OwnersBox NFL DFS: Week 8 Picks

OwnersBox NFL DFS: Week 8 Picks

This article is part of our DFS NFL series.

OwnersBox's SuperFlex contests provide participants with a chance to roster up to two quarterbacks per lineup, opening up the opportunity for major scoring boosts and more entertaining fantasy sweat overall.

Each week of the NFL regular season, we'll break down appealing candidates in the main Sunday slate for OwnersBox's NFL SuperFlex DFS contests. 

Quarterbacks

Josh Allen, BUF vs. MIA ($8,100)

Allen has been excellent even in defeat, posting 33 fantasy points against the Titans in the Week 6 Monday night loss prior to his bye week. The star quarterback and his teammates have now had some time to rest and regroup, and he'll check into Sunday's favorable home divisional matchup having eclipsed 300 yards in three of the past four contests and having thrown multiple TDs in five consecutive games overall.

Allen faces a Miami defense allowing an NFL-high 343.5 passing yards per road game, along with a 67.7 percent completion rate and 12.2 yards per completion in that split. Allen had a modest 19 fantasy points in a Week 2 win over the Dolphins in Miami, but that was a game in which Buffalo was able to afford keeping its foot off the gas. With starting cornerbacks Xavien Howard and Byron Jones both still dealing with multiple nagging injuries and Miami allowing passer ratings north of 100 in three separate passing windows of the field, Allen could offer an excellent return.

Teddy Bridgewater, DEN vs. WAS ($6,300)

Bridgewater and his teammates have dropped four straight games, but the veteran signal-caller has still put up some serviceable fantasy numbers. Bridgewater has scored between 16 and 22 fantasy points in his last three games, and he'll get a key target back with Jerry Jeudy (ankle) returning to face a Washington defense that has allowed the most passing yards per game (300.6).

Washington is allowing a 70.3 percent completion rate on the road, along with 11.4 yards per completion overall. Moreover, Ron Rivera's squad has yielded an NFL-high 19 touchdown passes while amassing just four interceptions. Bridgewater posted 24 fantasy points in the season openers, which was the only contest he's had both Courtland Sutton and Jeudy available. Washington is also allowing passer ratings north of 100 in four different areas of the field, which should leave Bridgewater with plenty of paths to paying off his very modest salary.

ALSO CONSIDER: Jalen Hurts, PHI at DET ($7,500); Trevor Lawrence, JAC at SEA ($6,300)

Running Backs

Ezekiel Elliott, DAL at MIN ($7,300)

Elliott should come into this Sunday night showdown refreshed following a Week 7 bye, and he'll be riding the wave of a nice string of performances that have seen him post between 17 and 25 fantasy points in five consecutive contests. The talented running back is a consistent part of the air attack again and amassed seven receptions for 50 yards in the overtime win against the Patriots in Week 6. Elliott's Week 8 matchup lines up nicely, as the Vikings have allowed 132.7 rushing yards per home game.

Minnesota is yielding 4.6 RB yards per carry while allowing the second-most second-level yards per carry (1.4). Meanwhile, Elliott is gaining a robust 60.7 percent of his yards after first contact, while the Cowboys' offensive line is facilitating the second-most RB yards per carry (5.3), including the seventh-most second-level yards per tote (1.6). The Vikings have also surrendered just under five receptions per game to running backs, upping Elliott's prospects of a stellar all-around performance.

Joe Mixon, CIN at NYJ ($6,200)

The Jets have struggled against the run and they're shorthanded with four linebackers on injured reserve and C.J. Mosley having missed Week 7 with a hamstring injury. Mosley started the practice week as a limited participant and could miss this matchup, given the tricky nature of soft-tissue injuries. Meanwhile, Mixon is a threat as both runner and receiver out of the backfield and checks in having scored over 20 fantasy points twice this season while posting double-digit tallies in six of seven games overall.

Mosley could conceivably return for this Week 8 matchup, but the Bengals' offensive line is facilitating a solid 4.3 RB yards per carry and 4.5 adjusted line yards per attempt. New York is tied for the seventh-most second-level yards per carry allowed (1.4), while Mixon boasts 15.4 percent broken-tackle and 66.4 percent yards-after-contact rates. The Jets have given up the second-most receptions (52) and receiving yards (479) to running backs, brightening Mixon's prospects further.

ALSO CONSIDER: James Robinson, JAC at SEA ($6,600); Damien Harris, NE at LAC ($6,100)

Wide Receivers

Stefon Diggs, BUF vs. MIA ($7,100)

Diggs is once again serving as the workhorse of the Bills' receiving corps, logging between eight and 14 targets in all but one contest this season. The veteran wideout is likely due for some touchdowns as well after notching just two scores on 11 red-zone targets thus far. Buffalo could be in for a nice day through the air and Diggs should be one of the primary beneficiaries.

