NFL DFS: Week 8 FanDuel Picks

Thanks for reading our weekly FanDuel DFS column. Our goal with this column is to highlight less obvious roster moves strictly on FanDuel. Everyone knows that a Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce stack is a popular strategy which is why Derrick Henry is worth the premium. But here, we want to highlight uncommon players to help you differentiate your lineups. Now, let’s make some money with NFL DFS: Week 8 FanDuel Picks.

NFL DFS Stacks

Week eight provides an intriguing scenario for DFS players, with only one game in the main slate with an over/under of at least 50 points. In theory this trends towards lower-scoring affairs, but more importantly, it signals more opportunities to find value, with fewer “no brainer” options.

One of the most popular stacks this week is likely to be one involving Josh Allen ($8,800) and either Stefon Diggs ($7,300) or Emmanuel Sanders ($6,700), but this week provides many opportunities to find value elsewhere.

Justin Herbert ($7,900), Mike Williams ($7,600), Jared Cook ($5,200)

Correlate: Jakobi Meyers ($5,700)

On its face, this matchup is one to avoid, as New England is one of the better defenses in the league and is 16^th against opposing quarterbacks. However, it is worth noting the QBs they’ve faced this year: Tua Tagovailoa, Zack Wilson, Jameis Winston, Tom Brady (in a weather-impacted game), and Dak Prescott.

I want to focus on Prescott, who put up 27.8 FanDuel points on the Patriots in week six. Of course, he had overtime to help, but he is the only legit QB the Patriots have faced (apart from Brady, who again, was impacted by a weather-impacted game), and Los Angeles is coming off a bye.

We’re also getting a discount on Herbert and Williams as they come off their bye week, which frees up space elsewhere in your lineup. On the correlation side, the Chargers’ defense has been good against the passing game, but Jakobi Meyers brings good value as the most targeted receiver in the Patriots’ offense.

Matt Ryan ($7,200), Kyle Pitts ($6,800)

Correlate: DJ Moore ($7,700)

Similar to the last stack, this seems like a poor matchup, particularly matching up against Carolina, who on FanDuel is 6^th against QBs, 2^nd against WRs, and 6^th against TEs. But through seven weeks they’ve matched up against the Jets, Saints, Texans, Cowboys, Eagles, Vikings, and Giants.

Most of those matchups don’t scare you at those positions. Meanwhile, Matt Ryan and Kyle Pitts further developed their connection against Miami, where Pitts had over 150 receiving yards and a touchdown. Further, Pitts provides the opportunity to place him in your flex, and find a different value TE, such as Dan Arnold or Jared Cook.

On the other side of this matchup is DJ Moore, whose value has declined somewhat with the recent poor performances by Carolina. That said, Atlanta has one of the most pass-friendly defenses in the league, which opens up opportunities for Sam Darnold and Moore to have a bounce-back game.

Value Plays

Chris Godwin ($7,200)

When looking for value players, I try to identify players under $7K, but Chris Godwin is too good to give up this week. Godwin easily has WR1 potential this week but is being valued outside the top ten of receivers. The Buccaneers face off against the Saints this Sunday and it is almost certain that Marshon Lattimore is going to be shadowing Mike Evans, and when he does, Evans often struggles.

Twice when shadowed by Lattimore in 2020, Evans only had one reception (source: Mike Clay). Add to that the fact that Antonio Brown is out, Godwin is set up for a big day. We should also give an honorable mention to Rob Gronkowski if he is active, who could be a value tight end play.

Khalil Herbert ($6,500)

The sixth-round rookie out of Virginia Tech had a very impressive outing against the number one rush defense, putting up a 100-yard performance against Tampa Bay. This week he faces off against San Francisco, who is middle-of-the-pack against the run, but Chicago has shown its dominance in the run game, averaging 131 yards per game. The return of Damien Williams may diminish Herbert’s value, but it’s likely Herbert fills the David Montgomery role until his return.

Kenneth Gainwell ($5,900)

Philadelphia was expected to focus on getting the run going last week against the Las Vegas Raiders before Miles Sanders went down with an injury. They still had over 100 yards rushing, but most of that came from Jalen Hurts. Gainwell however has been active in the passing game, even before Sanders’ injury.

Gainwell should continue to see an increased role, especially against a Detroit team that is still looking for its first win. Many are speculating a Detroit victory as well, meaning the Eagles will be looking to pass to stay involved in this matchup.

Tee Higgins ($6,300)

Despite missing two games, Tee Higgins is only eight targets behind Ja’Marr Chase this season and led the league in targets last week with 15. Higgins is averaging just over a point per target, but that is largely driven by his completion rate, which is hovering at 58%.

On the other hand, he is averaging two points per reception, demonstrating his potential ceiling with increased completions. While the New York Jets have a solid secondary, they haven’t faced many elite receiving cores and gave up over 100 yards to Kyle Pitts in week five. This Jets secondary can be had, and Higgins has been given the opportunities for a low-value upside play.

Streaming Defense

Jacksonville Jaguars ($3,500)

The Jaguars face off against the Seattle Seahawks, who are continuing to struggle with Geno Smith under center. As much as I’d like to see Smith thrive, Seattle continues to give up the third-most sacks in the league, which is the base reason for using Jacksonville in your defensive slot this week.

A few sacks can offset any points given up to the Seahawks, who haven’t been a high-volume offense since the loss of Russell Wilson. The Jaguars provide an opportunity to find value without giving up too much at defense.

Contrarian Move

Ryan Tannehill ($7,500), A.J. Brown ($7,600)

Correlate: Jonathan Taylor ($8,500)

A matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and the Tennessee Titans doesn’t have the big-name flash that typically attracts a DFS stack, which simply means there’s a great opportunity to strike gold with a lineup few will be targeting. The Titans are coming off a strong victory against the Kansas City Chiefs, that featured a more balanced offensive approach as the Chiefs focused their energies on stopping Derrick Henry.

While Henry is liable to put up 30+ points on any given week, I think last week was a signal of what’s to come from the Titans’ offense moving forward. Henry is such a threat that it opens up the passing game, and A.J. Brown is the primary beneficiary. On the other side, Jonathan Taylor continues to be a fantasy rockstar and should see continued usage in what is likely to be a close battle.

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