X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Thursday Night Football Matchups Analysis - Week 8

The Arizona Cardinals continue to be the laughing stock of the National Football League.

The Red Sea had been outscored 101-82 heading into last Thursday night and the gap continued to grow. The Denver Broncos managed to find the end zone six times in the contest, including scores from Phillip Lindsay, Royce Freeman, and Emmanuel Sanders, en route to a 45-10 blowout victory. Fantasy owners of former studs like David Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald are hoping that the departure of Cardinals offensive coordinator Mike McCoy could signal a turning point.

With such a one-sided contest likely failing to impress football fans, the Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans will go head to head in Week 8's edition of Thursday Night Football. The game script in this game is largely unpredictable with both team's lacking offensive firepower, but fantasy owners should be able to find a few gems to play. Let's dive in!

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Miami Dolphins @ Houston Texans

Date and Start Time: Thursday, October 25 at 8:00 PM ET

Notable Injuries and Status:

 

Offensive and Defensive Rankings:

Dolphins Texans
Passing Yards 25th 16th
Rushing Yards 18th 15th
Pass Defense 23rd 12th
Rush Defense 29th 8th

 

Must Starts

Top Performers That Have To Be In Your Lineup

Lamar Miller (RB, HOU)

I know it's hard to trust Miller given his fluctuating performances to this point in the season, but now is a good time to ride the hot hand. Miller has yet to receive less than 15 total touches in a game this season and should be able to capitalize against a Miami Dolphins squad ranking 28th in rushing points allowed and 29th in receiving points allowed. Start him as an RB2 with RB1 upside should he be able to find the end zone as he did in Week 7.

DeAndre Hopkins (WR, HOU)

No one is sitting an elite wideout like Hopkins against the 23rd-ranked passing defense in the league, but keep in mind that the Miami Dolphins are currently the third-best team in points allowed per game to opposing wide receivers. Hopkins certainly has the prowess to overcome those tough matchups, but fantasy owners should temper expectations with a lower ceiling.

 

Consider Sitting

Players To Avoid Putting In Your Lineup If Possible

Brock Osweiler (QB, MIA)

Give Osweiler credit for his solid performances against the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions where he finished as the QB-7 and QB-14 respectively. Unfortunately, the myriad of injuries to his starting wideouts and a short week to prepare means the odds are stacked against him for fantasy success. The Houston Texans have allowed just two touchdowns from outside of the red zone, tied for the fewest in the league, meaning fantasy owners will have to trust that Osweiler can effectively drive against a stingy passing defense.

Deshaun Watson (QB, HOU)

Unlike the passer on the opposing sideline, Watson hasn't looked right over the last two weeks with sub-200 passing yard games and very little in the way of rushing yardage. Houston has also struggled in putting touchdowns on the board, having scored two or fewer touchdowns in every game but one this season. If you can afford to sit Watson to give him a chance to prove his health and ability to put up fantasy points on the ground, I would strongly encourage doing so.

Frank Gore (RB, MIA)

Gore has handled the majority of the rush attempts for the Miami Dolphins offense, but should struggle against the Houston Texans eighth-best run defense which limits opposing backs to 3.3 yards per carry. The game script could easily fall into backfield mate Kenyan Drake's favor in this one.

 

Solid Options/Sleepers

Which Players Will Have Solid Games and Which Could Surprise?

Solid Option: Kenyan Drake (RB, MIA)

While veteran running back Frank Gore continues to out-touch him for some unknown reason, Drake continues to produce with 175 rushing yards on just 25 carries over the past three games. Given that he also averages 18-percent of the team's passing targets per game and has 8.3 targets per game over the Miami Dolphins last three weeks, the lack of available wide receivers could work in Drake's favor to push for more work and give fantasy owners a decent return.

Solid Option: Will Fuller (WR, HOU)

The absence of fellow wide receiver Keke Coutee and Deandre Hopkins drawing the focus of Miami Dolphins defensive back Xavien Howard should be more than enough to open up the door for Fuller to have an above average game for fantasy owners. Fuller hauled in six catches for 68 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars' stellar passing defense one week ago and Miami is certainly not in that same tier.

