The Green Bay Packers and quarterback Aaron Rodgers look to rebound from a tough loss with an even tougher opponent, as they head on the road to face Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills in our game of the week.
Injuries and bye weeks are forcing fantasy football managers to answer some hard questions this week.
For example, which running back should be inserted into your lineup now that New York Jets rookie sensation Breece Hall suffered a season-ending ACL injury?
Also, can we truly trust New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones or Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins in a spot start with Kansas City Chiefs stud Patrick Mahomes and Los Angeles Chargers star Justin Herbert on byes?
With that in mind, FrontPageBets takes a look at a few players to either insert into your lineup or leave on your bench based on their Week 8 matchups.
Giants QB Jones vs. Seattle Seahawks
Jones has played his way into being considered a top-10 quarterback (thus, a must-start in fantasy circles). That sounds strange considering one could barely get 60 cents on the dollar for “Danny Dimes” in years past.
Although New York’s receiving contingent leaves plenty to be desired, Jones has done enough in the passing game and used his feet to score three rushing touchdowns in his last four games. He earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors on Wednesday after totaling 309 yards (202 passing, career-high 107 rushing) and two scores (one passing, one rushing) in the Giants’ 23-17 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Facing a sleepy Seattle secondary and a better-than-expected Seahawks offense are two more strong reasons in favor of starting Jones this week.
Verdict: Start
Vikings QB Cousins vs. Arizona Cardinals
First off, let’s look at the positives. Sunday’s game is not in prime time, so Cousins and his woeful regular-season record while playing under the lights won’t be a narrative.
The primary storyline of this game will be Cousins looking to exploit a generous Cardinals’ passing defense. Heck, Arizona allowed four touchdown passes to New Orleans Saints quarterback Andy Dalton last week.
The Cardinals’ offense also received a boost from the return of DeAndre Hopkins, so Cousins and Co. (Justin Jefferson, primarily) may need to do more to keep pace on Sunday.
Verdict: Start
Pollard was a recommended start last week in tandem with Ezekiel Elliott, and now the former is trending toward having the backfield to himself with the latter nursing a right knee injury.
Pollard totaled a season-high 109 scrimmage yards (83 rushing, 26 receiving) in the Cowboys’ 24-6 victory over the Detroit Lions last Sunday.
With Dak Prescott still working out the kinks and the Bears playing on a short week, Pollard appears poised for a big day in Big D.
Verdict: Start
Sure, you’re in a bind with Chargers star Austin Ekeler on a bye, but is Henderson worth a flier? Short answer: No.
Henderson has been unable to hit the ground running even with Cam Akers stuck in neutral for most of the season. A quick look back to Henderson’s meager 39 total yards (27 rushing, 12 receiving) in the Rams’ 24-9 loss to the 49ers on Oct. 3 is reason enough to steer clear of him in this matchup.
The 49ers have been rather stingy to the opposition’s running game this season, surrendering just 91.0 yards per contest, second-best in the NFL.
Verdict: Sit
Moore unquestionably has been one of fantasy football’s biggest disappointments this season. Sure, one can place the blame at the feet of Baker Mayfield or the since-fired Matt Rhule, but that’s veering off topic.
Now, fantasy owners may be searching for answers with Seahawks star DK Metcalf’s availability in doubt due to a knee injury. Consider Moore, and keep in mind the Falcons are surrendering a league-worst 306.6 passing yards per game this season.
Moore stepped up last week with a season-high seven receptions for 69 yards and a touchdown. He has produced at least 50 yards receiving in six straight games against Atlanta and seven of his eight overall.
Verdict: Start
Trade options/waiver wire
Keep in mind the NFL’s trade deadline is Tuesday, so several players who may be languishing on your bench -- or the benches of others -- could see an uptick in value merely by a change of scenery.
Case in point: Cleveland Browns running back Kareem Hunt. Right now, Hunt is playing a distant second fiddle to Nick Chubb with the run-oriented Browns. However, he may be ready to make some music should he be traded to, say, the high-octane Philadelphia Eagles.
As for the waiver wire, Seahawks wide receiver Marquise Goodwin is in line for more playing time given injuries to both Metcalf and Tyler Lockett (hamstring).
We would advise pumping the brakes on Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Parris Campbell, however. Sure, his 17 catches and 23 targets over the last two games are tempting, but the offense is in a state of flux with Sam Ehlinger being given the keys at quarterback and running back Jonathan Taylor getting healthier by the day.
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