Week 8 NFL Picks + Fantasy Start/Sit

Wow. What a brutal week 7. It was our worst combined record in a week this season as I went 6-7-1 to Derrick's 5-8-1. The NFL has gotten to that point in the season, though. You can't expect anything easy, just gotta be better. The best part about football is that there's always next Sunday right around the corner. Couldn't be more confident in these picks so let's kick it off.

Thursday Night Football

Atlanta Falcons (1-6) @ Carolina Panthers (3-4) [-2.5]

Tommy: Panthers (-2.5). Teddy and the Panthers offense continued to move the ball well through the air against the Saints, but the running game has finally started to miss CMac. He has a chance to play Thursday night, but I don't expect him to. Even so, Atlanta invents ways to lose games. And Teddy is clutch. Lock in Carolina and start the weekend off right.

Derrick: Panthers (-2.5). The Panthers have turned a lot of heads this season. They haven't been amazing but they are for sure improved. I like them this week with the spread. They’ve stayed in just about every game so far and this will be one of the worst teams they face. The Panthers also could get back star running back Christian Mccaffrey this weekend. Give me the Panthers.

Sunday 1 EST/10 PST

New England Patriots (2-4) @ Buffalo Bills (5-2) [-3.5]

Tommy: Bills (-3.5). The Patriots look completely lost. The Bills are fading into pretender territory with their recent play. This game should've been in the running for game of the week, but it has lost its luster. I like the Bills at home here. They should be extremely fired up for this one since there's a chance to put the Patriots way behind in the division race.

Derrick: Bills (-3.5). The Bills have played suspect the last few games. They’ve pulled off some wins this year but have struggled against playoff caliber opponents. The Patriots have been playing awful as well. I like the Bills this week on a get right game.

Tennessee Titans (5-1) @ Cincinnati Bengals (1-5-1) [+5.5]

Tommy: Bengals (+5.5). Good teams win. Great teams cover (or push). Joe Burrow has the Bengals 5-2 against the spread, so I'm picking them at +5.5 in this home game. Yes, Derrick Henry should consume yards at will, but Tennessee's secondary has been really disappointing. Burrow should be able to find success with his top 3 receivers playing well.

Derrick: Titans (-5.5). The Titans are the far more superior team here. I’m taking them -4.5. I always talk about the Bengals future whenever I write these articles; however, it's not about the future - it's about now. I like Tennessee by the spread.

Las Vegas Raiders (3-3) @ Cleveland Browns (5-2) [-2.5]

Tommy: Raiders (+2.5). I like the Raiders in this spot. Derek Carr has lowkey been balling, and this Browns secondary is suspect at best right now. They also have the running attack to slow down that pass rush and should look to get it going after a tough week against Tampa. Browns should be able to run the ball, but I still don't trust Baker Mayfield especially without Odell.

Derrick: Raiders (+2.5). This will be a sneaky good game. Both of these teams were horrible last year and both have shown leaps in the right direction. With the Browns as the favorite, I'm going underdog here just because I don't know who will win, so give me the Raiders +3.

Indianapolis Colts (4-2) @ Detroit Lions (3-3) [+3]

Tommy: Colts (-3). I don't know what it is with me and not being able to pick the Lions. I love Matthew Stafford and I feel bad about always picking against him. I felt some late game magic coming last week but still picked against him. Should've followed the gut, so that's what I'm doing here. Stafford has some juice, but not enough to knock off Indy after a bye week. Phil Rivvvv!

Derrick: Colts (-3). The Lions are that team that will probably lose but they have a chance every Sunday. This week against the Colts, I don't like their odds. I trust this Colts defense to shut down Stafford and win against the -2.5 spread this week.

Minnesota Vikings (1-5) @ Green Bay Packers (5-1) [-6.5]

Tommy: Packers (-6.5). Apparently the Tampa Bay loss really scared Vegas off of Green Bay. They were free money against the Texans last week at -3.5, and they're free money again this week at home at -6.5. Packers win comfortably.

Derrick: Packers (-6.5). Welp, the Vikings might be the most disappointing team in the NFL this season as far as expectations go. Last week, they traded All-Pro pass rusher Yannick Nguakoue and just lost Danielle Hunter. This should be an easy win for the Pack, I like them with the spread.

New York Jets (0-7) @ Kansas City Chiefs (6-1) [-19.5]

Tommy: Chiefs (-19.5). The Jets finally covered the spread last week. Good on 'em. This game is pretty simple for me even with the big line. #1 against #32 in the power rankings, folks. Chiefs dominate in all facets.

