Week 8 Start/Sit: Sunday's Calls Without the Group Therapy

Updated Oct 31: Saquon Barkley moves from sit to start, matching our Week 8 Start/Sit call.

Ravens-Bills carries a 54.5 total, Browns-Steelers sits at 39.5, and every lineup decision between them gets one answer.

Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills

1:00 p.m. ET, CBS | Bills -3 (-118) | Total 54.5 (O -105/U -115) | FanDuel Sportsbook

Injuries: Baltimore has Jaylinn Hawkins out, with Adam Randall and T.J. Tampa Jr. on IR; Buffalo lists DJ Moore, Dalton Kincaid, Spencer Brown, Greg Gaines, TJ Parker, and Dee Alford as questionable.

START: Lamar Jackson. Three full practices erased the injury concern, and Buffalo ranks 30th or worse in several pass-defense measures. Jackson's 10.1 yards per attempt and 6.0 TD:INT ratio belong in the lineup.

START: Derrick Henry. Henry averages 22.7 fantasy points and 4.2 yards per carry with Jackson beside him. The quarterback's return keeps the defense from treating every Henry carry like the only item on the menu.

START: Josh Allen. Baltimore has allowed only 3.8 yards per conventional carry, which pushes opponents toward the pass. Allen gets the ball, the volume, and the highest total on Sunday's slate.

Tennessee Titans at Cincinnati Bengals

1:00 p.m. ET, CBS | Bengals -12.5 (-110) | Total 46.5 (O -115/U -105) | FanDuel Sportsbook

Injuries: Tennessee has Tyjae Spears and Carnell Tate out, Calvin Ridley and John Franklin-Myers questionable, and Dorian Mausi on IR; Cincinnati has Kyle Dugger out and Joe Giles-Harris questionable.

START: Joe Burrow. Cincinnati ranks first in pass rate over expectation, and Burrow just threw for 249 yards and four touchdowns after halftime in Week 7. The Bengals aren't paying him to hand off while favored by 12.5.

START: Ja'Marr Chase. Seven targets tied for Cincinnati's team lead last week. With the passing game this aggressive, Chase has the cleanest route to making Tennessee's afternoon miserable.

START: Tony Pollard as an RB2. Pollard has averaged 19.2 touches and 82.3 total yards since Week 2, and his rushing share reached 83% across the past two games. Cincinnati has allowed the league's highest explosive-run rate over its last five.

Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys

1:00 p.m. ET, FOX | Cowboys -7 (-110) | Total 54.5 (O -110/U -110) | FanDuel Sportsbook

Injuries: Arizona has Jon Gaines II and Walter Nolen III out, with Hjalte Froholdt, Max Melton, and Andrew Wingard questionable; Dallas has KaVontae Turpin and Dee Winters out, George Pickens, Luke Schoonmaker, and Kenny Clark questionable, and Jonathan Bullard and Marist Liufau on IR.

START: CeeDee Lamb. Lamb entered the week third among receivers in fantasy points per game and first with 11 end-zone targets. Arizona has allowed the second-most receiver touchdowns, which is a poor time to lose track of the man Dallas keeps targeting near the paint.

START: Trey McBride. At least seven receptions in every game gives McBride the kind of tight-end floor that usually requires a blood oath. He's a TE1 again.

SIT: Jake Ferguson. Since Week 6, Ferguson has played 54.1% of the snaps, run a route on 51.2%, and drawn a 4.9% target share. He caught nothing in Week 7, and a friendly matchup can't catch the ball for him.

Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions

1:00 p.m. ET, FOX | Lions -3.5 (+100) | Total 46.5 (O -104/U -118) | FanDuel Sportsbook

Injuries: Minnesota lists Jay Ward as questionable, while Aaron Jones Sr. has no game designation; Detroit has Kerby Joseph out and Roger McCreary questionable, while Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown are cleared.

START: Justin Jefferson. Detroit has allowed the third-most fantasy points and receiving yards per game to wide receivers. Jefferson doesn't need charity, but he'll take it.

START: Jahmyr Gibbs. Gibbs has 890 scrimmage yards and nine touchdowns through six games, with averages of 22.3 carries and 6.7 targets. The shoulder has no game designation, so the workload stays obscene.

