NFL Week 8 fantasy football, betting cheat sheet: Jayden Daniels will start against Chicago

Welcome to the (refined and improved!) Week 8 NFL fantasy and betting cheat sheet, a one-stop-shop for The Athletic’s game previews, injury and weather updates, and expert analysis. Bookmark this page and check back often, as we offer regular updates Thursday through Sunday to assist with fantasy lineups and betting decisions.

The latest NFL news and headlines

Last updated: 3:05 p.m. ET, Oct. 26

Injury news | Weather report
Featured games | Week 8 best bets
Survivor pool strategy | Fantasy football player rankings

Injury news

Updated through 3:05 p.m. ET Oct. 26

Sunday 4 p.m.

Jayden Daniels, QB, Commanders (ribs) — Active
Daniels will start against the Chicago Bears. QB Marcus Mariota was a viable fill-in last week, but this week the Commanders face a Top 10 (in almost all categories) Bears defense. The Commanders need Daniels this week, and fans get what they want as Daniels and Caleb Williams face off.

DK Metcalf, WR, Seahawks (knee) — Out
Metcalf sprained his MCL in Week 7 and is out against the Buffalo. In his absence, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba have ample targets to share, making them both viable fantasy options.

Andy Dalton, QB, Panthers (thumb) — Out
After spraining his thumb in a car accident, Dalton will not start Week 8. Instead, Bryce Young will reclaim his role as starter. Young has a 49.5 passer rating on the season, so use caution when deploying any of the Panthers’ receivers, including Diontae Johnson, who has only been fantasy-relevant when Dalton’s under center.

Jonathon Brooks, RB, Panthers (knee) — Out
Yet to make his NFL debut, Brooks is out again for Carolina’s Week 8 matchup against the Denver Broncos. Chuba Hubbard should continue to lead the backfield this week.

Diontae Johnson, WR, Panthers (rib) — Out
Adam Thielen, WR, Panthers (hamstring) — Out
Johnson and Thielen have been ruled out for Carolina’s matchup against the Broncos. WR Xavier Legette may be heavily targeted in their absence, but with QB Bryce Young starting, the rookie WR remains a risky fantasy option. Ciely ranks Legette as WR67 for Week 8.

Aidan O’Connell, QB, Raiders (thumb) — Injured Reserve
O’Connell landed on injured reserve after suffering a thumb injury in Week 7. That means QB Gardner Minshew gets a second chance to lead the Raiders, but against Kansas City’s defense, Minshew could have a rough week. Outside of TE Brock Bowers, there are no sure fantasy plays on this Las Vegas team, but you could always gamble on RB Alexander Mattison.

Jakobi Meyers, WR, Raiders (ankle) — Active
Meyers is active this week. If he is able to assume his regular role, Meyers and TE Brock Bowers should see the bulk of the receiving targets in Week 8.

Quentin Johnston, WR, Chargers (ankle) — Out
Ladd McConkey, WR, Chargers (hip) — Active
Johnston has been ruled out for Week 8, and McConkey is expected to play despite missing practice on Thursday and Friday. With Johnston out and McConkey dealing with a hip injury, WR Joshua Palmer could get more looks this week.

JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Chiefs (hamstring) — Out
Smith-Schuster has already been ruled out for Week 8. New WR acquisition DeAndre Hopkins is ready to step in and take as many Patrick Mahomes targets as he can.

Sunday Night Football

Deebo Samuel, WR, 49ers (illness) — Expected to play
George Kittle, TE, 49ers (foot) — Expected to play
Jauan Jennings, WR, 49ers (hip) — Out
In Week 7, fantasy managers with Samuel had a rough week, as he came out of the game early, needing oxygen due to pneumonia. Ahead of Week 8, Samuel is still battling the illness but is expected to play. Meanwhile, WR Brandon Aiyuk hit the injured reserve list, and WR Jauan Jennings has been ruled out. The WR2 for the 49ers this week is Ricky Pearsall, and TE George Kittle has the chance for massive production against Dallas.