Derrick: Jets (+19.5). LOOK AT THAT SPREAD!!!!! -19.5?? Has to be one of the highest in recent history. My thinking with this one is that the Jets will cover. I think the Chiefs blow the lid off this defense early and often, and once the reserves come in, Darnold and Crowder will post some garbage points. I like the Jets with the spread this week.

Los Angeles Rams (5-2) @ Miami Dolphins (3-3) [+3.5]

Tommy: Rams (-3.5). I love Tua and I kind of hope he burns me here just so I can see him win his first start. But, I have to make the smart pick. Even on the short week, Rams should handle the Dolphins in Miami. The Rams offense is tough to stop when Goff escapes the pocket. If Brian Flores can scheme to prevent that, the Rams could be on upset alert.

Derrick: Rams (-3.5). Tua time. I do think it was the wrong decision pulling Fitz so early, he really had some great games so far this season. I don’t think Tua will be able to pull this one off, his first game is against some of the biggest names in the NFL including Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey. We will see if Tua can live up to his draft stock. I like the Rams -3.5

Pittsburgh Steelers (6-0) @ Baltimore Ravens (5-1) [-3.5]

Tommy: Ravens (-3.5). The Steelers put up some tough games against the Ravens last year even without Big Ben. Not this week. I expect Lamar Jackson to have a great game off the bye and the Ravens to win by at least a touchdown. Pittsburgh continues to impress me, but they'll have to prove to me that they are better than Baltimore with a W.

Derrick: Steelers (+3.5). This is going to be a very important game for both teams. It should clear some things up in this division. That being said, I think the Ravens win but not by the spread. At some point Lamar is going to get this offense back rolling. I’m not sure it will be this week against this stout Steelers defense. I think this will be a close defensive battle and I like the Steelers with the +3.5 spread.

Sunday 4:25 EST/1:25 PST

Los Angeles Chargers (2-4) @ Denver Broncos (2-4) [+3]

Tommy: Broncos (+3). I think Vic Fangio schemes up some stuff to finally slow Herbert down. The Broncos have gotten healthy on offense, they're at home and Chargers games usually come down to someone making or missing a FG at the end. Broncos cover with either result in that scenario.

Derrick: Chargers (-3). This will be another good matchup. Both teams are struggling but both are up and coming with young cores and young quarterbacks. The quarterback with the better play is the team I'm going with. Give me Herbert and the Chargers with the spread.

New Orleans Saints (4-2) @ Chicago Bears (5-2) [+4]

Tommy: Saints (-4). I expect another defensive battle for the Bears in their week 8 contest. Drew Brees should struggle in the pocket against this Chicago defense, but him and Sean Payton are too good a duo to get shut down completely. Can't say the same about Nick Foles and Matt Nagy right now.

Derrick: Saints (-4). I live in the Midwest and I apologize to all the Bears fans who are reading this, but I don't think y'all get this win. I think the Bears could be such a good team if they could find something on offense. It’s the same story every week. I like the Saints this week with the spread. I like them even more if they somehow get Michael Thomas back.

San Francisco 49ers (4-3) @ Seattle Seahawks (5-1) [-3]

Tommy: 49ers (+3). Seahawks games are so frustrating because every line is set so perfectly. There's almost no winning when betting Seattle, because even when they win you push. So I'll take a risk on San Fran. They've looked real good two weeks in a row.

Derrick: Seahawks (-3). The Seahawks are 5-1 with a terrible defense. They took a step forward today by trading for Carlos Dunlap. This wont fix everything defensively but it’ll add a much need pass rush asset. I like the future 2020 MVP to win this game.

Sunday Night Football

Dallas Cowboys (2-5) @ Philadelphia Eagles (2-4-1) [-8]

Tommy: Eagles (-8). If I were rating these picks based on confidence, this would come in last. For the same reason I didn't want to take Philly at -4.5 last week, I don't want to take them -8 here. It burned me last week, but so did the Cowboys who are now 0-7 against the spread....... 0 AND 7 AGAINST THE SPREAD. Can't bet 'em, give me Philly.

Derrick: Eagles (-8). The Eagles are getting healthy and the Cowboys are tanking. The starting QB for the Cowboys this weekend is Ben Denucci, Unless this man is a hidden gem, I expect the Eagles to have their first dominant win of the season. The Eagles will be inserting Jalen Reagor, Jason Peters, and possibly Dallas Goedert back into the lineup on Sunday. If they all play, I like the Eagles by the -7.5 point spread.

