This article is part of our NBA Waiver Wire series.
Week 8 is upon us, and with it comes one of the stranger schedules of the season. This is largely due to the fact the In-Season Tournament is heading into the playoff portion of the competition. Eight teams (*below) will take part in the first round of the playoffs, with the four winning teams set to face each other later in the week. However, staying focused on this week and what we know for sure, 18 teams suiting up just once, with the remaining 12 teams slated for two games. Sitting players who only go one time has its advantages, but Fantasy managers still have to make smart decisions when figuring out whom to play, regardless of game count.
Four Games: N/A
Three Games: N/A
Two Games: BOS, IND, LAL, MEM, MIN, NOP, NYK*, PHO, POR, SAS, TOR, WAS
One Game: ATL*, BKN, CHA, CHI, CLE, DAL*, DEN, DET, GSW*, HOU*, LAC, MIA, MIL*, OKC*, ORL*, PHI, SAC, UTA
Here are four potential starts and four potential sits entering the eighth week of the NBA season. Just keep in mind that this is based on games played for the week. If you play in a rotisserie league, the number of games played each week may not matter in your format.
Guards
Consider starting: Carlton Carrington, WAS 
Opponents: @CLE, BOS
After a strong start to his rookie season, Carrington was relegated to the bench following the return of Malcolm Brogdon. The move to the bench resulted in Carrington's production
Week 8 is upon us, and with it comes one of the stranger schedules of the season. This is largely due to the fact the In-Season Tournament is heading into the playoff portion of the competition. Eight teams (*below) will take part in the first round of the playoffs, with the four winning teams set to face each other later in the week. However, staying focused on this week and what we know for sure, 18 teams suiting up just once, with the remaining 12 teams slated for two games. Sitting players who only go one time has its advantages, but Fantasy managers still have to make smart decisions when figuring out whom to play, regardless of game count.
Four Games: N/A
Three Games: N/A
Two Games: BOS, IND, LAL, MEM, MIN, NOP, NYK*, PHO, POR, SAS, TOR, WAS
One Game: ATL*, BKN, CHA, CHI, CLE, DAL*, DEN, DET, GSW*, HOU*, LAC, MIA, MIL*, OKC*, ORL*, PHI, SAC, UTA
Here are four potential starts and four potential sits entering the eighth week of the NBA season. Just keep in mind that this is based on games played for the week. If you play in a rotisserie league, the number of games played each week may not matter in your format.
Guards
Consider starting: Carlton Carrington, WAS
Opponents: @CLE, BOS
After a strong start to his rookie season, Carrington was relegated to the bench following the return of Malcolm Brogdon. The move to the bench resulted in Carrington's production dipping, which saw him subsequently dropped in many standard leagues. However, unsurprisingly, Brogdon suffered knee and hamstring injuries in consecutive games earlier in the week. He was ultimately ruled out of Saturday's game against the Nuggets and could very well miss at least a couple more games. Both Kyshawn George and Corey Kispert are also sidelined with ankle injuries, meaning Carrington has an opportunity to prove himself once again. He finished with 10 points, six assists, four rebounds and two three-pointers in 34 minutes against the Nuggets, enough to give managers confidence that he is worth starting with so many other teams only suiting up once.
Consider starting: T.J. McConnell, IND 
Opponents: @PHO, NOP
Despite continuing to come off the bench, McConnell has been able to string together a nice run of production, averaging 15.0 points, 3.8 assists and 1.3 steals in 24.1 minutes per game over the past week, shooting 59.5 percent from the floor. He remains one of the best backup point guards in the NBA, providing elite per-minute production on a nightly basis. Even though his ceiling is typically limited due to the fact the coaching staff are hesitant to push him beyond about 25 minutes per night, his floor is safe enough that he can be rolled out with relative confidence. Two games this week might be just enough to push him over the edge when it comes to making a sit/start decision.
Consider sitting: Jaden Ivey, DET 
Opponents: @BOS
Ivey has started every game he has played in this season, culminating in averages of 17.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.9 three-pointers in 30.6 minutes per contest. However, his overall rank of 186 in standard leagues highlights the fact that his value is tied up in just a couple of categories, those being assists and points. His lack of peripheral numbers makes him more appealing in certain team builds. While he is a must-roster player, he certainly isn't for everyone. With just one game this week against the Celtics, Ivey is definitely someone to consider moving to the bench given the blowout potential should the Celtics bring their A-game.
Forwards
Consider starting: Deni Avdija, POR 
Opponents: SAS, @PHO
It's been an up and down start to Avdija's career in Portland, having played as both a starter and a member of the second unit. His playing time and subsequent production has also been heavily reliant on the performances of others, making him a tough hold in standard leagues. However, he had scored double-digits in nine straight games prior to Friday's blowout loss to the Jazz. He has been the 71st ranked player in standard leagues over the past two weeks, averaging 15.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.3 three-pointers in 30.8 minutes per game. Working under the assumption that his role could increase should the game be moderately competitive, Avdija is worth taking a chance on this week given the favorable schedule.
Consider sitting: Jabari Smith, HOU 
Opponents: GSW
Smith has failed to take any significant strides forward this season, averaging career-low numbers across multiple categories including points, rebounds, assists and steals. He is also playing fewer than 30 minutes per game for the first time in his career, sitting well outside the top 100 in standard nine-category leagues. While there is still a chance he turns things around at some point this season, relying on him to do it for their one game during Week 8 might be wishful thinking.
Consider sitting: Keegan Murray, SAC 
Opponents: @NOP
Much like Smith, Murray has plateaued this season, playing as the third, fourth and even fifth option on offense at times. To this point, he has scored more than 15 points on just six occasions, averaging an underwhelming 12.4 points per game, adding 7.8 rebounds and 1.6 three-pointers. He is also outside the top 100 through 24 games, making him a fringe asset in 12-team leagues. With just one game this week, a spell on the pine might be a wise decision for managers.
Centers
Consider starting: Yves Missi, NOP 
Opponents: SAC, @IND
Having established himself as the starting center in New Orleans, Missi has been able to put together a somewhat impressive rookie season. After a slow start in which he was coming off the bench behind Daniel Theis, Missi has played at least 25 minutes in six of the past seven games. In that time, he has averaged 13.4 points, 10.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. With his minutes secure at the moment, Missi has slowly moved into the must-roster discussion. Despite a few flaws in his overall game, the rookie is certainly someone to consider not only rostering but also starting this week.
Consider sitting: Jalen Duren, DET
Opponents: @BOS
Duren appeared on this list last week and has done nothing to change my mind. Over the past week, he has played just 23.4 minutes per game, averaging 9.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.3 combined steals and blocks. He has scored single-digits in five of the past nine games, grabbing double-digit rebounds only twice. He continues to start for the Pistons but is doing very little whilst on the court. With just one game against the Celtics, moving Duren to then bench might be the easiest decision you make this week.
