NFL Week 8 Start Em’ Sit Em’ 2018-2019
Another week of Football is here, and that means we at Maryland Sports Blog, specifically Matt Bachota and myself, are here to give you our starts and sits for the week. Maryland Sports Blog will be covering the Redskins-Giants and Ravens-Panthers games at 1 PM this Sunday. Credit to Matt Bachota for coming up with the players for the starts and sits
Quarterbacks:
Start: Andrew Luck and Mitchell Trubisky
Andrew Luck is a start this week against the Raiders due to his strong consistency with fantasy points. Luck has recorded 22+ points in the last three weeks, and matches up against a struggling Raiders team, which makes him a start. Mitchell Trubisky is also a start against the Jets, as in his last three performances, he’s recorded 43.46 points, 27.34 points, and 31.42 points.
Sit: Alex Smith and Blake Bortles
Alex Smith faces a Giants defense that gave up just under 20 points to Matt Ryan last week, who is the 2nd best ranked fantasy Quarterback in NFL.com leagues, making him a sit. Head Coach of Jacksonville, Doug Marrone, stated that “Bortles will be on a short leash”, which means that if he has a poor performance, he will be substituted out like he was last week against the Texans.
Running Backs:
Start: Philip Lindsay and Kerryon Johnson
Philip Lindsay matches up against a weak Chiefs defense and linebacker core, and with Royce Freeman out, Lindsay is an automatic start. Kerryon Johnson has been the clear number one back for Detroit, as just last week he recorded 17.9 non PPR points, and faces a mediocre Seattle defense.
Sit: T.J. Yeldon and Jordan Howard
T.J. Yeldon faces a tough Eagles front seven and he will most likely split carries with Carlos Hyde, the newly acquired halfback. Jordan Howard has continued to split carries with Tarik Cohen, who has been streaky but when efficient, he’ll put up a great amount of yards in a minimal amount of carries.
Pass Catchers:
Start: Courtland Sutton and Jared Cook
Courtland Sutton has quietly been one of Case Keenum’s best targets as he may put up low Fantasy numbers, but he is due for a breakout game in a good matchup against the Chiefs. Jared Cook is one of Derek Carr’s few targets, as Amari Cooper is now gone. Look for Cook to be in the top 10 for most fantasy points by Tight End’s this week, as he plays against a subpar Colts defense.
Sit: Marquise Goodwin and Greg Olsen
First, Marquise Goodwin faces a decent Cardinals defense, and despite being a main target of C.J. Beathard, it will be tough to put up points when being guarded by Patrick Peterson. Greg Olsen faces a top 5 defense in the Ravens, who only let up 43 yards to Saints starting Tight End, Benjamin Watson, and despite scoring a Touchdown, it was tough for New Orleans to move the ball downfield at various points of the game.
Kickers:
Start: Matt Prater and Harrison Butker
Matt Prater will look to get a substantial amount of opportunities today, as he faces an average Seattle defense. Harrison Butker has continuously been omg the best kickers in the league today, as just last week, he recorded 9 points, and the week before, a whopping 16 points.
Sit: Brandon McManus and Aldrick Rosas
Brandon McManus may be facing a weak Kansas City defense, however, just like Cincinnati last week, he may not get as many opportunities for Field Goals as expected. Aldrick Rosas’ Giants face a tough front seven with the likes of Ryan Kerrigan and Jonathan Allen, and despite being one of the more accurate kickers in the league, it’ll be tough to record points.
Defenses:
Start: Patriots and Redskins
The Patriots are an automatic start due to them playing a Bills offense that put up just 3 points, while scoring 2 on defense last week against the Colts. The Redskins face a weak Giants offensive line, and will look to sack Eli Manning all day.
Sit: Jets and Packers
The Jets face one of the top scoring offenses in the Bears, and while facing young Quarterback Mitch Trubisky, it’ll be tough to hold them from scoring at least 20-30 points. The Packers are an obvious sit due to them facing a top offense in the Rams who have the likes of Jared Goff, Todd Gurley, Brandin Cooks, and Robert Woods.
