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Hi there, RotoBallers, and welcome back to Break The Slate! If you read this article regularly, then you know what we're about here, but if you are a new reader, let me quickly summarize our goals with this article. We'll spend each week discussing a few plays at each position for the DraftKings main slate that can add tournament-winning upside and/or juicy value to our NFL DFS rosters. I'll highlight my favorite players and breakdown my reasoning behind them.
I try to update the article on Saturdays to reflect any significant injuries or late-breaking news, as the landscape of the slate can change quickly in the NFL, and I definitely recommend you checking those out. Week 8 is shaping up to be a fun slate and I'm excited to dig in! Remember, the NFL is ever-evolving from week to week, which gives us an opportunity to apply what we've learned on the next slate.
These DraftKings lineup recommendations are based on matchups, projected ownership, overall upside/talent levels, opportunity, and other factors such as Vegas odds, home-field advantage, and more. There are quite a few great plays available, so read on to find out which players are the best for Week 8. Be sure to also check out our weekly FanDuel DFS lineup picks and lots of other great NFL DFS articles and NFL DFS tools to help you win big! Good luck with your DraftKings DFS lineups, let's Break The Slate together!
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DraftKings DFS Quarterbacks - Week 8 Picks
Aaron Rodgers - MIN @ GB ($7,600)
As we saw with Kyler Murray last week, sometimes the most obvious play is also the best play. That's the angle we can take in Week 8 with Aaron Rodgers, a QB that's in an obvious, but great spot. The "Rodgers Revenge Tour" has been running wild this season and the Green Bay signal caller is performing at an MVP-caliber level again, as he's thrown for 1,657 yards and 17 TDs through six games. He's set to square off against a Minnesota Vikings Defense that he torched in Week 1 to the tune of 364 yards and 4 TDs. There isn't much indication that the Vikes will be able to slow Rodgers down this time around. Minny is allowing a massive 8.47 yards per attempt to opposing QBs - the third-highest average in the NFL - and have relinquished 14 TDs through the air this season. The Vikings have yet to hold an opponent under 23 points in a game this year and it is very hard to envision that streak coming to an end this week.
Joe Burrow - TEN @ CIN ($6,200)
Burrow was featured in this article last week, and even though he's received a $700 price bump in Week 8, I'm sticking with the rookie gunslinger. The Bengals' top pick racked up 38.6 DK points against Cleveland last Sunday, throwing for 406 yards and 3 TDs on 47 (!) pass attempts, while also producing 34 yards and a TD on the ground. His running ability is an underappreciated fantasy asset, but it's his work through the air that continues to impress. Cincy has been willing to put games in Burrow's hands this season. He leads the NFL in pass attempts with 293, which he's converted into 2,023 yards and 9 TDs. We can expect more of the same this week against the Titans, a team that opposing offenses are routinely targeting through the air. Tennessee has faced the third-most pass attempts per game in the NFL (39.5) and has allowed 1,694 passing yards in just six games. With the expected game environment (Cincy trailing) and with Joe Mixon's status still in doubt as of this writing, Burrow should be slinging it early and often in this beatable matchup.
SATURDAY UPDATE:
Our "obvious" Aaron Rodgers play might face an obstacle in the form of bad weather with sustained high winds...keep an eye on the forecast in Green Bay. Two viable discount options - Baker Mayfield and Derek Carr - will also be dealing with very high winds, which shifts the focus to the running attacks in that matchup. Ryan Tannehill is an interesting pivot as Joe Burrow's projected ownership continues to rise. Jimmy Garoppolo is in the salary saver conversation in a juicy matchup against a Seattle defense that has routinely failed to slow down opposing passing attacks.
DraftKings DFS Running Backs - Week 8 Picks
Derrick Henry - TEN @ CIN ($8,000)
Like with Aaron Rodgers at the QB position, sometimes a probably-chalky spot is just too good to pass up. That's the case with Tennessee's Ford-F250 with legs Derrick Henry. What happens when the RB with the most rushing attempts in the NFL (143) and a healthy average of 4.6 yards per carry squares off against a defense that's tied for 30th in the league with 5.06 yards allowed per carry? I imagine it's gonna turn out like that scene in the Avengers when Captain America gives Hulk permission to SMASH.