Jordan Mason, RB, 49ers (shoulder) — Expected to play
Originally questionable for the 49ers after a limited practice Thursday, Mason is expected to play. If Mason’s injury ever keeps him out of a game, RB Isaac Guerendo is a good fantasy play. Guerendo has been efficient, averaging 6.2 yards per carry in his limited action this season. When the rookie was needed in Week 6, he ran for 99 yards on 10 carries.

Monday Night Football

As of Thursday, there are no fantasy-relevant injuries ahead of the Monday Night Football matchup between the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Weather report

Outdoor games only

So far this year, weather has impacted very few games, and that trend continues. But one matchup will almost certainly be affected by precipitation this week.

According to Rotowire, there is a 90-percent chance of rain for the Week 8 matchup in Seattle between the Seahawks and the Buffalo Bills.

Buffalo Bills (5-2) vs. Seattle Seahawks (4-3)

Bills QB Josh Allen’s career completion percentage drops 2.4 percent when playing in the rain, from 63.2 percent to 60.8 percent, per Trumedia. His touchdown-to-interception ratio also decreases from 2.3 without rain to 1.5 with rain. Since 2018, in games when Allen has started, the Bills have gone 7-6 in the rain. In those games, Buffalo averaged 204.1 passing yards compared to 234.1 without rain. On the ground, the Bills averaged 147.3 rushing yards in the rain against 126.5 without. Allen is an every-week starter for fantasy, regardless of the weather. But history suggests a decrease in production this week from the Bills QB, who is very much in the MVP conversation.

Meanwhile, Geno Smith has played in only three rain games while with the Seahawks, and in those games, his completion percentage dropped from 67.7 to 62.1. His total passing yards per game also took a hit, decreasing from 241.5 to 197.33. However, Smith’s rain games came under Coach Pete Carroll, and a new system means a new rainy-day strategy. Under Mike Macdonald, Smith averages 270.9 passing yards per game versus 224.2 under Carroll.

Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III is a strong and safe play this week. He’s averaging 22.3 PPR points per game as is, and he may get even higher usage in the rain.

Wondering what the weather impact is on fantasy production? Jake Ciely has you covered like a poncho in rainy season.

Featured games

Find live updates here. Check out our Week 8 previews here. Game-specific previews are available on the day of the game. 

Sunday afternoon

Chicago Bears (4-2) vs. Washington Commanders (5-2)

• Venue: Northwest Stadium — Landover, Md.
• Time: 4:25 p.m. ET
• TV: CBS
• Streaming: Fubo (try for free)

Jayden Daniels’ rib injury may delay his first meeting against No. 1 draft pick Caleb Williams and the Bears. Assuming he plays, Daniels (who has the NFL’s best completion percentage) will look for top targets WR Terry McLaurin and TE Zach Ertz. Backup Marcus Mariota showed he, too, has chemistry with McLaurin when filling in for Daniels last week.

With or without the rookie quarterback, the Commanders will lean on a strong running back room that includes Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler. Robinson Jr. is an every-week starter, and McLaurin is a good flex option, regardless of the QB under center.

Williams’ top targets have been WR D.J. Moore (47), WR Rome Odunze (31) and TE Cole Kmet (49). Veteran receiver Keenan Allen, who has missed games due to injury, follows closely behind, and as Williams improves, Allen is likely to see more volume. After a slow start, the Bears rookie QB has played well in his past three games, averaging a completion percentage of 74.1 percent and a passer rating of 122.8. The biggest question mark for the Bears is D’Andre Swift. As Jake Ciely points out, while Swift has played well in his past three games against mediocre to terrible teams, Roschon Johnson has been heavily utilized on third and fourth downs.

Read the full preview here (available Sunday).

