Week eight fantasy football tips

Carson Field, Sports Editor

Players to start this week:

QB Jameis Winston (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston had a good game last week against the 49ers, and I expect his production to continue into this week. On Sunday, the Bucs face the Raiders, who, despite their 5-2 record, have one of the worst pass defenses in the entire league. Winston will have plenty of connections to Mike Evans in what should be a shootout of a game this weekend.

RB Christine Michael (Seattle Seahawks)

Despite only scoring five fantasy points in the week seven tie against the Cardinals, Christine Michael will have a strong performance on the ground this week. Michael has done a solid job of replacing the injured Thomas Rawls, for he averages 12 fantasy points per game. He will exceed his average this weekend when the Seahawks travel to New Orleans to take on the Saints. The young running back will expose the weak New Orleans defense and accumulate at least 15 fantasy points (more in PPR leagues).

RB Spencer Ware (Kansas City Chiefs)

Kansas City running back Spencer Ware has been dominant as of late, scoring a total of 40 fantasy points in the team’s last two games. He will once again have a strong performance in week eight, when the Chiefs play the Colts. The Colts have a weak run defense, which will lead to Ware finding the end zone and rushing for plenty of yards. I expect Ware to get much more playing time than former starter Jamaal Charles this week.

WR T.Y. Hilton (Indianapolis Colts)

Colts receiver T.Y. Hilton has been great this year, and he will once again be a top performer this week. The Colts, as I previously mentioned, play against the Chiefs this week. The Chiefs’ secondary has struggled this year, and I don’t expect that to change when they have to face the deadly combination of Andrew Luck and T.Y Hilton. This Chiefs-Colts game should be very high scoring.

Titans’ Defense

The Titans’ defense has been surprisingly good this year, and that will not change this week when they face the Jaguars. The Jags have struggled to develop a passing or a running game this year, as they rank 27th in yards per game. The Tennessee secondary will make sure the combination of Blake Bortles and Allen Robinson won’t have any big plays.

Players to sit this week:

QB Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints)

Drew Brees has had a great season, for he is the third-ranked quarterback in fantasy this year. However, he will struggle this week when the Saints play the Seahawks. The Seahawks have a daunting secondary, which is nicknamed the Legion of Boom. Expect Brees to throw multiple picks in week eight.

RB Isaiah Crowell (Cleveland Browns)

Cleveland running back Isaiah Crowell has been inconsistent this year, and he will once again underachieve in week eight. The Browns face the league’s second-ranked run defense, New York Jets, which sets up a bad matchup for the Browns. Crowell has been one of the only bright spots for the Browns’ offense, and if they can’t effectively run the ball, their offense will produce absolutely nothing.

RB C.J. Anderson (Denver Broncos)

C.J. Anderson had a big game last night against the Texans, but he will struggle to find success on the ground this week against the Chargers. The Chargers’ pass defense is awful, but their pass defense is not bad. This will set up for a Broncos air raid against San Diego. Anderson will not be given as many carries as usual because of this.

WR Marvin Jones (Detroit Lions)

Detroit receiver Marvin Jones has been great this year, as he has accumulated 623 rushing yards to start the season. Despite his early success, Jones will struggle this week against the Texans. Houston has one of the league’s top pass defenses, and they will neutralize the Lions’ aerial attack. Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford will have trouble finding his receivers this week.

Packers’ Defense

The Packers have a solid defense, but they will struggle to stop the Falcons’ offense in week eight. The Falcons have the best offensive statistics, for they lead the NFL in yards per game. The Matt Ryan-Julio Jones combination will be deadly against a beaten up Green Bay secondary.