Fantasy Football Week 8 Start ‘Em & Sit ‘Em: Tony Pollard breakout week, Tua Tagovailoa dream matchup, more

The biggest thing we want to see in Week 8 is injury-free. The mash unit we had in week 7 was brutal and we are still trying to pick up the pieces.

From Breece Hall (ACL) to DK Metcalf (knee) to Mike Williams (ankle) and many more, it was no fun watching our star players fall apart. Injuries happen, we know that. It’s part of the NFL. But we can hope that this week is not so bad, and that the injuries do not accumulate.

The flip side of dropping players is that it can open up jobs for other players, and we’ll talk about that below with Ezekiel Elliott (knee) being out in Week 8 for Tony Pollard. But I’m sure most Fantasy managers would prefer to have limited injuries or none at all when it comes to our stars, especially when it knocks them out for a significant period of time.

I hadn’t planned on using Pollard as a start to the week, but when news broke Wednesday that Ezekiel Elliott (knee) was going to miss Week 8 against the Bears, he became a fantastic option. For the Fantasy managers who drafted Pollard this season, you’ve been waiting for a chance to see how Pollard would do in a starring role, and here we are.

He’s already done a good job in tandem with Elliott, scoring at least 12 PPR points in three of his last six games. He has two games this season with over 100 total yards, including Week 7 against Detroit, and he has two touchdowns for the year.

With Elliott out, Pollard could be looking at his first game this season with 20+ touches. Elliott is averaging 15.5 carries for the season — he’s only got six catches — and that job should mostly belong to Pollard. In four games this season with double-digit touches, Pollard has either 100 total yards or a touchdown in three of them.

The Bears have allowed a running back to score at least 12 PPR points in six straight games, including five with at least 18 PPR points, and Chicago just traded star defensive end Robert Quinn to Philadelphia on Wednesday. A suspect defense just got worse, and Pollard should excel in this game.

The Cowboys, even with Dak Prescott back, should still rely on their ground game, and Pollard is now the catalyst for that offense with Elliott out. I like Pollard in the top 10 running backs in all leagues for Week 8.

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START THEM AND SEAT THEM

Running backs

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Wide Receivers

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tight end

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Titans (at HOU)

The Titans defense was excellent in Week 7 against the Colts with two interceptions, a fumble recovery, three sacks and a touchdown. The Titans DST should stay hot this week against the Texans. Excluding a 41-point blowout by the Bills in Week 2, Tennessee has been solid on defense, allowing 22 or fewer points in every game. The Texans offense has scored more than 20 points only once this season, and Houston has allowed at least three sacks in three of six games this year, along with five interceptions. Expect another strong performance from the Titans DST this week.

• Foals (vs. WAS)
• Jaguars (vs. DEN)
• Bengals (vs. CLE)

Packers (at BUF)

The Packers’ defense has been disappointed with an inviting part of the schedule, allowing at least 23 points in four straight games against the Patriots, Giants, Jets and Commanders. The Bills have the second-highest offense in the NFL behind only Kansas City, averaging 29 ppg and 40 ppg at home. Expect Josh Allen to come home against the Packers, who have just two interceptions this season and four sacks in their last three outings.

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KICKERS

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