It's not the sexiest NFL slate on tap this week but there are quite a few games that carry some moderately high intrigue. We'll get a look at some of the top DFS plays to target this Sunday.

By: @Ryan_Humphries

Week 8 NFL PreSnap Podcast 🎙️

Catch Tyler Wiemann and Shannon Sommerville's run down on this Sunday's NFL DFS main slate!

Also, for anyone looking to roll out some NFL props this week, be sure to check out the info and videos at the end of this article featuring usage of LineStar's new Prop Edge+ for NFL tool. This tool can help make prop bettors some extra cash -- especially on sites like PrizePicks and UnderDog Fantasy!

A free two-pick PrizePicks "Power Play" is posted at the end of this article as well!

Week 8 DFS Main Slate Rundown 📝

We've got some interesting DFS decisions to make on this slate, and it will all start at the QB position. More on that below but, for now, let's get locked and loaded for this intriguing week eight 11-game NFL slate!

Main slate match-ups with implied point totals and spreads:

Weather Report

As a reminder, weather plays less of a factor in football than it does in other sports but it is still worth making note of any games that could see wet conditions, high winds, or (when we get into the winter months) frigid, snowy conditions.

The forecasts can always change so, as always, run a final weather check closer to kickoff!

NYG @ SEA (4:25 ET, 44.5 O/U): Classic Seattle weather. Temps in the 50s, 10+ mph winds, and light rain is expected to fall throughout this game. It’s not incredibly ugly but it is the one poor weather game worth mentioning on the slate.

Quarterbacks to Consider

Potential quarterback targets at high/mid/low price points.

Jalen Hurts, PHI | DK: $8.3k, FD: $9.2k | vs. PIT

You’re paying top dollar at the position but, coming out of the bye week, Hurts provides an excellent floor in a tremendous match-up. He’s averaging 12.8 rush attempts per game and has at least nine rush attempts in every game this season. The Steelers are allowing over 8.0 yards per pass attempt over their last four games so Hurts should have some success through the air as well. The only worry here is the potential for a negative game script since the Eagles are extremely heavy -10.5 favorites.

Kirk Cousins, MIN | DK: $6.1k, FD: $7.8k | vs. ARI

Minnesota is also coming fresh off of a bye week and could be involved in one of the highest-scoring games on this slate (49 O/U). The Vikings have been the 6th most pass-heavy teams in the NFL (63.8% pass play%) and the Cardinals' defense has allowed 7.1 YPA this season (10th highest). Arizona is also allowing a score on an NFL-high 45.8% of opponent drives. Cousins hasn’t shown a tremendous fantasy ceiling, mainly because he hasn’t thrown more than two TDs in any game this season. The Cardinals are fairly tough against the run (6th in rush DVOA) so if the Vikings put a heavier emphasis on Cousins and the passing game, he could easily post his best fantasy score of the year. He’s a strong GPP target who should check in with around 10% ownership.

Sam Ehlinger, IND | DK: $4k, FD: $6k | vs. WAS

By the time the surprise news broke that Ehlinger would take over as the Colts' starting QB for the remainder of the season, DFS salaries were already out for the week. As a result, we get Ehlinger at the stone minimum on both sites. In his second season on an NFL roster, Ehlinger went 24-of-29 passing for 289 yards and four TDs (no INTs) in the preseason and he has shown the ability to add on some rushing yards as well. You can only place so much trust in a guy making his first career NFL start but, at these DFS price points, Ehlinger will be tough to ignore -- especially at $4,000 on DraftKings. He should be a popular option in cash games this week, and rightfully so.

To pivot off of Ehlinger, perhaps consider Titans QB Malik Willis (DK: $5k, FD: $6.7k) @ HOU. Willis is poised to get his first NFL start with Ryan Tannehill out this week and he’s a big rookie talent who can do plenty of damage running the ball as well.

Running Backs to Consider

Potential running back targets at high/mid/low price points.