Jonathan Taylor - IND @ DET ($6,600)
When Marlon Mack went down in Week 1, the fantasy community expected huge things for Indy rookie Jonathan Taylor. Those expectations skyrocketed after Taylor posted a 26/101/1 stat line in Week 2. However, his production since then has been merely "ok". He's garnered just 12 carries in each of Indy's last two, games in which they unexpectedly fell behind early against Cleveland and Cincinnati. Taylor's workload should increase this week against a Detroit defense that's been routinely gashed on the ground to the tune of 4.79 yards per carry, a mark that's 24th in the NFL. We keep waiting for that Week 2-type of upside to show up again for Taylor and this matchup against the Lions is a great breakout spot for the rookie to remind us what he's capable of.
Melvin Gordon - LAC @ DEN ($5,600) *Phillip Lindsay status still uncertain*
A little narrative-based selection here, as Melvin Gordon is set to square off against his former team. Gordon left LA under rather ugly circumstances, but has settled in nicely (at least on the field) with the Broncos. Rather than any "revenge" storyline, my interest in him is due to the possibility that Phillip Lindsay could very well miss this game due to the NFL concussion protocol. If that scenario plays out, Gordon would slide into a huge workload. In the three games he's played without Lindsay, the former Charger has amassed 50 carries and 12 targets. The matchup isn't one we would normally go out of our way to target, but the Chargers Defense is fresh off allowing 137 total yards and 2 TDs to Jacksonville's James Robinson last week, so it's certainly not an impossible matchup. Gordon's viability does hinge on Lindsay's availability, so check out the Saturday Updates section of this article before finalizing your rosters!
SATURDAY UPDATE:
A couple of notable injuries...Cincy's Joe Mixon has been ruled OUT again, leaving Gio Bernard - who posted 20.6 DK points in a fill-in role last week - to handle the workload in the Bengals backfield against Tennessee. Green Bay's Aaron Jones will also be out again. Jamaal Williams received 23 touches in his stead last week and will once again be the main man in the Pack backfield. Two tremendous plays that weren't touched on in the original write-up (mainly because both were in last week's article): Alvin Kamara and Kareem Hunt. Both are high volume players, but can be expected to see even more work due to the weather that's expected in both games...the same can be said for Raiders back Josh Jacobs, who will be going against Hunt in that windy LV vs CLE matchup. Both the Seattle and San Fran backfields are a mess...I'll focus on those passing attacks. Both D'Andre Swift and Myles Gaskin are in tough matchups, but deserve consideration as viable discount options at the position.
DraftKings DFS Wide Receivers - Week 8 Picks
Davante Adams - MIN @ GB ($8,800)
It's rare when an offense truly flows through a wide receiver. We saw it last year with Michael Thomas in New Orleans and we're seeing it in Green Bay this season with Davante Adams. Adams has played three full games this year...over those three games he's been targeted 43 times, catching 33 of those passes for 413 yards and 4 TDs. It's a cliché, but those truly are video game numbers. One of those performances came against the Vikings in Week 1, a game in which Adams went for a 14/156/2 stat line on 17 targets. Things haven't improved for the Minnesota secondary since then, as they've allowed 1,235 receiving yards (the fourth-most in the league) in just six games and are tied for last in the NFL in receiving TDs allowed (12) to the WR position. I'm not usually a huge fan of paying up at WR, but Adams is worth making an exception for.
Brandon Aiyuk - SF @ SEA ($5,800)
This Niners offense has been tough to trust as a whole, with injuries creating revolving doors at several positions. Brandon Aiyuk was banged up to start the year, but his role in the San Fran passing game has steadily throughout the season. Aiyuk heads into Week 8 fresh off a career-high performance in both catches (six) and receiving yards (115) against New England. The rookie was targeted seven times against New England and we have to imagine his usage will be even further cemented with Deebo Samuel ruled out this week. He draws an elite matchup against the Seattle Seahawks and their beleaguered secondary. Seattle ranks dead last in the NFL in DK points, receptions, and yards allowed to the WR position.
