Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears (hamstring) was downgraded to out for Week 8. Spears did not suit up last weekend but returned to practice this week in a limited capacity. However, he was unable to progress enough and will now set his sights on returning in Week 9 to face the New England Patriots. Spears has been deployed as the No.2 option out of the backfield this season behind Tony Pollard and has only averaged a mere 22.8 rushing yards per game with just one score. Fantasy managers should expect Pollard to see a heavy dose of work on Sunday afternoon but faces a tough challenge as the Lions have allowed the second-fewest PPR points to opposing running backs this season.

From RotoBaller

Denver Broncos kicker Wil Lutz is one of the better Week 8 options when his team takes on the Carolina Panthers. Lutz has been outstanding this season, knocking through all 12 of his extra-point attempts while drilling 17-of-18 field goal tries (94.4%). The 30-year-old gets an excellent matchup this Sunday against a Panthers squad that's allowed 34.7 points per game to their opponents -- the highest mark in the league. With rookie quarterback Bo Nix playing sound football in his first taste of NFL action, the former Georgia State Panther should continue to be among the fantasy leaders at the kicker position. Lutz ranks as RotoBaller's K7 ahead of Sunday's outing.

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Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Chris Boswell continued what has been a sensational 2024 campaign in Week 7 and will stay at home this week for a Monday night showdown against the New York Giants. While it is worth noting that the Giants have not surrendered a ton of production to fantasy kickers, and that this contest is expected to be the lowest-scoring bout of the week, there are reasons to be optimistic about Boswell in this matchup. The Steelers are running the ball at the second-highest rate in the NFL and both defenses have done a good job keeping opponents out of the end zone. In what should be a slow-paced duel, Boswell could be called upon often, especially if New York can prevent Pittsburgh from pushing the ball downfield. There are many kickers in more enticing game environments this week, but Boswell has been steady enough to earn a permanent spot in fantasy lineups.

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Denver Broncos tight end Lucas Krull will face the Carolina Panthers in Week 8 this Sunday. The third-year tight end was the team's second-leading receiver in Week 7's 33-10 domination of a depleted Saints squad. Despite being listed as the second-string option behind teammate Adam Trautman on Denver's depth chart, Krull has out-targeted, out-received, and out-gained Trautman over the last three weeks. Still, even in a juicy matchup against a porous Panthers defense, the 26-year-old will not be a viable fantasy option. The former undrafted free agent is RotoBaller's PPR TE31 ahead of the Week 8 outing.

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Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth has been underwhelming in recent weeks and will look to get back on track against the New York Giants in Week 8. With Russell Wilson under center, Pittsburgh's passing attack was much more exciting last week, but Freiermuth ceded a surprising amount of opportunities to fellow tight end Darnell Washington. The Giants have been stout against opposing tight ends all season, surrendering the sixth-fewest fantasy points per game to the position. Because this contest is expected to be slow-paced and Freiermuth seems to have only a few guaranteed targets, it will be difficult for fantasy managers to rely on him as anything more than a TE2 on Monday night.

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Indianapolis Colts defensive lineman DeForest Buckner (ankle) was activated off the injured reserve and will return to action on Sunday. In a corresponding move the Colts waived running back Evan Hull. Buckner has been sidelined since suffering an ankle injury during the second week of the season. In the season opener, Buckner had a productive afternoon as he tallied six tackles (five solo) with 1.5 sacks. Last season, the lineman posted a career-high 81 tackles with seven pass deflections and eight sacks. Buckner should expected to return to his typical starting role on Sunday afternoon facing the Houston Texans.

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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens finally got rolling this season with Russell Wilson at quarterback in Week 7 and could continue heating up against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football. Pickens has been Pittsburgh's clear top option in the passing game all year but his talents seem to align perfectly with Wilson's style of play. Although the Giants have been solid defensively in 2024, Pickens' near-30% team target share keeps him in fantasy WR2 territory. It's worth noting that this contest is expected to be incredibly low-scoring, so while expectations should be managed, Pickens could still certainly end up on the receiving end of a few if not all deep balls from Wilson. Fantasy managers can confidently deploy him as a top-24 option in Week 8.

