Early Slate: Week 8 NFL DFS Picks on DraftKings, FanDuel (2024) - Lineups Advice, Strategy, Values

The Week 8 NFL DFS early slate on DraftKings, FanDuel is loaded with prime matchups, highlighted by the Eagles facing off against the Bengals and the rematch of the wild Week 5 thriller between the Falcons and Buccaneers. Both games look high-scoring, but with that expectation comes high ownership. While we will look at some players in both games, this article will also feature many players from other, potentially less popular games.

This NFL DFS article should provide a blueprint for tournament roster construction. There will be a correlation between our quarterback plays and pass catchers, as well as bring back players from the running back position. For example, the Cleveland Browns could be a sneaky stack (Jameis Winston, David Njoku, Cerdic Tillman) against a suspect Ravens secondary that could be missing Marlon Humphrey so we should look at Derrick Henry as a bring-back to that stack.

I’m excited for Week 8, and my goal is to create a hierarchy of plays so you know who to prioritize when building your lineups! Remember that this article is written earlier in the week, so please check in with our Discord for any updates as practice reports come in throughout the week. Also, check out our other great NFL DFS articles and NFL DFS tools to help you win more!

Quarterbacks - Early Slate Week 8 DFS Picks

Jordan Love (Green Bay Packers - $7.1k DK, $8.9k FD)

The Jaguars' secondary is so bad that they made Drake Maye and the Patriots look like a competent passing offense. Overall, Jacksonville has allowed 250 or more passing yards in five of seven games this year.

Jordan Love and the Packers are no ordinary passing offense. Despite missing two games, Love is second in the league in passing touchdowns with 15. He has thrown for at least two touchdowns in each of his five starts, leading the Packers to at least 24 points every time he steps on the field. 

It’s not hard to stack pass-catchers with Love, as only Jayden Reed costs more than $6,000. Reed is banged up, so if he sits then it’s even cheaper to go with Romeo Doubs and one of either Tucker Kraft or Dontayvion Wicks. Jacksonville has a trio of potential bring-back options in Tank Bigsby, Evan Engram, and the dynamic Brian Thomas Jr. (the best of the bunch). 

Tua Tagovailoa (Miami Dolphins - $6.1k DK, $7k FD)

If Tua does indeed suit up for Miami this weekend, the Dolphins are all way too cheap. By himself, Tua isn’t much to write home about, but the pass-catchers he gives you access to (Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Jonnu Smith, De’Von Achane) have tournament-winning upside…and those pass-catchers are cheap this weekend.

Hill is only $7,000, while Waddle is only $5,400. When is the last time you could roster a healthy Dolphins stack for these prices? Arizona has allowed over 30 points in half of their games this year, and they’ve been beat on the ground and through the air (237 pass yards and 140 rushing yards allowed per game).

Miami has allowed over 100 rushing yards in every game this year, which means our natural bring-back play is James Conner, who can also be a menace catching passes (an average of four targets over his last three games). If you’re looking for the cheapest stack with the most upside, the Dolphins are it. 

Others in consideration: C.J. Stroud (HOU), Joe Burrow (CIN), Jameis Winston (CLE)

Running Backs - Early Slate Week 8 DFS Picks

Breece Hall (New York Jets - $7.3k DK, $7.9k FD)

This price point just feels wrong for Breece Hall. His target volume alone (over six per game) should bump him up a few hundred dollars, and that goes without mentioning how bad the Patriots' defense is against the running back position.

New England has allowed over 130 rushing yards in their last five games. They are so bad against the run that Jacksonville ran the ball 18 straight times at one point last weekend. Aaron Rodgers is coming into this game nursing a hamstring injury, meaning the team will want to lean into the running game to keep the pressure off their franchise quarterback.

Hall has been given at least 21 opportunities in five of seven games, and he should expect another heavy workload in the form of carries and short dump-off passes. Stacking Hall with the Jets' defense is a great way to play this in tournaments if you think the Jets dominate the game against New England’s subpar offense. 

Derrick Henry (Cleveland Browns - $8.1k DK, $9.2k FD)

Browns aren’t usually a team I pick on in tournaments, but their biggest weakness is stopping the run, and Derrick Henry is the leading rusher in the NFL. He’s scored at least one touchdown in every game this year and has rushed for over 100 yards in four of his last five games.

Henry is expensive, but there are two ways you can play him to lower the effect that price has on your roster. The first is to stack him with the Ravens' defense with the expectation that Baltimore bludgeons Cleveland. This is entirely possible, or even probable, and that’s a ton of upside with both Henry and the Ravens defense against an interception-prone Jameis Winston. 

The second way to play Henry is as a bring-back to a cheap Browns stack. If the story you’re telling with this game is that Cleveland will be in “catch-up” mode all game, using their passing game for garbage time points makes a lot of sense. You can use Winston with Tillman and Njoku as his pass-catchers and run it back with Henry as the Ravens will look to grind out the clock.

With such low prices on the Browns players, you can afford Henry and a high-end secondary stack. This is the riskier of the players, but given how bad Baltimore’s secondary is (287 passing yards allowed per game), it’s not unreasonable to view this as a tournament-winning roster build. 

