Week 8 brings us zero bye weeks or international games for the first time in several weeks, which means we have a deeper player pool than normal.
Below are the best DFS GPP plays and how you might want to approach using them, with suggested stacks and correlations.
Week 8 GPP DFS Advice & Picks
The players below are the ones I’m looking at for GPP considerations for Week 8.
Quarterbacks
Marcus Mariota (QB – WAS) vs. CHI | DraftKings: $5,300/FanDuel: $6,800
The matchup is not what we’d want to start a backup quarterback in, with the Bears’ pass defense the second-best in the NFL and allowing the second-fewest quarterback fantasy points. However, Marcus Mariota is the 24th-highest-priced quarterback on a slate with lots of superstars surrounding him on offense. Using Mariota at quarterback can unlock value elsewhere.
Mariota acquitted himself well against the Panthers in relief last week, but most of us would. Even you. The Bears’ biggest weakness is against the run and Mariota rushed for 34 yards last week on the way to finishing QB8. If you’re playing Mariota you should consider keeping things to a small stack and maybe pair him with Brian Robinson Jr. to lean into the running narrative and bring it back with DJ Moore or Keenan Allen. From there, you can then load up on studs from other games.
Running Backs
Kareem Hunt (RB – KC) @ LV | FanDuel: $8,100 (FanDuel Only Play)
Many sites project Kareem Hunt for less than 5% rostership as things currently stand. That in part is because of where his price lands on FanDuel as the ninth-most expensive running back. Hunt is in the mix with Breece Hall, Alvin Kamara and James Conner, all backs who have a greater body of recent work than Hunt.
Hunt, though, is an excellent tournament play having hit over 80 total yards in each of his three games and scoring three touchdowns. Against a Raiders team with a miserable quarterback situation, who allow the eighth-most running back fantasy points, it seems like a no-brainer. Even at this price.
Good news for the #Chiefs: RB Kareem Hunt was upgraded to a full participant on Thursday; WR DeAndre Hopkins did not appear on the report.
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) October 24, 2024
Wide Receivers
Tyreek Hill (WR – MIA) vs. ARI | DraftKings: $7,000/FanDuel: $7,600
Since Tua Tagovailoa suffered his Week 2 concussion against the Bills, we almost have to throw out everything we’ve seen from the miserable Miami offense. Let’s face it, there’s not much we need to throw out. Tyreek Hill has totaled 164 receiving yards and zero touchdowns in the four full games since then. To put that into perspective, Hill reached 163+ yards in three different games in 2023.
Tagovailoa’s return is a desperately needed lifeline. Hill will be one of the most popular wide receivers this week, as will be Jaylen Waddle, but for good reason, especially considering the Cardinals allow the seventh-most wide receiver fantasy points and rank 29th in FTN’s pass defense DVOA (Defense Value Over Adjusted). If we’re going to eat chalk in a tournament lineup we have to remember to get different elsewhere. I’d be willing to stack Tagovailo, Hill and Achane all in the same lineup, with them all potentially able to pay off.
#Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill has a message for fantasy owners with Tua returning:
“We’re back, baby! Strike up the f——g band! Start me this week!”
(???? @DavidFurones_)pic.twitter.com/ouCsBEf4td
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 23, 2024
Jalen McMillan (WR – TB) vs. ATL | DraftKings: $3,700/FanDuel: $4,900
Potentially the chalkiest play of the weekend, but one we need to talk about nonetheless. Jalen McMillan’s chances of showing out in his rookie year exponentially increased with the double-whammy of injuries to Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. McMillan scored a touchdown in his first appearance but has been quiet since, which is understandable for a rookie playing behind two stud receivers.
Atlanta allows the 11th-most wide receiver fantasy points and has a poor pass rush, which always helps Baker Mayfield to stay calm. Offensive coordinator Liam Cohen has been getting the best out of Mayfield all year. It shouldn’t take much for McMillan to pay off his salary. Everyone will be more excited to play the Falcons side of this game, which makes me curious about Mayfield double-stacks with McMillan and Cade Otton, with a potential Bijan Robinson bring back.
