5 Stats You Need to Win Your Week 8 Fantasy Matchup

Fantasy start-or-sit decisions can rack your brain, especially when last week’s box score points one way and the usage points another. That’s where we come in: stats such as quarterback rushing, total touches, yards after catch and red zone targets can cut through the noise and make those lineup calls a little easier.

With seven weeks in the books, we’re focusing on roles that are holding steady or changing in ways worth noticing. Let’s dive into the top five stats you need to win your Week 8 fantasy matchup, and the 10 players they point to as starts!

1. Quarterback Rushing Production

A quarterback who runs comes with a floor his pocket-only peers can’t match. Rushing yards and goal-line carries bank fantasy points even on the days the passing game stalls.

Willis has been one of the league’s most prolific running quarterbacks, piling up 223 rushing yards and three scores on 35 carries to go with 1,057 passing yards, worth 15.8 points a game. The four interceptions are a blemish, but the rushing floor is what keeps him in the QB1 conversation. He’s a sneaky start at home against New England.

Nix mixes a steady passing line with real work on the ground, adding 110 rushing yards and two scores on 29 carries alongside 1,271 passing yards and seven touchdowns for 14.1 points a game. The legs give him a weekly floor, making him a streaming QB1 at home against Kansas City.

Starts: QB Malik Willis, QB Bo Nix

2. Running Back Total Opportunities

Nothing predicts running back scoring like sheer opportunity. Add up the carries and the targets and you find the backs their offenses lean on most, week in and week out.

Warren is handling a true workhorse load in Pittsburgh, with 136 touches on 102 carries and 34 targets for 561 rushing yards and 294 through the air, worth 17.4 points a game. That kind of volume is the safest thing you can roster. He’s a strong RB2 at home against Cleveland.

Pollard keeps getting fed in Tennessee, with 128 touches on 112 carries and 16 targets, 478 rushing yards and four scores for 12.5 points a game. The workload gives him a dependable floor even in a quiet offense. He’s a solid flex at Cincinnati.

Starts: RB Jaylen Warren, RB Tony Pollard

3. Wide Receiver Yards After Catch

Yards after the catch show which receivers do damage with the ball in their hands. A heavy YAC load points to a role built on volume and design, not just deep shots.

Shakir is Buffalo’s yards-after-catch machine, turning 22 catches into 290 yards with a hefty 198 coming after the grab, though the overall line sits at 9.5 points a game. The short-area role is steady and it travels. He’s a PPR flex at home against Baltimore.

London has been a run-after-catch monster for Atlanta, piling up 616 receiving yards on 38 catches with a league-level 281 after the catch, worth 15.1 points a game. The volume and the yards after the catch make him a weekly starter. He’s a confident WR2 at Tampa Bay.

Starts: WR Khalil Shakir, WR Drake London

4. Wide Receiver Red Zone Targets

Inside the 20, targets turn into touchdowns. The receivers seeing the most red zone looks carry scoring equity that their yardage alone can hide.

Wilson leads this group with 13 red zone targets among his 66 looks for Arizona, catching 37 for 375 yards, worth 11.7 points a game. That many trips inside the 20 should start cashing as the volume holds. He’s a flex with touchdown upside at Dallas.

Coker has quietly carved out a red zone role in Carolina, part of a 25-catch, 328-yard, two-touchdown line worth 14.0 points a game. The usage is trending up and the scores are starting to follow. He’s a sneaky flex at Green Bay.

Starts: WR Michael Wilson, WR Jalen Coker

5. Tight End Red Zone Targets

At tight end, red zone targets are where the position earns its keep. The ones their offenses trust near the goal line carry week-winning touchdown equity at a thin spot.

The second-year Loveland has become Chicago’s red zone go-to at tight end, with nine targets inside the 20 among his 42 looks and two scores. The overall line is modest at 8.9 points a game, but the goal-line role is real and growing. He’s a streaming TE1 at Seattle.

LaPorta leads all tight ends here with 10 red zone targets for Detroit, catching 28 for 334 yards and three scores, worth 13.2 points a game. Goal-line trust in a strong offense is exactly what you want at the position. He’s a back-end TE1 at home against Minnesota.

Starts: TE Colston Loveland, TE Sam LaPorta

The Bottom Line

These numbers point to opportunity, not a guarantee. Seven weeks in, efficiency still bounces around, and a strong role doesn’t promise a strong Sunday. Good luck in your Week 8 matchups, and come back next week for the Week 9 stats to know!

Methodology: Full PPR with no bonuses. Passing yards/25, four points per passing touchdown, minus one per interception, rushing yards/10, six per rushing touchdown, one per reception, receiving yards/10, six per receiving touchdown. Figures reflect finalized Weeks 1 through 7. Lost fumbles and two-point conversions are left out because the format defines no value for them. Injury data reflects the Week 8 report pulled 2026-10-28; no featured player carried a game-status designation at that time. Confirm each player’s final status before kickoff.

This article was written with the help of generative AI and edited by a DraftKings Network employee.