Fantasy Football: Week 8 Value Picks

Added on Oct 27, 2011 by Scott in

NFL

Week 7 was a bloodbath for many fantasy football owners. A number of key injuries occurred that will affect lineup decisions for this week and beyond. And those pesky byes aren’t making things any easier. Week 8 means no Matt Forte, Darren McFadden and all Falcons and Packers. Benches are thinning and waiver wires offer scant options. Need help? We have solutions. Here are some Week 8 value picks.

Joe Flacco (vs. AZ)) – Might sound bonkers to recommend a guy who threw for 137 yards on Monday night and looked bad doing it. However, the Jaguars defense is vastly underrated. Flacco will find this week’s opponent much more forgiving. The Cardinals secondary is yielding 275 yards per game and has allowed nine passing touchdowns. The last time the Ravens quarterback faced a poor defense he torched St. Louis for 389 yards and three scores. Get him in your lineup.

Darren Sproles (@ STL) – The diminutive runner has been a consistent option every week, especially if you use a flex. But this week he MUST be in your lineup against a woeful Rams rush defense that just gave up 253 yards to rookie DeMarco Murray. Sproles is averaging over 7 yards per touch and is coming off a season best 88 yards on the ground. In addition, Mark Ingram might not play. Roll with Sproles and feel good about it.

Nate Washington (vs. IND) – Despite last week’s disappointing one catch for ten yards performance, Nate has been a solid, if not spectacular, number three wide receiver. He’s only scored once and has yet to eclipse the 100-yard plateau, but the Colts defense is dreadfully awful, allowing a league worst 32.1 points. The Indy secondary has let the likes of Antonio Brown, Preston Parker and Jerome Simpson to post good stats, so Washington is a safe bet to get 80-plus yards and a touchdown.

Fred Davis (@ BUF) – The Redskins are running out of healthy offensive weapons. Chris Cooley and Tim Hightower are both done for the season and Santana Moss will be sidelined 5 to 7 weeks with a broken hand. Davis leads the team in receptions, yards receiving and is tied for touchdowns scored with two. The Bills rank 30th versus the pass and have allowed over 250 yards and three scores to Rob Gronkowski, Jermaine Gresham and Jake Ballard. Someone has to catch the ball for the ‘Skins. Davis is their top target.

Bengals D/ST (@ SEA) – The Bengals defense has been a pleasant surprise in 2011, ranking in the Top 5 in points and yards against. The Seahawks offense under the leadership of Charlie Whitehurst posted 137 total yards in last week’s 6-3 loss to Cleveland. Tarvaris Jackson might return from a pectoral injury, but Seattle is severely lacking at the skill positions. Don’t expect much scoring in this one.