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- Starts/Fades: Week 8
By: Tony Kneepkens (@tonytk44)
This article is intended to highlight some players who may have a positive or negative weekly outlook relative to their baseline value.
“Starts” are players who might generally be on fantasy benches but might have a terrific perceived matchup or game script/environment, or the potential for an expanded role due to past performance or injuries to teammates or opponents.
“Fades” are players who were likely drafted as fantasy starters or have performed as automatic starters lately but face a particularly tough week due to a poor matchup or a lack of short-term role clarity due to an injury, etc.
Here are a few of my notable starts and fades for Week 8 of the 2024 NFL season, with some notes on my thought process included:
QB
Start: Caleb Williams, CHI (at WAS)
The Bears are well rested coming off of their bye. Williams had two great games heading into the bye week, completing 43/58 passes for 530 yards and six TDs with a single interception. He added 90 yards rushing.
This week, Williams and the Bears head to Washington in a game with a middling implied point total (43.0). This was supposed to be a battle between the top two picks from April’s draft, Williams and Jayden Daniels, but Daniels is questionable to play after leaving last week’s game with a rib injury. The Commanders’ defense is among the most generous in the league in passer rating allowed (107.4, third worst), completion percentage allowed (70.2, sixth worst), and yards per attempt allowed (7.8, seventh worst).
Pure narrative/speculation here, but I’m guessing the entire Bears organization has been hearing how awesome Daniels is/has been (rightfully so!) and would like nothing more than to run up the score this week with their own ascending rookie QB against an exploitable Washington defense. I like Williams as a back-end QB1 option.
Fade: Geno Smith, SEA (vs BUF)
Geno has been a QB1 in most fantasy formats this season. He leads the NFL in passing attempts, completions, and yards while distributing the ball to his talented playmakers. Seahawks’ star WR DK Metcalf left last week’s game with a knee injury and is considered week-to-week.
Seattle hosts Buffalo this week and has a middling implied team total (22.0). The Bills 5-2 have faced a lot of pass attempts (T-5th most in the league) while often playing from ahead, but they've been good on a per-play basis, allowing only 6.4 yards per attempt (T-4th best).
I believe Geno should be stashed on fantasy benches this week in single-QB formats. While he’s been passing efficiently, and often, the Bills present a tough matchup and we need to consider that he’s likely to be missing his top big-play threat this week in Metcalf.
RB
Start: Raheem Mostert, MIA (vs AZ)
Mostert left the Phins’ Week 1 game with a chest injury and sat out until returning to lead the team in touches and scrimmage yards Week 5 after De’Von Achane left that game with a concussion. With each of Miami’s top two RB options missing time, rookie Jaylen Wright has also carved out a role and was still afforded five carries last week with Mostert and Achane both healthy.
This week Miami hosts the Cardinals as 3.5-point favorites with a solid implied team total (24.75). The Dolphins are expected to have starting QB Tua Tagovailoa back from IR. The Cards’ defense has faced the fourth-most rushing attempts and have allowed the fifth-most rushing yards in the league.
Mostert plays in a crowded backfield but has a well-defined secondary RB role in what profiles as an exciting offense with Tua back in action. My assumption, and the thesis for this play, is that Miami will be doing everything it can to keep Tua upright by featuring the RBs in both their running and short passing games. You don’t need me to recommend starting Achane, but I also like Mostert this week as a Flex option.
Fade: Chuba Hubbard, CAR (at DEN)
Hubbard continues to be one of the few bright spots on a struggling 1-6 Panthers team. He’s on an impressive streak of five straight games with 100+ scrimmage yards and/or a TD and has performed as a top-12 fantasy RB this year. Last week, he salvaged his fantasy day with a TD but was surprisingly not targeted in the Panthers’ 40-7 loss to the Commanders. Carolina will be going back to their struggling second-year QB, Bryce Young, after Andy Dalton was injured in a car accident.
Carolina heads to Denver and has one of the lowest implied team totals (17.25) of the week. While the Broncos have really done a nice job against opposing passing games this year, they’re also holding opponents to 4.1 yards per carry (sixth best in the NFL) and have only allowed four total rushing TDs (T-5th).
With no players on bye this week, and all of the healthy players on our rosters to choose from, I’m keeping Chuba on the bench if I can on the road against a tough Denver defense.
WR
Start: Tank Dell, HOU (vs IND)
Dell has yet to make the most of his added opportunity with WR teammate Nico Collins sidelined. He was held without a catch in last week’s loss at Lambeau Field.
The Texans host the Colts this week as 5.5-point favorites and with a strong implied team total (25.5). The Colts’ defense has played well recently against the likes of Will Levis, Tyler Huntley, and Tim Boyle at QB, but they've given up some big individual games to WRs this season, including 6/117 to Collins in Week 1. Collins remains on IR.
I’m sticking with Dell as a back-end WR2 or high-end Flex option this week in a favorable divisional matchup against the Colts.
Fade: George Pickens, PIT (vs NYG)
Pickens’ best fantasy game of the season (5/111/1) came in veteran QB Russell Wilson’s first start for the team last week. Pickens, Wilson, and the rest of the Steelers looked awesome and made some big plays against the Jets, one of the most challenging matchups for opposing passing games this year.
The Steelers host the Giants this week on Monday Night Football in the only game with an implied point total under 40 points (36.5). The NYG defense leads the NFL with 31 defensive sacks. They have also already faced many of the top WRs in the league this season, with inconsistent results. Justin Jefferson (4/59/1), Amari Cooper (7/86/2), CeeDee Lamb (7/98/1), and A.J. Brown (5/89/1) had success (and found the end zone) against them. Terry McLaurin (6/22/0), Metcalf (4/55/0), and Ja’Marr Chase (5/72/0) each had poor games, by their lofty standards.
Pickens is a huge talent with a high weekly ceiling and seems to have hit the ground running with his new starting QB last week, even in a brutal matchup. That being said, I’m choosing not to wait around for Pickens on MNF this week in a game that projects to be a defensive struggle with easily the lowest implied total of the slate.
TE
With the current state of injuries and general lack of fantasy production at TE, I don't have recommendations for starts or fades at the position this week. With no teams on bye Week 8, if you have a reasonable TE option who is also healthy, they are likely a strong option to start this week.