Yahoo DFS Football: Week 8 Picks

Yahoo DFS Football: Week 8 Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Football series.

The Sunday-only NFL main slate for Week 8 features 11 games, excluding the Chargers, Cowboys, Falcons and Titans (bye), Dolphins-Texans (Thursday Night Football), Eagles-Jaguars (morning London game) and Patriots-Bills (Monday Night Football). That's a lot of fantasy star power being taken off the table, but there are still plenty of options ready to pop in Sunday's games, including a quarterback in the midst of a breakout and a couple beneficiaries of recent trades.

TOURNAMENTS (GPP – GUARANTEED PRIZE POOL)

QB: Jameis Winston, TB at CIN ($31): Winston is still turning the ball over too much, but Tampa Bay's multitude of weapons in the passing game make racking up yards so easy. In his two starts, Winston has 760 passing yards to go with a 4:4 TD:INT, as well as 15 carries for 84 yards and a touchdown. Given the near non-existent state of Tampa Bay's running game outside of Winston's scrambling, and the favorable matchup against a Bengals defense that's allowing 300.7 passing yards per game, Winston could end up in the elite echelon of fantasy scorers this week despite an affordable $31 valuation.

RB: Rashaad Penny, SEA at DET ($10): Penny led all Seahawks running backs in scrimmage yards with 70 in the team's last game prior to a Week 7 bye, needing just nine carries and two receptions to reach that mark. The Seahawks didn't select Penny 27th overall in the most recent draft just to have him ride the pine behind 2017 seventh-rounder Chris Carson and 2015 fourth-rounder Mike Davis. Penny probably leapfrogged Davis with his last performance, and he could earn at least an even split with Carson if he makes the most of his first few touches against a Lions defense that's allowing 139.3 yards per game on the ground. At the minimum $10 price, Penny has a chance to provide tremendous value if things break right.

WR: Davante Adams, GB at LAR ($34): The Packers will likely have to throw the ball often to keep pace with the explosive Rams offense, which should mean plenty of volume for Aaron Rodgers' favorite target, who's averaging one touchdown and a hair under 12 targets per game through Green Bay's first six. Even against a Los Angeles defense that's allowing 227.3 passing yards and 18.3 points per game, Adams is more than capable of finishing among this week's top wide receivers given his ability and expected volume.

Other Against-the-Grainers

QB: Aaron Rodgers (GB, $38); Derek Carr (OAK, $22)
RB: Raheem Mostert (SF, $13); Christian McCaffrey (CAR, $26); David Johnson (ARI, $24)
WR: Jarvis Landry (CLE, $19); Courtland Sutton (DEN, $13); Larry Fitzgerald (ARI, $18)
TE: Greg Olsen (CAR, $16); Chris Herndon (NYJ, $10)
DST: San Francisco 49ers ($11); Los Angeles Rams ($19)

CASH GAMES (H2H, 50/50s and DOUBLE UPS)

Quarterback

Mitchell Trubisky, CHI vs. NYJ ($27)

Trubisky still has plenty of doubters, but it's tough to argue with his results over the past three games. He's topped 300 passing yards in each of those contests, totaling 1,003 yards and an 11:3 TD:INT. Not only has Trubisky delivered through the air, but he's been a major fantasy factor on the ground with 181 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown over that span. An injury-riddled Jets secondary that's giving up 266 passing yards per game will have a hard time stopping the second-year quarterback.

Running Back

Kareem Hunt, KC vs. DEN ($37)

Hunt had 175 scrimmage yards and a touchdown when these two teams met in Denver in Week 4, and he's coming off a three-touchdown Week 7 performance. The Broncos are 0.2 yards from ranking worst in the league with 148.1 yards allowed per game on the ground, and scoring opportunities are always plentiful in a Chiefs offense that's averaging a league-high 37.1 points per game. What's not to like about Hunt this week?