SIT: Jared Goff in one-QB leagues. Goff has 14 touchdowns without an interception, but Minnesota has allowed the fewest quarterback fantasy points and one passing touchdown across its past five games. Superflex managers can use him; everyone else can admire the efficiency from the bench.

Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars

1:00 p.m. ET, CBS | Jaguars -9.5 | Total 46.5 | FanDuel

Injuries: Indianapolis has Anthony Gould and Justin Walley out, with Andrew Ogletree and Bryce Boettcher questionable; Jacksonville has Antonio Johnson out and Jakobi Meyers questionable.

START: Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence scored 22.7 and 28.3 fantasy points in his past two games. Indianapolis has allowed the 11th-most quarterback fantasy points and the fifth-most quarterback rushing yards, so the streak has room to breathe.

START: Jonathan Taylor. Jacksonville has allowed the fewest rushing yards to running backs, which trims the ceiling without touching the decision. Taylor has five RB1 finishes in seven games and ranks inside the top five in rushing yards and touchdowns.

START: Parker Washington as a WR2. A 35% air-yards share and 2.5 yards per route run have carried Washington to double-digit fantasy points in five of six games. That's usage, not a lucky box-score burp.

Las Vegas Raiders at New York Jets

1:00 p.m. ET, FOX | Jets -1.5 | Total 45.5 | FanDuel

Injuries: Las Vegas has Carter Runyon and Patrick Johnson out, with Jack Bech and Jackson Powers-Johnson questionable; the Jets have Max Mitchell, T'Vondre Sweat, and Joseph Ossai out, David Bailey doubtful, and Breece Hall and Dylan Parham questionable.

START: Brock Bowers. The Jets have allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to tight ends, and Bowers still starts. Volume wins the argument before the defense finishes clearing its throat.

START: Garrett Wilson. Las Vegas has surrendered six double-digit receiver performances in three games and an NFL-high 11 receiver touchdowns this season. Wilson gets the green light.

START: Breece Hall if active. The quad requires confirmation, but the matchup doesn't require contemplation. Las Vegas has allowed the second-most rushing yards and sixth-most fantasy points to running backs.

Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers

1:00 p.m. ET, CBS | Steelers -3.5 (-115) | Total 39.5 (O -105/U -115) | FanDuel Sportsbook

Injuries: Cleveland lists Tytus Howard, Myles Harden, and Daniel Thomas as questionable; Pittsburgh has Brandin Echols and Doneiko Slaughter out, with Ben Skowronek questionable.

START: Jaylen Warren as an RB2. Warren is Pittsburgh's lead back and has 561 yards on 102 carries. In a game carrying a 39.5 total, the workload is the only part that doesn't smell like wet cardboard.

START: Quinshon Judkins as an RB2 or flex. Judkins has received at least 17 touches in five straight games, then turned 17 carries into 96 yards and two touchdowns last week. Cleveland knows what's coming. That hasn't stopped it yet.

SIT: Deshaun Watson. Two 250-yard passing games through Week 7 and no touchdown pass since Week 5 make this easy. Pittsburgh has also tightened up against the pass, in case the first two reasons weren't ugly enough.

Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

1:00 p.m. ET, FOX | Buccaneers -2.5 (-105) | Total 43.5 (O -115/U -105) | FanDuel Sportsbook

Injuries: Atlanta has Brian Robinson out and eight players questionable, including Olamide Zaccheaus and Cameron Williams; Tampa Bay has Emeka Egbuka out, with Kenny Gainwell and Luke Goedeke questionable.

START: Bijan Robinson as an RB1. Robinson has 704 rushing yards on 131 attempts, good for 5.4 per carry. Brian Robinson's absence doesn't make Bijan worse, unless Atlanta has invented a new form of football overnight.

START: Drake London as a WR1. London leads Atlanta with 38 catches and 616 receiving yards. The target tree doesn't need a detective.

START: Bucky Irving as an RB1/RB2. Irving averages 18.7 touches and 90.8 total yards, while Atlanta has allowed the ninth-highest rushing success rate over its past five games. Tampa Bay can keep feeding him until somebody complains.

Los Angeles Chargers at Los Angeles Rams

4:05 p.m. ET, FOX | Rams -6.5 (-110) | Total 45.5 (O -105/U -115) | FanDuel Sportsbook

Injuries: The Chargers have Kayode Awosika, Derwin James Jr., Deane Leonard, and Brenen Thompson out, with Donte Jackson and Rodney Shelley questionable; Ladd McConkey is cleared. The Rams list Joe Cardona as doubtful and Trent McDuffie, Colby Parkinson, Coleman Shelton, and Jordan Whittington as questionable.

