Tua Tagovailoa, Kyler Murray, Drake Maye and more

There are three quarterbacks starting and three starting in Week 8 of the NFL season.

The more games are played, the more the best and worst teams become separated from the rest. Most teams are in the middle of the pack, but a few in particular make us say WOW, for both good and bad reasons.

This separation gives us a clearer picture of which teams to target in fantasy. It is not always as obvious as it seems at first glance. Bad teams can still have good defenses; The Titans, despite having one of the best pass defenses in the league to date, are being hampered by a pathetic offense.

Let’s look at three quarterbacks who will start in Week 8 and three who will sit. I used the NFL’s defensive passing stats and our FantasySP defensive fantasy rankings to find out which teams are the best and worst to target. I will refer to these numbers often.

start

Minnesota Vikings @ Los Angeles Rams

The Rams have allowed the sixth-most yards per pass attempt this year. They are middle of the pack in fantasy points allowed per game to QBs, but are just a few points out of the top 10; The middle is very tightly packed.

Darnold was a good fantasy quarterback. He’s only QB17, but he had his bye and had five points in Week 5, bringing his numbers down. Against the Lions, a team that is middle-of-the-road against quarterbacks, Darnold posted a 259-yard performance.

With a better matchup in this game and routes still running, Darnold has a good chance to be successful again in Week 8.

Miami Dolphins vs. Arizona Cardinals

It looks like Tua will be back in the squad this week after missing four games with a concussion. Miami’s offense has been broken without their starting quarterback and star receiver and must feel like they’re coming out of a traffic jam onto a wide-open highway.

Arizona has given up the most yards per pass attempt and the seventh-most fantasy points per game to QBs. threw for 349 yards at nearly nine yards per attempt on Monday night against the Cardinals. Arizona is as generous as any pass defense in football.

There is always a risk when a player returns from a concussion, especially when he is under as close scrutiny as Tagovailoa. However, with a great match and explosive players around him, Tua is poised for a big return and should be in every league.

Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens

This is dangerous because Winston will be added to the lineup after his injury. Cleveland’s offense has been terrible at times under Watson, but there is hope that the more pass-oriented Winston will improve his efficiency.

Baltimore has allowed the second-most yards per pass attempt and the third-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. While the Ravens dominate on offense, their defense is equally poor.

Winston is a low-level streamer, but the matchup is as good as it gets, which puts him on the radar. While he shouldn’t be confused with a potential star, Winston is worth a look if you don’t have a quarterback.

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New York Giants @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Jones isn’t an exciting option, but he was QB11 or better in three of the seven weeks. He’s worth considering in the right situations, especially because he can run at times.

Week 8 is not a good matchup for Jones as the Steelers have given up the fourth-fewest fantasy points per week to quarterbacks. They are just about middle of the pack in terms of yards allowed per pass attempt.

One place where the Steelers can compete well with Jones, however, is in stopping the run: Pittsburgh has given up the second-fewest rushing yards per game to quarterbacks, meaning one of Jones’ key fantasy production options may not be available.

Given his struggles at times and Pittsburgh’s good defense, Jones is a quarterback to skip in Week 8.

New England Patriots vs. New York Jets

Maye had two consecutive big fantasy weeks early in his career, finishing as QB10 in Week 6 and QB7 in Week 7. A big part of that performance came from a lot of throws to catch up and a good matchup against Jacksonville last week.

This looks different, as the Jets have allowed the eighth-fewest yards per pass attempt and the fifth-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. tore through this team in Week 7; it was a curiosity. The long-term numbers favor the Jets, and I trust there will be more than one game.

Maye will have many more good weeks in his career, but this one is not set up for success.

Arizona Cardinals @ Miami Dolphins

Murray is one of the most dynamic running quarterbacks in the league. In 2024, he wasn’t as good at throwing the ball as he failed to reach 200 yards in four of his seven games and only topped 215 yards once.

He averages more than 45 rushing yards per game and has scored twice. That’s about five fantasy points per game added to his score, which is one of the main reasons he’s QB7. However, the duel here is not in his favor, making him a riskier player.

Miami has allowed the fewest fantasy points per game and the seventh-fewest yards per pass attempt to quarterbacks. While the offense has stalled without Tagovailoa, the defense has held up its end of the bargain, at least against the pass.

For Murray specifically, the Dolphins have allowed the fifth-fewest rushing yards per game to quarterbacks. They played against , and among others, so that’s an impressive statistic.

Richardson ran for 56 yards on the ground last week, but again, I’m thinking about the long-term numbers and believe Miami can be successful against Murray in this one as well.

#2024 Fantasy Football #Start Sit Decision