With no bye weeks in Week 8, there were 13 games on a jam-packed DFS fantasy football slate. It was a high-scoring week overall with three entries posting over 210 fantasy points after last week’s winning entry was at just 185.36 fantasy points. A whopping 658 entries scored more than that in Week 8. This week it took a huge 211.66 fantasy points for an entry from rick12324 to claim Week 8’s “Crowning Moment.”
Here’s what the winning entry looked like from rick12324:
Huge points from high leverage plays
The top scorer on the main slate was Jalen Hurts ($7,500; 35.14 FPTS), but he wasn’t in the winning lineup. Instead, the winning entries leading scorer was Ladd McConkey ($5,100; 32.1 FPTS), who had two touchdowns and 111 receiving yards on six catches in the Chargers’ 28-6 win over the Saints in the late game.
McConkey had not reached 70 yards in any of his first six games in the NFL and had only scored two total touchdowns in six weeks, so he was only owned in 3.3% of entries. The rookie receiver was a great high-ceiling leverage play and stepped up with a huge week for the Bolts and rick12324.
Aside from Hurts and McConkey, the only other player to post over 30 fantasy points in Week 8 was James Cook ($7,000; 31.3 FPTS) of the Bills, who also brought great leverage at just 2.6% ownership. Both Ladd and Cook gave rick12324 a late-game push on his way to Week 8’s “Crowning Moment” vaulting him up the leaderboard as the contest wound to a close.
Cook was the highest-scoring running back on the day, racking up 111 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns and snagging all three of his targets for 22 more yards.
Keep it rollin’!
📺: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/I1MYYVPeJo
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) October 27, 2024
Chalk that hit
While those two leverage plays were huge successes, this entry from rick12324 also grabbed the chalky plays that delivered big games. The most-owned player on the entire slate was TE Cade Otton ($3,500; 29.1 FPTS) who was in 35.2% of lineups as a value tight end after the Bucs lost both Mike Evans (hamstring) and Chris Godwin (ankle) last Monday night.
Otton delivered a massive game as a chalk play, totaling 29.1 fantasy points with nine catches on 10 targets and scoring two touchdowns. He was the top-scoring tight end on the main slate, and he looked mighty fine while doing it wearing the throwback creamsicles!
Another extremely productive chalky play in Week 8 was Browns WR Cedric Tillman ($3,300; 28.9 FPTS) who we hyped across our site last week. The Browns’ new No. 1 receiver also caught two touchdowns and finished jsut short of the 100-yard bonus, hauling in 7-of-9 targets for 99 yards and a touchdown. His second score was this game-winner from Jameis Winston ($5,200; 27.56 FPTS).
TILLY PUTS US AHEAD!#BALvsCLE on CBS and NFL+ pic.twitter.com/nLKMAgT9Tu
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) October 27, 2024
A slightly less popular receiver in the winning entry was Ja’Marr Chase ($8,500; 20.4 FPTS) although he was still owned in over 18% of entries. He had a solid game without Tee Higgins, finishing with a touchdown and 54 yards on nine catches.
Rounding out the roster
The remainder of the players on the winning entry’s roster were each owned in under 10% of entries. Bo Nix ($5,600; 29.76 FPTS) had a huge game as a value QB, scoring the second-most fantasy points of all QBs despite his salry of just $5,600.
Bo goes over the top!
📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/rC0qUKYdMm
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) October 27, 2024
Bo might remind you of another Sean Payton QB with that leap over the pile, and he added that rushing score to his three passing touchdowns and 284 passing yards while leading the Broncos past the Panthers, 28-14.
Falcons RB Bijan Robinson ($7,200; 22 FPTS) also had a rushing touchdown and posted a solid fantasy day even though he didn’t have 100 yards rushing. He saved his fantasy day with six catches for 37 yards as the Falcons got past Otton and the Bucs in Tampa Bay.
The one major letdown in rick12324’s winning entry was Chuba Hubbard ($6,700; 9.1 FPTS), who put up the dreaded snowflake. Despite that disappointing showing in Denver, the rest of the roster was good enough to pull through and claim Week 8’s “Crowning Moment” for rick12324.
The last spot on the roster was the Bills DST ($3,000; 9.0 FPTS), who forced two turnovers and had one sack against the Seahawks. While the Bills didn’t have a monster day, the winning entry needed every single one of those points, since it edged outan entry from Nickelback4Lyfe by only 0.6 fantasy points.
The Bottom Line
This week’s winning entry blended just the right amount of chalk plays and high-leverage upside options on the way to its “Crowning Moment.” The monster weeks from McConkey and Cook were keys to success, and Bo knows how to bring great QB value to allow pay-up plays of Robinson and Chase, who also had strong weeks.
As you start getting your squad together for Week 9, take your shot for a “Crowning Moment.” and a $1,000,000 top prize in the NFL $2.75M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st]. Week 9’s main slate features 12 games on Sunday afternoon, highlighted by a showdown between the Lions and Packers in a matchup for NFC North supremacy.
Be sure to stay tuned to DraftKings Network for all the coverage you need leading up to kickoff from both a betting and DFS perspective.
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
