There are six teams on a bye during Week 8, and there are some big fantasy names among them. With that in mind, let's dig into the Sunday FanDuel NFL DFS slate and highlight some of the top players to consider.
The Games
A lot of the focus of NFL DFS picks is on individual players. Skills certainly matter, but finding game environments that are likely to promote a lot of points is a way to narrow the focus of our player pool.
| Over-Under | Road Team | Road Team Total | Home Team | Home Team Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44.5 | Dolphins | 17.5 | Falcons | 26.5 |
| 49 | Bears | 21.5 | Ravens | 27.5 |
| 45.5 | Bills | 27.5 | Panthers | 19.5 |
| 44 | Jets | 19.5 | Bengals | 25.5 |
| 41.5 | 49ers | 20.5 | Texans | 21.5 |
| 40.5 | Browns | 16.5 | Patriots | 23.5 |
| 43.5 | Giants | 17.5 | Eagles | 26.5 |
| 46.5 | Buccaneers | 25.5 | Saints | 20.5 |
| 50.5 | Cowboys | 23.5 | Broncos | 26.5 |
| 46.5 | Titans | 15.5 | Colts | 30.5 |
There is just one game with a total below 41 points, while there are four over 46; the favorites with the highest totals include the Colts, Bills and Ravens.
Value Options
Marvin Mims Jr., DEN vs. DAL ($5,200): Mims is coming off one of his best games of the season, catching six of seven targets for 85 yards against the Giants. He had an average depth of target of 14.9 yards in his rookie season, but that number dropped to 7.4 yards last season. He is back to being a deep threat this year, with a 12.7 aDOT. This is a stellar matchup to provide value, as the Cowboys are tied for the fourth-most receptions allowed of at least 20 yards.
Mason Taylor, NYJ at CIN ($4,900): There are a lot of question marks around the Jets right now: Tyrod Taylor could replace Justin Fields at quarterback, while Garrett Wilson (knee) is trending towards being out again. Despite less-than-stellar quarterback options, Mason Taylor could still provide sneaky value for this slate. The Bengals have been horrendous against opposing tight ends, allowing the second-most receptions and the most touchdowns to the position in the league.
Other Value Options
QB Jaxson Dart, NYG at PHI ($7,400)
QB Michael Penix Jr., ATL vs. MIA ($6,800)
RB D'Andre Swift, CHI at BAL ($6,800)
RB Rico Dowdle, CAR vs. BUF ($6,300)
RB Woody Marks, HOU vs. SF ($6,100)
WR Wan'Dale Robinson, NYG at PHI ($6,500)
WR Tetairoa McMillan, CAR vs. BUF ($5,700)
WR Troy Franklin, DEN vs. DAL ($5,400)
TE Evan Engram, DEN vs. DAL ($5,300)
TE Noah Fant, CIN vs. NYJ ($5,100)
Stacks to Consider
Dallas Cowboys at Denver Broncos
The Broncos struggled to slow down the Giants last week, but that was a rare poor performance from their defense. They have only allowed 18.1 points per game, which has been aided by their defense allowing the sixth-fewest passing yards per game. Additionally, their seven passing touchdowns allowed is tied for the second-fewest in the league.
Even with how good the Broncos' defense can be, the duo of Dak Prescott ($8,000) and CeeDee Lamb ($9,000) are a viable stack with so many teams on a bye. There has been no slowing down Prescott, who has at least three touchdown passes in each of his last four games. His completion rate checks in at 71.4 percent, which is on pace to be the highest of his career. Lamb has played three full games this season, finishing with at least 110 receiving yards in each of them.
Chicago Bears vs. Baltimore Ravens
The Bears might not be a popular team to stack after they couldn't get much going through the air against the Saints last week. Caleb Williams ($7,500) attempted a season-low 26 passes, finishing with 172 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. Prior to that, he had recorded at least one touchdown in each of his first five games. Williams' struggles left a second straight underwhelming stat line for Rome Odunze ($7,300), who finished with two receptions for 31 yards.
As bad as Williams and Odunze were last week, they shouldn't be overlooked against the Ravens, who have given up the fifth-most passing yards per game in the league and 14 touchdown passes. The Bears might also be forced to throw more in this matchup, with the Ravens expecting to get Lamar Jackson back from his hamstring injury.
Other Stacks to Consider
Eagles – Jalen Hurts ($8,800) + Dallas Goedert ($5,800)
Giants – Jaxson Dart ($7,400) + Wan'Dale Robinson ($6,500)
Bengals – Joe Flacco ($7,300) + Ja'Marr Chase ($9,600)
High-Price Heroes
Jonathan Taylor, IND vs. TEN ($10,200): Taylor has three games with three rushing touchdowns this season, and he is averaging 5.3 yards per carry, his highest mark since 2021. The Colts have leaned on him heavily, giving him at least 16 carries in each game this season. When he faced the Titans in Week 3, he finished with 17 carries for 102 yards and three touchdowns. In what could be a run-heavy game script against a vastly inferior team, Taylor could end up being worth his hefty salary.
Emeka Egbuka, TB at NO ($7,500): Mike Evans (collarbone) was placed on injured reserve and Chris Godwin (lower leg) is still not ready to return, which leaves Egbuka to carry the load at wide receiver for another week. Egbuka played through a hamstring injury last week, catching four passes for 58 yards. The key stat, though, was his 12 targets. The Saints have allowed the eighth-most yards per target to wide receivers, which works in Egbuka's favor.
The Smash Spot
Bijan Robinson, ATL vs. MIA ($10,000): It's usually not a bad idea to target running backs against the Dolphins. Across their last three games, they have allowed the trio of Rico Dowdle, Kimani Vidal and Quinshon Judkins to rush for 414 yards and four touchdowns. Considering what those three did, Robinson could produce one of the better rushing stat lines of the entire season. Not only is he averaging 21.1 touches per game, but he is averaging a career-high 5.4 yards per carry.
