Welcome to the Week 8 edition of Daily Fantasy Football DraftKings targets. An introduction is not really all that necessary, as the title of this DFS article pretty much sums up what is going to be discussed.
It's important to identify players with good matchups, but we also want to look at their DraftKings prices so we can hopefully find low-cost / high-production players for your lineups.
I will be providing one top DFS play and one DFS value play at each position for Week 8 NFL DraftKings action. Let's get down to it.
Featured Promo: Get any full-season NFL Premium Pass for 50% off and win big in 2022. Exclusive access to our Premium articles, 15 lineup tools, new Team Sync platform, Lineup Optimizer, Premium DFS tools and cheat sheets, and much more! Sign Up Now!
DraftKings DFS Quarterbacks for Week 8
Aaron Rodgers (at DEN, $7,500)
This play could be based on my excitement level for the upcoming Sunday night Green Bay Packers and Denver Broncos game, but it really does make sense to pick on one of the best defenses in the league this week. Before you disregard Aaron Rodgers, hear me out. The Green Bay Packers have had little reason to open up their offense so far this season, as they have rather easily coasted to a 6-0 record. This week is going to be much different. The Denver Broncos have the WR core to challenge the Packers' defense, and this game should be close the entire night. That means that Rodgers is going to be relied upon heavily. He is a prime-time star, and there is no way that Rodgers is going to go down without a fight. This week could be the first week you see Rodgers attempt more than 40 passes.
Marcus Mariota (at HOU, $5,400)
If you are playing in cash games, look for Andy Dalton to lock down the cheap QB position yet again, as DraftKings is slowly raising his price, but he is still way underpriced. If you are playing in tournaments, and I suspect that many of you are, Marcus Mariota makes a lot of sense. He has been dealing with some injuries, but it looks like he is going to be back this week against the Houston Texans. The Texans are easily one of the worst pass defenses in the entire league, and the Miami Dolphins proved that last week. They are currently ranked 29th in the league against opposing QBs, and Mariota should pick them apart. While he does not have any great WR options, he has enough to get the job done. His upside is ceiling-less this week.
DraftKings DFS Running Backs for Week 8
Devonta Freeman (vs TB, $8,000)
Devonta Freeman had a 'down' week against the Tennessee Titans, rushing for only 116 yards and scoring 18 fantasy points. If that is going to be a 'down' week for him, he should be used every single week. There is unlimited upside this week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for Freeman, and his floor is about as high as it gets at the RB position. He is going to be highly-owned, as he should be, but there is just no reason to avoid him, unless you are playing in a big tournament. On the season, he has 131 carries for 621 yards and 10 touchdowns. He is outshining every other RB in the league right now. He has the ability to catch balls out of the backfield, which increases his fantasy production, and he is a safe bet to rush for over 100 yards.
Todd Gurley (vs SF, $6,300)
Todd Gurley is going to be owned at over 50 percent again this week against the San Francisco 49ers. Even so, he is well worth playing. Since his first 'real' game against the Arizona Cardinals (he was still injured the week before that and only had six carries), Gurley has been one of the best RBs in the league. He has over 100 yards in all of his last three games, and he is starting to catch balls out of the backfield. His price tag is definitely not high enough yet, and everyone is well aware of that. If you are looking for a RB that is more geared toward tournaments, Justin Forsett has been solid of late and makes for a great play against the San Diego Chargers, but it is almost impossible to avoid Gurley at his price tag. In fact, you'll be working from behind if you do.
DraftKings DFS Wide Receivers for Week 8
Keenan Allen (at BAL, $7,700)
There are going to be a ton of fantasy owners swearing by Julio Jones this week, and I am in no way here to claim that Jones will have a down week. He is going to explode against the Tampa Bay Bucs. However, Keenan Allen has been playing just as well as Jones has over his past couple of games, and he gets a great matchup against the 31st-ranked Baltimore Ravens' defense against the WR position. Last week, he did not find the end zone, but he still almost caught 10 balls for over 100 yards. Julio Jones has limited upside, as the Falcons should be winning their game against the Bucs by 30 points at halftime. Allen, on the other hand, will be relied on for the entire game, as this one is unlikely to get out of control. His price tag is much lower than the other top-tier WRs this week, and Allen is going to be the best play of the week.
Stefon Diggs (at CHI, $4,800)
Stefon Diggs is getting harder and harder to ignore. Last week against the Detroit Lions, he had six receptions for 108 yards and a touchdown. He scored over 20 fantasy points against the Kansas City Chiefs the week before that, and he even played fairly well against the Denver Broncos' tough defense. This week, he gets a matchup from heaven against the Chicago Bears, and he should be able to hit value easily. Granted, Diggs is a big-play WR, so he does come with a little bit of risk, but he is well worth that risk with his super-low price tag. The Minnesota Vikings are going to throw the ball quite often, as the Bears are much better against the running game. Look for Diggs to continue to impress this week.
DraftKings DFS Tight Ends for Week 8
Jason Witten (vs SEA, $5,200)
Jason Witten looked good last week against the New York Giants, and should produce well again against the Seattle Seahawks this week. Matt Cassel did not impress, but he did look better than Brandon Weeden. He has a much better awareness in the pocket, and he seems to like Jason Witten on dump-off routes much more than Weeden did. The Seahawks are one of the worst defenses in the league against opposing TEs, so feel free to fire up Witten.
Benjamin Watson (vs NYG, $3,500)
Those same New York Giants play the New Orleans Saints and Benjamin Watson this week. Watson is starting to look like a legitimate TE option in fantasy football, and the New York Giants are known for allowing fantasy points to opposing TEs. The veteran tight end does have some upside, as he showed against the Atlanta Falcons two weeks ago. I would not expect anything huge from him, but he should be able to at least hit value and save you some salary cap this week.
DFS & Fantasy Football Chat Room
[iflychat_embed id="c-0" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]