Fantasy Football Start or Sit Week 8: Sam Darnold, Jordan Addison on TNF

The Minnesota Vikings (5-1) face the Los Angeles Rams (2-4) on Thursday Night Football this week at SoFi Stadium, and it’s going to be a monster night for fantasy purposes.

As far as elite NFL skill position players go, this game is full of them. Players like Justin Jefferson, Cooper Kupp, Aaron Jones, and Kyren Williams are must-have fantasy players whenever they’re active, not to mention stars like TJ Hockenson and Puka Nacua who are apparently working toward a return to TNF.

Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold has been one of the most efficient passers in the NFL this season, but should he be treated like a must-have starter this week against a middle-of-the-pack Rams defense?

Jordan Addison’s fantasy managers are likely on the hook as the VIkings’ rising star has yet to record his first three receptions in a game all season.

Will the Darnold-Addison connection finally flourish on Thursday night against the Rams? Let’s break it down:

Fantasy Football Start or Sit Week 8: Sam Darnold

Darnold hit the ground running early in the season, posting three straight top-10 performances before coming back down to earth against the Jets in London.

The floor with Darnold is a little scary, but this is a ceiling game against the Rams.

Los Angeles has been below average against opposing quarterbacks this season, ranking 18th. The Rams are also only on the fringes of their roster at linebacker, as starter Troy Reeder is already out with a hamstring injury.

Darnold could add Hockenson to his arsenal this week, which would improve his projected stats. The Rams are also expected to get key weapons back on offense, which should help reduce their need to score points.

All signs point to Darnold having a big game on Thursday night.

Verdict: Start it.

Fantasy Football Start or Sit Week 8: Jordan Addison

It was a frustrating start to the season for Addison, who couldn’t come close to matching last year’s pace of 70 catches for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns. The 22-year-old only has one game with more than four goals and no game with more than four shots.

The Rams’ outside cornerbacks have been combustible at times this season — see Juan Jennings, who had 11 catches, 175 yards and two scores in Week 3 — with Cobie Durant ranking as the team’s highest-rated cornerback at No. 50 overall, according to PFF.

Thursday night’s scoring is also trending upward: Falcons-Bucs, Seahawks-49ers and Broncos-Saints have scored a combined 169 points over the past three weeks, an average of 56 points per game. Given his volume, Addison would likely need to find the end zone to have a big fantasy day, but that could be on the cards against the Rams.

Addison feels like a borderline WR2 this week, but he has enough potential to be considered a strong flex player.

Verdict: Start it.

MORE: NFL picks, outcome predictions Week 8: Minnesota Vikings at Los Angeles Rams | 4 ruled out, 6 questionable for Vikings vs. Rams Week 8 on Thursday Night Football