Hey, folks! We’re back with our third and final block of games for the Week 8 NFL slate, and we’re covering all of the late games, Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football.

We’ve compiled the groupings of games here to make it easier to find the games you want:

• Block 1: CAR-GB, BAL-BUF, TEN-CIN, ARI-DAL, MIN-DET
• Block 2: LV-NYJ, CLE-PIT, ATL-TB, IND-JAC
• Block 3: LAC-LAR, KC-DEN, NE-MIA, PHI-WAS, CHI-SEA

“The Outlook” will give you details, stats, angles, recommendations and everything else you need to know to help you make your fantasy football decisions. Every fantasy-relevant player on each team playing will be profiled in this article. We want everybody reading this to bring home championships in their fantasy leagues!

I’m incredibly excited to bring this article to all of you this season, and I hope you all enjoy the ride. If you have any questions, feel free to find me on Bluesky (@ktompkinsii.bsky.social) or tag me in a post with any lineup questions you have. I’ll do my best to answer them for you.

Let’s get into it!

All game and implied point totals listed were compiled via DraftKings Sportsbook on Thursday for LAC-LAR, KC-DEN, NE-MIA, PHI-WAS and CHI-SEA.

Teams on bye in Week 8: Houston Texans, New York Giants, New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers.

Los Angeles Chargers at Los Angeles Rams

• Favorite: Rams -6.5
• Game Total: 45.5
• Implied Point Total: Rams 26, Chargers 19.5

Chargers Fantasy Notes

Must-Start Players: None

Chargers RBs

Fresh off their bye week, the Chargers should be fully rested and… wait, I’m hearing reports that we still have that awful three-man backfield? Well, between Omarion Hampton, Keaton Mitchell and Kimani Vidal, good luck figuring out who to start this week against the Rams. The answer, honestly, might not be any of them. If we don’t get a massive tonal shift here with this offense, offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel is toast. It feels like a long while since Hampton’s 23 carries in Week 2, as the rushing pie has been sliced and diced to the point where it’s nearly unrecognizable. But we’ve got to get some clarity here coming out of the bye, right?

Fantasy Advice: Hampton has been one of, if not THE worst picks in the first two rounds of fantasy drafts, so I don’t blame you for not wanting to start him and washing your hands of the whole mess. Realistically, he’s a low-end flex where you’re praying that he falls into the end zone. The others are non-starters.

WR Ladd McConkey

While the Chargers have been pretty banged up at wide receiver, their main piece is getting healthy. That’s McConkey, who has been dealing with a foot injury for most of the season but suffered a concussion in Week 6 before the Chargers’ Week 7 bye. He practiced in full all week, so things look good for him, as they have all season. But can you even trust him? If you have him, you’re just hoping he can provide SOME usefulness and consolidate targets. The problem with that is that the Chargers have been the polar opposite of concentrated this season. I have optimism that McConkey can reclaim some fantasy value, but that optimism is on some shaky ground.

Fantasy Advice: McConkey’s return puts his value at that of a flex play right now, and then we’ll go from there. Our boy has some work to do, and the Rams are one of the tougher defenses against fantasy wide receivers.

Rams Fantasy Notes

Must-Start Players: RB Kyren Williams, WR Puka Nacua

QB Matthew Stafford

Has it been a bumpy ride for Stafford? Sure. I mean, six interceptions in four games will certainly raise red flags and concerns. Borderline insufferable, even. However, Stafford has calmed down, and in the past three games, he’s thrown only one interception to go with seven touchdown passes. Of course, Stafford being down Davante Adams isn’t great, but he still has Nacua, who I hear is a pretty good player. It’s not a bad matchup for Stafford, but it’s not a good one either, as the Chargers are pretty average across the board in a lot of metrics, such as passing success rate allowed and touchdown rate allowed.

Fantasy Advice: In this Battle of Los Angeles (no, not the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla one!) against the Chargers, you’ve got to consider Stafford among the low-end QB1 tier.

