Fantasy Football Start/Sit: Zay Flowers, Jaylen Waddle, Terrell Jennings

Week 8 brings the chaos every fantasy football manager dreads: Bye-mageddon. Six teams are on bye, benches are bare, and you’re debating whether starting a backup tight end with one career touchdown is a good idea. Don’t panic — our Featured Pros are here to help you navigate the carnage. From sneaky upside plays to avoid-at-all-cost duds, they’ve got the insight you need to survive the bye-week apocalypse and keep your fantasy season afloat.

Fantasy Football Week 8 Start/Sit Advice

Sleepers

Which player outside of the top 100 in the FantasyPros Flex rankings is a good sleeper start, and why do you think he has upside this week?

Terrell Jennings (RB – NE)

“This week, with so many players missing due to injuries and byes, I struggled to find a sleeper outside the top 100. The player pool just isn’t that deep this week. Instead of forcing a player in the top 150 who I wasn’t particularly fond of, I opted to go way off board and select New England Patriots running back Terrell Jennings. I know, that’s a deep sleeper, right? In fact, he is so deep that he isn’t even listed on the Patriots’ running back depth chart on Sleeper. Last week against the Tennessee Titans, he saw his first game action and rushed the ball five times for a pedestrian 18 yards. I know that doesn’t sound like much, but considering he out-touched highly-touted rookie TreVeyon Henderson, it’s a positive sign. Add in the fact that the Patriots’ coaching staff was raving about him after the game and discussing how he would be more involved, and he’s a deep sleeper I’m willing to take a shot on this week, even in a rough matchup with the Browns. If you are desperate, add him now. I guarantee he is available in your league.”
– Aaron St Denis (Fantasy Sports Advice Network)

Duds

Which player inside the top 40 in the FantasyPros Flex rankings is likely to disappoint fantasy managers this week?

Jaylen Waddle (WR – MIA)

“Jaylen Waddle is currently in the top 40 Flex rankings. Waddle has a history of being inconsistent as it is, but the Dolphins are a mess. He is also a name that is floating out there in trade rumors. Between Tua Tagovailoa and the trade rumors, he is going to be a risky play.”
– David Heilman (Sports Gambling Podcast Network)

“Here are several reasons why Jaylen Waddle looks like a fantasy bust this week — meaning he’s riskier than usual, not that he can’t ever be useful. He has a tough matchup and will be playing in an unfavorable environment this week in Atlanta. Even when healthy, Waddle’s key metrics, such as target share, yards per route and his involvement in tight-window throws, have dropped. If you must start him, do so with tempered expectations. Maybe expect 5-7 catches, ~50-70 yards rather than boom numbers. The Miami offense and team overall are a mess and will continue to be exploited on the road this week at Atlanta.”
– Jeff Boggis (Fantasy Football Empire)

Zay Flowers (WR – BAL)

“I think Zay Flowers could disappoint fantasy managers this week. I think he’s a great player, but his inconsistency for fantasy is problematic. While he has 10+ targets in two games, he also has five or fewer targets in two games. He’s a solid WR3, but his lack of consistency and his inability to find the end zone as of late with a decent Chicago Bears defense on deck is scaring me away from him this week.”
– Trevor Land (FlurrySports)