2018 Daily Fantasy: FanDuel NFL Week 8 Picks, Sleepers and Strategy

Do you like free money? See who are the best plays this Week 8 of the DFS FanDuel season.

Welcome back to FanDuel Picks Week 8, your one-stop shop for the best daily fantasy football advice.  We are on a heater, it is official. Led by monster and solid days up and down the lineup, highlighted by Marlon Mack (30.90 FanDuel points, woahhhh), Todd Gurley (of course, 28.6), John Brown (22.90), Adam Thielen (21.50), Baker Mayfield (20.90), Jarvis Landry (20.70), Indianapolis Colts DST (19), and Zach Ertz (18.30), almost all of my lineups Sunday sprung oil and delivered those ever-important FanDuel dollars. It’s basically Christmas time (or has been for about 2 or 3 months now, per Hallmark), so each week you win you can stash that money away to buy grandma another pair of mittens this holiday season. As a note, these picks are based on Sunday only leagues, so players on Thursday, Sunday night, and Monday night will be ignored.

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Quarterbacks

  • Andrew Luck, QB, Indianapolis Colts ($8,300) – With a whopping 15 touchdown passes, 320+ yards per game average, and a 27+ point per game FanDuel average over the past four weeks, Andrew Luck is officially back. Sure, one of the league’s worst defenses also forces him to play from behind or continue chucking it all game, but from a fantasy perspective we do not care how you score your points. We just care that you score them. And in Week 8, Andrew Luck and the Colts travel to the Black Hole in Oakland to face a Raider team falling apart at the seams. With a mutiny of Head Coach Jon Gruden potentially coming to a head this week, expect Luck and the Colts to take advantage of an organization in disarray.

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  • Baker Mayfield, QB, Cleveland Browns ($7,200) – Our Week 7 FanDuel savior, Baker Mayfield again will be leading my teams to the promise land of cash, expensive cars, and lavish vacations. Although he generated his lowest passing yardage total in any game he has started this year, Mayfield still produced a solid 20.90 FanDuel points due to his 2 touchdown passes and season high 43 rushing yards. As an 8 point underdog in Pittsburgh Week 8, Mayfield should be slinging it up and down Heinz Field Sunday against a Steeler defense allowing the fourth most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks and the sixth most passing yards per game.

Running Back

  • Todd Gurley, RB, Los Angeles Rams ($11,000) I said it last week when his price was $10,200, and I will say it again now as his priced skyrocketed to $11,000. There is no price that will stop me from taking Todd Gurley. Try to defy me, FanDuel. I dare you.
  • Kareem Hunt, RB, Kansas City Chiefs ($8,100) – The high flying Chiefs play host at Arrowhead Sunday to the Denver Broncos, and project as the biggest favorite (10 points) with the second highest implied team total (32 points). Playing from in front with a positive game script for the running game, the Chiefs will likely lean more on their versatile, second year back Kareem Hunt to protect the lead. And although usually a stout run defense, the Broncos have allowed the most yards per carry, the second most rushing yards per game, the fifth most rushing touchdowns, and the seventh most fantasy points to opposing running backs. Hunt has gone bananas the past two weeks, totaling 61.6 FanDuel points while generating 326 total yards and 4 touchdowns over that span. He is locked in as my RB2 this week, behind Gurley (duh).
  • Jalen Richard, RB, Oakland Raiders ($5,700) RSJ’s number one waiver claim Week 8Jalen Richard could begin his takeover in the Raider backfield Week 8. Sure, Doug Martin poses an immediate threat due to Jon Gruden‘s reliance on old, haggardly, grizzled veterans. But the youth, promise and upside Richard has shown cannot go unnoticed. Derek Carr clearly has an affinity for Richard, as he ranks second in targets and receptions, and fourth in receiving yardage. If he could command even half of the carries in the Raider backfield, he has promising RB2 potential.
  • Raheem Mostert, RB, San Fransisco 49ers ($5,600) – With Matt Breida‘s balky knee potentially keeping him out of action Week 8, the hot-handed Raheem Mostert would be expected to get the start in his place over the plodding Alfred Morris. Mostert has impressed on the ground the past two weeks, rushing for 146 yards on just 19 carries. The Cardinals have been a fantasy siv against running backs, allowing the most fantasy points, most rushing yards per game, and most rushing touchdowns (12) to opposing backs this year.

