Week 8 is underway. What a game. There was some disappointment when Davante Adams, Allen Lazard, and Marquez Valdez-Scantling all got ruled out. J.J. Watt being lost for the season also hurt the star power in what was being billed as the game of the year. However, despite the big names missing in action, Green Bay and Arizona delivered. As always, there was some IDP action to get excited about in the first game of the week. De’Vondre Campbell continues to shine for Green Bay, flashing his all-around skill set with a sack of Kyler Murray. Jordan Hicks continued to produce tackles as did all-world safety Budda Baker. It was a down game overall from an IDP perspective but these standout performances helped give fantasy managers a good start to their week.
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Start em
Kamren Curl (S – WAS)
Kamren Curl has been placed back in the safety role that made him a near household name in IDP circles last season. As mentioned above. Landon Collins is playing the bulk of his snaps at linebacker leaving Curl to see the bulk of the free safety work. However, what Curl did last season was prove that he is fully capable of functioning in Landon Collins’ role, which means Curl is heading down to the box on some snaps, which often pushed Collins off the field. Curl has played every snap in each of the last two weeks and has responded with a combined 12 solos. He should finally start to show the consistency that eluded him to open the season and should be back to pushing for DB1 status before long. Lock him in as a borderline DB1 option for a tremendous Week 8 matchup against a Denver Broncos team relinquishing the third-most fantasy points to the safety position.
Jevon Holland (S – MIA)
Jevon Holland has finally arrived. It took a little longer than many fantasy managers who drafted him to be an immediate starter may have hoped for, but we are here. Holland is now playing starters snaps for the Dolphins and looks like an exciting DB2 option for Week 8 thanks to a plus matchup against the Buffalo Bills. Holland will look to build on his five solos, one sack, one tackle for loss, and one pass defended that he recorded in Week 7, and will have a chance to do just that against a team that has surrendered the ninth most fantasy points to the safety position. It should only be a matter of time before Holland is knocking on the DB1 door, and we could get our first glimpse of him playing at that level this weekend. Lock Holland in as a high upside DB2 with DB1 upside for Week 8.
Jamin Davis (LB – WAS)
Jamin Davis has finally, mercifully, been elevated to starter’s snaps. They are coming at the expense of Landon Collins, who moved into more of a full-time linebacker role since the season-ending injury to Jon Bostic, but it has always been clear that Davis was an impact talent in the middle for Washington. Now that he is getting regular snaps, he is ready to make good on his high-end LB2 upside. Davis played over 56 percent of the snaps for the first time all season in Week 8, staying on the field for 98 percent of the snaps. This coincided with Collins playing just 43 percent of the snaps. It looks like it is finally Davis time in Washington, which means he is safe to plug in as the LB2 option you were hoping he would be when you drafted him. He has a solid Week 8 matchup against Denver on tap and should be particularly busy against the run game. Start Davis where feasible.
Nick Bolton (LB – KC)
Nick Bolton continues to impress and has worked his way into must-start territory. He has a tough Week 8 matchup on tap against a New York Giants team surprisingly limiting the linebacker position to the third-fewest fantasy points but remains someone to keep plugged into lineups. On-paper matchups or fantasy points against are good guideposts but still need to be navigated. Bolton has been one of the most consistent players at his position and is coming off a scintillating performance that saw him post nine solos, six assists, and four tackles for loss against Tennessee in Week 7. He played a season-high in snaps and is locked into a starting role for Kansas City. He has picked up his level of play since Willie Gay Jr. returned to the team and looks like he will be locked into the middle for the next five to eight years. Start Bolton in Week 8 despite the less than ideal look of his matchup.
Trey Hendrickson (DE – CIN)
Start Trey Hendrickson in Week 8. He is up to 6.5 sacks on the season and is riding a three game sack streak. He is in the DL1 conversation for Week 8 thanks to a wonderful matchup against Joe Flacco and the New York Jets and should be able to feast against their banged-up offensive line, especially with Sam Hubbard also playing at a high level. The DL17 overall on the season, Hubbard needs to be regarded as an every-week starter despite the sometimes boom-or-bust nature of his stat lines. He is among the league leaders in sacks and, coming off a 13.5 sack season, has already proved that his current production is not a fluke. Lock Hendrickson in for Week 8.
Sit em
Zach Cunningham (LB – HOU)
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Among the league leaders in tackles over the last two seasons, Cunningham has lost his starting job in Houston. He is playing behind Christian Kirksey and Kami Grugier-Hill and has played less than 30 percent of the snaps in each of the last two weeks. Yes, you drafted him to be your LB1, but at this point, he is impossible to trust, period. He could ascend back up the depth chart with improved play, or if an injury strikes ahead of him. Until then, keep Cunningham glued to benches as a game-changing stash.
Micah Parsons (LB – DAL)
Parsons remains an intriguing and exciting talent but has not lived up to expectations so far on the season. He has flashed his immense talent both as a linebacker and an edge rusher but has not shown the type of consistency many IDP managers expected on draft day. He is still splitting time between the two positions, so he maintains intrigue as a DL but is someone to avoid as an LB. Drafted to be an LB1 type, Parsons is more LB3. He will be tempting for Week 8 due to a dual plus matchup against a Minnesota Vikings team that has allowed the third-most fantasy points to defensive ends and the 11th most to linebackers but his inconsistency makes him too hard to trust. If you are looking for an LB2 type or better, look elsewhere.
Matt Milano (LB – BUF)
Matt Milano has cooled considerably since his scorching start to the season. Yes, injury has played a part but it is looking more and more like the torrid start to the campaign was just another one of his excellent stretches that we have seen in years past. He is still a fine LB3 option for Week 8 but is no longer the LB1 he was producing as or the elite LB2 option we hoped he’d be when he was lighting up the box score earlier this season. Ancillary stats were the key to his excellent start and without tackles for loss, forced fumbles, or sacks, Milano is going to have to up his solo tackle count. Counting on any stat other than tackles is always hard when it comes to off-ball linebackers and it is no different here. Fresh off a one solo, one assist, 100 percent of the snaps performance, keep Milano benched for Week 8, and frankly until he starts to produce at a respectable level again.
Joe Schobert (LB – PIT)
If you have not already given up on the Joe Schobert dream, now is the time. Schobert was expected to provide LB1 production after moving to a high-value role that the inconsistent Devin Bush was able to parlay into LB1 discussion production in at times since he became a Steeler. However, Schobert has fallen flat since his acquisition by the Steelers, at least from an IDP perspective. He has been terribly inconsistent with just two games with five or more solos and none of the sacks or tackles for loss that pushed him into the LB1 convo while he was a member of the Cleveland Browns. His spotty production makes him hard to trust as anything more than an LB3, never mind the LB1 we all had him pegged for to open the season. Keep him benched for Week 8 despite a plus matchup against the usually tackle-friendly Cleveland Browns offense. He can turn things around quickly, so he remains a hold, he just shouldn’t be trusted again until he earns it.
Landon Collins (LB/S – WAS)
Collins has weekly appeal due to a history of production and the fact that he is taking the majority of his snaps at linebacker. However, Collins is now playing more of a rotational linebacker role and is losing snaps to rookie Jamin Davis in nickel packages. Collins was excellent in Week 7 but appears all but destined to see a sharp reduction in production if he continues to see less than 50 percent of the snaps. Take a wait-and-see approach with Collins overall, but for Week 8, keep him glued to benches regardless of your bye situation. His floor is that low.
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Raju Byfield is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Raju, check out his profile and follow him @FantasyContext.