Sleeper: Danny Amendola (WR, MIA)

The Miami Dolphins wide receiver core is hurting right now with injuries to both Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson, with Wilson in particular already confirmed to be sitting after being placed on injured reserve. Amendola has a team-leading 18 targets and 14 receptions across the last two weeks and will ultimately be the most reliable target for quarterback Brock Osweiler. Fantasy owners in PPR formats should take note.

Other Notable Sleepers: Jakeem Grant and Devante Parker (WRs, MIA)

More Lineup Prep




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Teoscar Hernández20 mins ago

Teoscar Hernandez Goes Deep On Monday
Gavin Sheets24 mins ago

Tallies Four RBI In Monday's Victory
Wilmer Flores32 mins ago

Hits Home Run, Tallies Four RBI In Victory
Dansby Swanson42 mins ago

Goes Deep Again On Monday
Christian McGowan49 mins ago

Undergoes Tommy John Surgery
Kumar Rocker1 hour ago

Allows Six Runs In Season Debut
Jacob Wilson1 hour ago

Launches First MLB Home Run
Casey DeSmith1 hour ago

Sharp In Monday's Victory
Mason Marchment1 hour ago

Tallies Two Helpers On Monday
Adam Klapka2 hours ago

Tallies Two Points In Shootout Victory
Ivan Fedotov2 hours ago

Sharp Against Nashville
Matvei Michkov2 hours ago

Continues Hot Stretch On Monday
Luke Hughes2 hours ago

Scores Goal, Adds Assist In Victory
Andrés Giménez2 hours ago

Andres Gimenez Homers, Steals A Base On Monday
Lars Nootbaar2 hours ago

Homers On Monday
Brant Hurter2 hours ago

Picks Up Save On Monday
Otto Lopez2 hours ago

Homers In Loss To Mets
James Wood2 hours ago

Homers Monday
David Peterson3 hours ago

Strikes Out Nine In Win Over Marlins
Pete Alonso3 hours ago

Hits A Grand Slam On Monday
Matt McLain3 hours ago

Homers On Monday
Brady Singer3 hours ago

Strikes Out Eight On Monday
Elly De La Cruz3 hours ago

Homers Twice, Drives In Seven
Jackson Jobe8 hours ago

Inefficient In First Career Start Monday
Tyler Glasnow8 hours ago

Fans Eight, Earns Win In Monday Debut
San Diego Padres8 hours ago

Kash Mayfield Assigned To Single-A
José Ramírez8 hours ago

Jose Ramirez Collects Three Hits, Homers In Monday Return To Lineup
Sam Stevens11 hours ago

Enjoyed Nice Result In Houston
PGA11 hours ago

J.T. Poston Seeks To Contend At Valero Texas Open
Ochai Agbaji11 hours ago

Resting On Tuesday
RJ Barrett11 hours ago

To Be Rested Tuesday Night
Immanuel Quickley11 hours ago

Returning To Action Against Bulls
Jakob Poeltl11 hours ago

Available On Tuesday
Jonathan Kuminga11 hours ago

Uncertain For Tuesday's Game
Christian Braun11 hours ago

Listed As Probable For Meeting With Timberwolves
Aaron Gordon11 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable For Tuesday
Jamal Murray12 hours ago