Nick Chubb, CLE at PIT ($18)

Chubb proved that he's ready to be a starting NFL running back last week, picking up 80 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries against a stout Buccaneers front in the first game since Cleveland traded away Carlos Hyde. The 35th overall selection in this past draft is averaging a prolific 7.4 yards per carry on his first 34 rushing attempts, and Chubb's price will undoubtedly start to climb as he continues to see greater workloads moving forward. Lock him in at $18 against a Steelers defense that's allowing 25.7 points per game and don't look back.

Wide Receiver

Emmanuel Sanders, DEN at KC ($25)

As long as his ankle injury doesn't keep him out, Sanders is primed to feast on a Chiefs secondary that's allowing 316.6 passing yards per game. He's exceeded 100 yards while also scoring a touchdown three times this season, including each of the past two weeks, and Denver's desire to hold onto Sanders while making fellow wide receiver Demaryius Thomas available via trade suggests the team believes his chemistry with quarterback Case Keenum will keep leading to strong results. With 61 targets in seven games, Sanders is locked into a prominent role.

Odell Beckham, NYG vs. WAS ($35)

The Giants' season may be circling down the drain, but that doesn't mean Beckham isn't still one of the league's best wide receivers. His skills have been on full display with over 130 yards and a touchdown in two of the past three weeks, making Beckham a bargain at just $30. With career averages of eight catches for 105.8 yards and a touchdown in five previous meetings with the Redskins, Beckham will be tough to contain.

Jordy Nelson, OAK vs. IND ($19)

With Jon Gruden going full 76ers on the Raiders, this is becoming a team that will likely trail early and often while having few viable alternatives to throw the ball to besides Nelson and tight end Jared Cook. You can't blame Gruden for grabbing a first-round pick in exchange for wide receiver Amari Cooper, and Nelson's owners certainly won't be complaining. Oakland's new undisputed No. 1 wide receiver had a three-game touchdown streak snapped when the team last played in Week 6, though in fairness to him, it looked like the Raiders were sleepwalking through that 27-3 loss in London. Now back stateside, expect Nelson to capitalize on a favorable matchup against a Colts defense that had allowed 37 or more points in three consecutive games before stat-padding against the Derek Anderson-led Bills last week.

Tight End

C.J. Uzomah, CIN vs. TB ($14): With Tyler Eifert (ankle) and Tyler Kroft (foot) sidelined by injuries, Uzomah has been getting all the playing time he can handle. He's capitalized on his opportunities with six catches for 54 yards in Week 6 and a touchdown in Week 7. Given his clear path to volume, especially near the goal line, in what promises to be a high-scoring affair against the league's worst pass defense (327.5 yards allowed per game), Uzomah is a low-risk, high-reward pick at $14.

Defense/Special Teams

Pittsburgh Steelers, PIT vs. CLE ($16): Rookie Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield burst onto the scene with a couple of impressive showings, but NFL defenses have started to adapt with more tape out on him, which is why Cleveland has scored just 46 points in what amounts to roughly 13 quarters over the past three games, two of which went to overtime. Mayfield was sacked five times in each of those contests while tossing a trio of interceptions between them. Pittsburgh's 22 sacks are tied for second-most in the league despite the team having already had its bye, and that Week 7 bye gave the unit an extra week to prepare for this matchup.

Honorable Mentions

QB: Kirk Cousins (MIN, $33); Andrew Luck (IND, $34)
RB: Marlon Mack (IND, $21); Alvin Kamara (NO, $32); Kerryon Johnson (DET, $21)
WR: Mike Evans (TB, $27); T.Y. Hilton (IND, $28); A.J. Green (CIN, $37)
TE: O.J. Howard (TB, $20); Jared Cook (OAK, $19)
DST: Chicago Bears ($20); Carolina Panthers ($14)

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Sasha Yodashkin plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: Youngsash, DraftKings: Yashdogg,Yahoo: Sasha, Fanball: Yashdogg.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sasha Yodashkin
Sasha has been contributing NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB and Tennis content to RotoWire since 2015, with an emphasis on DFS. He is a huge New York sports fan who has been playing fantasy sports since middle school.
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