Derrick Henry, TEN | DK: $8.4k, FD: $10k | @ HOU

To repeat last week’s mantra: “Running backs against Houston, running backs against Houston, running backs against Houston.” It just makes sense, especially when you have the option to play a stud like Henry against them. The Texans have surrendered the most FPPG to opposing RBs this season and Josh Jacobs just carved them up for 143 yards (7.2 YPC!) and three TDs a week ago. Henry has handled at least 25 touches in Tennessee’s last four games and what a surprise, they are 4-0 in that stretch. With rookie QB Malik Willis taking over as the starter this week, expect another heavy lean on Henry and the run game.

Josh Jacobs, LV | DK: $7.5k, FD: $9k | @ NO

The Josh Jacobs gravy train will surely derail at some point following three consecutive ceiling performances, but until it does, he has to be on the DFS radar for another week. Jacobs is averaging a whopping 6.4 YPC over his last three games while punching in six TDs. He has given the Raiders zero reason *not* to let him run the rock 20+ times yet again. The Saints are middle-of-the-road against the run and rank 19th in rush DVOA. If Jacobs does see some regression on the ground, he is still a candidate to catch a handful of passes out of the backfield. Jacobs is averaging 5.0 TGT/gm and 4.5 rec/gm over his last four starts.

Kenneth Walker III, SEA | DK: $6.5k, FD: $8.4k | vs. NYG

Walker’s 23 carries last week represented a 36.5% touch% -- the 6th highest touch% of the week. On his 74-yard touchdown run, Walker reached a speed of 22.09 mph -- the fastest speed by a ball carrier this NFL season. The kid can scoot and he has wasted no time showing why he was arguably the top RB talent in the 2022 NFL Draft. The Giants are allowing 5.7 YPC to opposing RBs this season so another 20+ touch game should lead to some further strong results out of Walker. The somewhat sloppy weather conditions in this game could also lead to a very run-oriented approach for both teams.

Tony Pollard, DAL | DK: $6.1k, FD: $6.3k | vs. CHI

Now that Zeke Elliott (knee) is officially listed as doubtful, Pollard is poised to take on more of a featured role. Pollard has looked better than Zeke in just about every game this season but the Cowboys do seem reluctant to ever give him a heavy workload. With that in mind, Pollard may not end up being a complete bellcow but here’s to hoping for around 15-20 carries and a few catches as well. Pollard ranks 6th among NFL RBs in yards after contact per attempt and he’s a big play threat any time he finds some space. The expected game script looks great as well with the Cowboys being -10 home favorites against a Bears team that allows the 8th most FPPG to RBs.

Raheem Mostert, MIA | DK: $5.9k, FD: $6.8k | @ DET

Mostert now has 15+ touches in four straight games while playing 66% of snaps. It’s safe to say that he has firmly supplanted Chase Edmonds as the Dolphins’ primary RB. He’ll draw a juicy domed match-up against Detroit which has allowed the 3rd most FPPG to RBs and an NFL-high 10 rushing TDs to RBs.

D’Onta Foreman, CAR | DK: $5.3k, FD: $6.4k | @ ATL

In the post-Christian McCaffrey era, the Panthers utilized an RBBC approach last week with Foreman (54% snap%, 15 car, 118 yards, 2 rec, 27 yards) and Chuba Hubbard (46% snap%, 9 car, 63 yards, 2 rec, 10 yards) splitting snaps almost evenly. Foreman took full advantage of his opportunities while averaging 7.9 YPC against the Bucs and now Hubbard (ankle) has been ruled out for this game against the Falcons. Foreman was a useful replacement for the Titans in the latter half of last season while Derrick Henry was out. This looks to be an ugly, low-scoring game with the Falcons (26th in rush DVOA) but his potential for 20+ touches will keep Foreman firmly in play for GPPs.

Wide Receivers to Consider

Potential wide receiver targets at high/mid/low price points.

