Just taking a quick look at this week’s schedule, it’s easy to see that the early games leave a lot to be desired, but Week 8 picks up the further we get into it. There is even a good Sunday night game for the first time in a while, and a Monday night game between division rivals with actual playoff implications. (And let’s be honest, a Monday night game can’t get too much more boring than last week’s flaccofest.)

A couple of quick things to keep in mind:

• All times are ET.
• All announcer information courtesy of the506.com. Click link to see the Week 8 coverage maps.
• Click to go to our NFL Week 8 Bettor’s Guide, which includes point spreads, over-unders, and picks for all NFL Week 8 game.

Here now is your NFL Week 8 Viewer’s Guide:

NFL Week 8 Viewer’s Guide

TV Schedule – Announcers – Kickoff Times – Coverage Maps

———-

Miami Dolphins at New York Giants

• Dolphins-Giants Date: Sunday October 30th
• Dolphins-Giants Kickoff Time: 1:00 pm
• Dolphins-Giants TV Network: CBS
• Dolphins-Giants Announcers: Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf

Here are some last minute tips on some players who could disappoint this week, as well as some others who are set up for success to help your fantasy team in Week 8.

Fantasy Football Week 8: Stars Who Could Disappoint

Michael Vick

Vick and the Eagles are looking to turn their season around against Dallas on Sunday Night Football. The Eagles are coming off of a win against Washington in which Vick only had one touchdown along with an interception.

Interceptions are something that are a sure thing for Vick each week, as he has thrown at least one in his last five games, which includes four against Buffalo in Week 5. Vick will certainly throw at least one against Dallas, if not more.

The Eagles are going to have to try and establish the run game with LeSean McCoy, so don’t look for Vick to put up any impressive numbers.

Frank Gore

This is going out on a limb, but I do not believe Gore will continue at his current pace today against the Browns. He has rushed for at least 125 yards in his last three games, but in the previous three his high was 59 yards.

The Browns defense is one of the top ranked in the league, along with the other three teams in the AFC North, and have only allowed two players to rush for 100 yards on them this year. (Cedric Benson and Chris Johnson were the two, but Johnson barely made the mark with 101 yards).

Gore should be able to reach close to 100 yards, but his projection as the top running back on ESPN.com may be too high this week.

Wes Welker

Welker and the Patriots are going up against Pittsburgh, who has the second-ranked pass defense in the NFL with just under 172 pass yards per game. Before the bye week last week, Welker had a mediocre game against Dallas in which he only had 6 catches for 45 yards.

This week, the Steelers secondary will keep a close eye on Welker, and he will likely see several defenders in his area. He should still get some receptions, but don’t look for a 100 yard, multi-touchdown game.

Fantasy Football Week 8: Under-the-Radar Players to Consider

Matt Hasselbeck

The Titans are coming off of an embarrassing 41-7 loss against Houston. Hasselbeck only threw for 104 yards, and Jake Locker even saw some playing time at the end of the game.

Things will be different this week for the Titans, as they go up against the Colts. The Colts are becoming the joke of the NFL without Peyton Manning, especially after their 62-7 loss last Sunday night. Hasselbeck and Chris Johnson will both have big games, as any player going up against the Colts is a safe bet.

Ryan Torain

Torain and the Redskins are going up against the terrible Buffalo defense, who have the 30th ranked rush defense in the NFL. The offense continues to bail out the defense, but that does not matter in fantasy football.

Torain is the main running back in Washington, now that Tim Hightower is out for the year with a torn ACL. Going up against the Bills, Torain should be able to have at least 100 yards, considering the fact that John Beck struggled to connect on any big passes last week against Carolina.

Michael Jenkins

Jenkins had his best game of the season last week, with 117 yards and a touchdown against Green Bay. Now that Christian Ponder is the starter in Minnesota, things are looking better for Jenkins. Even with only three receptions, Jenkins had more receiving yards last game than he had in any other game all year.

The Vikings are going up against the Panthers today, who are average in terms of passing defense. Jenkins will be targeted by Ponder all game, and should catch at least one touchdown.

Now for this week we have some interesting picks for you, but a lot of them are on the down side of the stock.  I had one person ask me how I could have DeMarco Murray down this week after his big game last week; easy.  Just look at Adrian Peterson’s stats after he set the NFL record for yards in a game.  Stay here: he scored 5 points.

We have a special treat for you in this installment of the stock report: kickers, tricks and more.

Fantasy Football Week 8 Stock Report: Stock Up

Ben Roethlisberger

Everyone knows how polarizing the Patriots offense and defense are, which fall into the lap of Big Ben this week.  This game seriously has potential for each team to get into the 30s and here is why: yes the Steelers defense is very good, but not against Tom Brady who is 6-1 against them with a 104 rating for his career…so a shootout looks probable.

Ryan Fitzpatrick

Are fantasy owners starting to shy away from the early season success story that is thee Ryan Fitzpatrick?  We are talking about the resurgence of the Jim Kelly-run no-huddle offense that had the Bills in four consecutive Super Bowls, in which Ryan Fitzpatrick will be directing!  All jokes aside, this is the time to see what the Bills are really made of, and if they are to play at a high level then Fitz will as well.

Ryan Torain

It looks like some fantasy owners are glad that their recent acquisition of Torain a few weeks ago is finally going to pay off with Tim Hightower going down for the season.  The Santana Moss injury puts more pressure on the RB, but also should get his more carries as John Beck is still the starter.  John Beck.

Jackie Battle

If anyone is in need of starting back, you had better at least get Battle on your roster while he is still available.  At this point in the season the Chiefs are at a crossroads.  After coming back to a respectable 3-3 record, the boys in KC are a game away from claiming the division lead.  Either way, Battle clearly gives them the best option at running back with Jamaal Charles out, though they still give everyone the ball.  They’ll take note of Battle’s 5.2 YPC average sooner or later.

Greg Little

5 catches for 31 yards and 3 points doesn’t exactly scream hope for a rookie in a dysfunctional offense that just lost two other starters not named Peyton Hillis.  And to tack onto the problems, the Browns are at San Francisco too.  Who cares!?  Little has the ability to hold his own in this league, and with two of those starters out being pass catchers, he’s going to be counted on heavily.

Braylon Edwards

Oh what do you know, Braylon Edwards facing his old team again, only this time with a new one.  This wild prediction hinges upon the fact that he actually plays this week against the Browns.  He has too much talent for this matchup to not inspire him to get back at a few old teammates during a home game in “his” house.  This league is so coincidental that I could see him having a big day just because…and I don’t know why.

Fred Davis

In the small pond that is the Washington Redskins offense, Fred Davis is the big fish by default.  If you ask why, just think of it this way; the offense went from a modest crew of Grossman, Moss, Hightower and Cooley to Beck, Gaffney, Torain and Davis.  We hope that Davis’ skills will help back that claim up.

Rob Bironas

Kicker Alert!  Kickers don’t get the love they should. Even though their success is often dependent on the offense they are on, that doesn’t mean they should be forgotten about.  Now, because this is a team game let’s look at who the Titans have on their schedule this week.  Oh yes the Colts, and everyone blows out the Colts right?

Fantasy Football Week 8 Stock Report: Stock Down

Cam Newton

The Panthers’ run defense is terrible to say it nicely, and going up against Adrian Peterson right now isn’t exactly a favorable matchup.  What does this mean for Killa Cam?  Minnesota wanting to play ball control in a winnable game leading to less possessions for Carolina and ultimately less points for the rookie.  Who knows, he could go off for 30+ this weekend, but he can’t be this good all the time can he?

DeMarco Murray

Just like the Dow Jones, this stock report will have guys up and down from week to week just because you need to know.  Murray will return to earth this week, as it’s hard to see the Eagles giving up such huge numbers to the rookie who put huge numbers against the lowly Rams.  Critics are looking for something big from teammate Tony Romo, so chances are Murray is going to take a backseat to his quarterback this time around.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis

Toe injuries are one of the worst for running backs because they are going to feel that sharp pain on every step.  If there is one thing that the Steelers are going to be able to take away from the Patriots offense it is the running game, and Green-Ellis won’t be 100% anyways.

Larry Fitzgerald

It is kind of sad how a stand up guy such as Fitzgerald could garner all of the hype any other great receiver in the NFL receives, but when his team is 1-5, all of that goes out of the door.  Sure the scouting report on Larry is that he has the best hands in the league, but going against the Ravens after a loss is a tough task, so temper expectations.

DeSean Jackson

Foolish as it is to say that Jackson’s stock is down, because of the simple fact that there is a chance he could score at anytime whether it is on offense or special teams, the two catch games become very frustrating and can boil the blood of even the coolest fantasy owner.  While he does perform at crunch time and loves the spotlight (night game versus Dallas) it would be nice to see a little bit of consistency going forward.

Heath Miller

Naturally, people have gravitated towards Miller due to his recent production over the last few games, but when he doesn’t score can you live with a 4 point game out of him?

Jacksonville D/ST

A fluke is what we would like to call Monday night’s effort against the Baltimore Ravens, holding them to only 7 points.  The game couldn’t have been set up any better for the Jags at home on MNF and these types of outcomes just happen from time to time, but if you are looking for a repeat performance, with a chance that Houston will get Andre Johnson back, you have to be kidding yourself.

Nick Novak

If we are going to give you the stock report for kickers poised to do well this week, then we have to let you know whose stock is down as well.  Regardless if the Chargers are playing on the road at Kansas City, Phillip Rivers should be poised to have a break out game after his sluggish start to the season.  At least he better have a break out game for a few of our sakes, and if he does, that would mean more touchdowns and less field goals for Novak.

If you all would prefer more than just a list, let me know and I can spice it up a bit!

Here are my Week 8 player rankings. Hope they help!

Post any questions in the comment section and I will be happy to answer. You can also ask on Twitter (@onceharby and @FantasyMSF), and come to the Sunday live chat for any last minute start/sit questions you have.

 Fantasy Football Week 8 Player Rankings

Remember that the following teams are on bye in Week 8:

• Falcons
• Bears
• Packers
• Jets
• Raiders
• Buccaneers

Also, don’t forget to check out Andy’s waiver wire pickups column and Jerod’s start ‘em, sit ‘em projections for Week 8.

All rankings done with standard scoring leagues in mind.