Wide Receiver

  • A.J. Green, WR, Cincinnati Bengals ($8,800) – Given the slate of games we play, A.J. Green has the best cornerback matchup Sunday against Carlton Davis. Add in the fact that the Bucs allow the most passing yards per game and the second most fantasy points to opposing wideouts, and that the game projects as a track meet (54 point projected total), and Green could be in line for his best game of the season.
  • Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers ($8,600)Two weeks ago I suggested Emmanuel Sanders against the LA Rams. Not because of Manny’s matchup with the opposing Rams corners, but rather because of the nature of the game: a Rams blowout, with Case Keenum throwing all day to keep the game close (or close-ish). And Sanders paid dividends given his low ownership and his 7-115-1 TD line. This Davante Adams pick follows a similar logic, as the Packers project as a 9.5 point underdog in a game with the highest projected game total (56). Adams continues to be Aaron Rodgers numero uno in the Green Bay offense, leading the Packers in targets, receptions, yards, and touchdowns (6, second in the NFL), so the volume should be aplenty Sunday in this NFC showdown.
  • Taylor Gabriel, WR, Chicago Bears ($5,500) – Allowing the seventh most points to opposing wide receivers, I fully expect gadget and breakaway speedster Taylor Gabriel to get back on track Week 8. The Patriots clearly game planned for Gabriel Week 7, holding him to just 3 catches on 4 targets for 26 yards, but lets see if the Jets can dial-up a similar formula against a player that caught 12 of 12 balls for 214 yards and 2 touchdowns combined the two weeks prior.
  • Jordy Nelson, WR, Oakland Raiders ($5,300) – After trading “stud” wideout Amari Cooper for a first round pick (what?!?!), the Oakland Raider wide receiver core now consists of a rag-tag bunch of misfits and cast offs. And with Lynch going to IR, Carr and Gruden will likely focus more on the passing game now than ever. Ranking first among Raider wideouts in targets, receptions, receiving yardage and receiving touchdowns, Jordy Nelson appears to be the biggest beneficiary of the Cooper trade. Nelson already proved this year he still has “it”, scoring touchdowns in three straight weeks from Week 3 to Week 5, and providing an old school 6-173-1 TD line Week 3. At his price of $5,300, he will likely find himself on all my FanDuel teams, and could be the FanDuel play of the week.

Tight End

  • David Njoku, TE, Cleveland Browns ($5,700) – Tied for first on the team in receiving touchdowns, and second in targets, receptions and receiving yardage, David Njoku continues being one of the true TE1’s this 2018 fantasy season. In Week 7, Njoku caught 4 balls for 52 yards and a touchdown, making that four straight weeks with 50+ receiving yards, and back to back weeks with a score. With a shootout brewing, Njoku could thrive against a Steeler defense allowing the third most fantasy points to tight ends.
  • C.J. Uzomah, TE, Cincinnati Bengals ($5,400)My not so secret love affair with C.J. Uzomah continues Week 8 after he found pay dirt Week 7. Sure he was only targeted twice and tallied just 13 receiving yards, but he caught both balls (efficiency!) and made the most of his targets by finding the end zone. Uzomah finds himself in another dream matchup Week 8 against a Tampa Bay defense that has allowed a tight end touchdown in 4 straight games, and has given up the most fantasy points to opposing tight ends this year.

Defense

  • Chicago Bears DST ($5,000) – After spending all your Christmas money above, I HIGHLY recommend completely punting the Defense category and going lower than the limbo pole. However, if you feel so inclined to pay for a defense this week, I would go alllllll the way up as none of the options in the mid to low $4,000 price range look appealing. The Chicago Bears DST (second ranked fantasy defense) plays host to the New York Jets Sunday, who have the lowest implied team total at just over 19 points. The Bears rank second in takeaways and the Jets have the third most giveaways, so these two go together like PB&J from a defensive fantasy point total perspective.

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And that’s a wrap for Fanduel Week 8 analysis. Remember to always look at the matchups and Vegas totals, which are always telling, and do not be afraid to admit they know more than you, because they usually do. Until next time, good luck and don’t forget to tip me 10% of your earnings. Thanks in advance.

To contact me with any questions or general fantasy football discussion, please email me at redsocker45@gmail.com or tweet me @AJGamballer.

Author

  • There are many myths about RedSocker45. Is he, in fact, Pedro Martinez? Is he a mathematician gone rogue? Does he have magical powers equal to Gandalf The White? In actuality, he is a normal dude that grew up in the North End of Boston and he loves being Italian, eating delicious food and the Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins and Celtics. Myth, busted.

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