Sunday night

Dallas Cowboys (3-3) vs. San Francisco 49ers (3-4)

• Venue: Levi’s Stadium — Santa Clara, Calif.
• Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
• TV: NBC
• Streaming: Peacock, Fubo (try for free)

Niners QB Brock Purdy will need to get creative and spread the ball with Brandon Aiyuk on injured reserve, Jauan Jennings out, and Deebo Samuel recovering from pneumonia. WR Ricky Pearsall could have a breakout game, while RB Jordan Mason (dealing with an ankle injury) was held in check by the Chiefs in Week 7. Originally listed as questionable, Mason is expected to play.

For the Cowboys, Dak Prescott looks to get back on track after some bye-week rest that followed an embarrassing 47-9 loss to the Detroit Lions. CeeDee Lamb may not be living up to his preseason ADP, but he has 467 receiving yards and two touchdowns on the year, and the talent to win weeks. Ciely has Lamb ranked as the WR6 for Week 8 and teammate TE Jake Ferguson as the TE9. Running back Rico Dowdle, however, is ranked as RB33, so fantasy managers may want to consider other options this week. If you’re looking for a flex option, Jalen Tolbert is an option with the second-most targets this season for the Cowboys.

Read the full preview here (available Sunday).

Monday night

New York Giants (2-5) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2)

• Venue: Acrisure Stadium — Pittsburgh, Pa.
• Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN, ABC
• Streaming: ESPN+, Fubo (try for free)

Can Russell Wilson keep the starting quarterback job? Playing well in the Steelers-Giants matchup will help. Wilson showed chemistry with WR George Pickens (111 yards receiving, TD) in his strong Week 7 debut. Najee Harris benefited from an effective passing game as well, finishing with over 100 yards on the ground and a touchdown.

Giants QB Daniel Jones was benched for Drew Lock late in the team’s 28-3 loss to the Eagles, but head coach Brian Daboll said Jones will start Monday night. While Malik Nabers may struggle to reach his season-long ceiling with Jones under center, the star rookie WR has had many week-winning performances and is averaging 85.4 receiving yards per game. Darius Slayton had a big Week 5, but Wan’Dale Robinson leads the team in targets, which makes him a decent flex option dart-throw.

The Giants backfield has become somewhat of a committee with Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Devin Singletary. Tracy has been targeted more as a receiver and is running more efficiently than Singletary. For those deciding between the two, Jake Ciely ranks Tracy (RB34) above Singletary (RB40).

Read the full preview here (available Monday).

Week 8 best bets

Austin Mock scours his weekly projections to spot the top values on the board.

Bet picked Thursday: Minnesota Vikings at Los Angeles Rams under 48 (-110)

I’m not totally in love with this total, but it’s a big enough edge for me that I can’t pass it up. The Rams have been reportedly shopping wide receiver Cooper Kupp, so there is a chance he doesn’t play this week, which obviously helps. I think the Vikings have a good matchup against this Rams offensive line as well, and hopefully they bounce back after getting gashed against the Lions last week. — Mock

• Worst price to bet: Under 47.5 (-110)

See all of Mock’s best bets for Week 8.

Survivor pool strategy

A weekly guide to staying alive from Renee Miller and Adam Gretz. Odds from BetMGM as of Thursday.

There are eight games this week with lines of six points or more, including four with lines of eight points or more. Kansas City, Detroit and Baltimore all reach double digits as favorites.

If you have already used those three teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers at home on Monday night (where they are historically dominant) against the New York Giants could be an intriguing pick, while the Green Bay Packers should be able to beat a bad Jacksonville Jaguars team on the road. If you really want to get bold? The New York Jets should be able to beat that New England Patriots team that has their own head coach calling them soft, while the Denver Broncos present the always trusty “pick against the Carolina Panthers” approach. –Adam Gretz

Read the full Week 8 “Survival Pool Picks” column.

Jake Ciely’s Week 8 fantasy football player rankings

Jake’s top QB, RB, WR and TE for the week?

Lamar Jackson, Breece Hall, Justin Jefferson and Brock Bowers.

Get Ciely’s full Week 8 rankings. Plus sleepers and projections.

(Photo of Jayden Daniels: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)