Week 8 of the NFL season has arrived! Thursday Night Football is always hit-or-miss from a fantasy perspective, you can either make or break your week in the first game of the slate.
Let’s highlight my start/sit fantasy football picks for Rams vs. Vikings on TNF.
TNF Must-Starts
- Justin Jefferson
- Kyren Williams
- Cooper Kupp (if available)
Start ‘Em: Aaron Jones
I was concerned about Jones heading into last week against a tough Lions defense while dealing with a hamstring injury. He proved me wrong.
The veteran back took his 17 touches for 116 yards and a touchdown, finishing with 20.6 PPR points. Jones is off the injury report completely for Thursday and should be heavily featured once again. Unlike Detroit, the Rams are vulnerable against the run, giving up the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing backs per game. Jones has scored at least 17 points in four of his six contests this year, and I expect him to hit that mark once again in Week 8.
Sit ‘Em: Colby Parkinson
In Weeks 4 and 5, Parkinson saw a whopping 20 combined targets. In L.A.’s last matchup against the Raiders, that number dropped all the way to two, which is concerning considering how close that game was.
With Cooper Kupp likely returning for this contest, Parkinson’s once-prominent role may be diminished to an afterthought for Matthew Stafford. The Vikings are fresh off a matchup with Detroit in which they held Sam LaPorta to *checks notes* -4 yards. Parkinson is a touchdown-or-bust option for this game, which is not the path I’d recommend taking with other viable tight end options out there.
Check out my full Week 8 start/sit article with picks at each position here!
Start ‘Em: Tutu Atwell
While Parkinson is a sit with Kupp’s impending return, I still think there’s room for Tutu to produce with Puka Nacua sidelined.
Now, context is key. I’m not suggesting that Atwell will rack up over 20 fantasy points. He hasn’t shown that kind of ceiling consistently, but the floor has been very solid as of late. Tutu has scored at least 11 PPR points in four straight games, receiving 30 targets over that stretch with an 81% average snap count. Those targets could dip a bit with Kupp back in the equation, but Atwell will slide comfortably into the WR2 role for Stafford, which has historically been a productive position.
Tutu is a WR3/Flex for this contest.
Sit ‘Em: Jordan Addison
While I expect a solid showing for the Rams’ No. 2 receiver, the same cannot be said for that player in Minnesota.
In reality, you can’t definitively call Addison the Vikings’ WR2, as Jalen Nailor has outproduced him in yards and touchdowns. Of course, from a talent perspective, Addison is on a different level, but he hasn’t put it all together often this year.
The 22-year-old has failed to score double-digit points in three of his four games this year. In Minnesota’s most recent matchup with Detroit, he was only able to haul in three of four targets for 66 yards. The upside is clearly there with Addison, but until he carves out a larger role in Minnesota’s passing attack, I would leave him on your bench.
Those are my start ’em, sit ’em fantasy football picks for Thursday Night Football! Stay tuned for more fantasy advice later this week.
All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
