Week 7’s “starts” brought you the QB1, QB11, RB12, WR4, WR18, and TE3. I also helped you to avoid duds from Sam Darnold, Tyler Lockett, and Tyler Boyd. So, let’s focus on that rather than my advice to play Allen Robinson or bench Joe Burrow and D’Ernest Johnson… Anyway, with just two teams on bye this week, we have more fun players to choose from in Week 8. So, I’ve decided to add some “honorable mentions” to the mix this week. As always, I’ll be bringing you names at every position that I believe will exceed expectations or fall flat.

Let’s get into the picks.

Starts: Quarterbacks

Carson Wentz, Colts vs. Titans

Among QBs with at least four starts this season, Carson Wentz ranks 9th in yards per attempt. He’s also tied for 2nd in deep ball completion percentage. And after a rough start to the season, Wentz has finished as the QB10, QB14, and QB12 over the past three weeks. He’s playing high-quality football right now. I expect that trend to continue against the Titans, who have been a top-10 matchup for QBs this season.

Kirk Cousins, Vikings vs. Cowboys

Kirk Cousins has thrown for more yards per game this season than Kyler Murray, Josh Allen, and Joe Burrow. He’s also averaging over two passing TDs per game, which isn’t all that surprising when you consider that he has Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson at his disposal. The Vikings might like to lean on the running game when they have a lead, but their Week 8 matchup with the Cowboys should be competitive throughout, making Cousins a worthy start. 

Honorable Mention: Daniel Jones, Giants @ Chiefs

Starts: Running Backs

Kenny Gainwell, Eagles @ Lions

Boston Scott led the Eagles in carries after Miles Sanders left the game with an ankle injury in Week 7. However, Kenny Gainwell’s eight targets were second on the team behind DeVonta Smith. He’s actually 10th in the NFL in RB targets, and that’s with Sanders healthy. If he can absorb a few additional carries and targets this week, he should be a solid flex play with RB2 upside. 

Darrel Williams, Chiefs vs. Giants

You have to go back to the well with Darrel Williams. He struggled in Week 7 along with the rest of the Chiefs’ offense, but he still saw a healthy 66% snap share. I’m optimistic that the offense can get back on track against the Giants, which should mean double-digit touches for Williams and a decent chance to find the end zone. 

Honorable Mention: Brandon Bolden, Patriots @ Chargers; Zack Moss, Bills vs. Dolphins

Starts: Wide Receivers

Mike Williams, Chargers vs. Patriots

The last time we saw Mike Williams, he had just two receptions for 27 yards against the Ravens. Coming off the bye week, you shouldn’t hesitate to slide Williams back into your lineup. He has nearly a 24% target share on a team averaging the 3rd-most pass plays per game. Williams also sees a lot of deep targets and red zone targets, which provide him with plenty of boom upside. 

Emmanuel Sanders, Bills vs. Dolphins

The consistency of Emmanuel Sanders has been a pleasant surprise this season. He’s seen at least five targets and 48 receiving yards in every game this season, but he’s also 10th in yards per reception with two multi-TD games. In other words, he’s offering both a safe floor and a high ceiling every week. He’s a solid WR3 each and every week moving forward.

Tee Higgins, Bengals @ Jets

Yes, Ja’Marr Chase has been making all the highlight plays in Cincinnati, but it’s actually Tee Higgins that leads the Bengals in targets. After a 15-target game in Week 7, his season-long target share of 27.4% ranks 8th in the league. A talented player with that type of role does not belong on the bench. Keep playing Higgins; the fantasy points will come. 

Honorable Mention: Randall Cobb, Packers @ Cardinals; Robby Anderson, Panthers @ Falcons

Starts: Tight Ends

Tyler Conklin, Vikings vs. Cowboys

With Darren Waller and Mark Andrews on bye, you might need a startable tight end this season. You could do worse than Tyler Conklin, who ranks 11th in TE receptions despite having his own bye in Week 7. He has a solid role in a good offense in a game with a high Vegas point total. What else can you really ask for at the TE position?

Honorable Mention: Dan Arnold, Jaguars @ Seahawks; Robert Tonyan, Packers @ Cardinals

Sits: Quarterbacks

Sam Darnold, Panthers @ Falcons

After a strong start to the season, Sam Darnold is playing like Sam Darnold again. He’s averaged just 165 passing yards and less than a TD per game over his past three. He was even benched late in Week 7 for P.J. Walker, though the coach has confirmed that Darnold will retain his starting job. Regardless, I have no interest in trusting Sam Darnold in Week 8, even with a great matchup against the Falcons. 

Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins @ Bills

In the two games since he returned from injury, Tua has finished as the QB10 and QB1 in weekly scoring. He’s completed roughly 75% of his passes, thrown for six TDs, and rushed for another 51 yards. However, starting QBs against the Buffalo Bills has been a fruitless endeavor in 2021. Even Patrick Mahomes finished outside the top-12 when he faced the Bills. Just put Tua on ice until his matchup with the Texans in Week 9.

Sits: Running Backs

Mike Davis, Falcons vs. Panthers

Slowly, but surely, Cordarrelle Patterson is taking over Atlanta’s backfield. In Week 7, Davis had just four carries, a season-low, while Patterson handled 14 carries, a season-high, and saw five targets. I’m not predicting such a large gap in volume between the two moving forward, but, with Patterson getting nearly all the receiving work, Davis just doesn’t have a particularly valuable role for fantasy. Bench him for this bottom-10 matchup against the Panthers. 

Alex Collins, Seahawks vs. Jaguars

Even with Rashaad Penny back in the mix, Alex Collins carried the ball 16 times against the Saints. He is the lead back until Chris Carson returns or Rashaad Penny proves himself to be the superior player. Still, Collins offers almost nothing in the passing game, and Penny will continue to steal carries. His ceiling is capped against the Jaguars, who have allowed the 5th-fewest yards per carry this season. 

Honorable Mention: Jamaal Williams, Lions vs. Eagles

Sits: Wide Receivers

Allen Robinson, Bears vs. 49ers

I give up. I thought Allen Robinson could get right against a banged-up Buccaneers secondary in a negative game script, but I was wrong. Through seven games, Robinson has zero weekly finishes inside the top-45 WRs. He is absolutely unstartable in any matchup until this offense shows some signs of life. 

Odell Beckham Jr., Browns vs. Steelers

Is it safe to say that Odell Beckham Jr.’s best days are behind him? Even on a team utterly devoid of receiving talent, OBJ has just a 22% target share. On this run-first offense, that’s less than seven targets per game. And with a true catch rate of just 69%, 92nd in the league, he’s simply not making the most of his limited opportunities. You’d best banish Beckham to the bench.

Honorable Mention: Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers @ Bears; Tyler Boyd, Bengals @ Jets

Sits: Tight Ends

C.J. Uzomah, Bengals @ Jets

C.J. Uzomah’s fantasy relevance this season has been predicated on a few broken plays. He ranks 30th in TE targets, 31st in target share, and 22nd in receptions. He has proven to be capable of boom performances, but you typically don’t want to bet on this type of production.

Thanks for reading this article! Look me up on Twitter at @fantasyfreezer if you’d like to hear more from me. I love answering fantasy questions, discussing trades, and engaging in friendly debates, so be sure to drop in and say hello.

You can read the previous articles in this series here:  Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7