RB Blake Corum

If you roster Corum, you’ve been very happy over the last three weeks. Certainly AS happy as the people who roster Williams! Both Williams and Corum are RB16 and RB17, respectively, and have averaged 15.8 fantasy points per game over the last three weeks. Corum has also been a top-20 running back in each of those weeks. He saw a season-high 17 carries for 93 yards and a touchdown as the Rams steamrolled the Raiders and used the run game to do so. The day could have been a generational one we would have told our kids about, as Corum had TWO touchdowns removed via penalty. Can the Rams do the same to the Chargers as they did against the Raiders? Well, the Chargers are below average in allowing fantasy points to opposing backfields, so we’re looking good on that front for Week 8.

Fantasy Advice: With Corum taking a bigger role in this run game rather than serving as a secondary player tagging along with Williams, you can consider him a low-end RB2 for this matchup.

Rams TEs

There is a lot to parse here with this tight end room, as Tyler Higbee (2-14-0, three targets) ran the most routes of any Rams tight end, but Colby Parkinson (5-48-0, six targets) earned the second-most targets on the team and Davis Allen (4-20-2, five targets) caught two touchdowns. Make it make sense! Terrance Ferguson will not return from his stint on IR this week, so it’s likely to be the same trio of tight ends again for Week 8.

Fantasy Advice: The Chargers have been fairly good against the tight end position this season, allowing the ninth-fewest fantasy points, so we may have to tread lightly with Higbee and Parkinson as no better than streaming options. Keep an eye on Parkinson, who didn’t practice all week with a rib issue but is listed as questionable. If he can’t go, that bumps Higbee up to a priority streamer for Week 8 despite the tough matchup.

Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos

• Favorite: Chiefs -1.5
• Game Total: 40.5
• Implied Point Total: Chiefs 21, Broncos 19.5

Chiefs Fantasy Notes

Must-Start Players: RB Kenneth Walker III

QB Patrick Mahomes

The cachet and name recognition of Mahomes do wonders in the fantasy community. He may not even be startable this week against the Broncos in Denver. Mahomes hasn’t had a QB12 or better game since Week 2. Yes, you read that correctly. Mahomes has scored 18.5 fantasy points combined in the past two weeks against the Chargers at home and the Seahawks on the road last week. He hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass in those two games, but he has two interceptions. Not having Rashee Rice hasn’t been great, but even worse is that nobody else is stepping up to provide a decent threat to defenses. If you roster Mahomes, it might be time to accept and process this tough truth.

Fantasy Advice: I’m not starting Mahomes this week, but you’re hoping that vintage Mahomes comes out if you HAVE to start him. At least the schedule opens up considerably after this week!

Chiefs WRs

No Chiefs receiver had more than four receptions or 44 yards in their Sunday Night Football flop against the Seahawks, where they scored just three points. Xavier Worthy led the wide receiver group in targets (six) but could only put together three catches for 11 yards. Now the good news: Rice practiced in full on Friday and was not given a designation on the Week 8 injury report, so it appears Mahomes will be getting his main man back for this one. Right now, it’s a bleak, bleak offense, and the Chiefs could use any help they can get.

Fantasy Advice: If Rice indeed plays for the first time since leaving the game early in Week 4, you can consider him a WR3 with upside as long as he plays the entire game. Even then, Broncos star cornerback Pat Surtain II looms. After that, even a player like Worthy is “persona non grata” in lineups based on his production (or lack thereof).

TE Travis Kelce

In the early part of the season before the bye, it looked like just another Kelce season, but in the two games after the Week 5 bye, Kelce has stagnated a bit. Perhaps that’s just the offense as a whole slowing to a crawl? Kelce has 13 targets in the last two games, with eight receptions for 97 yards combined. Will the possible return of Rice help out the offensive environment? Playing a divisional game against the Broncos IN Denver doesn’t exactly help matters here either.

Fantasy Advice: A feather in Kelce’s cap is that the Broncos haven’t defended tight ends very well this season, giving up the ninth-most fantasy points to the position. So he’s startable, but he is probably more of a high-end TE2 this week.

