5 Start, 5 Sit for Week 8 of the 2024 NFL Season
The NFL Season is now in full swing and every week brings with it new, dramatic story lines and roster-building challenges. Bye-weeks and injuries are likely plaguing your lineups by now and if not, you might be deciding between two startable players to get the most points possible. I’m going to go over ten players and let you know whether I think they are worth starting or whether they should stay on your bench…or worse.
Start:
Russell Wilson vs NYG – Start
All week leading up to the game, I like many others thought that starting Russel Wilson over Justin Fields was a foolish decision. Evidence to the contrary, the Steelers’ offense broke several streaks of mediocrity they had held for many years. Wilson ended the day with 264 yards, 2 touchdowns, and most importantly, no turnovers. Those are pretty good stats but consider as well that this was against the supposedly solid Jets defense. This week against the Giants, I’m expecting even better production from him. As successful as the Steelers were with Fields, if Wilson continues to allow them to have a potent passing attack, he’ll probably be a very start-able quarterback.
Javonte Williams vs CAR – Start
Javonte’s early season was pretty shaky, but as the Broncos have started to mesh, his production has gotten better. He finally had a breakout game last week against New Orleans racking up 111 total yards and 2 touchdowns. The pass game for the Broncos is going to be below average all season, so the run game is going to have to be successful for them to win games. Thankfully, the Panthers continue to provide a soft matchup for opposing running backs. With Bryce Young back at the helm of Carolina, you can also expect the game script to heavily favor run for the Broncos, meaning Javonte could be in for a season high in volume.
Tyreek Hill vs ARI – Start
Seems a little silly to have to recommend Tyreek, but all of the Dolphins’ players have been really bad since Tua was injured. If you go back and watch the games without Tua, it honestly looks like Tyreek is just going through the motions of the plays, even when he gets the ball. I think that if Tua does return this week, Hill should be back to his usual form. Arizona’s defense is very susceptible to the pass, so it should be a big return for him. If for whatever reason Tua does NOT play, I fully rescind this recommendation and cannot be held liable if you lose your matchup because of it. Keep an eye on the injury report and prepare to make a move if needed.
David Njoku vs BAL – Start
Njoku’s season started off slow due to an injury and the overall “suckiness” of the Browns’ offense. Lo and behold, as soon as Deshaun Watson went down with an injury, he has a career day. Interesting. He finished the game with 10 catches for 76 yards and a touchdown, with most of that happening after Watson left the game. With Jameis Winston at quarterback for the Browns now, Njoku’s usage could (and should) get much better. With the Browns also fresh off of losing Amari Cooper, there should be more opportunities for Njoku moving forward.
D’Andre Swift vs WAS – Start
Another slow starter, D’Andre Swift has remarkably turned his season around. In his last three games, he’s totaled 404 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Bears have positioned themselves to make a playoff run and Swift is going to play a huge role in that success. If Jayden Daniels ends up playing for the Commanders this week, they should prove to be a tough matchup for the Bears. Swift contributes heavily in the run game and the pass game, so no matter how the game script changes, he’ll be involved. He’s on a hot streak right now and coming off of a bye, so I’d recommend ride the wave until it crashes.
Sit:
Baker Mayfield vs ATL – Sit
Baker has been playing great all season, but unfortunately lost his two main weapons for potentially the rest of the season. Going forward with only the #3 and #4 receivers to throw to is a less than ideal situation. It’s possible that the Bucs will still be able to do well on offense, but for now I have very little faith in their ability. I don’t think Atlanta’s defense is fantastic, but I just want to see how things go before I keep him in my starting lineup.
Alexander Mattison vs KC – Sit
Mattison has taken over the primary running back role for Las Vegas and has actually been doing alright. A bit surprising after a very lackluster season as the starter in Minnesota. I think his momentum will stop fast against the Chiefs. The Chiefs have the best defense in the league and the Raiders are lacking in offensive weapons that would keep the Chiefs from stacking the box against Mattison. Even when teams do have offensive weapons, the running backs have a tough time getting things going. If you were lucky enough to have Mattison on your team this year, I’d sit him this week.
Diontae Johnson vs DEN – Sit
Any amount of value Diontae Johnson had with Andy Dalton is gone now. Bryce young returns. The Panthers’ offense with Bryce Young was considerably worse than with Dalton, so unless he’s changed a lot in 5 weeks, pretty much all of the Panthers’ weapons lose value. On top of that, the Broncos’ defense is one of the best in the league and have been stifling better offenses all season. I think there is a good chance that Denver has more interceptions than Johnson has catches. Leave him on your bench this week.
Tyler Conklin vs NE – Sit
Now that Devante Adams is back with Aaron Rodgers, the number of targets to go around are going to be way lower. Specifically in the red zone, a lot more of those looks are going to go toward Adams. Conklin’s volume has decreased the past few weeks anyway. Aside from a touchdown last week, he’s barely scoring enough points to be worth keeping on your bench. Unless injuries start affecting the Jets, you can probably find someone better for your team.
Rhamondre Stevenson vs NYJ – Sit
The last time Rhamondre played the Jets, his performance nearly got him benched and he potentially scored you negative points depending on your scoring system. I don’t think much is going to change this time and he likely won’t end up doing much better. Even though the Patriots changed quarterbacks and the passing game has looked “better” the team is still pretty bad. The Jets run defense is still solid, so I just don’t see Rhamondre having a decent day.
If you want more offensive start/sit advice, follow me on X @TFFGRobbie. If you need IDP start/sit advice, give @ThePPRShow a follow as well.