The Dolphins have been particularly vulnerable defending the short left passing window, an area of the field where Diggs has seen 25 of his 58 targets, recorded 18 of his 37 catches and garnered 151 of his 463 receiving yards. Miami has allowed 57 of the 79 passes attempted in that area go for completions totaling 547 yards and four touchdowns. Diggs posted a 4-60-1 line in the Week 2 win against the Dolphins, and considering the type of volume he typically sees, he could be in for an even better haul Sunday at home.

Mike Williams, LAC vs. NE ($6,800)

Williams could be a tad less rostered after a quiet performance in Week 6, but I'm focused on his body of work prior to that outlier,  which featured four tallies of 22 fantasy points or greater, including two games over 30 fantasy points. That type of upside at a $6.8K salary is too good to ignore in tournaments, especially when factoring in that Williams is drawing a robust 23.3 percent of the Chargers' targets and he has had a chance to rest a nagging knee injury.

The Patriots are allowing an acceptable 245.0 passing yards per game and a relatively stingy 64.5 percent completion rate on the road, but those numbers may be about to worsen due to the absence of cornerback Jonathan Jones, who has been placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. Safety Kyle Dugger (neck) is also questionable and his absence would potentially facilitate even more success for Williams downfield.  

Courtland Sutton, DEN vs. WAS ($5,900)

As alluded to earlier in Bridgewater's entry, Jerry Jeudy will be making his return from injured reserve in Sunday's contest, but it remains to be seen whether he'll log a full workload. Meanwhile, Jeudy's presence on the field – however frequent it might be – should benefit Sutton, who'll have less defensive attention pinned on him in a favorable matchup.

Sutton's downfield role profiles well against Washington's defense, which has struggled slowing down the pass in multiple areas of the field, including two areas where Sutton has enjoyed plenty of success. While Washington has allowed quarterbacks to complete a combined 68 of 101 attempts for 790 yards with five TDs and only one INT in the deep left and short right passing windows, Sutton has generated a combined 21-250-2 line on 28 targets in those areas. He's also posted double-digit fantasy-point tallies in three straight games, including two performances over 20 fantasy points in Weeks 5 and 6.

ALSO CONSIDER: Cooper Kupp, LAR at HOU ($7,900); A.J. Brown, TEN at IND ($6,700)

Tight Ends

Kyle Pitts, ATL vs. CAR ($6,100)

Pitts will undoubtedly be heavily rostered after his breakout performances the last two games, but he still sports a reasonable salary for a player of his upside. Following tallies of 26 and 23 fantasy points against the Jaguars and Dolphins, respectively, Pitts draws another solid matchup against a Panthers defense that could still be missing linebacker Shaq Thompson (foot) and Juston Burris (groin), although both players did log limited practices Wednesday. Carolina has allowed a 33-339-2 line to tight ends, and Pitts' field-stretching talent could cause Carolina issues all over the defense, especially with Matt Ryan now zoning in on him heavily.

Hunter Henry, NE at LAC ($4,900)

Henry is returning to Los Angeles to face his former team is an appealing scenario, especially at his modest salary. The veteran tight end has been building rapport with rookie quarterback Mac Jones with each passing week, which has seen Henry post touchdowns in four straight games. While Henry's fluctuating target counts can be a bit concerning – he's logged five or more in three games and four or fewer in New England's four other contests – a matchup against a Chargers defense that's allowed the sixth-most receiving yards (476) and second-most receiving TDs (five) to tight ends helps ease concerns, especially with Los Angeles having faced the fewest WR targets (98) in the league.

ALSO CONSIDER: Tyler Conklin, MIN vs. DAL ($4,000)

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Juan Carlos Blanco plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: DraftKings: jcblanco22, FanDuel: jc_blanco22, DraftPot: jc_blanco22, FantasyDraft: jc_blanco22, OwnThePlay: jcblanco22.
RotoWire Community
Join Our Subscriber-Only NFL Chat
Chat with our writers and other RotoWire NFL fans for all the pre-game info and in-game banter.
Join The Discussion
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Juan Carlos Blanco
Winner of the FSWA 2016 Newcomer of the Year Award, Juan Carlos Blanco has been playing fantasy sports for over 20 years and covers NBA, MLB, NFL, CFL and Arena Football for Rotowire.com, including serving as the beat writer for teams in multiple sports. He has previously written for KFFL.com and remains an avid season-long and daily fantasy player in multiple sports as well.
Early Waiver Wire For Week 16
Early Waiver Wire For Week 16
NFL Reactions: Week 15 Recap
NFL Reactions: Week 15 Recap
Packers at Seahawks: Sunday Night Football  Odds, Picks, and Predictions
Packers at Seahawks: Sunday Night Football Odds, Picks, and Predictions
Sunday Night Football DFS Breakdown: Seattle Seahawks vs. Green Bay Packers
Sunday Night Football DFS Breakdown: Seattle Seahawks vs. Green Bay Packers
Bills at Lions: NFL Betting Odds, Picks and Predictions
Bills at Lions: NFL Betting Odds, Picks and Predictions
NFL Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions: Philadelphia Eagles vs Pittsburgh
NFL Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions: Philadelphia Eagles vs Pittsburgh