Rashard Higgins - LV @ CLE ($4,200)
It's no secret that the Browns lost Odell Beckham Jr for the season last week. It's easy to jump to OBJ's better-known running mate Jarvis Landry this week, but I'm perhaps more intrigued with Rashard Higgins, the player that stepped in to snag six of six targets for 110 yards in Beckham's absence last week. Higgins had a nice season in 2018, recording 572 yards and 4 TDs on 39 catches during Baker Mayfield's rookie year. His workload dramatically declined with OBJ's arrival in Cleveland, but he heads into a nice spot this week against the Raiders. Las Vegas ranks near the bottom of the NFL in both yards allowed per target (9.61) and catch-rate percentage (68.8%) relinquished to the WR position.
SATURDAY UPDATE:
As with Aaron Rodgers, we have to downgrade Davante Adams a bit due to the expected weather in Green Bay. This puts also puts a dent in the pass catchers on the other side of that matchup, Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson. DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are explosive players, but feel overpriced in this matchup. Chicago's Allen Robinson has popped up on the injury report as "Doubtful". Unfortunately, there's no great option to go to in this Bears receiving corps - especially with a windy forecast. Same can be said for the Saints on the other side of that game, as Michael Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, and Marquez Callaway will all be absent from New Orleans' decimated pass-catching corps. I'll be targeting the TEN vs CIN game heavily, with lots of exposure to Tennessee's AJ Brown and Cincy's trio of Tyler Boyd, Tee Higgins, and AJ Green. Keenan Allen is coming off a 13-target game in Week 7 and remains a volume machine. TY Hilton's price tag continues to freefall due to his lack of production, but he gets an intriguing matchup against Detroit. Despite the expected weather and his lack of consistent volume, I keep finding myself drawn to Henry Ruggs III in GPP builds this week, while Baltimore's Marquise Brown is also capturing my "this guy has huge upside in GPPs" imagination despite a tough matchup against the Steelers. We touched on San Fran's Brandon Aiyuk, but Kendrick Bourne also deserves consideration at just $3.5k.
DraftKings DFS Tight Ends - Week 8 Picks
Darren Waller - LV @ CLE ($5,600)
Ahhh yes...the TE position. It's a spot that's been tough for many DFS regulars this season, but Las Vegas TE Darren Waller offers a nice bright spot this week. Despite the TE "tag", Waller is the unquestioned alpha in the Raiders receiving corps. He's been targeted an average 9.3 times per game - the most in the NFL at the position - and is also tied for the league lead in overall TE targets with Travis Kelce at 56. Like Kelce, we can feel comfortable rostering Waller basically regardless of matchup, but he does draw a nice one in Week 8 against Cleveland. The Browns ranks bottom-10 in the league in both DK points and receptions allowed to the TE position.
Jonnu Smith - TEN @ CIN ($4,100)
An intriguing "buy low" spot here with Tennessee's Jonnu Smith. His $4.1k Week 8 price tag is his lowest since Week 1. The price reduction isn't without reason though, as Smith has had a rough couple of weeks, leaving early against Houston in Week 6 and posting just one catch for nine yards against Pittsburgh in his return to the lineup last week. However, he draws a "get right" matchup against the Bengals Defense this week. Cincy has relinquished the second-most DK points in the NFL to the TE position, while standing 30th in the league in yards allowed to opposing TEs. The Bengals are coming off a Week 7 torching at the hands of Browns backup-TE Harrison Bryant and offer a nice opportunity for Smith to get back on track.
SATURDAY UPDATE:
It feels weird to say, but there are actually some good options at the TE position this week. The dynamic duo of George Kittle and Travis Kelce are always viable, while Mike Gesicki and Noah Fant bring athletic upside to the table. Jimmy Graham and Jared Cook will be the de facto lead receivers for their squads due to injuries. Cleveland's Harrison Bryant is in one of the games with serious wind concerns, but is priced at just $3.2k despite a 21.6 DK point performance last week and Austin Hooper remains out.
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