Iffy For Tuesday
LeBron James12 hours ago

Ready To Play Against Rockets
Nikola Jokić12 hours ago

Nikola Jokic Expected To Play Against Timberwolves
Trae Young12 hours ago

Likely To Face Portland
Bradley Beal12 hours ago

Could Return On Tuesday
Giannis Antetokounmpo12 hours ago

Probable For Tuesday's Action
CJ McCollum12 hours ago

Shut Down For The Rest Of The Season
Denny McCarthy12 hours ago

Keeps Making Cuts But Needs To Make More Putts
Zion Williamson12 hours ago

Won't Play Again This Season
Brian Harman13 hours ago

Off To A Subpar 2025 So Far
Jaylin Williams13 hours ago

Back In Thunder Lineup Monday
Isaiah Hartenstein13 hours ago

Will Play On Monday
Chet Holmgren13 hours ago

Available Against Bulls
Dereck Lively II13 hours ago

Downgraded To Out Monday
Caleb Martin13 hours ago

Active On Monday
Daniel Gafford13 hours ago

Back In Action With Minutes Restriction
Ilya Samsonov15 hours ago

Nursing An Upper-Body Injury
Tomas Hertl15 hours ago

To Sit Out At Least One More Week
Garnet Hathaway15 hours ago

Rejoins Flyers Lineup
Erik Johnson15 hours ago

Available Monday
Rasmus Ristolainen15 hours ago

Not Expected To Return This Season
Ryan Preece15 hours ago

Has Three Straight Top-10 Finishes For First Time In His Career
Colton Sissons15 hours ago

Likely Out For Rest Of The Season
NASCAR15 hours ago

Bubba Wallace After Third-Place Finish At Martinsville: "What a Great Day"
Jonathan Marchessault15 hours ago

Day-To-Day With Lower-Body Injury
Todd Gilliland15 hours ago

Has Mistake-Free Day At Martinsville, Grabs Another Top-10 Finish
Brandon Moreno16 hours ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Steve Erceg16 hours ago

Losses Third Consecutive Fight
Drew Dober16 hours ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres16 hours ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Harry Hall16 hours ago

Bounces Back In Houston Last Week
Denver Broncos16 hours ago

Denver To Take A Running Back In The Draft
CJ Vergara16 hours ago

Gets Submitted
Ryan Fox16 hours ago

Showing Improvement Heading Into The Valero Texas Open
Édgar Cháirez16 hours ago

Edgar Chairez Gets Submission Win At UFC Mexico City
Courtland Sutton17 hours ago

"No Timeline" On Courtland Sutton Extension
Vince Morales17 hours ago

Drops Decision At UFC Mexico City
Raul Rosas Jr.17 hours ago

Gets Decision Win At UFC Mexico City
New York Jets17 hours ago

Jets To Wait On Contract Extensions For Garrett Wilson, Sauce Gardner
Saimon Oliveira17 hours ago

Still Winless In The UFC
David Martinez17 hours ago

Wins His UFC Debut
Jameson Williams17 hours ago

Detroit To Exercise Jameson Williams' Fifth-Year Option
Kevin Borjas17 hours ago

Earns His First UFC Win
Brandon Aiyuk17 hours ago

49ers Expected To Hold Brandon Aiyuk
Ronaldo Rodríguez17 hours ago

Ronaldo Rodriguez Suffers His First UFC Loss
Joel Dahmen18 hours ago

Scores Top-20 Finish At Texas Children's Houston Open
Jacob Bridgeman18 hours ago

Had Some Rest Heading Into The Valero
Sami Valimaki18 hours ago

Finishes Fourth At Texas Children's Houston Open
Maverick McNealy18 hours ago

Finishes Tied For 32nd At Texas Children’s Houston Open
Tom Kim18 hours ago

Finishes Tied For 36th At Valspar Championship
Rickie Fowler18 hours ago

Finishes Tied For 52nd At Texas Children’s Houston Open
Bud Cauley18 hours ago

Finishes Tied For Fourth At Valspar Championship
Sam Burns18 hours ago

Misses The Cut At Valspar Championship
Daniel Berger18 hours ago

Finishes Tied For 20th At The PLAYERS Championship
Ludvig Aberg18 hours ago

Misses The Cut At The PLAYERS Championship
Treylon Burks20 hours ago

Unlikely To Be Ready For Training Camp
Keenan Allen20 hours ago

Chargers Not Ruling Out Reuniting With Keenan Allen
Breece Hall20 hours ago

Could Be Part Of Committee In 2025
James Cook20 hours ago

Bills Not Close To Extension With James Cook
Tyreek Hill20 hours ago

Dolphins Planning On Tyreek Hill Being Part Of Their Future
Baltimore Ravens20 hours ago