Fantasy Football Week 8 Player Rankings: Quarterback

1. Drew Brees

2. Cam Newton

3. Michael Vick

4. Matthew Stafford

5. Tom Brady

6. Ben Roethlisberger

7. Eli Manning

8. Tony Romo

9. Philip Rivers

10. Matt Schaub

11. Joe Flacco

12. Matt Hasselbeck

13. Tim Tebow

14. Ryan Fitzpatrick

15. John Beck

16. Matt Cassel

17. Andy Dalton

18. Christian Ponder

19. Alex Smith

20. Colt McCoy

21. Kevin Kolb

22. Curtis Painter

23. Matt Moore

24. Blaine Gabbert

Fantasy Football Week 8 Player Rankings: Running Back

1. Arian Foster

2. Adrian Peterson

3. Ray Rice

4. Frank Gore

5. Fred Jackson

6. LeSean McCoy

7. Ahmad Bradshaw

8. Maurice Jones-Drew

9. Ryan Mathews

10. DeMarco Murry

11. Darren Sproles

12. Rashard Mendenhall

13. Steven Jackson

14. BenJarvus Green-Ellis

15. Chris Johnson

16. Daniel Thomas

17. Jackie Battle

18. Ryan Torain

19. Mike Tolbert

20. Pierre Thomas

21. Delone Carter

22. Maurice Morris

23. Jonathan Stewart

24. Bernard Scott

25. Montario Hardesty

26. Knowshon Moreno

27. Brandon Jacobs

28. Leon Washington

29. DeAngelo Williams

30. Javon Ringer

Fantasy Football Week 8 Player Rankings: Wide Receiver

1. Calvin Johnson

2. Mike Wallace

3. Steve Smith

4. Hakeem Nicks

5. Wes Welker

6. Andre Johnson

7. Marques Colston

8. Dwayne Bowe

9. Dez Bryant

10. Vincent Jackson

11. Larry Fitzgerald

12. Brandon Marshall

13. DeSean Jackson

14. A.J. Green

15. Anquan Boldin

16. Nate Washington

17. Steve Johnson

18. Jeremy Maclin

19. Miles Austin

20. Brandon Lloyd

21. Pierre Garcon

22. Sidney Rice

23. Demaryius Thomas

24. Mario Manningham

25. Deion Branch

26. Greg Little

27. Steve Breaston

28. Jabar Gaffney

29. Reggie Wayne

30. Michael Jenkins

Fantasy Football Week 8 Player Rankings: Tight End

1. Jimmy Graham

2. Jason Witten

3. Antonio Gates

4. Brandon Pettigrew

5. Vernon Davis

6. Fred Davis

7. Aaron Hernandez

8. Owen Daniels

9. Rob Gronkowski

10. Jermaine Gresham

11. Greg Olsen

12. Visanthe Shiancoe

13. Jared Cook

14. Dallas Clark

15. Jake Ballard

16. Heath Miller

17. Brent Celek

18. Daniel Fells

19. Ed Dickson

20. Evan Moore

21. Alex Smith

22. Leonard Pope

23. Jeremy Shockey

24. Marcedes Lewis

25. Lance Kendricks

Fantasy Football Week 8 Player Rankings: Defense/Special Teams

1. Baltimore Ravens

2. New Orleans Saints

3. New York Giants

4. San Francisco 49ers

5. Houston Texans

6. Cincinnati Bengals

7. Detroit Lions

8. Tennessee Titans

9. Philadelphia Eagles

10. Buffalo Bills

11. Dallas Cowboys

12. San Diego Chargers

13. Seattle Seahawks

14. Minnesota Vikings

15. New England Patriots

16. KC Chiefs

17. Carolina Panthers

18. Miami Dolphins

19. Pittsburgh Steelers

20. Washington Redskins

21. Denver Broncos

22. Cleveland Browns

23. Indianapolis Colts

24. Arizona Cardinals

*********

Follow me on Twitter @onceharby 

Teams are wildly inconsistent and we may have just had the worst week of games yet.

We had three nearly unwatchable games (Browns-Seahawks, Broncos-Dolphins, Ravens-Jaguars), the “return” of Carson Palmer, and the worst combination of prime time football games since ‘Nam. The Saints scored more points on Sunday night against the Colts (62) than the Rams have scored all season (56)! The best game this week was Vikings-Packers, which wasn’t really even that good of a game, just the least bad throughout the entire 60 minutes.

Through seven weeks of the season, I am sure of only three things:

1. The Packers, Saints and Patriots are the only truly good teams in the league.
2. The Colts, Rams, and Dolphins are the worst teams in the league since the ’08 Lions.
3. The rest of the league is a cluster of inconsistent football.

Is this an affect of the shortened preseason and teams just aren’t used to each other yet? Maybe. Kind of hoping so. If this turns into a trend and we are getting handfuls of bad games each week, the NFL might start losing fans.

Trying to make Power Rankings this week was almost impossible, and I have almost nothing to say about any of these teams because I can’t figure any of them out, but I do want to touch on Christian Ponder a bit.

As I stated last week, I wasn’t quite sure if Ponder was ready to go. I was wrong.

The level of play that Ponder brought to the helm of the Vikings offense was vastly improved over anything we had seen over the first six weeks. Balls traveled more than five yards in the air, receivers were able to run after the catch, and the Vikings converted 56.3% of their third downs, up considerably from their season average of 36%.

Is he the next Aaron Rodgers? Probably not. He might not ever be better than fellow rookies Andy Dalton or upcoming opponent Cam Newton, but Ponder’s ability to move outside the pocket and his poise to continue to throw downfield has the Vikings looking closer to the team some of us expected they could be at the beginning of the season.

Oh, and someone please take away some of Chris Johnson’s “superstar” money and give it to Matt Forte. The dude is a beast.

Onto the list.

NFL Power Rankings: Week 8

1. Green Bay Packers 7-0
2. New England Patriots 5-1
3. New Orleans Saints 5-2
4. San Francisco 49ers 5-1
5. Pittsburgh Steelers 5-2
6. San Diego Chargers 4-2
7. Baltimore Ravens 4-2
8. Chicago Bears 4-3
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4-3
10. Detroit Lions 5-2
11. Houston Texans 4-3
12. Buffalo Bills 4-2
13. Atlanta Falcons 4-3
14. New York Jets 4-3
15. Cincinnati Bengals 4-2
16. New York Giants 4-2
17. Dallas Cowboys 3-3
18. Philadelphia Eagles 2-4
19. Oakland Raiders 4-3
20. Kansas City Chiefs 3-3
21. Washington Redskins 3-3
21. Tennessee Titans 3-3
23. Carolina Panthers 2-5
24. Cleveland Browns 3-3
25. Seattle Seahawks 2-4
26. Minnesota Vikings 1-6
27. Jacksonville Jaguars 2-5
28. Arizona Cardinals 1-5
29. Denver Broncos 2-4
30. St. Louis Rams 0-6
31. Indianapolis Colts 0-7
32. Miami Dolphins 0-6

Also see this week’s Suck 4 Luck Power Rankings to see which teams are positioning themselves the best for a chance to draft the player Lane Kiffin describes as the “perfect QB.”

**********

* – Christian Ponder photo credit: REUTERS/Eric Miller via MinnPost.com

Did you miss me?

Jon has himself a busy schedule this week, so he texted me this morning and asked if I’d be up for reprising my role as the author of our weekly Start/Sit column here at MSF. I have to admit, as soon as I saw his text I was pretty pumped.

Doing these posts every week, week after week, can admittedly be a bit of a grind, as I learned over the last couple of years; so I was happy to let Jon take it over this year and focus my efforts in other areas. But I’ve missed the weekly challenge of poring over matchups and stats and trends to figure out which players to recommend to you as starts and sits.

So it’s good to be back in the saddle.

Anyway, It’s not like I’ve been totally absent. I still offer commentary on Jon’s posts, answer questions in the comment sections, and monitor the @FantasyMSF Twitter account. So I haven’t really given you a chance to miss me even if you wanted to. Now though, for the first time all year, I have to go on record with start and sit picks.

I’m ready. Let’s roll.

First up, let’s take a quick old school look back at how Jon did with his top-line start/sit picks last week:

• Start ‘em hits: Ben Roethlisberger, Dwayne Bowe, Fred Davis
• Start ‘em misses: Ryan Torain
• Sit ‘em hits: Vincent Jackson, Willis McGahee, Dustin Keller
• Sit ‘em misses: Cam Newton

Other suggestions he was slam-dunk correct on: sit Philip Rivers and Kevin Kolb; sit Larry Fitgerald and Brandon Lloyd

Other suggestions he was dead wrong on: start Matt Hasselbeck; sit Mark Sanchez; sit Jonathan Stewart; that Visanthe Shiancoe would be the “worst” tight end

Overall, a decent week for Jon. His top-line picks were solid, but some of his bolder “other” suggestions went awry. Jon has had a very strong track record this season though, so the bar is high for my relief appearance.

Here are my thoughts on who you should start and who you should sit in Week 8.

Fantasy Football Week 8 Start Em, Sit Em
Lineup Advice and Projections

Remember that the following teams are on bye in Week 8:

• Falcons
• Bears
• Packers
• Jets
• Raiders
• Buccaneers

Several startable QBs are out this week (Rodgers, Ryan, Freeman), as are some RBs that teams have come to count on (Turner, Forte, DMC), and some top flight WRs (R. White and the Packers crew, among many others). That means that not only do you need to bone up on your waiver wire knowledge, you need to be prepared to make the key start/sit decisions at the fringes of your roster that will be the difference between winning and losing.

Lucky for you, that’s why we’re here.

Fantasy Football Week 8 Start Em, Sit Em Picks: Quarterbacks

Start ‘Em QB: Joe Flacco, Baltimore (v Arizona)

Know that I am currently writing this at 6:23 pm Central time on Monday evening. So the Monday night game between Baltimore and Jacksonville hasn’t even started. Thus, there is a chance that Flacco throws up one of his patented stinkers tonight against Jacksonville’s better-than-you-think pass defense (210 yards per game, 9 TDs heading into week 7).

Even if he does, I don’t care. You start him against Arizona and expect top 5 stats.

Here are some numbers:

• Cam Newton: 422 yards
• Rex Grossman: 291 yards
• Eli Manning: 321 yards
• Ben Roethlisberger: 361 yards

These are the yardage numbers that four of the Cardinals’ opponents have hung on their pass D this year. The two I left out were Minnesota and Seattle, because neither team had competent quarterbacking when they faced the Cardinals. Joe Flacco may not be a superstar, but he is certainly competent, and he has been a guy in the past who has put up huge numbers against inferior defenses. Consider his performance against St. Louis earlier this year, one of the few pass defenses that could be considered as bad as Arizona’s: 389 yards, 3 TDs for Flacco.

Flacco’s overall numbers are somewhat depressed by some tough matchups early in the season (Jets, Texans, Titans when they were actually trying), but don’t forget that this is a guy who has tossed at least 21 TD passes the last two seasons and who tends to get them in bunches when they come. This week will be one of those weeks when they come in bunches. Start Flacco.

Joe Flacco fantasy football Week 8 projection: 275 yards, 3 TDs

Other start ‘em QBs for Week Eight:

• Eli Manning isn’t sexy from a fantasy perspective, but you can win with him. And you can certainly win with him when he has tasty matchups like the one he has this week against Miami.
• You realize Cam Newton is a top 10 option at QB now, right? Okay, just checking. Make sure he’s in your lineup.

Sit ‘Em QB: Tim Tebow, Denver (v Detroit)

Yep, I’m going to throw some cold water on Tebowmania.

Despite finishing with respectable fantasy numbers in Week 7 (2 TDs, 200+ total yards), you really have to have watched the full game to put those numbers into context. Through 55 minutes, Tebow was hovering around negative fantasy points when you take into account his fumble, but then he led a furious five minute comeback that included most of his passing yards and both of his TDs.

A few things to keep in mind as you analyze Tebow’s chances against Detroit:

• Miami has given up 12 TD passes and picked off only two through six games, so the matchup was very favorable. Detroit, on the other hand, gives up barely 200 passing yards per game, has picked off opposing QBs ten times, and has allowed only 8 TD passes in 7 games. This matchup is not favorable.
• Miami only had eight sacks coming into Week 7 before amassing seven against on Tebow. Detroit has 17 sacks in 7 games thanks to a ferocious defensive line that makes indecisive quarterbacks pay. Tebow looked very indecisive in Week 7, which will not bode well at all for him against Suh, Avril, and Co.