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Dallas Cowboys running back Dalvin Cook was elevated to the active roster from the practice squad on Saturday and is expected to make his Dallas debut on Sunday evening in San Francisco according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The veteran running back joined the Cowboys during the last week of August but has yet to see any regular season action. Fantasy managers should monitor his usage on Sunday evening as he could eventually work out a role going forward. Top option Rico Dowdle should be expected to continue to operate as the lead back as he has averaged 62.8 total yards per game with 11.0 PPR points per game while Ezekiel Elliott and Deuce Vaughn have been very unproductive serving as change-of-pace options. Cook is worth taking a flier on in deeper 14+ team formats for the time being.

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Los Angeles Chargers tight end Will Dissly (shoulder) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints. Dissly did not participate during Wednesday's and Thursday's practice but returned to practice on Friday in a limited capacity which is a promising sign for his status this weekend. Last weekend, the 28-year-old tight end saw a hefty 11 targets and was able to bring in eight of them for a season-high 81 yards. With wideouts Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey also listed as questionable, the Chargers may lean heavily on their rushing attack facing one of the worst rushing defenses in football. Fantasy managers should expect J.K. Dobbins to be heavily involved on Sunday and be viewed as a high-end RB2.

From RotoBaller

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris got off to a slow start this season but has turned in two consecutive 100-yard performances with a touchdown. He should have a good shot of continuing this productive stretch against the New York Giants in Week 8. The Giants have given up the eighth-most rushing yards per game in 2024 and were carved up for 269 yards on the ground by Saquon Barkley and the Eagles in Week 7. Pittsburgh's defense has been elite and will likely make things difficult for New York's offense on Monday night. The Steelers should be expected to lean on the running game led by Harris with Jaylen Warren mixing in. Harris arguably looks the best he ever has through four years in the NFL and should be fired up as a solid fantasy RB2 in this matchup.

From RotoBaller

Denver Broncos wide receiver Devaughn Vele will square off against the Carolina Panthers this Sunday in Week 8. Vele recorded just one catch on three targets for 20 yards in last Thursday's win over the Saints, the lowest totals of his career thus far. It's a stark contrast to the 78 yards on 4-of-6 receiving he racked up the week prior, but in his defense, rookie quarterback Bo Nix was asked to do less in the win over New Orleans as opposed to the loss against the Chargers. The rookie wideout gets a juicy outing against a sieve-like Panthers defense this Sunday. Still, the seventh-round pick in this year's draft is not a reliable fantasy option just yet. His early career involvement, however, is encouraging. As RotoBaller's PPR WR74 ahead of Week 8, the rookie wideout is little more than a desperate dart throw.

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New England Patriots safety Kyle Dugger (ankle) was added to the injury report and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the New York Jets. Dugger initially opened the week as a limited participant during Wednesday's practice but then upgraded to full participation on Thursday. However, seeing Dugger return to the injury report and now carrying a designation is not a positive sign for his status on Sunday. Through six games this season, the 28-year-old has tallied 35 tackles (26 solo) with one sack and one forced fumble. If he is unable to suit up, fantasy managers in IDP formats should expect Jaylinn Hawkins to see an increase in snaps.