Ravens Expected To Draft A Kicker
Mark Andrews20 hours ago

Ravens Expect Mark Andrews Back In 2025
Lamar Jackson21 hours ago

Ravens Have Had Early Extension Talks With Lamar Jackson
Christopher Bell21 hours ago

Powers His Way To A Second-Place Finish At Martinsville
Chase Elliott21 hours ago

Strong Martinsville Performance Ends With A Top-Five Finish
Kyle Larson22 hours ago

Collects A Top-Five Finish At Martinsville
William Byron22 hours ago

Places 22nd After Struggles At Martinsville
Joey Logano22 hours ago

Claims His First 2025 Top-10 Finish After Up-And-Down Performance
Tyler Reddick23 hours ago

Fails To Place In The Top 10 At Martinsville
Joseph Woll1 day ago

Stands Tall On Sunday
UTA1 day ago

Alex Kerfoot Leads The Way In Sunday's Victory
Tristan Jarry1 day ago

Shuts The Door On Ottawa On Sunday
Sebastian Aho1 day ago

Busy In Sunday's Victory
Anze Kopitar1 day ago

Tallies Three Helpers On Sunday
Troy Terry1 day ago

Exits Early On Sunday
Denny Hamlin1 day ago

Silences Doubters After Crew-Chief Change
Ty Gibbs1 day ago

Earns Best 2025 Finish At Martinsville Despite Failing Cool Suit
Ross Chastain1 day ago

Has A Great Day At Martinsville
Chase Briscoe1 day ago

Has Solid Run At Martinsville
Erik Jones1 day ago

Disqualified At Martinsville For Weight Violation
Zach Wilson2 days ago

Still Views Himself As A Starter
New York Giants2 days ago

Victor Dimukeje Signs With Giants
Dallas Cowboys2 days ago

Brian Schottenheimer Optimistic About Deal With Micah Parsons
Lane Hutson2 days ago

Continues Special Campaign With Hat Trick Of Assists
Nick Suzuki2 days ago

Notches Three Points In Sunday's Win
Justin Fields2 days ago

Aaron Glenn Thinks Justin Fields Is Ready To Break Out
Dak Prescott2 days ago

"Doing Great" In Rehab From Hamstring Surgery
Jacksonville Jaguars2 days ago

Fred Johnson Signs With Jacksonville
Tennessee Titans2 days ago

Titans Still Entertaining Calls For No. 1 Overall Pick
Brandon Aiyuk2 days ago

Deadline Coming For Brandon Aiyuk
Josh Berry2 days ago

Has Top-10 Upside At Martinsville
Joey Logano2 days ago

Don't Overlook Joey Logano This Weekend
Ryan Preece2 days ago

Could Get First Three-Race Top-10 Streak Of His Career
Chase Elliott2 days ago

Looking To Continue Great Runs At Martinsville
Christopher Bell2 days ago

Wins Pole At Martinsville, But Can He Stay Up There?
Ryan Blaney2 days ago

Fast In Practice But Skeptical About Car
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

New Crew Chief Has Terrible Martinsville Record
Steve Erceg4 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Brandon Moreno4 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Mexico City
Manuel Torres4 days ago

Set For Co-Main Event
Drew Dober4 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Mexico City
Joe Pyfer4 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kelvin Gastelum4 days ago

Set For Middleweight Matchup
Vince Morales4 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Raul Rosas Jr.4 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Saimon Oliveira4 days ago

Looks For His First UFC Win
Jhonattan Vegas6 days ago

Not A Good Play At Houston Open
Gary Woodland6 days ago

A Dark-Horse Candidate At Houston Open
Nick Taylor6 days ago

Keep An Eye On Nick Taylor At Houston Open
Mackenzie Hughes6 days ago

Avoid Mackenzie Hughes At Houston Open
Nicolai Hojgaard6 days ago

Looking To Rebound At Houston Open
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF