8 best and worst fantasy football matchups for Week 8 - USA Today

After ruminating on Bhayshul Tuten last week, readers of this article can officially celebrate benching Patrick Mahomes and his 7.0 fantasy point effort against Seattle.

It's Week 8, so naturally I decided to write up a new personal-best eight players this week. Please don't hold me to this same standard come Week 17.

Once again, we have four more bye weeks to manage (49ers, Giants, Texans, Saints), and with all the chaos, nailing fantasy lineup decisions becomes even more paramount.

Every week, I'll continue to identify and write up players that are not obviously starts or sits. Regardless of matchup, you're starting someone like CeeDee Lamb every week, so I try to go a few layers deeper than your early-round fantasy studs.

Note: Projections refer to player props in the betting and prediction markets, which are a valuable reference tool for anyone playing fantasy football.

Kyler Murray's inaugural season in Minnesota has been disappointing, both from a real football and fantasy football perspective. This year, Murray has topped 14 fantasy points in just one game.

This week, the Vikings face the Lions, a top-3 offense. Most likely, they'll need to throw more to keep pace. And, Justin Jefferson will (hopefully) not leave early again with an injury.

Quarterbacks facing the Lions score 6.8 more fantasy points than their season-long average this year, which places them as the #1 fantasy matchup.

Murray has 15 carries for 90 rushing yards the past two games, and should top 225 passing yards through the air this week. Consider Murray a fringe top-12 fantasy option this week in the perfect matchup.

The third overall pick in the draft, Love has had a tough start to his rookie season, suffering injuries to both ankles over the past two months.

However, after taking two games off to let his body heal, Love is poised to return at the ideal time. The Cowboys are the best matchup for fantasy running backs after adjusting for opponents faced.

Love had worked his way into 80%+ of the weekly touches in this backfield before the second ankle injury, and while Bam Knight and Tyler Allgeier were serviceable in relief, neither is anywhere near the talent of Jeremiyah Love.

The Cowboys have allowed over 100 yards on the ground to all but two teams (Texans, Packers), and David Montgomery and MarShawn Lloyd are incomparable to Mr. Jeremiyah Love. This game has the highest total of the week at 54.5 points, so there is significant touchdown upside here, as well.

Love is a borderline top-12 option at the position this week.

Egbuka missed last week's contest, so he was spared from the 43-point Buccaneers showing that somehow only featured 64 Baker Mayfield passing yards.

The second-year receiver is slated to return this week, and the Falcons have struggled mightily against outside receivers this year. Two-thirds of his routes have come on the outside, and the Falcons are currently allowing 6.4 more fantasy points per game to outside receivers than expected, based on opponents faced.

The Buccaneers were able to ease Mayfield in last week as the Panthers offense imploded in-game. This week, expect Tampa Bay to lean more heavily on the passing game, and their best receiver also happens to draw the best matchup.

By now, you know to start tight ends against the Lions (hello T.J. Hockenson revenge game).

So, we're pivoting to another option in Dallas Goedert, who faces a Commanders team that he already shredded for 77 yards and two touchdowns in Week 1. Three other tight ends have also reached 18 fantasy points against the Commanders already, despite Washington playing just six games so far.

Tanner McKee is not as good as Jalen Hurts when it comes to winning NFL games, but he's more fantasy-friendly to the pass-catchers due to the increase in overall pass attempts.

DeVonta Smith re-aggravated his hamstring injury and is unlikely to suit up for this contest. Goedert has finished top-two on the Eagles in targets each of the past three games, and he may be featured even more heavily this week.

The trade deadline is fast approaching, and with rookie Round 2 pick Eli Stowers healthy again, we could see the Eagles feature the veteran Goedert to accelerate trade discussions.

Last week, Patrick Mahomes scored just seven fantasy points against the Seahawks. Rashee Rice missed that game, so Mahomes was throwing to 37-year-old Travis Kelce and first round bust Xavier Worthy.

Caleb Williams has a far more talented supporting cast, so I expect him to score double digit fantasy points.

Now that we got that caveat out of the way, it's worth remembering that quarterbacks have scored 6.2 fewer fantasy points per game against the Seahawks than their season-long average.

Edge rushers DeMarcus Lawrence and Uchenna Nwosu are a disruptive duo, and the Bears are still missing left tackle Braxton Jones (IR).

Williams has been marginally better under pressure this year (47.4 QB rating) than Daniel Jones (46.8), arguably the NFL's worst overall signal caller in 2026. Only the Vikings defense has a higher pressure rate than the Seahawks, and it could be a long Monday night for Caleb Williams.

It's a true pick-em between a normal fantasy stud like Caleb and the aforementioned Kyler in Week 8, thanks to the disparities in their matchups.

You're probably starting Jonathan Taylor no matter what, but there are likely some JT teams that have two better running back options for Week 8.

The Colts are in the midst of a fire sale, and guard Quenton Nelson was just traded away. This takes the Colts' offensive line from a great unit to a potentially below average one.

And now, the Colts face the NFL's best run defense, the Jacksonville Jaguars. No runner has reached even 60 yards against the Jaguars this season, and the Colts are projected to score just 18 total points according to Vegas.

With reduced rushing and touchdown upside, Jonathan Taylor fantasy managers are most likely looking at 50-70 yards with a coin flip for touchdown odds.

Some running backs I'd start over Taylor this week include Josh Jacobs, Bucky Irving, Chase Brown, and Bhayshul Tuten. Treat Taylor like a mid-range fantasy RB2 this week.

To my surprise, Ollie Gordon has been more than serviceable in fantasy football over the past month. He's scored in four straight games, and he's totaled at least 88 rushing yards in each of the past three.

This game against New England, though, should halt his momentum. The Patriots have held opposing backs to just 4.08 yards per carry on the season, despite facing a relatively strong schedule. And no back has crested 80 rushing yards against New England overall.

As seven-point road favorites, the public expects the Patriots to handily beat their division rival in Week 8. If/when game script shifts against Gordon, he has just six catches for 14 yards on the season.

Vegas gives Gordon about a 40% chance to score a touchdown, and he should not be treated as a top-24 option this week. I'd rather start Rachaad White this week, for context.

Jamo's topped 16 fantasy points in three straight, and is coming off his best game of the season with five catches, 91 yards and two scores.

However, the matchup against the Vikings is one to shy away from. The NFL's No. 1 defense has shut down practically every position group this year.

Minnesota's pressure rate is not only the best among any team, but it's actually 20% higher than the Seahawks, who come in at No. 2. Under pressure, Jared Goff is unlikely to be able to get the ball to Williams in his current role.

Looking at average target depth, the speedster has been targeted twice as many yards downfield (15.6) as Amon-Ra St. Brown (8.8) and Sam LaPorta (7.4). Sam LaPorta also has the squeaky wheel narrative after complaining about the lack of a contract extension in the midst of his 2025 back surgery.

Against the NFL's No. 1 defense, and as the logical fourth option in the Lions offense given the pass rush, Williams is just outside the top-24 receivers this week for fantasy football.