DraftKings NFL DFS Picks For Week 8 Main Slate: Look to Lamar

Week 8 has the potential to be a high-scoring NFL DFS slate.

Elite quarterbacks everywhere, high game totals and intriguing matchups make this one of the more fun slates we’ve had so far.

Quarterback

Lamar Jackson @ Buffalo Bills ($6,800)

After a multi-week absence with a high-ankle sprain, Lamar Jackson has been practicing in full throughout the week, setting up a Week 8 return in Buffalo. Prior to the injury, Jackson was in MVP form, ranking first in yards per attempt (10.1) and second in fantasy points per dropback (0.72).

A potential high-scoring matchup with the Bills should keep him in MVP form.

Buffalo is one of the most generous pass defenses in the NFL, surrendering the sixth-highest passing touchdown rate (6.2%), ninth-most yards per completion (11.4) and fourth-highest EPA/Pass (0.20). Only the Cardinals, Commanders and Lions are coughing up more fantasy points per game to opposing signal callers than the Bills (22.3) this season, and they're allowing 2.5 passing scores per contest.

This game features an implied total of 54.5 points, which isn't too surprising considering the Bills are the league’s highest-scoring offense, but also allow the most points per drive on defense (2.76). Now that Jackson has sat out the last three weeks, hopefully he is at full strength, which is when he’s at his best for both real life and fantasy.

Others to consider:

Josh Allen vs. BAL ($7,700)
Trevor Lawrence vs. IND ($6,200)

Running Back

Bhayshul Tuten vs. Indianapolis Colts ($5,900)

Coming off a bye week, Tuten finds himself in a tremendous spot. Jacksonville hosts a Colts team that is just simulating the end of the season at this point. Already a vulnerable run defense, Indianapolis has since traded defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, enhancing the matchup for Tuten.

Through seven weeks, the Colts are allowing the ninth-most yards after contact per rush (3.09), while stuffing just 18.7% of runs at or behind the line of scrimmage, the eighth-lowest rate in football. Specifically, Indianapolis is allowing 5.6 yards per carry (second-most), 4.08 YAC/rush (third-most) and a 40.7% success rate (seventh-worst) on outside zone runs this season. That bodes well for Tuten, who ranks ninth in outside zone attempts per game (6.83), with the run concept making up a healthy 44% of his overall rushing attempts.

When we last saw Jacksonville in Week 6, Chris Rodriguez ran well, helping him earn 48% of the team’s rush attempts. Tuten only had one more carry on the day, but made up for it with a season-high route share (57%), resulting in four catches for 48 yards and a pair of touchdowns. I firmly believe the split in carries is an anomaly and, unless Rodriguez is ripping off 10-plus yards on every carry, we see Tuten return to 60-plus percent of the carries. And if the receiving usage sticks, watch out. The Colts have allowed 38.7 receiving yards per game to opposing backfields, the seventh-most in football.

Chase Brown vs. Tennessee Titans ($6,300)

Chase Brown.webp

This has to be the week, right?

Brown has been one of the most disappointing players in fantasy thus far, averaging just 12.4 PPR PPG, good (or bad) for RB19 in fantasy. His slow start continued last week, accumulating 58 scoreless yards against the Ravens. The box score shows a bad game, but the underlying data does show some reasons for optimism.

Yes, Samaje Perine got the goal-line touchdown, but following Week 6’s troubling drop in usage, Brown returned to a workhorse role. Brown logged 75% of the snaps and handled 58% of the rushing attempts. And the latter would have been even higher if Tahj Brooks didn’t come in to close out the game in garbage time. It’s been frustrating that Brown hasn’t found the end zone since Week 1, but if he continues to see this type of usage and playing time, he will eventually find success.

And this feels like the week for it to happen.

The Titans just allowed 96 yards and two scores to Quinshon Judkins in Week 7 and are now coughing up 104.9 rushing yards per game to opposing backfields, the seventh-most in the league. And this defense is set to be even worse after trading Jeffery Simmons to Chicago. Between the offseason trade of T’Vondre Sweat and midweek trade of Simmons, this is suddenly a very exploitable run defense, which is just what the Bengals need to get this rushing attack going.