I do like Tebow as a solid fantasy backup this season. He’ll be able to produce decent fantasy stats when the matchup is favorable. This one absolutely is not. In fact, it’s just about the worst matchup for Tebow at this stage in his career, especially with Willis McGahee being out and removing the Broncos’ only consistent rushing threat.

Stay far, far away…this week at least.

Tim Tebow fantasy football Week 8 projection: 125 yards passing, 45 yards rushing, 0 TDs, 2 INTs

Other sit ‘em QBs for Week Eight:

• What the hell is wrong with Philip Rivers? I know Jon is as baffled as anyone. He thought Rivers would be the best fantasy QB this year, but Rivers has just 7 TDs through six games to go along with 9 INTs. He now has to face a Kansas City secondary that picked Oakland QBs off six times last week (I know it was Boller & Palmer, but still) and who Rivers hasn’t lit up historically (only 17 TDs in 12 career games). Plus the game is at Arrowhead, always a tough place to play. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think if you have a reasonable alternative, it’s time make Rivers (and by extension Antonio Gates and Vincent Jackson) prove that he’s the Rivers of old before you start him with confidence.
• Be wary of Ryan Fitzpatrick this week, despite what Cam Newton did against the Redskins last week. Washington has problems, but pass defense hasn’t been one of them. The ‘Skins, now desperate after another loss, have given up only five TD passes all season long. Fitzy doesn’t pose the running threat that Cam did, so Washington should have an easier job containing him.

Jon’s thoughts:

I really don’t have much to disagree with here…although I would say I am even higher on Eli Manning than Jerod is.  He should absolutely light up the Miami secondary.

One other guy I would definitely look at starting would be Matt Hasselbeck…he will be playing against the Colts.  All I really need to say here is, “62-7.”

One more under-the-radar guy I would look at is Andy Dalton.  The Seattle secondary is nearly as bad as Arizona’s, and at this point, it looks like the Red Rifle might just be good.  Plus, he has the Rookie of the Year Runner-Up (AJ Green) on his team.  You all know how much I love him…start the Red Rifle if your guy is on a bye.

Fantasy Football Week 8 Start Em, Sit Em Picks: Running Backs

Start ‘Em RB: Chris Johnson, Tennessee (v Indianapolis)

Longtime readers know that when I do these start/sit posts, I try to never make my top-line picks obvious ones. Why would I tell you to start Adrian Peterson or Aaron Rodgers? That offers no one any value. So how crazy is it that in Week 8, former fantasy super-duperstar Chris Johnson warrants mention in the start ‘em category?

What’s even crazier is that some of you may think I’m crazy for trusting CJ268 (his actual rushing total this year) as my start ‘em RB!

But there is plenty of reason to expect the long-awaited CJ breakout this week, and it has everything to do with the matchup: Indianapolis. The Colts make every opposing running back look like Gale Sayers. Through seven games this year Indy is allowing 150.9 rushing yards per game and has allowed 9 touchdowns. If CJ can’t have a fantasy-relevant day against them then the Titans need to sue him for fraud immediately. I’m only half joking.

With that said, keep this in mind: just because Johnson torches Indy’s run D (which I expect), it doesn’t mean he’s “back”. It just means he has a pulse. On the bright side, there are some tasty matchups upcoming on the schedule (Carolina, Tampa Bay, Indy again, Buffalo, all in the bottom third in the league in run D), so feel free to enjoy a bit of optimism if the old CJ returns on Sunday.

Chris Johnson fantasy football Week 8 projection: 140 yards rushing, 2 TDs, 5 receptions, 45 yards

Other start ‘em RBs for Week 8:

• Mark Ingram and Darren Sproles are both definite starts this week, and in deeper leagues or on teams especially decimated by injury or bye weeks Pierre Thomas has some value as well. It all comes down to the matchup. New Orleans faces St. Louis in Week 8, the team with by far the worst run defense in the NFL. Last week the Saints faced the team with the second-worst run D in the NFL, Indiacrapolis, and all three of these guys put up solid fantasy numbers. Sure, it’d be great if there was one guy racking up all the fantasy goodness that Sean Payton and Drew Brees create, but come 6-team bye weeks like this one, just be thankful that the Saints will give opportunities to three running backs against a team like the Rams. 
• I can’t believe I’m doing this, but Ryan Torain is probably a top 20 back in Week 8. Despite two straight awful outings after his supposed breakout a few weeks back, Torain has a) a good matchup (Buffalo, 30th against the run) and b) the starting role with Tim Hightower injured and Roy Helu apparently not yet in good enough graces with Mike Shanahan to warrant the starting nod. We’ve seen Torain produce before in Shanahan’s system when given the chance, so you can start him with some measure of confidence…but don’t come blaming me if he ends up getting five carries and doing nothing. You and I both know we’re playing with fire talking about starting a Shanny RB, but the circumstances do seem to make the risk worth the potential reward in this case.
• I probably don’t need to tell you to start DeMarco Murray after his performance last week, but just in case you were worried that he only succeeded because of the matchup, his matchup is pretty good in Week 8 too. Philly gives up 123.8 rushing yards and a TD per game. With Felix Jones expected to still be out, Murray should get the lion’s share of the work. But take note: if you can, now isn’t a bad time to try to sell high on Murray’s inflated value.

Sit ‘Em RB: Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty, Cleveland (at San Francisco)

I don’t care who is healthy, who starts, or even if Cleveland signs Jim Brown for the week to come play. San Francisco has the best front 7 in football right now. Yes, I’m serious…watch them. Remember how we all used to look at Pittsburgh, and still do with Baltimore, and consider sitting even our studs against them? If you’re not thinking of San Fran in that light now, you’re mistaken. Just trust me. I’ve watched every minute of every one of their games this year. They are legit.

Plus, even when healthy Hillis has been far from a stud this year. Not only is he not nearly as effective this year as he was for much of last year, the Browns offense has regressed, leading to very few scoring opportunities for the backs. The ceiling for Cleveland’s RBs right now is quite likely what Montario Hardesty put up in Week 7: 122 total yards on 35 touches with no TDs. And that was against Seattle, a decent but not great run D. The 49ers are giving up just 74.7 rushing yards per game and have not allowed a running TD all season. Yikes.

Unless Cleveland signs the young Jim Brown to play on Sunday, sit whoever is carrying the ball for them. And against this 49ers run D, rested after the bye, even a young Jim Brown might have trouble finding holes.

Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty combined fantasy football projection for Week 8: 65 rushing yards, 40 receiving yards, 0 TDs

Other sit ‘em RBs for Week 8:

• Willis McGahee is out, which will lead some people to get excited about Knowshon Moreno, as will the matchup against Detroit’s less than stellar run D. I disagree. Granted, he’s not a terrible option if your lineup is decimated, but I’m waiting until he does something positive to trust him with a starting slot. Detroit will be able to stack the box against Tebow, which will make the going tough for Knowshon.
• That’s it. I’m off the DeAngelo Williams train. I’ve given him plenty of chances, and he always seems to repay me with flaming piles of turd like his 10-carry, 35-yard performance in Week 7, which was made even more frustrating by the fact that Cam Newton and Jonathan Stewart ran wild against the Redskins. Make this guy have two straight solid weeks before you trust him. (And for the record, I’m not all that high on Jonathan Stewart either this week. Minnesota is good against the run.)
• Don’t get too excited about Bernard Scott, who will be filling in for the suspended Cedric Benson this week. Not only is Seattle decent against the run (105 yards per game, 5 TDs allowed) but Brian Leonard is there to siphon carries. Plus, offensive coordinator Jay Gruden clearly has confidence in Andy Dalton, AJ Green, et al, and he won’t hesitate to keep airing it out.

Jon’s thoughts:

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Ryan Torain this week.  Start him with confidence!

Also, let me pass along a quick story for all of you Knowshon Moreno lovers (I am one by the way…but this may make you wary of him as an NFL back).  Allegedly, the kid had never even played football until one day, his high school coach saw him playing tag with a bunch of kids and nobody could touch him.  He thought to himself, “Wow…that kid would make a great running back.”  The legend was born.  Anyway, Know (I have it on very good authority that this is what all of his friends call him) began torching people in high school, and even excelled in college because of his shear athletic ability.  However, he doesn’t really LOVE football like a lot of these guys, and he has never been a guy that people would describe as a “workout warrior.”  Now that he’s in the NFL, he can’t beat people just based off of his talent anymore.  Really, he’s a lot like Julio Jones.  Add all of this to the fact that the Broncos aren’t very good, and a 30-year-old with a blown apart knee has been BETTER than him all season…and I would stay away from Knowshon…maybe forever.

As for the Panthers’ running backs, I’m actually much higher on Jonathan Stewart (and not just because I own him in my league).  Minnesota is great against the run, so Williams will be neutralized.  However, Cam Newton LOVES throwing to Stewart out of the flat, and with Minnesota’s pass rush, I expect Newton to make a lot of quick, short throws to his tight ends and Stewart.  Stewart may not have a lot of yards on the ground, but I could see him approaching triple digits through the air.

Fantasy Football Week 8 Start Em, Sit Em Picks: Wide Receivers

Start ‘Em WR: Brandon Lloyd, St. Louis (v New Orleans)

Regardless of whether Sam Bradford plays or not, I like Lloyd this week. In his first start with his new team last week, he compiled 6 receptions for 74 yards with A.J. Feeley at QB. That was in a blowout against Dallas. Clearly the potential for a blowout is there this week with the awful Rams going up against the juggernaut that just obliterated Indy to the tune of 62 points.

It is safe to assume that St. Louis will be passing a lot to try to keep with Brees and Co, and if they are, either St. Louis QB will surely continue to target their new toy. Plus, the Saints have given up 12 TD passes in 7 games, so they can be had through the air.

Lloyd proved last year that he’s a top flight wide receiver in Josh McDaniels’ system. He’s back with McD now, and I think he’s a possible top 10 WR from here on out, especially when you consider that St. Louis’ schedule eases up in the second half.

Brandon Lloyd fantasy football Week 8 projection: 7 receptions, 90 yards, 1 TD

Other start ‘em WRs for Week Eight:

• After two very subpar weeks, Antonio Brown took advantage of a favorable matchup against Arizona to bust out with 7 catches and 102 yards. He has another favorable matchup against New England in Week 8. Seeing as how Bill Belichick likes to take out the other team’s #1 offensive option, the focus of the Patriots D will likely be Mike Wallace. That should provide opportunities for Brown to make a few big plays, which he’s proven he can make.
• Michael Crabtree is quickly becoming Alex Smith’s go-to guy. He had his best game of the season in Week 6 when he snared 9 passes for 77 yards. With Braylon Edwards expected to return and stretch the defense, Crabtree should have even more room to do his Cris Carter impression. Cleveland’s pass defense stats are pretty solid from a yardage perspective, but they have given up 8 passing TDs in 6 games. I have a suspicion Crabtree makes his first venture into the end zone in Week 8.
• I haven’t been very complimentary of Steve Breaston over the past few weeks, but he is starting to win me over with his consistency. Breaston has at least 50 yards in four straight games and scored two TDs against Indy in Game 5. He faces a San Diego defense in Week 8 that allowed three TD passes to the Jets’ #2 receiver, Plaxico Burress. Though Dwayne Bowe will always be the top red zone option for Matt Cassel, the QB is clearly gaining trust in Breaston, so it’s time I do too. (Take note: just because Breaston is listed doesn’t mean I consider him a slam dunk start, but as a guy that may be on your waiver wire he offers some value for those desperate with six teams on bye.)