Justin Jefferson, MIN | DK: $9.1k, FD: $9k | vs. ARI

Well, if we like Cousins this week, we’ve gotta love his top target Justin Jefferson who owns a 30% TGT% and 38.8% share of the team's total air yards. Both of the offenses in this game rank inside the top 10 in offensive tempo so there should be plenty of plays to go around. The Cardinals' secondary has allowed the 4th most FPPG to perimeter WRs this season, which is where Jefferson aligns on 67% of his routes.

Tyreek Hill, MIA | DK: $8.5k, FD: $8.7k | @ DET

Tyreek’s target load is nearing Cooper Kupp territory. In fact, Tyreek’s 12.3 TGT/gm in his last four games is noticeably higher than Kupp’s (10.8 TGT/gm L4Gms). It wasn’t an ultra-efficient game on Sunday Night Football where Hill only caught seven of his 13 targets, but on the season he is bringing in an impressive 73.1% of his looks. There is not a thing wrong with the match-up against a Lions secondary that is allowing the 11th most FPPG to WRs.

DeAndre Hopkins, ARI | DK: $7.4k, FD: $7.9k | @ MIN

If last week was any indication, Hopkins may very well lead all WRs on this slate in targets. In his first NFL game since week 14 of last season, Hopkins looked as if he didn’t skip a beat while immediately stepping in as QB Kyler Murray’s go-to receiver. Hopkins’ 14 targets against the Saints represented an NFL-high 48.3% TGT% for week seven and he commanded 60.7% of the team’s total air yards in that game. Hopkins might be in line for another big day against a Vikings defense that has allowed the 10th most FPPG to WRs over their last four games.

Chris Olave, NO | DK: $6k, FD: $6.9k | vs. LV

Olave continued his impressive rookie season last week on TNF where he brought in seven catches (14 targets) for 106 yards. With Michael Thomas (foot) and Jarvis Landry (ankle) ruled out for yet another game, Olave should be the go-to option in the Saints passing attack once again. Olave missed week six, but in weeks five and seven, when Thomas and Landry were both sidelined, the rookie owned a team-high 28.2% TGT% and a 42.2% AirYard%. The Raiders secondary has struggled in recent weeks (8th most FPPG to WRs L4Gms) so there is not much to complain about match-up-wise.

DJ Moore, CAR | DK: $5.3k, FD: $6.2k | @ ATL

Moore has averaged 9.0 TGT/gm over Carolina’s last four games which works out to an elite 30.5% TGT% to go along with a 44.7% AirYard%. Moore runs routes fairly equally on each side of the field as well as in the slot. His usage all over the field bodes well against a Falcons secondary that has allowed the 5th most FPPG to perimeter WRs and the 4th most FPPG to slot WRs. Moore is a great WR talent but he has been hampered by poor QB situations. At least now, Moore’s recent uptick in target volume is off-setting some of the issues the Panthers have at QB. We can consider Moore a quality value option this week.

Wan’Dale Robinson, NYG | DK: $4.7k, FD: $5.9k | @ SEA

Robinson can do some great things when the football is in his hands so the Giants are going to continue to manufacture the rookie some receptions close to the line of scrimmage. Robinson has only a 5.0-yard aDOT this season but that has led to a high 76.9% catch%. The Giants are thin on playmakers outside of Saquon so Robinson’s emergence over the last couple of weeks is certainly a welcomed addition. The Seahawks have been tough against perimeter WRs (3rd fewest FPPG allowed) but they’ve been soft against the slot (9th most FPPG allowed) which is where Robinson has run 78% of his routes.

Tight Ends to Consider

Tight end targets at high/mid/low price points.

Tyler Higbee, LAR | DK: $4.2k, FD: $6k | vs. SF

I believe we can throw Higbee’s week one-catch week six performance out of the window since the Rams tight end came into that game nursing an ankle injury. He’s had two weeks to heal up as the Rams come out of their bye week and, before that week six game, Higbee had averaged 9.6 TGT/gm which represented a 25.6% TGT%. Veeeery few tight ends in the league get that sort of volume and the Rams have really needed Higbee to step up as another viable receiver behind Cooper Kupp because Allen Robinson II sure isn’t getting it done. The 49ers have had issues against the tight end in recent weeks and Higbee posted his best fantasy game against them in week four when he caught 10-of-14 targets for 73 yards.

