Fantasy Football Week 8 Shockers: Start ’Em and Sit ’Em Picks That Defy the Experts’ Rankings

Every fantasy football manager knows the dread of a “hold your nose” week—when bye weeks and injuries force you to start players who make you sweat. Week 8 of the 2025 NFL season is one of those weeks. With top-tier talents like Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Puka Nacua, and Jahmyr Gibbs sidelined, crafting a winning lineup feels more like a strategic puzzle than usual. Will you lean on data-driven sleepers or trust the wavering experts? In this dive, we’re flipping the script on consensus picks, highlighting who might just outperform expectations—and who could leave you fuming on the bench. Ready to navigate the chaos and snag that crucial edge? Let’s break down the yays and nays that could define your fantasy fate this week.

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In our 2025 NFL Week 8 fantasy football start and sit, we let the data give another perspective that likely varies from the overall expert picks.

Every year in fantasy, there are “hold your nose” weeks.

It’s nice to feel good about your starting lineup every week. But, with bye weeks in the NFL, that’s just not possible for most fantasy managers.

So, every manager has to start players they’re not comfortable with starting from time to time. This week will be one of those weeks for a lot of people.

There are several players who are no-brainer starters that don’t play this week. Three of the top four receivers in total PPR points this season (Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Puka Nacua) are on bye. Jahmyr Gibbs is an elite running back who won’t be playing, either. Ashton Jeanty, Travis Etienne, Kenneth Walker III … all gone for the week as well.

With so many starters out, lineup decisions become all the more crucial. Some players will get you through the bye week blues with a win. Others will have you lamenting the ways you decided to plug your roster holes. Here are the Week 8 yays and nays.

The Week 8 Fantasy Football Yays: Players Projected to Overperform Consensus Rankings

Note: We’re comparing our rankings to the expert consensus rankings (ECR) from Fantasy Pros. These rankings update throughout the week (we pulled these numbers from Wednesday). Once again, we are using PPR unless noted otherwise.

QB Mac Jones (SF) vs HOU (ECR: QB26, Our Rank: QB12, Projected Points: 14.76)

Mac Jones is coming off his worst statistical performance of the season and is facing a stout Houston Texans defense, so it makes sense that he wouldn’t be on many fantasy managers’ radar this week.

But dismissing Jones because of one bad week against the Atlanta Falcons, a team currently allowing the fewest passing yards per game, would be folly. Before last week’s game, he had attempted at least 39 passes and thrown for at least 279 yards in his first four starts.

Christian McCaffrey did finally have some success on the ground in Week 7, and a successful ground game could mean fewer attempts for Jones. It also could mean the offense moves the ball more effectively, and Jones still should get enough volume in a Kyle Shanahan offense to be worth a stream, even against a tough defense.

RB Breece Hall (NYJ) vs CIN (ECR: RB15, Our Rank: RB9, Projected Points: 17.21)

A stoppable force meets a moveable object when the New York Jets offense takes on the Cincinnati Bengals defense.

But there should be some points to be had for the Jets. The Bengals have given up at least 27 points in each of their last six games and allow the most touchdowns per game in the league.

If the Jets are going to score, does it seem more likely that it will come via Hall or via whoever is suiting up at quarterback? Exactly.

Plus, there’s at least a chance the winless Jets will look to trade Hall at some point this season. It’s hard to imagine a better showcase game than against the hapless Cincinnati defense. Hall’s last game against a struggling defense came against the Dallas Cowboys, when he had 113 rushing yards and 42 receiving yards. Expect another big game here.

WR DeVonta Smith (PHI) vs NYG (ECR: WR15, Our Rank: WR3, Projected Points: 14.91)

No, it’s not a typo. DeVonta Smith is our projected third wide receiver this week.

While that may seem too ambitious, the Philadelphia Eagles have clearly shifted the focus of their offense in recent weeks. With the running game struggling, Jalen Hurts has been more willing to look down field and try to take advantage of his two incredibly talented receivers.

