We are nearly at the halfway point of the NFL season with the arrival of the Week 8 slate. The Los Angeles Chargers opened up the week on Thursday night with a convincing 37-10 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. There are no international games this week, and bye weeks are now in full swing. The Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, and Seattle Seahawks will each be off this week to limit the available players in the DFS pool.
There are still plenty of ways to get involved in the action with DraftKings Sportsbook and DFS. As you seek to maximize your DFS lineups, here is a look at a few players in line to outperform their price point to help give you an edge. This article presents my top DFS lineup and the logic behind each selection.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $2.75M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st]
Quarterback
Bo Nix ($6,000)
It has been an up-and-down start to Bo Nix’s second season in the NFL, but he’s in a prime position to have one of his best games against this Cowboys’ defense. Through their opening seven games, Dallas ranks 30th in points allowed and 32nd in total yards given up. Looking just at their pass defense, the Cowboys rank dead last in passing yards allowed, 31st in net yards per pass attempt, and 29th in passing touchdowns conceded. Nix has thrown for 222.3 passing yards per game with a 62.5% completion rate with 11 touchdowns and four interceptions on the year. He has also added 172 rushing yards and three scores with his legs.
The Auburn and Oregon product is averaging 20.8 fantasy points per game on DraftKings scoring, which is tied for sixth among quarterbacks this year. He is coming off his best fantasy performance of the season with 40.0 points tallied last week against the Giants, as Nix spearheaded a comeback effort after trailing 19-0 heading into the fourth. Look for him to carry this momentum into an even more vulnerable NFC East defense and for Nix to be among the top fantasy quarterbacks in Week 8.
Other Considerations: Josh Allen ($7,500), Jalen Hurts ($6,600), Joe Flacco ($5,400)
Running Back
Javonte Williams ($6,800)
On the other side of this Cowboys vs. Broncos matchup, Javonte Williams will be facing off against his former team for the first time. Williams has emerged as the top back in the Cowboys’ backfield, rushing the ball 111 times for 592 yards and six touchdowns, while adding 85 yards and a touchdown through the air. He leads the entire NFL with 30 first downs on the ground this year.
From a fantasy football perspective, Williams is averaging 19.7 fantasy points per game, which ranks seventh among running backs. He has tallied 19+ fantasy points on DraftKings scoring in five of his seven games. Looking at this matchup, Denver has done a respectable job stopping the run, but it has still allowed 118+ rushing yards in six of their seven games. Expect Williams to have some additional motivation on his side and be ready to maintain the standard of play he has shown to start the season against his former team.
Rachaad White ($6,400)
Once cast to the sideline due to the emergence of Bucky Irving, Rachaad White is back on the field and making his impact felt. Irving remains sidelined due to his foot injury, which paves the way for a full slate of workload for White. On the season overall, he has tallied 252 rushing yards and four touchdowns while adding 91 yards through the air. Across the past three weeks since Irving went down, he has tallied 14+ touches in each game. White has produced 201 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns across these three games.
He has produced fantasy outputs of 23.1, 17.6, and 8.4 on DraftKings scoring across these past three weeks. The Buccaneers will be facing off against the Saints. New Orleans ranks 23rd in rushing yards allowed, 18th in rushing touchdowns conceded, and holds a 1-6 record overall. Count on there being additional opportunities for White if the Buccaneers can jump out to a lead and for the 26-year-old to take advantage of a vulnerable defense. Expect him to be in line for double-digit fantasy points once again and have a chance for a season-best level of production this week.
Other Considerations: Jonathan Taylor ($9,500), James Cook III ($6,700), Derrick Henry ($6,000), Chuba Hubbard ($5,300)
Wide Receivers
Drake London ($6,400)
It is worth noting that Drake London popped onto the Saturday injury report and is listed as questionable with a hip injury. But as long as he can suit up, he should be in store for significant production. London has emerged as one of the top wide receivers in football. Through his opening six games, the 24-year-old has tallied 38 receptions for 469 yards and two touchdowns. He ranks 11th in the league in receiving yards, with every player ahead of him playing more games due to the Falcons’ early bye week. No other wide receiver on the Falcons’ roster has more than 10 receptions or 147 yards through the air.
Atlanta will be facing the Miami Dolphins this week, who are on the brink of full disaster. They rank 29th in points allowed and 26th in yards given up on the season with a 1-6 overall record. The Falcons are also expected to make a quarterback change with Michael Penix Jr. recovering from a bone bruise. This paves the way for Kirk Cousins to step in. While Cousins struggled to look like himself last year as he continued to recover from his Achilles tear, he has a lengthy track record of who he has been at the NFL level. With more time to get fully healthy and something left to prove, expect Cousins to be ready to air it out.
Count on London to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of this and be active throughout. He is averaging 17.0 fantasy points per game on DraftKings scoring, which ranks 10th among wide receivers. Count on London reaching or exceeding this level of production with the friendly matchup in mind.
Courtland Sutton ($6,200)
While we already referenced the positive outlook for Bo Nix, he will need to throw the ball to someone if he is to have this success. Enter Courtland Sutton, who has emerged as the clear top pass catcher and one of the better wide receivers in the NFL.