Sit ‘Em WR: Deion Branch, New England (at Pittsburgh)

I had a really, really hard time coming up with a sit ‘em WR for this week. With six teams on bye, it’s hard to say that any top 40 WR is a sit, especially in leagues where three wide receivers start. But I didn’t want to tell you to sit someone obvious or from a crappy offense, so I’m going to step out on a limb with Branch.

I’ll give you my reasons for suggesting Branch as a sit candidate so you can see if you agree with my thinking or not:

• Pittsburgh is #1 in the NFL against the pass this year, giving up just 171.9 yards per game and only 8 TDs in 7 games.
• Branch is the fourth option in the New England passing attack behind Wes Welker, Aaron Hernandez, and Rob Gronkowski.
• Despite his ballyhooed rapport with Tom Brady, Branch has one game with zero receptions this year, another with one reception, and another with three catches. Yes, he’s had at least 69 yards receiving in four of his six games, and he’s caught two TDs, but there is a lot of inconsistency here.
• In his career, Branch averages just over 5 catches and 61.5 yards per game and against Pittsburgh, which is decent, but he’s only hit paydirt once.

I would not be shocked at all if Branch ends up having a good or even great game on Sunday. Such is the nature of New England’s offense. But I think there are plenty of reasons to think this will be another of Branch’s off weeks, so if you’re blessed with four or five good options this week despite all the byes, consider those options strongly.

Deion Branch fantasy football Week 8 projection: 4 receptions, 45 yards, 0 TDs

Other sit ‘em WRs for Week Eight:

• Tim Tebow is my sit ‘em QB, so clearly I don’t have much confidence in the Denver passing game. Thus, stick Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas on your benches. If you have to play one of them, Thomas is the guy I’d want based on what I saw in Week 7. 
• Reggie Wayne is really struggling. He hasn’t eclipsed 77 yards or scored a touchdown since Week 1. Tennessee may or may not be a good matchup, it just depends on which Titans team shows up, but Pierre Garcon remains the Colts WR to start right now anyway, and I’m waiting until Wayne can string together a few solid weeks in a row before thinking of him as a must-start WR again.
• Sidney Rice had a stellar 8-catch, 109-yard performance in Week 3, but his numbers have gotten steadily worse in every week since. Seeing as how he is no longer playing with his Viking buddy Tarvaris Jackson, and how not every pass D is as friendly to opposing WRs as Arizona’s is, it’s not a surprise. As long as Charlie Whitehurst is playing QB and the opponent is halfway competent against the pass, sit all Seahawks WRs unless you’re desperate.

Jon’s thoughts:

How are you not starting Steve Smith?  After watching Greg Jennings run all over the field against the Vikings, I am supremely confident that Steve Smith (a guy who plays very similarly to Greg Jennings, but is even more explosive) will have a MASSIVE day.  Steve Smith has been carrying terrible quarterbacks for…well…for forever, and now that he has someone that is better than competent, he is better than ever.  Most people probably don’t realize this, but Smith is the #4 WR in fantasy this year…yet he STILL ISN’T OWNED IN EVERY LEAGUE IN YAHOO!!!  This is unacceptable.  Start Smith with confidence this week…he could very well have the best week of anyone not named Megatron.

Jerod’s rebuttal thoughts:

Excuse me, but where did I say I’m not starting Steve Smith? Of course you start Steve Smith. I don’t want to patronize our readers, so I assume they can make obvious decisions like that. Although your note about him not being owned in all Yahoo leagues is concerning and ridiculous, so I’m glad you pointed Smith’s greatness out for the few who are unaware. But believe me, Smith is starting on any team I have.

Fantasy Football Week 8 Start Em, Sit Em Picks: Tight Ends

Start ‘Em TE: Jake Ballard, New York Giants (v Miami)

Do you realize that Jake Ballard has caught 11 balls for nearly 200 yards and two touchdowns over the Giants’ last three games? It’s true. Many were lamenting the fact that Kevin Boss left for Oakland, and the effect it would have on Eli Manning’s stats, but Manning seems to have found a nice rapport with the Boss-like Ballard.

Fortuitously, Ballard’s Week 8 matchup is solid. Miami is one of the worst defenses in the league in terms of points given up to opposing tight ends. Add it all up, and Ballard is an outstanding start candidate this week.

Jake Ballard fantasy football Week 8 projection: 4 receptions, 55 yards, 1 TD

Other start ‘em TEs for Week Eight:

• The Browns are also very bad at containing opposing tight ends. That means Vernon Davis needs to be playing on all rosters who have him. 
• The Cowboys are another teams that has given up a decent amount of fantasy points to opposing tight ends this year. With Brent Celek coming off of his first good game of the year (4 catches, TD) he is a sneaky start if you’re desperate.
• By now, you shouldn’t need me to tell you to get Fred Davis in your lineups…do you? If so, get him in your lineups.

Sit ‘Em TE: Dallas Clark, Indianapolis (at Tennessee)

Clark did not record a catch on Sunday night after having his first Clark-like game of the season in Week 6 (6 catches, 53 yards). Tennessee is a middle-of-the-pack team in terms of holding down opposing tight ends, but this selection is more based on lack of faith in the Colts offense than any confidence in the Jekyll and Hide Titans.

Clark has only scored two TDs this year and has only one game with more than four catches or 46 yards. The safer bet this season has been to take the under on those numbers, which is just about the floor for being considered a solid start option in a standard fantasy league. Let someone else pretend Dallas Clark is still the Clark of old. Don’t you make that mistake.

Dallas Clark fantasy football Week 8 projection: 3 catches 35 yards, 0 TD

Other sit ‘em TEs for Week Eight:

• Heath Miller‘s production has been steadily increasing, but I’m a bit worried about him in Week 8. New England is pretty good against opposing tight ends, and Miller has to score TDs to have value, as his yardage totals rarely will get you excited.
• Scott Chandler has four TDs this season, which looks really good when you’re sorting your waiver wire in desperate need of a fill-in. Don’t be fooled. Chandler hasn’t scored since Week 3 and and he has a grand total of 1 yard receiving over the last two games.

Jon’s thoughts:

It’s very hard to find tight ends who are going to have bad games from week to week, however I would consider sitting Owen Daniels as well.  Jacksonville’s defense has been very good (even though the rest of their team is awful), and even though Houston has been very good this year, Schaub hasn’t necessarily been lighting anybody up through the air.  He’s been good, but not great every week, and he’s only thrown 12 touchdown passes.  With all of that said, there may not be a better option than Owen Daniels…but I think he will have a down week on Sunday.

Fantasy Football Week 8 Start Em, Sit Em Picks: Defense/Special Teams

Start ‘Em D/ST: Detroit Lions (at Denver)

If you want a full explanation for why I’m recommending Detroit’s D this week, just scroll up and read what I wrote about Tim Tebow. I like him, I’m rooting for him, but this is just a great matchup for Detroit’s defense in terms of what they do well.

You beat Detroit on the ground, and the Broncos will struggle to run with McGahee out. That means Tebow will have to try to win the game through the air and, well, Ndamukong Suh and Co could have a lot of fun.

Detroit Lions D/ST fantasy football Week 8 projection: 13 or fewer points, 5+ sacks, 1 turnover

Other start ‘em D/ST units for Week Eight:

• Houston’s defense continues to surprise me with how well it’s playing under new coordinator Wade Philliips. Jacksonville and rookie QB Blaine Gabbert, who will be coming off of a Monday night game, should be a tasty matchup.
• Cincinnati’s D will be a popular choice this week going up against Seattle, and it’s a good choice. Just be wary of those tricky Seahawks at home. They will often surprise teams that are traveling over a couple of time zones to play them in their very loud stadium. That said, Charlie Whitehurst is Charlie Whitehurst.

Sit ‘Em D/ST: Pittsburgh Steelers (v New England)

The Steelers’ defense is starting to play better as of late, but they are far from the dominating unit we’re used to. Wheras a Pittsburgh-New England game might once have been a battle of top defenses, it is now a meeting of two of the top passing attacks in football.

Between Tom Brady, Big Ben, Mike Wallace, Wes Welker, et al, this should be a fun game to watch…so long as you’re not starting either defense.

Pittsburgh Steelers D/ST fantasy football Week 8 projection: 27 or more points, 2 sacks, 1 turnover

Other sit ‘em D/ST units for Week Eight:

• Don’t get too excited about Kansas City’s defense after what they did to Oakland. Kyle Boller and Carson Palmer were predictably awful and the Chiefs took advantage, but I expect more out of Philip Rivers and a Chargers team smarting after a tough, embarrassing loss to the Jets. It may not be enough to make Rivers a sure-fire start (as I mentioned above), but I do think the balance of the Chargers’ offense should allow them to put up points against KC.
• Minnesota’s defense is still pretty good against the run, but they are getting torched through the air. And after what Cam Newton was able to do against a very good Washington defense last week, the whole “play any D going against a rookie QB” adage does not work when he’s involved. In fact, it’s becoming start to avoid defenses that are going up against the amazing Cam.

Jon’s thoughts:

I would start the NY Giants this week.  While it’s true that they are not the Giants’ defense of old, they have an unbelievably favorable matchup against the Dolphins…who barely scored 15 points against Denver last week.

Don’t be depressed by their lack of production so far…they could have a 3 or 4 turnover week in Week 8.

**********

There they are. My Week 8 start/sit picks are in the books and on the record. That was fun! My thanks to Jon for ceding his start/sit saddle this week and giving me the opportunity to give it another go.

Now hopefully all of these picks work out for everyone who visits this week.

As usual, we’ll be answering your questions all week. So drop them below, and then stay tuned to the site for the rest of the week as we post new fantasy content every day.

As always, players listed here are owned in fewer than 50 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Fantasy Football Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups: Quarterback

Carson Palmer (40%), Oakland (bye)

With three interceptions in less than a half, I haven’t seen Palmer play this poorly since, well, last year.  Is he an upgrade over Kyle Boller?  Of course, but then again Jeff George would be too.  Many will chalk this debacle up to rust or a lack of familiarity with his receivers, and while that played a role, it’s not as if Palmer was lighting up opposing secondaries last season.  The matchup against Denver following this week’s bye looks tempting, but nothing I saw yesterday gives me confidence in the newly unretired Palmer.

Sam Bradford (37%), St. Louis

Perhaps Sunday’s performance from A.J. Feeley will give people a new appreciation for Bradford’s talents and willingness to take a beating behind a woeful offensive line.  His ankle injury is a concern, but as I mentioned last week, there are plenty of good fantasy matchups left on the St. Louis schedule, particularly now that Brand Lloyd is in the mix.

Alex Smith (22%), San Francisco

Smith entered San Fran’s bye with six passing touchdowns in his last three games.  The 49ers face Cleveland in Week Eight, but don’t read too much into the Browns’ gaudy numbers against opposing quarterbacks.  Their opponents haven’t exactly been a who’s who of prolific signal callers.

