Week 8
Games through October 27

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START

QB:

Joey Harrington, Det: Harrington should be healthy enough to play and is worth considering as a fantasy starter when the Lions visit 1-5 Chicago. Unless the Bears defense, which ranks next to last in the league in sacks, shows marked improvement, Harrington should have more time to make something happen than in recent weeks.

Jake Delhomme, Car: Delhomme threw for 362 yards last week, with the Panthers playing from behind for almost the entire game. This Sunday, Carolina may not have to play catchup, but Delhomme could still enjoy a solid afternoon. If the Saints focus on stacking the line to prevent Stephen Davis’ runs, Delhomme’s receivers should have enough room to break open.

Others to start:
Jon Kitna, Cin
Aaron Brooks, NO
Kerry Collins, NYG
Brad Johnson, TB
Jeff Garcia, SF
Trent Green, KC

No-brainers:
Peyton Manning, Ind
Marc Bulger, StL
Drew Bledsoe, Buf
Steve McNair, Ten
Matt Hasselbeck, Sea
Daunte Culpepper, Min

RB:

Olandis Gary, Det: This may be the week that Gary owners have been waiting for the whole season. Chicago is giving up 154 yards per game on the ground, and Gary should have the opportunity to put up solid numbers, even with Shawn Bryson in the mix as well. If you’ve been waiting for the chance to start Gary, this looks like a good time to do so.

Garrison Hearst, SF: Even though Kevan Barlow is getting about a third of the carries, Hearst continues to put up good numbers for San Francisco. It should be no different this week when the Niners face the Cardinals. Arizona’s run defense has definitely improved, but they still should not be able to stop Hearst the whole game.

Others to start:
Tiki Barber, NYG
Moe Williams, Min
Edgerrin James, Ind
Jerome Bettis, Pit
Corey Dillon, Cin

No-brainers:
Jamal Lewis, Bal
LaDainan Tomlinson, SD
Deuce McAllister, NO
Clinton Portis, Den
Fred Taylor, Jax
Stephen Davis, Car
Ricky Williams, Mia
Shaun Alexander, Sea
Priest Holmes, KC
Travis Henry, Buf

WR:

Jimmy Smith, Jax: Besides Fred Taylor, Smith is the only consistent producer on the Jaguars team. Jacksonville needs to get the ball to Smith more often than in week 6 in order to stay in the game against the Titans; expect Smith to get plenty of looks, especially if Jacksonville winds up playing from behind.

Steve Smith, Car: Smith, who has never been known for consistency, has been Delhomme’s favorite target recently, and should be a factor in this week’s game. In many leagues, punt returns add to his value.

Others to start:
Rod Smith, Den
Donte Stallworth, NO
David Boston, SD
Chris Chambers, Mia
Reggie Wayne, Ind
Santana Moss, NYJ

No-brainers:
Derrick Mason, Ten
Anquan Boldin, Ari
Randy Moss, Min
Chad Johnson, Cin
Amani Toomer, NYG
Terrell Owens, SF
Marvin Harrison, Ind
Eric Moulds, Buf
Joe Horn, NO
Koren Robinson, Sea
Isaac Bruce, StL
Torry Holt, StL
Plaxico Burress, Pit
Hines Ward, Pit

TE/K/D:

Freddie Jones, TE, Ari: With the Cardinals’ receiving corps banged up, Jones is one of the few reliable targets left. He could see more than his usual share of looks this week, making him a good start at the thin TE position.

Jason Hanson, K, Det: With Detroit facing Chicago’s struggling defense, Hanson should see enough opportunities to be a nice bye week fill-in for those owners looking for a replacement for John Hall, Sebastian Janikowski or Ryan Longwell.

New York Jets: The way the Eagles are playing offensively, almost anybody could stop them. The Jets have improved significantly, especially against the pass, and are well worth considering as a fantasy defense this Sunday.

 
BENCH

QB:

Tom Brady, NE: The Patriots are off to a 5-2 start, yet Tom Brady has not produced great numbers with the consistency fantasy owners look for. The Browns have allowed a stingy 147 yards per game through the air this season (best in the league), making Brady a risky start.

Quincy Carter, Dal: Tampa Bay’s pass defense has been up and down all season, but counting on another down week is too great a gamble to take. Carter has emerged as a reliable #2 fantasy QB, but this is a week when you should consider benching him if you have other options.

RB:

William Green, Cle: Cleveland faces a tough challenge on Sunday: the Patriots were among the best defensive units in the league over the last two weeks. After gaining 100+ yards in consecutive games, Green was held to 65 yards last week by the Chargers, and isn’t a safe fantasy option this week, either.

Arlen Harris, StL: Harris was the hottest commodity on the wire this week, but don’t be too eager to start him on Sunday. The big Steelers front might prove to be too much for him to handle, and Marc Bulger may look to throw a lot against a weak Pittsburgh secondary.

WR:

Troy Brown, NE: A long overtime TD catch saved Brown’s outing last Sunday, but you can’t count on this to happen every week. Cleveland has allowed less passing yards than anyone in the league, and Tom Brady spreads the ball among too many receivers to make Brown a dependable fantasy option at this point.

Keyshawn Johnson,TB: In what could be a defensive battle between Dallas and Tampa Bay, Johnson might not be able to gain a lot of yardage. While Johnson is always a threat, he hasn’t been seeing enough looks recently to be relied on as a fantasy starter.

TE/K/D:

Brandon Manumaleuna, TE, StL: While some considered the Rams’ starting tight end an intriguing option heading into the season, his numbers (116 yards receiving, 0 touchdowns) have been unimpressive. If you have Manumaleuna on your roster, bench him for now and follow his progress before putting him in your starting lineup.

Phil Dawson, K, Cle: As mentioned earlier, the Patriots have been superb defensively recently. A decent game by Dawson isn’t out of the question, but there are better options this week.

Jacksonville; The Jaguars might simply be outclassed against the Titans this week (although in this age of parity, you can never be certain), so searching for a safer defense makes sense. With the Titans not giving away many balls, you can’t even count on points from turnovers.

 
Fantasy Football Cafe’s Start & Sit lists are suggestions intended to give fantasy football players an edge in their weekly matchups. Savvy owners will see these lists not as an absolute ranking, but as an indication of possible outcomes of a given week, and use them together with their own opinions and hunches to field the lineup that will give their team the greatest odds of winning. The Start & Sit lists are compiled by Dan Spazierer (not Madame Zelda). For more insights and additional fine-tuning, visit our Who to Start/Bench forum section.