Week 8 Fantasy Football Advice: Start/Sit Picks, NFL Matchups & More
Published: Oct 23, 2024
With injuries to guys like Brandon Aiyuk and Chris Godwin as well as the recent DeAndre Hopkins traded from the Tennessee Titans to the Kansas City Chiefs, there are a lot of moving parts right now in the NFL.
Luckily, Howard Bender and Andrew Cooper are here to help make sense of it all. There are no bye weeks in Week 8, so we have a full NFL slate of games to work with. Join our analysts as they break down the top matchups from the slate and hit on your start/sit questions!
Player News
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Saints QB Jake Haener suffered an oblique strain and is expected to miss “a couple of weeks.”
As Schefter notes, Haener was one of three quarterbacks vying for the starting gig in New Orleans. Haener was unlikely to overtake both Spencer Rattler and second-round rookie Tyler Shough on the depth chart and missing time in practice will put him even farther behind. Per Schefter, Haener is expected to miss the remainder of OTAs but should be back for training camp.
Vegas Nation’s Vinny Bonsignore reports that “the feeling” is that DT Christian Wilkins (foot) “should be ready by August” after suffering a setback in his recovery.
Bonsignore’s sources were unable to identify the exact nature of Wilkins’ Jones fracture setback, but Bonsignore says “it essentially comes down to the screw breaking or (in the rare case) he rebroke the bone.” That’s not good. Earlier today, Raiders head coach Pete Carroll told reporters that “this has been a difficult recovery” for Wilkins and he is, unfortunately, “not ready” to resume practicing. Carroll provided an ambiguous expected return date, , “there’s a lot of time—and we’re going to take every bit of it.”
NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reports Dolphins assistant HC and RB coach Eric Studesville said the team is “preparing” to give De’Von Achane “more work” this season.
Per Wolfe, Achane asked Studesville for more touches in 2025 after racking up a career-high 281 touches in 2024. When discussing whether Achane (5'9/188) can handle the workload required of the “clear No. 1 player in that backfield,” Studesville reportedly said, “yes,” before adding, “he can handle whatever we give him.” Achane has reportedly set his sights on clearing 1,000 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in a single season. He accomplished the latter feat with 592 receiving yards last season, but topped out at 907 yards on the ground. All signs point to Achane repeating as a fantasy football RB1 in 2025.
ESPN reports that the “NFL is introducing the Protector of the Year Award, which will be given to the league’s best offensive lineman.”
NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent credits Bills LT Dion Dawkins and retired OT Andrew Whitworth for the award’s creation. Per ESPN, the “winner will be decided by a panel that includes a number of former offensive line greats.” Whitworth adds that Protector of the Year Award “isn’t just about stats—it’s about the mindset, grit, and leadership it takes to be the foundation of a football team.” The phrasing indicates that all offensive line positions will be eligible for the award, not just the high-value left tackle position that stars in today’s pass-heavy league.
Colts owner Jim Irsay has died at the age of 65.
The cause of death has not yet been released, but Irsay reportedly dealt with a severe respiratory illness in 2024. Irsay assumed control of the Colts organization when his father, Robert, passed in 1997. Jim signed on as a Colts staffer in 1982, quickly joining the scouting department while being trained in administrative duties. He was named vice president and general manager in 1984, at just 24 years old. We wish the Irsay family well.
Packers signed CB Gregory Junior, formerly of the Jaguars, to a contract.
Junior’s ticket to the active roster is via special teams, though he may be able to cover No. 4 wide receivers on occasion. The Packers also waived fellow former Jaguar, CB Kaleb Hayes, earlier this month.