Fantasy Football Start/Sit Advice: Jared Goff, Isiah Pacheco, Kareem Hunt, Dameon Pierce (Week 8)

We were cruising over the last month, but last week’s article was terrible! We need to admit when we get things wrong, and I was downright awful last week with this piece. That’ll sometimes happen, but I strive to do better than what I showed. It was a challenging week from a bye week perspective, but that shouldn’t be a problem this week.

We actually have no teams on bye, and it’s hard to understand what the NFL scheduling team is doing. In any case, I am excited to break this slate down, so let’s get into it!

The premise behind this article is simple. Identifying fantasy football smash plays that are on the fringe of your starting lineup. We will rarely recommend a top-20 player at any position, but we want to help you fill those critical flex spots. Here are all of my smash starts for Week 8. Below we dive into a few notable players.

Smash Starts for Week 8

Quarterbacks

Jared Goff (DET) vs. LVR

Goff has done a wonderful job of reviving his career with the Lions, and he’s truly a different player at Ford Field. Goff averaged over 24 fantasy points per game in nine home games last season. That might look like a fluke on the surface, but Goff has scored at least 27 fantasy points in two of three home games this year. He’s also established a 20-point floor on that friendly turf field, and we’re not worried about a matchup with Las Vegas. The Raiders rank 22nd in total defense this year, with the Lions entering this game as a 7.5-point favorite.

Running Backs

Isiah Pacheco (KC) at DEN

We had Pacheco in this same matchup a few weeks back, and we have to go right back to the well. This is simply the best matchup in fantasy right now, with Denver allowing the most yards and fantasy points to opposing rushers. That’s scary with the way Pacheco has been breaking out, scoring at least 13 fantasy points in five straight fixtures. That’s quite the run, but it’s no surprise since he’s getting 15 carries and a handful of targets in each game. The game script is beautiful, too, with the Chiefs being a 7.5-point favorite in this magnificent matchup.

Kareem Hunt (CLE) at SEA

Hunt was sitting on most waiver wires last week, but he needs to enter your starting lineup this week. He was already splitting work with Jerome Ford, but with Ford getting injured in Week 7, Hunt should get all the work he can handle here. That’s awesome since Hunt has 15 and 16 fantasy points in his two most recent outings while generating a 20-point average as a starter in the past. The matchup with Seattle isn’t too shabby either, with Seattle surrendering 18 fantasy points per game to opposing backs.

Dameon Pierce (HOU) at CAR

This is the riskiest option in the article, but signs point to Pierce having a breakout game. His role is the biggest influence, playing at least 59 percent of the snaps in two of his last three outings. That number plummeted before the bye, but Houston knows this guy is the future of their backfield, and now’s the time to ride him for the second half of the season. He’s still averaging 19 carries over the last three outings, and that type of role is incredible against Carolina. The Panthers are allowing the second-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season.

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