Monday Night Football

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-2) @ New York Giants (1-6) [+10.5]

Tommy: Buccaneers (-10.5). Easy pick. The Giants have stuck in some games so far, but Tampa matches up with them everywhere on both sides of the ball. I have no idea how the Giants drew back-to-back primetime games. The NFL needs to do better than that.

Derrick: Buccaneers (-10.5). I obviously like the Bucs even with the banged up receiving core. Adding Antonio Brown to this lineup is gonna be a nightmare for defensive coordinators. I have nothing positive to say about the Giants. I like the Bucs by 14+.

Tommy's Picks (61-43-1 ATS):

Panthers (-2.5) v Falcons

Bills (-3.5) v Patriots

Bengals (+5.5) @ Titans

Raiders (+2.5) @ Browns

Colts (-3) @ Lions

Packers (-6.5) v Vikings

Chiefs (-19.5) v Jets

Rams (-3.5) @ Dolphins

Ravens (-3.5) v Steelers

Broncos (+3) v Chargers

Saints (-4) @ Bears

49ers (+3) @ Seahawks

Eagles (-8) v Cowboys

Buccaneers (-10.5) @ Giants

Derrick's Picks (53-49-1 ATS):

Panthers (-2.5) v Falcons

Bills (-3.5) v Patriots

Titans (-5.5) @ Bengals

Raiders (+2.5) @ Browns

Colts (-3) @ Lions

Packers (-6.5) v Vikings

Jets (+19.5) @ Chiefs

Rams (-3.5) @ Dolphins

Steelers (+3.5) @ Ravens

Chargers (-3) @ Broncos

Saints (-4) @ Bears

Seahawks (-3) v 49ers

Eagles (-8) v Cowboys

Buccaneers (-10.5) @ Giants

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Week 8 Fantasy Football Start 'Em or Sit 'Em

Start 'Em

Quarterback

Tommy: Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans (Road @ Bengals)

If I wrote in my game pick that Derrick Henry would dominate, but Joe Burrow will keep up - why choose Tannehill here? Because he is a FANTASY STARTER. Henry's success sets him up for success. Now, he has all weapons healthy. Fire him up in any and all plus matchups.

Derrick: Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles (Home v Cowboys)

This is Carson’s second straight week on my start list. He had 40 points last week, and he faces a weaker defensive unit this week. He will also get a few of his weapons back. Reagor is going to play and he has the possibility of getting back Goedart, Peters, and Miles Sanders as well. Must start for the next two weeks as they face the Giants after they return from the bye.

Running Backs

Tommy: Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts (Road @ Lions)

Taylor hasn't had the booming season that fantasy owners hoped for, especially after the Marlon Mack injury, but he has played solid football. My guess is that they took the bye week to get him more acclimated in this offense as a three down back as cold weather starts to pick up. They'll need to lean on him with that sketchy passing attack.

Todd Gurley III, Atlanta Falcons (Road @ Panthers)

Gurley already has 7 TDs this year (though he'd rather have 6). The Panthers haven't been very good at stopping the run, so I expect TGIII to be involved and have decent volume with that touchdown upside.

Derrick: Kareem Hunt, Cleveland Browns (Home v Raiders)

Hunt has continued to be a reliable RB2 all season and he faces one of the weaker run defenses in the league this weekend. He's now clearly dominating in touches out of that backfield. He should have a huge game against the Raiders.

Darrell Henderson, Los Angeles Rams (Away @ Dolphins)

Henderson has played really well against bad run defenses this season. This week, he will face Miami who is ranked the 8th worst in the league at defending the run. Fire him up.

Wide Receivers

Tommy: Rashard Higgins, Cleveland Browns (Home v Raiders)

Baker loves throwing to this guy. After Odell went out last week, Higgins stepped in and caught all six of his targets for 110 yards. I expect him to act as WR1 in Odell's absence for Cleveland because the only time they use Jarvis correctly is to throw passes. Don't expect huge numbers, but he's a waiver play if you're dealing with bye weeks for sure.

Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals (Home v Titans)

Hey, why not double down on Higgins. Cincinnati's Higgins has been flying under the radar as an impressive rookie behind some of his 2020 draft counterparts. I expect him to continue producing against a Titans secondary giving up a lot of fantasy points.

Derrick: Travis Fulgham, Philadelphia Eagles (Home v Cowboys)

Fulgham is becoming a must start. He has touchdowns in 3 of his 4 last games and is emerging as Wentz’ number one receiver. He faces a horrible Cowboys secondary this week and should be in your lineup if you have him.

Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers (Road @ Seahawks)

Aiyuk is the most favorable receiver on the 49ers when Samuel is out. Against this weak Seattle defense, he should be someone to think about streaming if you don't have locks at the receiver position.

Tight End

Tommy: Rob Gronkowski, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Road @ Giants)

How about Gronk? He's looked like his former self over the past couple games allowing the WR situation time to itself get together. He gets a glorious matchup on MNF against the Giants. I definitely expect Brady and Gronk to cook the Giants on National television.

Derrick: Jonnu Smith, Tennessee Titans (Road @ Bengals)

Smith faces the Bengals this week who have given up 42 receptions to TE's this year. He should have some volume this week and have a bounce back game.

Sit 'Em

Quarterback

Tommy: Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints (Road @ Bears)

The Saints should be able to maintain control of the possession for a majority of the game, but they'll do so by asserting Alvin Kamara and that running game. I expect some Taysom Hill packages for sure. Brees will game manage on Sunday, but I wouldn't expect QB1 numbers for fantasy.

Derrick: Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins (Home v Rams)

Tua could possibly be a good stash if he plays well this weekend, but I don't see it happening. He faces one of the best defenses in the league so far. I would sit him, but he is worth a stash if you have QB uncertainty, especially in deeper leagues.

Running Backs

Tommy: Carlos Hyde, Seattle Seahawks (Home v 49ers)

Chris Carson is probably out for a couple games which should put Hyde in a great position to start as a FLEX, but I don't think it does this week. Hyde is battling an injury of his own and seemingly will concede passing work to a combination of Travis Homer and DeeJay Dallas. In standard leagues, Hyde could still be an okay FLEX play I guess.

Devin Singletary, Buffalo Bills (Home v Patriots)

You may be thinking Singletary is an easy start given what the 49ers did to the Patriots on the ground last week. Kyle Shanahan's run schemes are on another level though. The Bills strength when they were having success was their passing attack and they should look to get back to that at home this week. Singletary isn't getting enough targets to make up for the lack of rushing yards.

Derrick: Miles Gaskin, Miami Dolphins (Home v Rams)

Miles Gaskin is the clear cut favorite in the Miami Dolphin backfield; however, he faces a Rams defense who hasn’t allowed a touchdown to running backs in the last four games. I would fade him this week if you have other options.

Devonta Freeman, New York Giants (Home v Buccaneers)

Devonte Freeman left last week's game early with an ankle injury. The Giants should be getting him back this week, and he is a great flex option most weeks. I would fade him this week against the Bucs because they allow the fewest rushing yards to running backs.

Wide Receivers

Tommy: Darius Slayton, New York Giants (Home v Buccaneers)

The Buccaneers defense has been shutting down WR1s all season long. I expect them to make short work of Daniel Jones and the Giants. Now that Shepard, Tate and Engram are all active, Slayton's target share won't be so dominant.

Jerry Jeudy, Denver Broncos (Home v Chargers)

With so many rookie WRs getting off to impressive starts, it's an oddity that Jeudy isn't in that group. He's had some solid plays here and there, but he's also hurt his team with drops. And has yet to look like the WR1 on that team even with Sutton's absence. He still could become a big fantasy player down the stretch as the Broncos have some plus matchups, but not here.

Derrick: CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys (Road @ Eagles)

CeeDee Lamb has proven to be one of the best rookie talents in his class. Him being without QB 1 and QB 2 is going to change his fantasy outlook. I would sit him this week with Ben Denucci at quarterback and no time to build any chemistry.

Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers (Road @ Ravens)

Johnson was on my sit list last week, and he went off. But I really mean it this time, sit him. Last week, he faced the Titans who are the fourth worst against the pass. This week he faces Baltimore who has a top five defense in the NFL. I think that game will be a defensive battle and I don’t see Johnson having as much of a role.

Tight End

Tommy: Mike Gesicki, Miami Dolphins (Home v Rams)

I feel like Gesicki's been somewhere on these lists a lot this year, but I hate the spot here for him. It's Tua's first start, Tua loves throwing to the outside, Shaheen just got a contract extension, and the Rams defense is stout. I love the player, hate the play.

Derrick: Robert Tonyan, Green Bay Packers (Home v Vikings)

Tonyan saw only two targets last week and only four targets the week before. This tells me his role has shrunken, and Rodgers isn’t targeting him as much as we thought he would. If you have other options go with them.