Andy Dalton (20%), Cincinnati

I’ve listed Dalton in each of the last two columns, and I still like his matchup against the Seahawks this week.  Their pass defense isn’t as good as the numbers indicated against Cleveland, and their tough run defense, coupled with the absence of the suspended Cedric Benson, should give the “Red Rifle” opportunities to air it out.

John Beck (9%), Washington

In his first start of the season, Beck ran for one touchdown and threw for another while racking up 279 passing yards.  That’s now two straight weeks with a rushing score, and his ability to move around and extend plays stood out.  Next up for Beck is a Buffalo pass defense who has allowed at least 292 passing yards in each of the last five games.  That said, the loss of Santana Moss to a hand injury is a potential red flag.

Fantasy Football Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups: Running Back

Knowshon Moreno (46%), Denver

With Willis McGahee’s broken hand almost certain to keep him out of action this week, Moreno is sure to be a hot waiver wire target.  He rushed for 28 yards on seven carries in relief of McGahee this week, but he has failed to show any ability to live up to his lofty draft status over the course of his brief career.  The Broncos take on Detroit next week, who has been victimized on the ground the last few weeks, but I have a hard time recommending Moreno outside of PPR leagues.  It’s also worth noting that Lance Ball and Tim Tebow are more likely options around the goal line.

Ben Tate (42%), Houston

Obviously Arian Foster looks as healthy as ever, but Tate’s 104-yard performance on Sunday proved his value as a handcuff should Foster suffer any setbacks.  Keep in mind that the Texans face Carolina and Indianapolis in Weeks 15 and 16, giving Tate even more value.

Montario Hardesty (36%), Cleveland

The good news is that Hardesty held up under a heavy workload on Sunday and compiled 122 total yards against a solid Seattle defensive front.  The bad news is that he averaged fewer than three yards per carry and had just one run of over eight yards.  If Peyton Hillis misses next week’s game against San Francisco, Hardesty would still be a flex option based on the workload despite a tough matchup, but that’s about it.

Maurice Morris (35%)/Keiland Williams (3%), Detroit

Morris and Williams essentially split the backfield touches with Jahvid Best out on Sunday.  Morris got 31 of his 50 rushing yards on one play, but he was more involved in the passing game.  Williams also looked decent on the ground and looks like the better short yardage option.  Given the rumors about Best potentially missing the rest of the year, it’s worth stashing one of these guys just in case.  Those rumors have obviously been denied, but you have to acknowledge Best’s lengthy injury history.  Next week’s matchup with Denver isn’t quite as good as it may seem since the Broncos have yet to allow an opposing running back to rush for a score.

Delone Carter (19%), Indianapolis

With Joseph Addai aggravating his hamsting injury, Carter stepped in and ran for 89 yards and a TD on 10 carries while the Colts were being dismantled by New Orleans.  The game was already out of hand when Addai was injured (yes, I know it was only the first quarter), so the severity of the injury is unclear.  However, the Colts face a Tennessee defense that was just shredded on the ground and has allowed a 100-yard rusher in each of their last two games.

Bernard Scott (9%), Cincinnati

With Cedric Benson serving his suspension this week, Scott will get the start against Seattle.  I like Scott’s skill set, but the Seahawks have been tough on opposing runners this year.  Based on his workload, Scott becomes a decent flex option as a bye week fill-in.

Alfonso Smith (1%), Arizona

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but Beanie Wells got dinged up this week.  With Wells on the sideline, Smith stepped in and rushed for a score against the Steelers.  He finished with 17 rushing yards on five carries, and he also filled in for Wells in Week Three with 75 total yards.  Wells has typically been a slow healer, but Smith isn’t a particularly attractive option with the Ravens up next on the schedule.  LaRod Stephens-Howling will also take over on passing downs, further limiting Smith’s value.

Kregg Lumpkin (1%), Tampa Bay (bye)

Early reports are that Earnest Graham has a torn Achilles, which would end his season.  The Bucs have the bye week for LeGarrette Blount’s knee to get healthy, but if that isn’t enough time, Lumpkin would be the de facto starter.  He struggled on the ground against the Bears, tallying just 15 yards on eight carries.  Lumpkin did catch six balls for 37 yards, which makes him far more intriguing in PPR leagues should Blount remain out.

Fantasy Football Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups: Wide Receiver

Michael Crabtree (38%), San Francisco

I’ve been on the Crabtree bandwagon for a couple weeks, and even with Joe Haden looming on Sunday, his ownership percentage is way too low.  It’s probably a week where you think twice about starting him, but his foot seems healthy and there are a number of great matchups left on the San Francisco schedule.

Steve Breaston (29%), Kansas City

With five catches and 64 yards on Sunday, Breaston has at least 50 yards in four straight games.  One of those games was against the Chargers, who just gave up three scores to a number two wideout and travel to Arrowhead on Sunday.

Antonio Brown (29%), Pittsburgh

Brown had a career day with seven catches for 102 yards against the woeful Arizona secondary.  With Hines Ward banged up, Brown seized the opportunity as the Steelers went to more wide open offensive sets.  The Steelers continue to struggle at establishing the run game (as my fellow Rashard Mendenhall owners can attest), which could mean more big games from Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh passing attack.

Greg Little (29%), Cleveland

The rookie receiver now has at least five catches in three straight games and led the Browns with seven targets on Sunday.  The yardage was disappointing, but he’s emerging as a strong PPR league option and remains a solid red zone target.  Beware this week, as the 49ers have given up just one TD to an opposing wideout since Week Two.  Still, the Browns are sure to force feed Little the ball either way.

Jabar Gaffney (19%), Washington

With Santana Moss out with a hand injury, Gaffney will be asked to step up as the number one wideout.  He has significantly more value in PPR leagues, but with the exception of a matchup with the 49ers, there are some decent matchups on Washington’s schedule over the next month or so.  Terrence Austin has also showed some chemistry with Beck, so keep an eye on him as well.

Demaryius Thomas (9%), Denver

The numbers, three catches for 27 yards and a score, don’t necessarily stand out.  But the 10 targets do.  Thomas did have a couple drops, but he’s sure to be a huge part of the Denver passing game with Brandon Lloyd now in St. Louis.  He’s worth adding in any format.

Michael Jenkins (7%), Minnesota

As I said four weeks ago, the numbers might be tempting, but don’t go pick him up.  Sometimes old advice is the best advice, like never eat yellow snow.

Fantasy Football Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups: Tight End

Jermaine Gresham (42%), Cincinnati

As I mentioned above, I think the Bengals will be forced to throw it a decent amount against Seattle.  While that is good news for Gresham in and of itself, it’s worth noting that the Seahawks have given up a touchdown to an opposing tight end in two of the last three games.

Heath Miller (31%), Pittsburgh

Always one of Roethlisberger’s favorite red zone targets, Miller now has touchdowns in two of the last three weeks.  The Patriots have given up a couple big games to opposing tight ends, making Miller a decent bye week fill-in.

Visanthe Shiancoe (19%), Minnesota

A solid tight end can be a young quarterback’s best friend, which could help Shiancoe re-emerge as a fantasy factor over the remainder of the year.  Next week Minnesota takes on a Carolina defense that just got lit up by Fred Davis, which makes Shiancoe a reasonable option if you’re desperate.

Streaming Defense(s) of the Week

Cincinnati (24%) at Seattle

The Bengals have been a terrific fantasy defense this season, and words can’t do justice to the ineptitude of the Seattle offense on Sunday.  Charlie Whitehurst actually made Seattle fans pine for Tarvaris Jackson, maybe even Dan McGwire from the early 90s.  That Seahawks-Browns game could have single-handedly killed any interest for football in London.  Hell, it almost killed interest in my own home.

 **********

Have any questions or feedback?  Leave them in the comments below or hit me up on Twitter (@andybottoms).

And speaking of that Cable Guy-euphemism…how did the object of everyone’s suckaffection do this week? Eh, so so.

Andrew Luck’s 4th-ranked Stanford Cardinal eeked out a 65-21 victory over then-25th ranked Washington. Luck was a Krenzelesque 16-21 for 169 yards and two TDs. Obviously the yardage and TD totals are thoroughly disappointing, but at least he improved his shaky 70+ completion percentage to a now-respectable 71.8%.

The real star of the game was the Cardinal rushing attack, which featured three players who ran for at least 93 yards. Hey, maybe whoever gets picks two and three in this year’s draft should take a look at Stephan Taylor, Tyler Gaffney, and/or Anthony Wilkerson to shore up their running game…(or not, since taking running backs not named Adrian Peterson early in drafts is dumb, dumb, dumb).

Now that we’ve reviewed the stakes, let’s take our weekly look at how the suckiest of the sucky stack up in the race to suck to the lucky bottom* of this year’s NFL standings.

* – assuming, of course, that the junior Luck actually turns pro. That’s right, he’s still only a junior. Didn’t you know? Wouldn’t it just be so knee-slapping funny if he didn’t after all the commotion about him this season.

Suck 4 Luck Power Rankings: Week 8

1. Miami Dolphins (0-6)

This is not to take anything away from the impressive case that Indianapolis made last night for the #1 spot in these prestigious rankings, but sometimes margin of defeat and margin of suck are not directly correlated.

Unlike many teams that are winless this far into the season, the Dolphins have actually, legitimately outplayed most of their opponents for the majority of their games. If you’ve spent any time watching this team, you know that this amazing statement is true. To continue losing while outplaying teams, in some respects, is more pathetic than just straight up sucking…like the Rams. (More on that steaming batch of suck in a minute.)

Yesterday, the Dolphins became the first team since the merger to lose a game in which they were up by 15 or more points with three minutes or less to play in regulation. And they lost to a team that was being led by some of the worst quarterback play I’ve ever seen. I’m on record as liking and supporting Tim Tebow’s NFL chances, but there is no other way to describe his play through 55 minutes yesterday than the following sentence. Up until Denver’s improbable comeback, I could have dropped a deuce in a brown paper sack, lit it on fire, and set it on someone’s porch, and bystanders (even the owner of the house on whose porch the turd sack was flaming) would have had a hard time deciphering whether that or Tebow was better suited to play QB in the NFL.

Between allowing Tebow to be Good Tebow during those final five minutes, and not recovering an inside kick that was in their hands, and the awful call by Tony Sparano to go for two, and the oh-so-appropriate shots of Stephen Ross chatting up Urban Meyer during the 4th quarter…the smog of suck that engulfed Miami yesterday simply cannot be topped, even though Drew Brees just now threw another TD pass against the Colts.

Speaking of…

2. Indianapolis Colts (0-7)

Congratulations to the Colts, the first team to seven losses in 2011! Round of applause everybody!

Colts fans looking for solace after the Sunday night drubbing in New Orleans (62-7…’nuff said) need to look no further than Jim Caldwell’s post game comments (via PFT).

“I have to take responsibility for our team and the way that they played. We just didn’t play well,” Caldwell said. “I think the guys fought. We didn’t execute well, but I think the effort was good.”

A team loses by 55 points, and the head coach takes responsibility? What a shocking and rare display of leadership by the catatonic Caldwell. That’ll turn some shiz some around!

To celebrate, here is an animated GIF of Caldwell taking responsibility:

Image source: The Scores Report

And be heartened Colts fans: the men who get paid millions to play a game “fought” and “the effort was good.” Whew. Good to know. Both are unexpected positives to take away from last night’s Mardi Gross celebration on Colts Fans Need Borboun Street.