Todd Bowles mentioned earlier this week that the team will have to shift from an offense built around Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to one built around the skillsets of Trey Palmer and Jalen McMillan:
Here’s what that means in Liam Coen’s eyes: pic.twitter.com/w7mxPKiStn
— River Wells (@riverhwells) October 24, 2024
Tank Dell (WR – HOU) vs. IND | DraftKings: $6,300/FanDuel: $6,900
Since Nico Collins landed on injured reserve (IR), Tank Dell’s fortunes have been up and down with points totals of 7.3, 18.7 and 0.0 over the last three weeks, but things look good for Dell in Week 8. The Colts’ pass defense ranks 26th in DVOA and has given up 20+ point games to Rome Odunze, Brian Thomas and Stefon Diggs in Week 1. Diggs will likely be far more rostered than Dell after Dell’s volatility, which makes Dell a good tournament leverage, especially when we know he has a high ceiling.
Calvin Ridley (WR – TEN) @ DET | DrafKings: $5,200/FanDuel: $5,600
Yeah, this one is ugly, but we have to go there sometimes in tournaments. This isn’t only about DeAndre Hopkins no longer being a Titan, it’s also about the Titans being faced with what we can safely assume will be a negative game script and defense that gives up pass-catching fantasy points like they’re going out of fashion.
The Lions have given up 20-point games to Chris Godwin, Cooper Kupp and Justin Jefferson, as well as 16.1 points to CeeDee Lamb and 17.4 points to Marvin Harrison. The Lions can’t cover No. 1 wide receivers. I couldn’t Calvin Ridley in cash games, but in tournaments, a mini-correlation of Ridley and David Montgomery or Jahmyr Gibbs makes some sense.
Cedric Tillman (WR – CLE) vs. BAL | DraftKings: $3,300/FanDuel: $5,100
Jameis Winston is going to make a lot of people in Cleveland feel better about their Sundays, including most of his teammates going forward. Cedric Tillman saw a 31.3% first-read target share in the Browns’ first game without Amari Cooper. Tillman turned them into 1.80 yards per route run, compared to Jerry Jeudy‘s 0.35.
Tillman boasted a 25% target share and scored 18 PPR points, something he might be able to repeat against a Ravens defense allowing the second-most wide receiver fantasy points to opponents. Tillman is a particularly good play on FanDuel where some sites project him for as low as 2% rostership. He makes an excellent stacking partner in Ravens stacks.
CeeDee Lamb (WR – DAL) @ SF | FanDuel: $9,100 (FanDuel Only Play)
On FanDuel, the Sunday night game is always on the main slate and we shouldn’t forget the Cowboys taking on the Niners and the potential it still has. Last year through Weeks 1-7, CeeDee Lamb was averaging 14.9 PPR points, making him the WR24 in points per game (PPG), seeing 7.0 targets per game. Then, after the Cowboys’ Week 8 bye week, everything changed.
The Cowboys went from averaging 22 pass attempts per game to 24.7, but more importantly, more of them went Lamb’s direction, seeing a massive 12.6 per game. Lamb’s PPG jumped to almost double for the rest of the season, averaging 28.0 — 6.9 more than the next closest receiver. That’s the kind of turnaround we need from the Cowboys coming out of the bye week this year as well. At minimal ownership, it could be huge leverage.
Tight Ends
Tucker Kraft (TE -GB) @ JAX | DraftKings: $4,600/FanDuel: $5,900
It wasn’t too long ago people were proclaiming Tucker Kraft as a top-five tight end for the rest of the season, but now after a couple of lower finishes than the back-to-back TE1 finishes that catapulted Kraft into the mainstream, he’s being left behind once more. That is a mistake.
Kraft faces a Jaguars defense allowing the sixth-most tight end fantasy points, with the 32nd-ranked pass defense struggling across the board. Since Week 6, the Jaguars have allowed 24.0 points to Cole Kmet and 17.2 points to Hunter Henry, making this the perfect get-right spot for Kraft.
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