptions per game to opposing running backs, ranking fifth in the league.
In his role as a third-down receiving back, Johnson had an impressive seven targets in Week 1. Those targets since regressed and then the rookie missed the last two games with a concussion. Yet, given the game script likely to develop with the Bears trailing, there’s a real chance they can exploit this weakness in the Chargers’ defense.
Darrynton Evans and D’Onta Foreman split the workload nearly even in Week 7, with Evans receiving three targets and 14 carries. However, we expect Johnson to take advantage of this situation, especially with Undrafted Free Agent (UDFA) Tyson Bagent under center. Look for Johnson to be involved early and often in the passing game. If you’re in need of a FLEX play or a deep-league, desperation RB2 option for Week 8, consider Johnson. – Romoff
Thanks for reading our “Shore Thing Sleepers” to consider in your Week 8 start/sit decisions. Check out more of our fantasy football and other written content here at In-Between Media, or head over to our YouTube channel to get your fix via video.
*Photo Credit: Bob Donnan – USA TODAY Sports*