Still, at least the Colts got bludgeoned by a good team. And at least their fans knew it was over within five minutes, rather than the Dolphins, who tricked their fans into thinking they’d get a win against a bad team until five minutes were left in the game.

3. St. Louis Rams (0-6)

The Rams got manhandled by the Cowboys. There is not other way to describe it.

Dallas’ offense had been having trouble running in place this season, let alone forward for positive yardage. Yet, somehow, with backup running rookie DeMarco Murray filling in for the injured Felix Jones, and a bevy of offensive line issues, the Cowboys rushed for damn near 300 yards en route to a 34-7 bitch slap of Steve Spagnuolo’s crew.

I’m not going to come down as hard on the Rams as I am on the Dolphins or Colts though. The Rams will actually be getting their starting QB back soon, plus they were probably still dizzy on Sunday morning from watching Albert Pujols hit homer after homer Saturday night at The Ballpark in Arlington. And the addition of Brandon Lloyd should improve their offense moving forward.

With these teams clearly at the head of the bottom of the class, it’s your turn to tell us who you think is #1:

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

4. No one

I’m skipping #4, because truly no other NFL team deserves to within a spot of the three teams I’ve already broken down. They are more than just a combined 0-19. They are making it almost a compliment to describe what they are doing as “suck”. We may need a new word for these power rankings, even if it doesn’t rhyme with Luck. Any suggestions?

5. Arizona Cardinals (1-5)

The Cardinals really aren’t that far behind the trisuckverate listed above. If it weren’t for their close Week 1 victory in Cam Newton’s first start, Arizona would be winless and already dreaming of a life that doesn’t so closely resemble Kolb. But they do have some games left against Seattle and St. Louis, so that should net them a victory or two, even if Chris “Porcelain” Wells is injured and can’t play.

6. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-6) (actually 2-5)

Jacksonville and Baltimore play tonight, so technically the Jags’ record after seven games could be 2-5, but I’m confidently chalking the L up for the Jags. Do you trust Blaine Gabbert against Ray Lewis and the Ravens’ defense? Neither do I. The Jags D will likely put up a valiant effort and frustrate Flacco and Co., but it won’t be enough to compensate for the negative points sure to be put up by the offense. Poor Maurice Jones-Drew.

Update: Oops. I had this one wrong. Way to completely lay an egg on national TV Baltimore. And Jacksonville, well to come and play. I’ll humbly accept any and all disparagement that Jags fans want to hurl my way in the comment section.

Oh, and for the record, yes: both the Cards and Jags, despite acquiring “franchise” QBs this past offseason, would draft Andrew Luck. In a heartbeat.

7. Denver Broncos (2-4)

A miracle win over the Miami Dolphins does not impress me. And though I still think that Tebow has a future in the NFL (even if that future may be best served with him being a backup QB…a role which I think he could excel in..but that’s a post for another day), I don’t think it will be in Denver. In fact, according to my sources, oil and water were seen snickering at how poor a mix Tebow and John Fox are.

Broncos fans and Tebow sycophants everywhere need to enjoy what they saw last week and not let it lull them into a false sense of confidence. For myriad reasons, that win simply will not/cannot be duplicated. So unless Tebow makes vast improvements from the pocket, or the Broncos actually do more things during the first 55 minutes of games to play to his strengths, Denver could still be in the running for Luck if the teams above them stumble and bumble their way to a couple of victories.

8 & 9. Seattle Seahawks (2-4) and Cleveland Browns (3-3)

It’s a damn shame anyone had to win this game yesterday, because neither team deserved to. When reached for comment, Lloyd Christmas had this to say:

With as many unilateral decisions as Roger Goodell makes, why can’t he institute a rule that if two teams play as badly as Seattle and Cleveland did yesterday, that the game be declared a double loss? We’d all be better off.

10. Tennessee Titans (3-3)

You may be wondering why Tennessee and its three victories, as well as Cleveland and its three victories, are in the top ten when Minnesota (1-6), Carolina (2-5), and Philadelphia (2-4), among others, are not. Simply put: I have more confidence in those teams to finish with a better record than I do Cleveland or Tennessee based on current trends.

Tennessee was beyond suck yesterday, and the talk has already turned to letting Jake Locker take over, who I think is even less prepared to lead an NFL team than Blaine Gabbert. Just watch: unless Chris Johnson gets up from laying on his pile of money long enough to actually be a competent NFL running back again, the Titans will make a slow, steady climb up these rankings.

Too bad for the Titans they won those games early in the season, as there is no way anyone with more than two wins at season’s end will have a chance at Luck.

Special mention: Kansas City Chiefs (3-3)

The Kansas City Chiefs opened up these Suck 4 Luck Power Rankings at #1, and have made a steady descent to respectability since then. I have to give kudos where kudos are deserved, and Todd Haley, Matt Cassel, and crew deserve major kudos for digging themselves out of an 0-3 hole, despite debilitating injuries. They are now right in the think of the AFC West race.

Let this be a lesson to the Sergeants of Suck disparaged in this post. You’re only a few wins away from having no chance at the most universally respected QB prospect since John Elway.

So keep on sucking. The future of your franchises depends on it.

**********

What do you think? Which rankings do you agree/disagree with? Who I was too hard/easy on? The comment section patiently awaits your sucky comments.

* – Tony Sparano photo credit: NewHaven.edu

I had a week under .500. Yes, I am disappointed to report that I went 6-7 last week, done in by those dastardly Browns not allowing the Saints to blow them out by more than 13 points. In hindsight, that was probably the worst of my bets – too many points and New Orleans has been inconsistent – but I can’t cry about it too much.

Last week was just a very strange week and I clearly did not have quite the same read on the games as I did in Week 6 when I went 8-3-2. But no worries, it’s a new week and another opportunity build upon my 56-39-5 overall record on the season. Let’s pick some games.

A couple of quick things to keep in mind:

• All times are ET.
• Point spread and over-under listings are as of Wednesday afternoon, and obviously subject to change throughout the week. If you want updated point spread info, or some expert advice as you make your weekly picks, below are a few helpful links.
• DocSports: NFL Odds
• DocSports: NFL Picks

And with all that said, here is your Week 8 Bettor’s Guide, complete with all of the Week 8 free picks against the spread, plus the point spreads and over-under odds.

NFL Week 8 Bettor’s Guide

Point Spreads – Free Picks ATS – Odds – Over-Unders

Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs

• Bills-Chiefs Date: Sunday, October 31 at 1:00 pm on CBS
• Bills-Chiefs Point Spread: Chiefs -7.5
• Bills-Chiefs Over-Under Odds: 46
• Bills-Chiefs Spread Pick: Wow, is this spread serious? I didn’t even need to think twice before knowing I’d be taking the Bills plus the points. Buffalo’s passing game has come alive in a big way since Ryan Fitzpatrick took over for Trent Edwards. While the Chiefs’ offense is finally clicking, and will undoubtedly have a nice day against the Bills, if Buffalo could keep it close against the Ravens I think we have to give them credit and assume they can play the Chiefs within a touchdown. Bills-Chiefs free pick: Bills +7.5

Jacksonville Jaguars at Dallas Cowboys

• Jaguars-Cowboys Date: Sunday, October 31 at 1:00 pm on CBS
• Jaguars-Cowboys Point Spread: Cowboys -6.5
• Jaguars-Cowboys Over-Under Odds: 42.5
• Jaguars-Cowboys Spread Pick: Ugh. Not a big fan of this spread at all. Jacksonville rarely plays well on the road, but they should at least be getting David Garrard back. Dallas will be without Tony Romo and there is no telling what Cowboys team shows up. Do they come out motivated to make one last stab at salvaging their season? Do they pack it in? Too many unanswered questions and bad games in the rearview to trust Dallas here. Jaguars-Cowboys free pick: Jaguars +6.5

Carolina Panthers at St. Louis Rams

• Panthers-Rams Date: Sunday, October 31 at 1:00 on FOX
• Panthers-Rams Point Spread: Rams -3
• Panthers-Rams Over-Under Odds: 37
• Panthers-Rams Spread Pick: The Rams have played better much better at home this year than they have on the road, especially on defense. The beat Washington by 14 at home and Seattle by 17. They also beat a 5.5 point spread to vanquish San Diego by 3 at home. Seeing as how Carolina is worse than all those teams, I feel pretty good about giving them three points. Panthers-Rams free pick: Rams -3

Miami Dolphins at Cincinnati Bengals

• Dolphins-Bengals Date: Sunday, October 31 at 1:00 pm on CBS
• Dolphins-Bengals Point Spread: Bengals -1.5
• Dolphins-Bengals Over-Under Odds: 43.5
• Dolphins-Bengals Spread Pick: The Dolphins are 0-3 at home this year and 3-0 road. Theoretically, that should favor them in this matchup. (Although, truth be told, I don’t put much stock into anomalous stats like that from such small sample sizes.) Cincinnati certainly has the talent to beat Miami, but they seem like a team that just can’t put together a complete game. I think this one will be close and come down to the end, but I ultimately think the Dolphins will be repaid by the football gods for the game that was stolen from them last week. Dolphins-Bengals free pick: Miami +1.5

Washington Redskins at Detroit Lions

• Redskins-Lions Date: Sunday, October 31 at 1:00 on FOX
• Redskins-Lions Point Spread: Lions -2.5
• Redskins-Lions Over-Under Odds: 44
• Redskins-Lions Spread Pick: Love this spread. Look, the Lions are much better this year and are finally competing on a week in, week out basis. That’s good. But Washington is also pretty good and just went into Solider Field and stole a win. I think Donovan McNabb will have his first big game of the year, because the Lions are vulnerable through the air, and Matt Stafford making his first start since Week 1 makes me nervous. A lot of uncertainty there. Give me the QB who has started every game and is getting 2.5 points. It’s the smart pick. Redskins-Lions free pick: Redskins +2.5

Denver Broncos vs San Francisco 49ers (in London)

• Broncos-49ers Date: Sunday, October 31 at 1:00 pm on CBS
• Broncos-49ers Point Spread: 49ers -1
• Broncos-49ers Over-Under Odds: 42
• Broncos-49ers Spread Pick: Denver got absolutely embarrassed last week in their loss to Oakland. San Francisco experience yet another loss that they snatched from the jaws of victory. With a new QB (Troy Smith) and poor coaching, I’m a little worried about the team’s preparing playing over in London. I think the Broncos will come out with a sense of pride to avenge last week’s loss, and if you’re giving me a point and I have Kyle Orton against Troy Smith, well I’ll gladly take it. Broncos-49ers free pick: Broncos +1

Green Bay Packers at New York Jets

• Packers-Jets Date: Sunday, October 31 at 1:00 on FOX
• Packers-Jets Point Spread: Jets -6
• Packers-Jets Over-Under Odds: 42.5
• Packers-Jets Spread Pick: The AFC is so much better than the NFC this year it’s not even funny. The Packers are 4-3 and one of the top teams in the NFC, but they are probably worse than the Jets, Patriots, Dolphins, Ravens, Steelers, Colts, Titans, and maybe the Texans and Chiefs too. It seems crazy to say but it’s true. With the Jets coming off a bye and getting a healthy Darrelle Revis back, plus a more acclimated Santonio Holmes, I don’t like Green Bay’s chances at keeping this close. Plus, Aaron Rodgers isn’t exactly John Elway in close games. Mark Sanchez isn’t either, but at least he has a running game and a tight end to fall back on. Packers-Jets free pick: Jets -6