Smith has been the biggest beneficiary. He’s third in the NFL in receiving yards over the past three weeks. His worst game during that stretch was against the New York Giants, but that isn’t indicative of how weak the Giants pass defense has been. They’ve allowed the fifth-most passing yards per game in the NFL.

After getting embarrassed by New York the first time around, Philadelphia will likely adjust their game plan and attack the questionable New York cornerbacks down the field when they can. That should make this a great week for Smith.

TE Dalton Schultz (HOU) vs SF (ECR: TE15, Our Rank: TE10, Projected Points: 8.80)

There are still a lot of problems with the Texans offense, but Schultz isn’t one of them.

The reliable tight end has caught at least five passes in his last four games and is coming off a nine-catch, 98-yard effort against the Seattle Seahawks.

The incredible man in the middle of the San Francisco 49ers defense, Fred Warner, is out for the season and the 49ers have showed some cracks against tight ends in the past two games without him. Cade Otton had five catches for 51 yards and Kyle Pitts had seven catches for 62 yards.

Add in the fact that Nico Collins suffered a concussion in Week 7 and might miss this week, which would leave plenty of targets available in the Texans offense. There’s no such thing as a high-floor streaming tight end, but Schultz has a great chance to put up another steady stat line.

The Week 8 Fantasy Football Nays: Players Projected to Underperform Consensus Rankings

RB Saquon Barkley (PHI) vs NYG (ECR: RB9, Our Rank: RB18, Projected Points: 14.01)

I know, I know. We just had Barkley in the nays last week. We’re like a sitcom that is too reliant on the same gag every episode.

But instead of blaming us, maybe blame the industry that refuses to rank Saquon as an RB2. His ECR is RB9 this week, despite the fact that he has one top-nine finish at the position this year and three finishes outside the top 20.

After two weeks of dwindling carries, the Eagles gave Barkley 18 carries in Week 7 in a game they led the whole way. He responded by getting a mere 44 yards. Barkley hasn’t had a game all season where he’s gotten more than 15 carries and averaged more than 4.0 yards per carry.

It’s possible this is the week he snaps out of his funk, but fading Barkley has worked several times already this year. He’s more of an RB2 than an RB1 until he shows otherwise.

WR Tee Higgins (CIN) vs NYJ (ECR: WR16, Our Rank WR37, Projected Points: 9.33)

It’s possible our ranking of Higgins isn’t giving enough weight to just how much of an upgrade Joe Flacco has been over Jake Browning.

But Flacco might not be airing it out quite as much this week. He’s had to throw a combined 92 times in two games to keep up with opposing offenses. That’s unlikely to continue against the Jets, where the Bengals could find themselves with a big lead for the first time this season.

The Jets have allowed the eighth-fewest receiving yards per game and the 10th-most rushing yards per game this season. That’s mostly because of game script, too. The Jets get down big early in games and other teams run the ball a lot in the second half. There might not be as much volume in the passing game for the Bengals.

Volume has been key for Higgins this season. He’s had 50 or more yards in each of his three games with eight or more targets and less than 40 yards in each of his games with fewer than eight targets. With how often Flacco is targeting Ja’Marr Chase and the possibility of fewer passes being thrown, it’s no guarantee Higgins gets a lot of targets this week. He’s got a high ceiling, but a much lower floor than you think.

TE Zach Ertz (WSH) vs KC (ECR: TE13, Consensus TE19)

Ertz has been a favorite of our projection system this year, so it’s a bit surprising to see him on this list.

But there is an obvious reason we don’t trust him this week. Jayden Daniels has already been ruled out and Marcus Mariota will play instead.

In two Mariota starts this season, Ertz has combined for five catches, 58 yards and no touchdowns. He’s a touchdown-dependent tight end playing with a backup quarterback against an elite defense in the Kansas City Chiefs. Find a different streaming tight end this week.

Didn’t see the names you were after? Be sure to check out our full Week 8 fantasy football projections. And follow along on Instagram, Bluesky, Facebook and X for more.

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