The SMU product has 33 receptions for 469 yards and three touchdowns so far this season. Troy Franklin is second on the team with 269 yards through the air. Dallas ranks dead last in passing yards allowed and total yards allowed, while ranking 30th in points given up and 29th in passing touchdowns allowed. This outlook has only gotten more concerning following the news that two-time Pro Bowl CB Trevon Diggs has been placed on IR, which will keep him out until at least Thanksgiving.
Expect Denver to be prepared to put up quite a few points and for this matchup to be a shootout throughout. Sutton will be right at the top of the depth chart for offensive production and will have a strong statistical output. The 30-year-old is averaging 14.7 fantasy points per game, but has tallied 16+ in five of the seven games. Count on him having a chance for his best performance of the season, and set yourself up for additional success by pairing him with Nix in your lineup.
DeVonta Smith ($5,900)
The Philadelphia Eagles are off to a 5-2 start to the season, but you would not guess it based on the current talking points. There have been some ups and downs with Jalen Hurts’ play, while the continued manifestation of A.J. Brown’s unhappiness has made plenty of headlines. This will not be an issue this week with Brown sidelined due to a hamstring injury. The injury also improves the outlook for the less problematic Eagles’ standout wide receiver.
Lost in the Brown drama, DeVonta Smith has been the Eagles’ leading receiver and is on pace for a career season. The Heisman trophy winner has pulled in 38 receptions for 504 yards and two touchdowns so far this season. His 15.2 fantasy points per game on DraftKings scoring ranks 17th among wide receivers.
The Eagles will be taking on the New York Giants this week after losing to their divisional rival just two weeks ago. This was an embarrassing performance for Philadelphia, who fell 34-17, their first loss in over a calendar year with Jalen Hurts starting and finishing the game. Expect Philadelphia to be hungry to get back to their Super Bowl standard and assert themselves against an inferior opponent with the home crowd behind them. Count on Smith seeing his offensive role further scaled up with Brown on the sideline and for the Alabama product to have another impressive day.
Other Considerations: George Pickens ($7,100), Stefon Diggs ($5,800), Tee Higgins ($5,600), Wan’Dale Robinson ($5,200)
Tight End
Kyle Pitts Sr. ($3,900)
This week will mark the fourth official ‘National Tight Ends Day,’ and I am backing Kyle Pitts Sr. to celebrate. He has been one of the more frustrating fantasy football players throughout his five-year career, with his production only occasionally matching his talent level. The Florida product burst onto the scene in his rookie season with over 1,000 receiving yards, but has failed to crack 700 in a season since. So far this season, he has 285 yards through the air and a touchdown, averaging 10.8 fantasy points per game.
Atlanta will be facing off with a Dolphins defense this week that is allowing 5.9 receptions, 64.3 receiving yards, and three total touchdowns to opposing tight ends on the season. While Cousins is not your typical backup quarterback, it is common for reserves to lean on the tight end as a safety blanket on offense. Outside of London, Atlanta is fairly limited at the pass-catcher spots. Expect Pitts’ level of production to be necessary and for the Falcons to lean on him regularly. Getting him in your lineup at the $3,900 price point feels like great value. Count on him to outperform this.
Other Considerations: Tyler Warren ($5,500), Harold Fanin Jr. ($4,400), Cade Otton ($3,400)
Flex
J.K. Dobbins ($5,800)
We have already talked plenty about the Cowboys’ struggles to defend the pass, but they are just as vulnerable on the ground. Dallas ranks 30th in rushing yards allowed, 26th in net yards per rushing attempt, and 22nd in rushing touchdowns conceded. J.K. Dobbins has emerged as the clear top running back in Denver with 105 carries for 523 yards and four touchdowns. He is averaging 12.6 fantasy points per game, which ranks 22nd among running backs.
Dobbins is averaging 16 touches per game and has gotten the ball at least 12 times in every matchup this season. Denver should have their choice for how it wants to attack and hold a friendly outlook at each matchup. If they can grab a lead, count on Dobbins, especially receiving an increased workload as the Broncos look to control the clock. He has one 100+ yard rushing game already this season, and this is a great chance to add to his total. Expect Dobbins to be involved in the Broncos’ attack throughout and outperform the $5,800 price point by a comfortable margin.
Defense & Special Teams
Chicago Bears ($2,600)
The Chicago Bears are off to a 4-2 start to the season and are moving in an encouraging direction as a franchise. Defense has not been their strength to this point, with them ranking 25th in points allowed and 25th in yards given up. But they have 12 sacks tallied on the year and 21 turnovers forced already this season. Their +11 turnover differential leads the entire NFL. Chicago will look to add to their total in this week’s matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, who will be without Lamar Jackson due to his hamstring injury.
The Baltimore offense has not yet lived up to its standard this year, and this will not change with Tyler “Snoop” Huntley set to get the start. The Ravens could do worse than having Huntley as their backup, with the Cooper Rush experiment already a failure, but there is a ceiling for the level of production he can bring. Expect the Bears to do a good enough job containing him and continue to be opportunistic in forcing turnovers.
Shaving some off the price point for a less talented defense with a favorable matchup to get more notable names in the rest of your lineup is always a direction I prefer. Look for Chicago to put forth a competent week of production and outperform their price-point in Week 8.
Other Considerations: Colts ($3,800), Bills ($3,300), Bengals ($2,700), Dolphins ($2,200)