Others to consider:

Javonte Williams vs. ARI ($7,300)
Bucky Irving vs. ATL ($6,400)
Rhamondre Stevenson @ MIA ($5,600)

Wide Receiver

DJ Moore vs. Baltimore Ravens ($5,700)

DJ Moore.webp

Even though he remained in a non-contact jersey throughout practice this week, I’m expecting Moore to make his return on Sunday. And, again, you are going to want pieces from this game in Buffalo.

A shoulder injury has limited him to just two full games this season, but when he’s been on the field, the results have been strong. In the two games Moore ran at least 70% of the routes, he posted target-per-route run rates of 27% and 43%. During those two contests, Moore has seen target shares of 38% and 27%, averaging nine targets per contest. Buffalo’s passing attack has not been the same without him, so I expect Josh Allen to go back to looking his way early and often.

Baltimore is coughing up the eighth-most fantasy points per game to opposing wideouts on the season but is also allowing the 10th-most yards per reception (13.4) and fifth-most receiving yards per game (126.7) to opposing wideouts on the perimeter. Moore, meanwhile, has lined up on the outside nearly 70 percent of the time so far this season, making this an advantageous matchup for his first game back in the lineup.

Amon-Ra St. Brown vs. Minnesota Vikings ($8,000)

There are some truly elite receivers at the top this week, all of which find themselves in better matchups than St. Brown.

At least on paper.

Yes, the Vikings have been the best defense in football all year long. And, yes, they have only allowed 18 receiving touchdowns since the start of last season. But this matchup with Brian Flores is likely one where Jared Goff is going to have to lean on his WR1 early and often.

We know Flores is going to dial up those chaotic blitzes. The Vikings are currently blitzing on 54% of dropbacks, easily the highest rate in the NFL. Goff is going to have to get the ball out fast, which should lead to a high-volume game from St. Brown, who is sporting a 35% target share against the blitz this season, the third-highest rate in football. And since the start of last season, only Jaxon Smith-Njigba has a higher target share when blitzed than Amon-Ra’s 36.8%.

Minnesota is still playing a good bit of Cover-2 on the back end, so we could see Goff target St. Brown heavily in the quick game. Over his last four meetings against Flores’ Vikings, St. Brown has averaged 10.2 targets per game.

Others to consider:

Zay Flowers @ BUF ($7,200)
Tee Higgins vs. TEN ($6,700)
Michael Wilson @ DAL ($6,200)

Tight End

TJ Hockenson @ Detroit Lions ($4,600)

Hockenson found the end zone last week and now draws the best matchup available for opposing tight ends. The Lions are allowing the most receiving yards, touchdowns and fantasy points per game to tight ends this season, as they continue to deploy as much man coverage as any team in football. Even with Brian Branch back last week, Tucker Kraft still posted 48 yards and a score.

Against man coverage this season, Hockenson is averaging 3.3 yards per route run, the highest mark among all tight ends so far. He’s run out routes nearly 23% of the time, which is notable considering the Lions are allowing the third-most catches (25), fifth-most yards (233) and fourth-highest catch rate (78.1%) off out routes this season. Minnesota’s passing game has been incredibly underwhelming this year, but opposing offenses simply haven’t pushed the Vikings to score. That should change this week in Detroit, and Hockenson could have some revenge on his mind.

Hunter Henry @ Miami Dolphins ($4,300)

Henry is coming off a busy Week 7, leading the Patriots in receptions (7) and targets (7), while posting 71 receiving yards. His weekly floor has been mostly solid, and he has now found the end zone in two of his last three games.

I like his chances of scoring again on Sunday, facing a Miami defense surrendering the third-most fantasy points (17.4) and fourth-most touchdowns (1.0) per game to opposing tight ends. The Dolphins just allowed Mason Taylor to haul in a pair of touchdowns last week, and Henry could be in line for a boost in targets if the Patriots are without A.J. Brown this weekend.

So far this season, Henry has accounted for 34% of New England’s play-action targets (10th among tight ends). That bodes well against a Miami defense that has allowed the sixth-most touchdowns (4) and second-most yards (15.1) off play-action this year.

Others to consider: