Fantasy Football IDP Start/Sit Lineup Advice: Week 8 (2025)

Week 7 of the NFL season had its ups and downs. We saw some big plays on both sides of the ball, but the injury monster continues to be a main talking point this season. Week 8 is here, and Thursday Night Football finally lived up to expectations and gave us a disappointing contest. Los Angeles got some key pieces back, but ended up losing two members of the secondary in Derwin James and Tarheeb Still. Looking ahead to this weekend, we will take a look at five players fantasy managers should do their best to plug into their lineups and five others who are better left on benches despite promising upside. Let’s dig in.

Fantasy Football IDP Start/Sit Week 8

Start em

Cedric Gray (LB – TEN)
Gray was excellent again in Week 7, tallying seven solos, three assists, and one tackle for loss. Gray has cemented himself as an LB2 option with six or more solos in three of his last four contests. Fire him up with confidence for what should be a busy day against Jonathan Taylor and the Indianapolis Colts in Week 8.

Justin Strnad (LB – DEN)
Strnad showed up in Week 7, racking up two solos, three assists, one interception, and one pass defended. Strnad played just 53 percent of the snaps in Week 7, while Dre Greenlaw was eased back into action, playing just 27 percent. However, with Dre Greenlaw being suspended, Strnad will get at least one more start for the Broncos. Start him as an LB3 with LB2 upside for a plus Week 8 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.

JD Bertrand (LB – ATL)
Bertrand was excellent in relief on the injured Divine Deablo, racking up four solos and six assists. He will get the nod if Debalo misses Week 8, making him a potential LB3 option for Week 8. Divine has missed the first two practices of the week with the forearm injury and looks unlikely to play this weekend against Miami, making Bertrand an instant LB3 with LB2 upside, due to the tasty matchup. Start him with confidence wherever needed.

Derrick Brown (DT/DE – CAR)
Derrick Brown showed up in Week 7, going off with four solos, three assists, and two sacks. Brown is up to three sacks on the season, with all three coming in two of his last three games. Treat him as a DT1/DL3 option for a plus Week 8 matchup against the Buffalo Bills, but count him as more of a plus matchup streamer outside of bye week crunches.

Kool-Aid McKinstry (CB – NO)
Kool-Aid was excellent in Week 7, racking up five solos, one tackle for loss, and one pass defended. McKinstry has recorded four or more solos in four of his seven contests and has four spike weeks to his name, including three in his last four games. Tap Kool-Aid as a DB3 option for Week 8, thanks to his hot play and a plus matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Sit em

Trenton Simpson (LB – BAL)
Trenton impressed again in Week 6, racking up four solos, five assists, 0.5 sacks, and one pass defended. This was the Ravens’ linebackers’ second strong start in a row, and one has to wonder where this production was before he got replaced as a starter. With that said, Trenton makes for a solid LB3 option if Roquan Smith (hamstring) misses, but now that the superstar linebacker has returned to full practices (including on a Wednesday), he should be full go for Sunday. Simpson can safely be dropped back to waiver wires and should not be anywhere near fantasy lineups for Week 8.

Jerome Baker (LB – CLE)
Baker showed up in Week 7, racking up one solo, three assists, one sack, one tackle for loss, and one forced fumble. Baker played just 28 percent of the snaps in Week 7 and will not be a fantasy option unless there are injuries ahead of him. Keep him on the waiver wire or benches for Week 8 despite the strong production against the hapless Miami Dolphins.

Nic Scourton (DE/LB – CAR)
Scourton notched the first sack of his career, finishing the day with one solo, one assist, 1.5 sacks, and one tackle for loss. Scourton has been playing a fantasy-relevant role, but it took him some time to get his first quarterback takedown. He is someone to stash where available in deeper leagues and should now be on radars for those in shallower formats. With that said, Scourton should be left on benches for Week 8 against the Buffalo Bills.

Marques Sigle (S – SF)
Sigle has seen his snaps drop for the second straight week, bottoming out at 31 percent on Sunday night. Marques appears to be in a three-way platoon opposite Malik Mustapha and can no longer be trusted in lineups. Sigle saw just 60 percent of the Week 6 snaps after playing every snap for the first five weeks, but this past week’s snap share suggests that he is no longer a starting option for the 49ers. Keep him out of lineups for Week 8, despite the plus matchup against the Houston Texans.

Rayshawn Jenkins (S – CLE)
Rayshawn was excellent in Week 7, racking up two solos, one assist, one fumble recovery, one interception, and one pass defended. Jenkins played a season-high 40 percent of the snaps in Week 7, with the recovery coming on the special teams unit. He simply has not played enough to warrant plugging into lineups despite the strong Week 7 production. Look elsewhere for your Week 8 DB3.