Derrick Henry ranks this season

NFL Rank
Rushes 1st
Rush Yards 1st
Rush TD 1st
Yards per Rush 1st
Rush 1st Downs 1st
Longest Rush 1st
Scrimmage Yds 1st
Scrimmage TD 1st

oh ok pic.twitter.com/K7kBxrg6rL

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 22, 2024

Others in consideration: Saquon Barkley (PHI), David Montgomery (DET), Bijan Robinson (ATL), Rachaad White (TB)

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Wide Receivers - Early Slate Week 8 DFS Picks

Tyreek Hill (Miami Dolphins - $7k DK, $7.6k FD)

Tyreek Hill told his fantasy managers to play him this weekend because Miami will be going off. Do we really need any further data to support a Miami play? Ok, how about the fact that Hill is as cheap as he’s been in forever ($8,700 in Week 1 with a healthy Tua), and will be forever so long as Tua stays on the field? Look at what he did in Week 1 with a healthy Tua; 12 targets, 130 yards, and 29 DraftKings points. 

That’s the kind of game we got all year in 2023 and there’s no reason to expect anything to be different against a Cardinals defense that is nothing special. Hill was on the injury report as of Thursday, but if he comes out of Friday’s practice with a clean bill of health, he’s about as strong of a cash or tournament play as you can get this weekend. 

Drake London (Atlanta Falcons - $7.2k DK, $7.9k FD)

To the tune of Kendrick, “Hey Drake, I heard you like them Bucs.” Poor rapping attempt aside, Drake London does love playing Tampa Bay. He torched them in Week 5 for 12 catches, 154 yards, and 1 touchdown en route to a season-high 36.4 DraftKings points. 

Lest we be worried that London’s game was a fluke, he’s currently in the midst of a run of five straight games of at least eight targets. In four of those games he’s scored at least 18 DraftKings points, and London shockingly has a touchdown in all but two games this year. 

Given his production this year, it’s surprising that London is still priced at only $7,200 on DraftKings. Given his high target floor, London should be used in cash games, but he’s also a strong tournament option as part of a Falcons stack (with Kyle Pitts and Kirk Cousins) or as a mini-stack with Cade Otton or Jalen McMillan. 

Drake London since week 2 via @FantasyPtsData:
*27.1% Target Share
*37.2% AY Share (590 Air Yards)
*2.39 YPRR
*30% TPRR
*10.0 aDot
*19.9 FPPG
*36% 1st read
(Your WR3 overall) pic.twitter.com/P6mlZZmIfG

— Andy (@andy_buckler) October 24, 2024

Others in consideration: Romeo Doubs (GB), Tee Higgins (CIN), Jalen McMillan (TB), Cedric Tillman (CLE), Brian Thomas Jr. (JAX), Rashod Bateman (BAL), Davante Adams (NYJ)

Tight Ends - Week 8 DFS Picks

David Njoku (Cleveland Browns - $5.1k DK, $5.5k FD)

This is what I wrote last week in regards to Njoku:

Last year we saw what David Njoku is capable of as a featured weapon in the passing game, and Kevin Stefanski has already come out and stated that he intends to use Njoku in that manner again with the trade of Amari Cooper to Buffalo.

Njoku is a matchup nightmare for linebackers because of speed, and for defensive backs because of his size. He is one of the better downfield receiving tight ends in the league and is a menace inside the 10-yard line. 

Njoku responded to his new role with a monster performance against the Bengals. His 14 targets turned into 10 catches, 76 yards, and one touchdown for 23.6 DraftKings points. He has another strong matchup this weekend against a Ravens’ defense that just allowed 10 receptions to an athletically inferior Cade Otton. 

Njoku will continue to be the focal point of the Browns passing game for the foreseeable future and he should respond in kind. His price on DraftKings is about where it should be, but on FanDuel he’s widely underpriced as the ninth-highest-priced tight end.

That makes him the clear cash game tight end option on FanDuel, and a tournament option on both sites as part of a Browns stack or as a mini-stack with Derrick Henry. 

Others in consideration: Mark Andrews (BAL), Evan Engram (JAX), Tucker Kraft (GB), Kyle Pitts (ATL), Cade Otton (TB)

Defense/Special Teams - Early SlateWeek 8 DFS Picks

Green Bay Packers ($3.2k DK, $4.6k FD)

There is not a lot to love on defense this weekend, so spending up may be the way to go on this slate. The Packers run hot and cold, but when they are hot they are quite good. They have three games with three or more sacks in their last five and have forced multiple turnovers in six of seven games this season.

Jacksonville’s offense has looked rough most of the season, but even as they are starting to look a little bit better they are still a team we can attack this weekend. Green Bay should put up a lot of points on a bad Jaguars defense, meaning Trevor Lawrence may be asked to throw far more frequently than the 30 attempts he’s averaging per game this year.

Passing game volume means more chances for sacks and turnovers, and if Green Bay knows the pass is coming they’ll be able to tee off on Jacksonville and force multiple mistakes. 

Others in consideration: New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens, Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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