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Dynasty | The Dallas Cowboys are considering elevating Dalvin Cook from the practice squad this week. Dynasty Analysis: Cook was signed to the practice squad at the beginning of the season and poised to be a part of the offense early, but that never materialized. With Dallas struggling in the run game thus far, they may have nothing to lose by seeing what Cook may have left in the tank. The former All-Pro is again roster worthy in dynasty leagues, but expectations should be tempered.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Dynasty | Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson had successful surgery to repair his torn Achilles. Dynasty Analysis: The good news is the surgery should be enough to get him back on the field in 2025. The bad news is the fact nobody may want him after his disastrous tenure in Cleveland and an image that has taken more hits than most ever have. Watson is still under contract with the Browns and they'd have to swallow a massive amount of money to move forward. However, with just one win on the year and a season spiraling down the toilet, they may just have to draft a quarterback this Spring and swallow their pride. Watson is going to be cut in most dynasty leagues this week if he hasn't been already.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Dynasty | 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey is slated to return as early as week ten. Dynasty Analysis: Nothing is imminent here as the 49ers have still failed to open the practice window for McCaffrey. Still, things seem to be trending in the right direction. This is a delicate situation for San Francisco as McCaffrey would clearly give the team a much needed boost, but bringing him back too soon could put him at risk of rupturing his Achilles, a potentially career and franchise-altering injury. McCaffrey will return to the RB1 ranks whenever he comes back but his dynasty value is starting to sink a touch.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Dynasty | Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has cleared concussion protocol and will start this week against Arizona. Dynasty Analysis: The entire Earth is going to hold its collective breath as Tua returns from his latest scary incident. His return should give the entire offense a collective boost, but every football fan is more concerned about his long-term health at the moment. On the plus side, the experts have cleared him and they certainly know more than the general public. Tua should be a QB1 moving forward but his dynasty value has likely hit its apex as one more head injury could end his career.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Denver Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin will line up against a weak Carolina Panthers defense this Sunday in Week 8. The rookie wideout started the season cold in a part-time role, playing fewer than 20 snaps in each of his first four appearances. However, he's seen his snap share tick up over the last few weeks (36/33) and responded with increased production. Franklin had his best outing of the season on Thursday Night Football a week ago, racking up 50 yards while hauling in 5-of-6 targets. He gets an even better matchup this week against a Panthers D that's been the worst in the league on a per-play basis against opposing pass attacks. The former Oregon Duck can't precisely be trusted as an every-week option just yet, but his usage may continue to increase as the season wanes on. Additionally, his collegiate connection with quarterback Bo Nix could prove helpful in the back half of the season. Franklin is the PPR WR58 this week in RotoBaller's ranks.

From RotoBaller

Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels (ribs) remains questionable for Sunday's game according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Rapoport further reported that the rookie will do a walk-through, and go through further treatment on Saturday. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his progress throughout the weekend as the former number-two overall selection will likely be a game-time decision. If Daniels is able to suit up, he should be locked into all lineups as a high-end option as he has averaged an impressive 25.1 PPR points per game through his first six NFL games. If not, Marcus Mariota should be viewed as a solid QB2 in deeper Superflex formats.

From RotoBaller

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson will follow up an impressive Week 7 outing with a Monday night showdown against the New York Giants. Wilson found the end zone three times last week in what should have been a difficult matchup against the Jets' defense. The Giants have been much more generous to quarterbacks this season than their New York counterparts, surrendering the 10th-most fantasy points per game to the position. However, this contest is projected to be the lowest-scoring affair of the week and should make for a relatively slow-paced environment. Wilson could be a potential streaming candidate in single-quarterback leagues at some point in 2024, but for now, he's best viewed as a low-end QB2 in superflex formats and should only be started as such in Week 8.

From RotoBaller

Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton gets one of the better matchups this Sunday when his team squares off against the Carolina Panthers. The SMU alum goose-egg'd fantasy managers last Thursday night in Denver's 33-10 route of the New Orleans Saints. Though, cornerback Marshon Lattimore may have played a large part in that. This week, however, he'll get a much softer matchup against one of the worst defensive units in the league. Carolina allows the most pass yards per play to opposing offenses (7.6) and has turned opponents over just six times this year -- thrice through the air. It's possible Denver leads with a run-heavy game plan, mainly if second-year Panthers QB Bryce Young can't make it a contest. Still, this matchup is as good as any to start the 29-year-old. Sutton is RotoBaller's PPR WR35 ahead of Sunday's outing.

From RotoBaller