Broncos Fantasy Notes

Must-Start Players: None

Broncos RBs

With Jonah Coleman on IR from after Week 2 until Week 6, it was a two-man backfield of RJ Harvey and J.K. Dobbins, and the split was very clean. Harvey handled most of the receiving work while taking some high-value rushing touches, and Dobbins took a lot of the low-value “empty-calorie” touches and some short-yardage work. In Week 7, Coleman returned and stole both of these players’ lunches, as the rookie ran more routes than Harvey (34-25%) and touched the ball (11-6) more than Dobbins, despite both Harvey and Dobbins scoring touchdowns. There’s no doubt Coleman was the star of the waiver wire this week, as he could be the lead back for the rest of the season for the Broncos.

Fantasy Advice: Coleman has really shaken up the Broncos’ backfield, but the Chiefs shake up everybody’s backfield, allowing the seventh-fewest fantasy points to backfields this season. Coleman is a high-end flex/low-end RB2, while Dobbins should be treated more like a desperation flex. (Dobbins catches a break, at least for one week, after the Broncos ruled out Harvey with a knee issue on Friday.)

New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins

• Favorite: Patriots -7
• Game Total: 43.5
• Implied Point Total: Patriots 25.25, Dolphins 18.25

Patriots Fantasy Notes

Must-Start Players: QB Drake Maye

Patriots RBs

The answer is Rhamondre Stevenson. No, really. How far out of favor has TreVeyon Henderson fallen? He’s losing touches to somebody named Corey Kiner, who may or may not be a real person. In fact, saying that sounds even WORSE for Hendo. It’s a far cry from his 55-yard touchdown run last season that elicited this legendary reaction from a fan. Henderson was a DNP on the injury report with an illness on Thursday and Friday and is listed as questionable, so we’ll have to keep tabs on that. That said, Stevenson’s day in Week 7 was heavily buoyed by a 45-yard touchdown to end the first half. He led New England in receiving yards (93), but he took just six carries as the Patriots very much leaned into the pass against the Bears.

Fantasy Advice: Miami represents a cake matchup for most elite running backs, but Stevenson is of the volume-based variety. He should still be able to take advantage and provide solid RB2 value against the Dolphins.

WR A.J. Brown

It’s been a test of patience here, not just with the secondary receivers while Brown was on IR but with Brown himself. Brown has caught just 6-of-15 targets since his return in Week 6 for 75 yards, with a huge 16.8-yard aDOT. But… this is the game for Brown to pull everything together. It’s the Dolphins, who are one of the worst defenses, if not THE worst in the NFL. Not only that, but they’re also allowing the highest EPA per pass play, a horrific 77% completion percentage to opposing quarterbacks and the fifth-highest success rate in the NFL, per Sumer Sports. There are get-right spots, and then there’s THIS.

Fantasy Advice: We’re hoping the Patriots try to get Brown going immediately, but he should be going into fantasy lineups as a WR3 this week.

Dolphins Fantasy Notes

Must-Start Players: None

QB Malik Willis

Willis had his first top-12 fantasy finish of the season in Week 7, when he tossed two touchdown passes and racked up 208 yards while scoring a rushing touchdown for the second straight week. Willis’ production has generally been rushing-driven, and that’s OK; we’re not picky! That said, starting Willis in leagues knowing how bad Miami is just doesn’t feel great, and it certainly doesn’t against the Patriots with just 18.25 implied points.

Fantasy Advice: If you’re up against it with quarterbacks, Willis is a decent start in two-quarterback leagues or superflex formats. I do not want to chance starting him in single-quarterback leagues, however.

RB Ollie Gordon III

Why couldn’t De’Von Achane do this!? Gordon is wrecking teams, as he put up his second 100-yard game in three starts, and he now has a touchdown in each of his last four games. That’s also four straight top-20 finishes for Gordon. Who are we to argue at this point? Gordon is getting workhorse treatment, and as run-heavy as the Dolphins are despite being such a bad offensive team, Gordon is making it work.

Fantasy Advice: Continue to start Gordon as a mid-range RB2 with some volatility thanks to his team situation. Sometimes, you just have to ride the wave!

Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Commanders

• Favorite: Commanders -6
• Game Total: 40.5
• Implied Point Total: Commanders 24.25, Eagles 16.25

Eagles Fantasy Notes

Must-Start Players: None

Eagles RBs

With Saquon Barkley not practicing for the second straight day and Dameon Pierce going on IR himself, I had to do something I didn’t think I would have to do during the middle of the week: check Ourlads to see just WHO EVEN IS ON THIS ROSTER ANYMORE!?

It turns out the answers are Jaydon Blue, the former Cowboy, and Elijah Mitchell, the former 49er, on whom I famously blew $850 out of $1,000 FAB in an FFPC league after Week 1 in 2021. So that’s fun.

Welcome back into my life, Elijah, you [REDACTED].

I’m not sure how confident I am in the Eagles’ medical staff at this point, but Philly did the unthinkable on Friday and removed Barkley from the injury report after a limited practice. So, he’s good to go… allegedly.

Fantasy Advice: Assuming Barkley starts (and we have to at this point), you have to start him. Just understand that it’s no sure thing he makes it through this game either after logging 10 snaps on Monday Night Football in Week 7.

Eagles WRs

It’s a similar situation to last week, where both DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks have been ruled out, and we might be staring down the barrel of Makai Lemon and Darius Cooper as the top two starters at receiver. Lemon was solid against Dallas last week, leading the team with eight targets and putting up a 7-67-1 line on 92% route participation. Cooper ran the same 92% route participation but was more muted, with just a single 17-yard catch on three targets. Coming into this game against a Commanders team that is a pure pass funnel, it sets up well for Lemon in particular, so I’m willing to start him with so little target competition from his receiver teammates.

Fantasy Advice: Lemon feels somewhat safe as a low-end WR3 play, but Cooper is incredibly volatile as a flex play in fantasy, so I wouldn’t chance it.

TE Dallas Goedert

This matchup sets up pretty nicely for Goedert, who will likely only have to compete with Lemon and Cooper for targets. The Commanders allow the second-most fantasy points per game to tight ends, so this feels pretty optimal given the circumstances involving the Eagles’ offense and the matchup.

Fantasy Advice: Goedert feels like a locked-in starting tight end for fantasy this week. Consider him a mid-range TE1, as he is in a great spot for fantasy production.

Commanders Fantasy Notes

Must-Start Players: QB Jayden Daniels

RB Rachaad White

Jacory Croskey-Merritt is on IR for a few more weeks. Behind White are 31-year-old Austin Ekeler and 30-year-old Jeremy McNichols. I think we’re fine here, assuming a bit of a bell-cow role for White. The game against the 49ers saw San Francisco build a lead, and then the Commanders had to claw back to get in the game, so White could only tally seven carries for 27 yards. He made up for it with 4-30 receiving and a touchdown to finish as RB10 in Week 6. White should be able to gain a sizable lead in touches here in Week 8.

Fantasy Advice: White should have the backfield mostly to himself, and he should be able to show more of what he can do with it. I like him as a low-end RB2 with some receiving floor tacked on.

WR Stefon Diggs

Diggs (and Antonio Williams) will have to be even more important following Terry McLaurin’s season-ending patellar tendon tear. We know Diggs is no stranger to earning targets and gobbling up fantasy production, so he should be a featured target for Daniels as Washington’s top receiver now. In EPA metrics, the Eagles have been awful this season, with the sixth-worst EPA per pass play in the league. In terms of fantasy points allowed, the Eagles are shockingly second-worst in the league, just behind Buffalo. This is a matchup Diggs can exploit in Week 8.

Fantasy Advice: I have Diggs as a high-end WR3 with a bump in volume and, considering how bad the Eagles have been against the pass, a ton of upside as well.