START: Kyren Williams. Williams has 731 scrimmage yards and six touchdowns, and the Chargers rank 28th in defensive rush DVOA. The front is giving up the lane; Kyren gets to drive through it.

START: Puka Nacua. Forty-five catches, 485 receiving yards, and three total touchdowns in five games settle this. Puka stays in.

SIT: Justin Herbert. Herbert ranks QB27 in fantasy points per game and hasn't topped 14.3 in any game this season. The name is doing more work than the production.

Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos

4:25 p.m. ET, CBS | Chiefs -1.5 (-108) | Total 40.5 (O -115/U -105) | FanDuel Sportsbook

Injuries: Kansas City has Omarr Norman-Lott out and L'Jarius Sneed, Mansoor Delane, and R Mason Thomas questionable; Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Rashee Rice are cleared. Denver has Talanoa Hufanga and RJ Harvey out, with Garett Bolles, Zach Allen, Brandon Jones, and Jaylen Waddle questionable; Pat Surtain II is cleared.

START: Kenneth Walker III. Walker averages 23 touches, owns 83% of the backfield work, and has handled 97.1% of Kansas City's goal-to-go snaps. That's less of a committee and more of a hostage situation.

START: Travis Kelce. Kelce leads Kansas City with a 17.8% target share, and Denver has allowed the sixth-most receiving fantasy points to tight ends over its past five games. The matchup bends in his direction.

SIT: Bo Nix. Kansas City allows the third-fewest quarterback fantasy points per game, while nearly half of Nix's Week 7 output came from one long run. Betting on another emergency escape is how a lineup ends up face-first in the toilet.

New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins

4:25 p.m. ET, CBS | Patriots -7 (-105) | Total 43.5 (O -108/U -112) | DraftKings

Injuries: New England lists A.J. Brown, TreVeyon Henderson, Christian Elliss, and Carlton Davis III as questionable; Miami has Kadyn Proctor out, with Julius Brents and Reese Taylor questionable.

START: Drake Maye. Maye has finished QB1, QB1, QB4, and QB2 across the past four weeks. Miami has allowed the fifth-most quarterback fantasy points, so there's no reason to get cute now.

START: Rhamondre Stevenson as an RB2. Stevenson averages 13.9 touches and 69.8 total yards, and Miami's recent gap-run defense has been friendly to opposing backs. The workload isn't enormous, but it doesn't need to be against this front.

START: Malik Willis in superflex or QB-needy formats. Willis scored 20.9 and 26 fantasy points in his past two games while averaging eight carries, 55.5 rushing yards, and a rushing touchdown. One-QB managers can leave him alone; superflex managers have a live weapon.

Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Commanders

8:20 p.m. ET, NBC | Commanders -5.5 (-112) | Total 40.5 (O -112/U -108) | DraftKings

Injuries: Philadelphia has Jalen Hurts on IR, while DeVonta Smith, Dontayvion Wicks, Britain Covey, Jihaad Campbell, and Jonathan Jones are out; Saquon Barkley is cleared. Washington has Javon Kinlaw and Daron Payne out, with Treylon Burks, John Bates, and Jer'Zhan Newton questionable.

START: Jayden Daniels as a QB1. Daniels has averaged 26.6 fantasy points in two games since returning from his elbow injury. Philadelphia has allowed the eighth-most quarterback fantasy points and owns the league's lowest sack rate, so Daniels should have time to make the secondary regret its evening plans.

START: Makai Lemon as a WR3 or flex. Lemon led Philadelphia in targets last week and finished with seven catches, 67 yards, and a touchdown. Smith and Wicks are out, leaving Lemon with a workload too useful to ignore.

START: Saquon Barkley as an RB2, with the workload risk priced in. Barkley is cleared, but he played nine snaps and handled nine touches last week. Payne and Kinlaw sitting out tips a close call back his way. Start him, just don't budget for the old workhorse load until the snaps come back.

Questionable tags can still change at inactive time. The matchup calls won't.

ZeroChalk is not affiliated with the NFL, NFL teams, or the NFLPA. Injury and role calls are best-guess reads from public practice and camp reporting, not inside information.