Irv Smith Jr., MIN | DK: $3.5k, FD: $5k | vs. ARI

Tight ends against the Cardinals is getting dangerously close to becoming an outright flow chart play each week. A tight end has gone for double-digit DKFP against the Cardinals in 6-of-7 games this season. Overall, Arizona has allowed the most TDs, the most receptions, and the 2nd most FPPG to opposing TEs. Irv Smith Jr. has only averaged 4.8 TGT/gm this season but he deserves an expectations boost in this match-up.

Chris Myarick, NYG | DK: $2.8k, FD: $4.6k | @ SEA

This is nothing more than a complete (DraftKings preferred) GPP dart throw. Daniel Bellinger (eye) is out for this game so some combination of Myarick, Tanner Hudson, or Lawrence Cager (recently elevated from the practice squad) will see snaps as the Giants remaining healthy TEs. Myarick seems like the front-runner to receive the largest uptick in snaps. He played 60% of snaps last week and caught both of his targets for 21 yards. The Seahawks have been obliterated by opposing TEs this season, allowing the most FPPG to the position. Assuming Myarick is the primary Giants TE this week, he’ll have some sneaky lottery ticket upside.

Defenses to Consider

D/ST is a very volatile “position” and shouldn’t take up too much time in your DFS research. However, here are some D/STs I’m on board with this week.

Stud D/ST: Dallas Cowboys | DK; $4k, FD: $5k | vs. CHI

Mid-Range D/ST: San Francisco 49ers | DK: $3.1k, FD: $4.5k | @ LAR

DraftKings Value D/ST: New York Jets | DK: $2.9k, FD: $4.5k | vs. NE

Stacks & Bring Backs 🥞

Below are a few team/game stack ideas to consider for this slate. In some examples, I will include a “bring back” option which will feature a normal "QB + Receiver" stack along with a player from the opposing team in the same game that could also benefit should the primary "QB + Receiver" stack go off.

QB + WR/TE + Opp Receiver

Jalen Hurts, DeVonta Smith, George Pickens

QB + WR/TE + Opp Receiver

Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Amon-Ra St. Brown

QB + Two Pass Catchers (aka “Double Stack”)

Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson, Irv Smith Jr.

QB + Two Pass Catchers (aka “Double Stack”)

Kyler Murray, DeAndre Hopkins, Zach Ertz

Full Team Stack - QB/WR/RB

Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Tony Pollard

Value Team Stack

Sam Ehlinger, Parris Campbell, Jonathan Taylor

“Ugly Duckling Game Stack” | QB + WR + Opp WR

Daniel Jones, Wan’Dale Robinson, Tyler Lockett

Touchdown Call 🏈

Derrick Henry, TEN | DK: $8.4k, FD: $10k | @ HOU

Reminder: Follow @LineStarApp on Twitter and retweet the weekly Touchdown Calls tweet! Three retweeters are randomly selected and assigned a player from the TD calls between myself, @FlatTyler83, and @ShannonOnSports. If your player scores a touchdown, you’ll win your choice of cash (via PayPal) or a one-month subscription to LineStar!

PrizePicks Sunday NFL Power Play ⚡

This is a two-pick NFL "Power Play" I have over on PrizePicks. Nothing is ever a guarantee to hit but these props did stand out so I'll be rolling it out with confidence! If it hits, it will return a 3x payout!

DeAndre Hopkins MORE than 10.5 Receiving Targets

Tyler Higbee MORE than 6.5 Receiving Targets

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Once again, if you have any questions DM me on Twitter or hit me up in LineStar chat @Ryan_Humphries. Good luck this week!

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