TE Chig Okonkwo

For the first time in a Commanders uniform, Okonkwo felt like he actually mattered in the passing game rather than just being an ancillary piece. He tallied a season-high seven targets and a 7-69-0 line against the 49ers before their Week 7 bye. Without McLaurin for the rest of the season, he’s going to be needed along with Diggs and Williams to supply some target-earning ability in this passing game.

Fantasy Advice: The Eagles have been one of the better teams in limiting opposing tight end fantasy points. However, they have been on the field so long thanks to their offensive struggles and lack of health, so we feel a bit better about starting Okonkwo as a streamer in a week when we don’t have stalwarts like George Kittle and Isaiah Likely.

Chicago Bears at Seattle Seahawks

• Favorite: Seahawks -3
• Game Total: 46.5
• Implied Point Total: Seahawks 24.75, Bears 21.75

Bears Fantasy Notes

Must-Start Players: QB Caleb Williams, TE Colston Loveland

Bears RBs

The matchup here against the Seahawks is not as tough as it is for Williams and the passing game. That said, Kyle Monangai hasn’t practiced since Week 4 with toe and thumb injuries and hasn’t practiced this week, so we’re closer to writing him off for this game. That means it’s another game of D’Andre Swift with Roschon Johnson backing him up. Swift has been a bell cow and posted three straight RB12 or better finishes dating back to Week 5. A fairly steady receiving floor also helps him out in games where he doesn’t contribute meaningfully to the rushing game, which we certainly love to see.

Fantasy Advice: When I say it’s “not as tough,” I mean Seattle ranks 12th in fantasy points per game allowed to running backs, to be clear. Nevertheless, Swift is a solid RB2 here even in the tough matchup as a bell cow who’s likely to be without Monangai yet again.

WR Luther Burden III

Man, Burden looked unreal against the Patriots. He only earned four targets, somehow, but parlayed them into 130 yards and a touchdown. The routes (69%) continue to be a bit of an issue, but with Williams back in the saddle and getting more comfortable heading into his third start following a hamstring injury, things are looking great for the Chicago offense. The Seahawks’ defense is certainly a roadblock, but Burden’s potential makes him somebody you need to start anyway.

Fantasy Advice: The Seahawks are No. 1 with a bullet in terms of limiting fantasy wide receivers, allowing just 91 total yards per game to opposing receiver groups. It’s a tough draw, but Burden is an upside-rich WR3 this week in Seattle.

WR Rome Odunze

If the Bears were The Beatles, there’s no doubt in my mind that Rome Odunze is the Ringo. However, he had one of his best games of the season, with a 4-69 effort on five targets. You’d think he has to get his, but he just doesn’t carry the upside of Loveland or Burden. He’ll probably see quite a bit of all-world cornerback Devon Witherspoon on Monday Night Football, so he’ll just be out on the outside, keeping the beat for John, Paul and George in this offense.

Fantasy Advice: Odunze is getting increasingly harder to start here because the upside is so capped, but if you really need a flex that you know will play, you could do much worse than Odunze.

Seahawks Fantasy Notes

Must-Start Players: WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Seahawks RBs

Jadarian Price’s practice window was opened up this week, and Zach Charbonnet has practiced fully since his practice window opened. Emanuel Wilson’s apparent swan song as the Seahawks’ starting running back was 100 yards rushing and a touchdown against the Chiefs. This is a backfield we’re going to have to take right down to the wire with availability, because it remains to be seen who gets activated and who doesn’t.

Fantasy Advice: All right, let’s sort this out, shall we? If Price and Charbonnet aren’t activated, it’s Wilson yet again against the Bears, where he’s a low-end RB2. If Price is activated, consider him a low-end flex as he works his way back in. If Charbonnet is activated, he’s a mid-range flex with some high-value touch upside. If BOTH are activated, throw your hands up and start Price and Charbonnet as low-end flexes and hope the guy you started scores a touchdown. That’s all we can do here.