Tennessee Titans at San Diego Chargers

• Titans-Chargers Date: Sunday, October 31 at 4:05 pm on CBS
• Titans-Chargers Point Spread: Chargers -3.5
• Titans-Chargers Over-Under Odds: 44.5
• Titans-Chargers Spread Pick: The Chargers continue to be favored against teams that are playing well. I don’t get it. This team is awful right now. They can’t run, their receivers are all banged up, and their defense is inconsistent. Tennessee, on the other hand, has been playing great defense and has an offense buoyed by the emergence of Kenny Britt as a legit #1 WR. Kerry Collins or Vince Young, I don’t care. The burden is on the Chargers to show me they can beat someone decent. Until then, I’m definitely not going to be laying the points against a good team. Titans-Chargers free pick: Titans +3.5

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Arizona Cardinals

• Buccaneers-Cardinals Date: Sunday, October 31 at 4:15 on FOX
• Buccaneers-Cardinals Point Spread: Cardinals -3
• Buccaneers-Cardinals Over-Under Odds: 39.5
• Buccaneers-Cardinals Spread Pick: I don’t get this spread at all. Tampa Bay gets slaughtered by good teams, but they have proven that they can take care of the bad ones. Well me make this clear: Arizona is a bad team. When you’re rotating Derek Anderson and an undrafted rookie free agent at QB, and neither went through the preseason as the starter, your entire season is f’d. Tampa Bay is riding high with confidence and looking to prove the naysayers wrong. Yet, I get to take points if I take Tampa Bay? Really? Hell yes. Bucs-Cardinals free pick: Buccaneers +3

Minnesota Vikings at New England Patriots

• Vikings-Patriots Date: Sunday, October 31 at 4:15 on FOX
• Vikings-Patriots Point Spread: Patriots -5
• Vikings-Patriots Over-Under Odds: 44
• Vikings-Patriots Spread Pick: So much uncertainty here. Will Brett Favre play? Will he be effective if he does? What does the offense look like with Tarvaris Jackson in there? Can Jared Allen show a pulse and pressure Tom Brady? The Vikings have lost by 5, 4, 9, and 4 points this year, with all the losses coming to teams commensurately good with New England. I like Minny to keep it close but ultimately fall short. Vikings-Patriots free pick: Vikings +5

Seattle Seahawks at Oakland Raiders

• Seahawks-Raiders Date: Sunday, October 31 at 4:15 on FOX
• Seahawks-Raiders Point Spread: Raiders -2.5
• Seahawks-Raiders Over-Under Odds: 42
• Seahawks-Raiders Spread Pick: Wow did Oakland look good last week. Seattle has been playing well too, but I’m always bit nervous of them on the road. This will be a great matchup of strength v strength as the Seahawks excellent run D faces the explosive Raiders running game. Because the Raiders have uncertainty at QB (will it be Jason Campbell or Bruce Gradkowski?) I don’t feel comfortable taking them and laying points. Seahawks-Raiders free pick: Seahawks +2.5

Pittsburgh Steelers at New Orleans Saints

• Steelers-Saints Date: Sunday, October 31 at 8:20 pm on NBC
• Steelers-Saints Point Spread: Saints -1
• Steelers-Saints Over-Under Odds: 44.5
• Steelers-Saints Spread Pick: Once again, the AFC is head and shoulders better than the NFC. Pittsburgh has been the model of consistency this year, even with QB flux, while New Orleans has been anything but. While I’m sure the Saints will be motivated to avenge last week’s home loss, Pittsburgh isn’t a great team for that to happen against. The Saints need to show me something before I put my faith in them anymore. Steelers-Saints free pick: Steelers +1

Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts

• Texans-Colts Date: Monday, October 25 at 8:30 pm on ESPN
• Texans-Colts Point Spread: Colts -5.5
• Texans-Colts Over-Under Odds: 49.5
• Texans-Colts Spread Pick: Houston won the first meeting between these two teams at Reliant Stadium. When you look at how decimated the Colts are by injuries, you might think the Texans can do it again. And hey, they’re certainly capable. But chalk this pick up to faith in Peyton Manning and a cast of characters that will be motivated by a) the Week 1 loss and b) proving that they can survive without Dallas Clark, Austin Collie, and Joseph Addai. Indy just needs to stop Arian Foster because the Colts will put up points. I don’t trust Matt Schaub right now in a big, primetime, division game. Colts-Texans free pick: Colts -5.5

The primetime games are outstanding. Indianapolis hosts Houston on Monday night while the Steelers-Saints game in New Orleans on Halloween night should be not only a compelling game, but also interesting TV because you just know the New Orleans folks will be excited to dress up in crazy outfits.

Other important games include the Vikings-Patriots, Dolphins-Bengals, and Packers-Jets.

A couple of quick things to keep in mind:

• All times are ET.
• All announcer assignment information courtesy of the506.com.
• If you want updated point spread info, or some expert advice as you make your weekly picks, below are a few helpful links.
• Click to view the Week 8 TV coverage maps.
• DocSports: NFL Odds
• DocSports: NFL Picks

And with all that said, here is your Week 8 TV schedule, complete with the kickoff times, matchups, announcers assignments, and teams on bye.

NFL Week 8 Viewer’s Guide

TV Schedule – Announcers – Kickoff Times – Byes

The following teams are on bye in Week 8:

• Atlanta Falcons
• Baltimore Ravens
• Chicago Bears
• Cleveland Browns
• New York Giants
• Philadelphia Eagles

Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs

• Bills-Chiefs Date: Sunday, October 31
• Bills-Chiefs Kickoff Time: 1:00 pm
• Bills-Chiefs TV Network: CBS
• Bills-Chiefs Announcers: Gus Johnson and Steve Tasker

Jacksonville Jaguars at Dallas Cowboys

• Jaguars-Cowboys Date: Sunday, October 31
• Jaguars-Cowboys Kickoff Time: 1:00 pm
• Jaguars-Cowboys TV Network: CBS
• Jaguars-Cowboys Announcers: Jim Nantz and Phil Simms

Carolina Panthers at St. Louis Rams

• Panthers-Rams Date: Sunday, October 31
• Panthers-Rams Kickoff Time: 1:00 pm
• Panthers-Rams TV Network: FOX
• Panthers-Rams Announcers: Dick Stockton, Charles Davis, and Jim Mora Jr.

Miami Dolphins at Cincinnati Bengals

• Dolphins-Bengals Date: Sunday, October 31
• Dolphins-Bengals Kickoff Time: 1:00 pm
• Dolphins-Bengals TV Network: CBS
• Dolphins-Bengals Announcers: Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots

Washington Redskins at Detroit Lions

• Redskins-Lions Date: Sunday, October 31
• Redskins-Lions Kickoff Time: 1:00 pm
• Redskins-Lions TV Network: FOX
• Redskins-Lions Announcers: Sam Rosen and Tim Ryan

Denver Broncos at San Francisco 49ers

• Broncos-49ers Date: Sunday, October 31 (at Wembley Stadium in London)
• Broncos-49ers Kickoff Time: 1:00 pm
• Broncos-49ers TV Network: CBS
• Broncos-49ers Announcers: Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf

Green Bay Packers at New York Jets

• Packers-Jets Date: Sunday, October 31
• Packers-Jets Kickoff Time: 1:00 pm
• Packers-Jets TV Network: FOX
• Packers-Jets Announcers: Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, and Tony Siragusa

Tennessee Titans at San Diego Chargers

• Titans-Chargers Date: Sunday, October 31
• Titans-Chargers Kickoff Time: 4:05 pm
• Titans-Chargers TV Network: CBS
• Titans-Chargers Announcers: Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Arizona Cardinals

• Buccaneers-Cardinals Date: Sunday, October 31
• Buccaneers-Cardinals Kickoff Time: 4:15 pm
• Buccaneers-Cardinals TV Network: FOX
• Buccaneers-Cardinals Announcers: Chris Myers and Brian Billick

Minnesota Vikings at New England Patriots

• Vikings-Patriots Date: Sunday, October 31
• Vikings-Patriots Kickoff Time: 4:15 pm
• Vikings-Patriots TV Network: FOX
• Vikings-Patriots Announcers: Thom Brennaman and Troy Aikman

Seattle Seahawks at Oakland Raiders

• Seahawks-Raiders Date: Sunday, October 31
• Seahawks-Raiders Kickoff Time:4:15 pm
• Seahawks-Raiders TV Network: FOX
• Seahawks-Raiders Announcers: Ron Pitts and John Lynch

Pittsburgh Steelers at New Orleans Saints

• Steelers-Saints Date: Sunday, October 31
• Steelers-Saints Kickoff Time:8:20 pm
• Steelers-Saints TV Network: NBC
• Steelers-Saints Announcers: Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth

Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts

• Texans-Colts Date: Monday, October 25
• Texans-Colts Kickoff Time: 8:30 pm
• Texans-Colts TV Network: ESPN
• Texans-Colts Announcers: Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, and Jon Gruden

There are some big names on the injury report this week, especially at the WR position where Calvin Johnson, Andre Johnson, Reggie Wayne, Percy Harvin, Bernard Berrian, Anquan Boldin, and Jerricho Cotchery all are batting maladies.

Denver-Baltimore

Nothing pertinent here. Joe Flacco showed up on the injury report with an ankle, but he’s fine.

Houston-Buffalo

Andre Johnson Week 8 injury update/status: Johnson has been suffering from a lung contusion since last Sunday. He as officially listed on the Thursday injury report as being a limited participant, but everything out of Houston so far this week indicates that he should play. Check this one up until kickoff and have a replacement ready, but I think Andre will be good to go.

Trent Edwards probably will not dress on Sunday, but hopefully you weren’t considering using him anyway. If so, you’ve got issues. Major ones.

Cleveland-Chicago

There are no Browns players worthy of starting other than Jamal Lewis (and Jerome Harrison, if Lewis ever gets hurt again). Lewis is on the injury report with a wrist, but he’ll play and probably get most of the carries over the more explosive and dynamic Harrison. Go figure.

The Bears have some defensive players on the injury report, but should be close to full health on Sunday.

Seattle-Dallas

Matt Hasselbeck and Julius Jones are both on the injury report, but both participated fully in Thursday’s practice and will play.

Marion Barber is still dealing with a thumb injury, but it has not slowed him down in practice and he’ll be starting Sunday.

Detroit-St. Louis

Another week and another injury merry-go-round with Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson.

Matt Stafford Week 8 injury update/status: Stafford and his 65.5 QB rating have practiced now for three consecutive days and he appears in line to start Sunday. He could be a decent play against the Rams’ porous defense in a game that could be high scoring. Or it could be low scoring. Or it could just completely suck (the most likely probability).

Calvin Johnson Week 8 injury update/status: Calvin Johnson did practice on Thursday, though only on a limited basis. He does appear in line to start on Sunday, but won’t be 100%. Still, with his QB back and the Rams on the other side of the field, you have to start him. Just check the last minute inactives list and make sure he’s not on it by surprise.

Minnesota-Green Bay

Brett Favre has a hip injury that has limited him in practice. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that he’ll be playing Sunday. Aaron Rodgers is also on the injury report. Again, I think he’ll play, don’t you?

Jermichael Finley Week 8 injury update/status: Finley, the Pack’s explosive TE, is batting a knee injury and most likely will be a GTD. Track his progress but have another starter ready to go.

Percy Harvin Week 8 injury update/status: Percy Harvin has missed practiced for the mysterious reason of “illness” yet again. The assumption is that he is dealing with migraines that reportedly plagued him earlier in the season. He has yet to miss a game, so I’d expect him to be out there, but this another one to track Sunday morning.

Bernard Berrian Week 8 injury update/status: Berrian is dealing with a hamstring issue, but did make it back to practice on Thursday. Sounds like he’ll be a GTD on Sunday.

Indianapolis-San Francisco

For those of you with Anthony Gonzalez, he’s not ready to come back yet. You’ll have to wait until next week, and probably should wait to see him in at least one game before starting him.

Reggie Wayne Week 8 injury update/status: The NFL’s most underrated player (my opinion) has not practiced this week while recovering from a strained groin. He will likely be a GTD and this one to watch as the weekend progresses. Indications seem to be point towards him playing, but have a replacement ready just in case.

Donald Brown Week 8 injury update/status: Brown has not practiced this week and could miss a couple of games with a shoulder injury.

New York-Miami

Ricky Williams is on the injury report with a thumb injury, but start him confidently. He’ll play, and did very well against the Jets earlier this season.

Jerricho Cotchery Week 8 injury update/status: All signs point towards Cotchery being back on the field Sunday. He has been practicing on a limited basis, but his hamstring is apparently doing well. The Dolphins should provide a nice matchup for Cotchery two, as they are currently starting two rookie CBs. To be safe, check the injury updates Sunday morning on this one.

San Diego-Oakland

Everyone looks good for the Chargers, while the Raiders are still without guys like Chaz Schilens and Darren McFadden. Not that you care, or should.

Jacksonville-Tennessee

Not a whole lot to see here. Nate Washington didn’t practice Thursday, but with Vince Young at QB you may want to sit your Titans WRs anyway. No, Jacksonville is not good against the pass, but I’d like to see what VY does before starting him or his WRs.

Carolina-Arizona

Jonathan Stewart has been a full participant in practice this week, so he should be good to go. Muhsin Muhammad and Dante Rosario did not practice Thursday, but how can you justify starting either one of them right now anyway? Until Jake Delhomme stops throwing picks, all Carolina WRs not named Steve Smith should be off limits.

Anquan Boldin Week 8 injury update/status: Things are looking a little concerning for Boldin owners this week, but it’s better than a lot of weeks. He is dealing with a right ankle injury, and although he’s participated in every practice this week, Boldin could be “limited” on Sunday (at least according to one report). He did play well last week — and he is Anquan Boldin after all — so I’d start him confidently. Just monitor this to ensure there are no setbacks.

Steve Breaston is also on the injury report, but should be fine for Sunday in his #3 role.

New York-Philadelphia

Ahmad Bradshaw Week 8 injury update/status: Ahmad Bradshaw is dealing with a cracked metatarsal in his right foot that will most likely linger throughout the season. He could even injure it further by playing. No matter, he’ll be out there. I’m a bit wary of this one, despite Bradshaw’s solid production this year. This could be a good week to take a wait-and-see approach with this injury.

Brian Westbrook Week 8 injury update/status: If I were a betting man, I’d bet on Westbrook sitting this week’s game out. He has yet to practice and the Eagles have a solid replacement in LeSean McCoy. You’ll have to track this up until gametime, but have someone ready for the likelihood that Westbrook does not go on Sunday.

DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin both are on the injury report but both practiced fully on Thursday. Expect them to play.

Atlanta-New Orleans

Nothing serious here. Jeremy Shockey’s on the injury report but is expected to play.

**********

* – Andre Johnson photo credit: AP Photo/Dave Einsel via Houston’s Clear Thinkers

* – Calvin Johnson photo credit: Top Fantasy Football

Click here for the current NFL TV schedule and Announcer Pairings for Week 15

Let’s discuss Week 8 of the NFL season, with all of the necessary information about odds, point spreads, TV schedule, announcers, and injuries you need to be ready for another beautiful Sunday of watching football.

First, take some of Kurt’s advice if you need a last minute sleeper for your fantasy team. Or, if you feel like joining us for the first week of our Pick ‘em contest, hop on over and submit your picks.

And now, here is a brief outline of everything you need to know about this Sunday’s Week 8 NFL action. (All information current as of the time post was published. Point spread used is Danny Sheridan’s line, published in the USA Today. For the latest or more complete injury updates, go to NFL.com/injuries.)

Oakland Raiders (2-4) at Baltimore Ravens (3-3)

• Point Spread: Baltimore Ravens by 7
• TV Schedule and Announcers: 1:00 on CBS | Ian Eagle and Soloman Wilcots
• Key injuries: Dawan Landry, Samari Rolle, Adam Terry out for Baltimore; Darren McFadden questionable for Oakland
• Watch this game if: You like the suspense of someone potentially committing a homicide on the field.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-2) at Dallas Cowboys (4-3)

• Point Spread:Dallas Cowboys by 2 1/2
• TV Schedule and Announcers: 1:00 on Fox | Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa
• Key injuries: Ike Hilliard is questionable for the Buccaneers; Felix Jones, Terrence Newman, Kyle Kosier, Tony Romo, Anthony Spencer, and Jerry Jones’ pride are all out for the Cowboys.
• Watch this game if: You enjoy witnessing the very public implosion of the Cowboys’ and Jerry Jones’ Super Bowl dreams.

Washington Redskins (5-2) at Detroit Marinellis (0-6)

• Point Spread: Washington Redskins by 7 1/2
• TV Schedule and Announcers: 1:00 on Fox | Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick, Charissa Thompson
• Key injuries: Ladell Betts, Shawn Springs, Malcolm Kelly, Cornelius Griffin are out for the Redskins, while Clinton Portis, Jason Taylor, and LaRon Landry are questionable; Matt Millen is out for the Lions.
• Watch this game if: You don’t have a fork to stick in your eye instead

Buffalo Bills (5-1) at Miami Dolphins (2-4)

• Point Spread: Buffalo Bills by 1
• TV Schedule and Announcers: 1:00 on CBS | Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon
• Key injuries: Aaron Schoebel is out for the Bills
• Watch this game if: You want to see one of Week 8′s upset specials.

St. Louis Rams (2-4) at New England Patriots (4-2)

• Point Spread: New England Patriots by 7 1/2
• TV Schedule and Announcers: 1:00 on Fox | Chris Rose, JC Pearson, Nischelle Turner
• Key injuries: The Rams’ pride is probable and has shown improved mobility over the past two weeks, while Steven Jackson is questionable but expected to play; Rodney Harrison is out for the season and Sammy Morris is uncertain for the Patriots.
• Watch this game if: You want to see an end to the two-game run of excitement for the Rams

San Diego Chargers (3-4) at New Orleans Saints (3-4) – at Wembley Stadium in London

• Point Spread: San Diego Chargers by 3
• TV Schedule and Announcers: 1:00 on CBS | Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
• Key injuries: Craig Davis is out, Antonio Cromartie and Chris Chambers are questionable for the Chargers; Reggie Bush is out for the Saints
• Watch this game if: You want to see one of the most competitive games of the week, as two desperate teams provide an entertaining show to an international audience.

Atlanta Falcons (4-2) at Philadelphia Eagles (3-3)

• Point Spread: Philadelphia Eagles by 9
• TV Schedule and Announcers: 1:00 on Fox | Sam Rosen and Tim Ryan
• Key injuries: Sam Baker and Brent Grimes are questionable for the Falcons; Shawn Andrews is out six weeks for the Eagles while Reggie Brown is questionable
• Watch this game if: You want to see the desperate Eagles remind the Falcons that they are, in fact, the Falcons and that they start a rookie QB (not a good thing against a Jim Johnson defense)

Kansas City Chiefs (1-5) at New York Jets (3-3)

• Point Spread: New York Jets by 13 1/2
• TV Schedule and Announcers: 1:00 on CBS | Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf
• Key injuries: Mike Nugent is out, Jerricho Cotchery, Chris Baker and Damien Woody are questionable for the Jets; Dustin Colquitt is questionable for the Chiefs
• Watch this game if: You want to see the Chiefs play to win the game (but ultimately lose) against Herman Edwards’ old team

Arizona Cardinals (4-2) at Carolina Panthers (5-2)

• Point Spread: Carolina Panthers by 4
• TV Schedule and Announcers: 1:00 on Fox | Matt Vasgersian, Brian Baldinger, Laura Okmin
• Key injuries: Leonard Pope is out, Anquan Boldin and Travis LaBoy are out for the Cardinals; Ryan Kalil and Jeff Otah are doubtful for the Panthers
• Watch this game if: You want to see very strong teams play a great game that could go either way

Cincinnati Bengals (0-7) at Houston Texans (2-4)

• Point Spread: Houston Texans by 9
• TV Schedule and Announcers: 4:05 on CBS | Gus Johnson and Steve Tasker
• Key injuries: Carson Palmer is out for the Bengals and a lot of other players are dinged up but questionable; Dominique Barber and Andre Davis are out for the Texans.
• Watch this game if: You hate yourself

Seattle Seahawks (1-5) at San Francisco 49ers (2-5)

• Point Spread: San Francisco 49ers by 5 1/2
• TV Schedule and Announcers: 4:15 on Fox | Ron Pitts, Tony Boselli, Danyelle Sargent
• Key injuries: Matt Hasselfavre and Will Heller are out for the Seahawks; Dashon Goldson, Jonas Jennings and Ray McDonald are out for the 49ers.
• Watch this game if: You hate yourself a little less than the people watching the Bengals and Texans; or if you love Mike Singletary as this is his first game as head coach

Cleveland Browns (2-4) at Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3)

• Point Spread: Jacksonville Jaguars by 7
• TV Schedule and Announcers: 4:05 on CBS | Dick Enberg and Randy Cross
• Key injuries: Kellen Winslow and Shuan Smith are out, Ryan Tucker is doubtful, Mike Adams and Corey Williams are questionable for the Browns; Matt Jones will play for the Jaguars.
• Watch this game if: You want to see two pretty desperate teams scratch, claw, and fight for a W that each needs badly

New York Giants (5-1) at Pittsburgh Steelers (5-1)

• Point Spread: Pittsburgh Steelers by 3
• TV Schedule and Announcers: 4:15 on Fox | Dick Stockton, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver
• Key injuries: Gerris Wilkinson is out for the Giants; Santonio Holmes and Bryant McFadden are out, Willie Parker is not expected to play for the Steelers.
• Watch this game if: You want to see an outstanding football game, or if you are a Browns fan and want to see the Steelers lose at home

Indianapolis Colts (3-3) at Tennessee Titans (6-0)

• Point Spread: Tennessee Titans by 3 1/2
• TV Schedule and Announcers: 8:30 Monday night on ESPN | Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Tony Kornheiser, Suzy Namath, Michelle Tafoya
• Key injuries: Joseph Addai, Kelvin Hayden (likely out), Bob Sanders (likely out), and Marlin Jackson are questionable for the Colts; Kyle Vanden Bosch, Justin Gage, and Justin McCareins are questionable for the Titans.
• Watch this game if: You want to see the Colts try to stay alive in the AFC South race; should be a good one.

FYI – There is no game on Sunday night because of the World Series.

[tags]nfl, point spreads, nfl week 8[/tags]