| | | | Sunday, November 1, 2020 | | We've got some big names returning from injuries in Week 8 — Dalvin Cook, Allen Robinson, Phillip Lindsay, Dallas Goedert, Tevin Coleman, to name a few — but we've got a lot more who aren't going to suit up Sunday and Monday. Aaron Jones, Joe Mixon, Miles Sanders, Chris Godwin, Michael Thomas ... throw in DeAndre Hopkins and Kenyan Drake and you've got got about one-third of the first two rounds in most Fantasy drafts sidelined this week. | | And that's not the entire list of absences, which means you may have some tough decisions to make about your lineups before even considering the impact weather may have on Raiders-Browns, Titans-Bengals, Vikings-Packers, or Saints-Bears, all of which have wind advisories today. Even Mother Nature isn't cooperating this week. | | The Fantasy Football Today team is here to help. In today's newsletter, I've got the latest on all of the injuries and replacements you need to know about for Week 8 along with answers to some of your reader questions in a Start/Sit #AskFFT mailbag. And you need to tune in to Fantasy Football Today live on CBS Sports HQ until kickoff. We're also answering your questions on our Twitch stream starting at noon and going until kickoff — and you can always drop your questions on Twitter using the hashtag "#AskFFT" because the whole team is answering questions this morning. | | Here's everything else you need to prepare for Week 8: Start 'Em & Sit 'Em | Dave Richard's Week 8 Preview | QB Start 'Em & Sit 'Em | RB Start 'Em & Sit 'Em | PPR Cheat Sheet | Non-PPR Cheat Sheet | Trade Values | Biggest Questions | QB Preview | RB Preview | WR Preview | TE Preview | Rest-of-Season Rankings | Cut List | Waiver Wire | Winners and Losers | Believe It or Not | | | | Week 8 Injury Updates | | | | Here are the key injury situations we're watching out for Sunday, along with some potential fill-in options if you need help: | | Quarterback | | Thankfully, there aren't really any QB issues to worry about. Andy Dalton won't play due to his concussion, with Ben DiNucci starting in his place against the Eagles. You probably weren't starting Dalton anyway, and you definitely shouldn't start DiNucci. | | Running back | | In: Dalvin Cook (groin), Tevin Coleman (knee; off IR) Likely to play: Phillip Lindsay (concussion), Damien Harris (ankle) Legitimately questionable: Chris Carson (foot), Frank Gore (hand), Travis Homer (knee) Out: Aaron Jones (calf), Joe Mixon (foot), Miles Sanders (knee), Mark Ingram (ankle; doubtful), Jeff Wilson (ankle; IR), Carlos Hyde (hamstring; doubtful), Devonta Freeman (ankle) | | Throw in Kenyan Drake/Chase Edmonds, Antonio Gibson/J.D. McKissic, James Robinson, and David Johnson, and there's just a ton of absences to deal with this week. Which means you might have no choice but to start someone like Coleman or Harris, even if we might not know what kind of role they are likely to play. | | Fill-ins to consider: Lamical Perine (47%) — Even if Gore plays, Perine has been the lead back for the Jets the last two weeks, and should be in line for 15 or so touches. You're hoping for a touchdown and at last a few targets with the Jets chasing points, but he's probably the best widely available option if you're in a pinch ... Gus Edwards (32%) — If Perine isn't the best option, Edwards is. It's not clear how he and J.K. Dobbins will split work with Ingram out, but my guess is Edwards is the lead runner, especially near the goal line, while Dobbins sees maybe 10 carries plus whatever passing game work there is. If Dobbins is available (77%), he's a fine PPR fill-in as well ... Wayne Gallman (43%) — Gallman isn't an especially impressive talent, and he's got a tough matchup against the Buccaneers Monday night, but he should at least see plenty of work. I would start him over anyone in San Francisco or New England's backfields, at least ... Tevin Coleman (47%)/JaMycal Hasty (82%) — It's legitimately hard to say what kind of role Coleman or Hasty is likely to have, especially since Jerick McKinnon's role is totally in flux after he played sparingly the last two weeks despite injuries to Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson . If I had to play one of them, it would probably be Hasty, but it also wouldn't surprise me if Coleman was the lead back right off IR ... | | | | Wide receiver | | In: John Brown (knee), Allen Robinson (concussion), Michael Pittman (leg; IR), Jalen Reagor (thumb; IR), Legitimately questionable: Tim Patrick (hamstring), Bryan Edwards (ankle/foot) Out: Michael Thomas (ankle/hamstring), Jamison Crowder (groin), Emmanuel Sanders (COVID-19/Reserve), Chris Godwin (finger), Deebo Samuel (hamstring), Sammy Watkins (hamstring), Julian Edelman (knee), N'Keal Harry (concussion), | | There aren't a ton of players we're waiting on the status of, just a lot of holes to fill. | | Fill-ins to consider: Corey Davis (66%) — Davis has 29 targets in four games, with at least 11.9 PPR points in all four ... Scott Miller (55%) — If Mike Evans draws James Bradberry, in coverage, Miller could continue to be Tom Brady's preferred deep target, something he has been all season ... Preston Williams (43%) — The assumption is DeVante Parker will remain Miami's No. 1 option, but it's at least possible Williams sees an increased role coming out of the bye with Tua Tagovailoa making his first NFL start. And, with Parker likely to draw more of Jalen Ramsey's attention, Williams could be in for a breakout performance ... Tre'Quan Smith (50%) - With Thomas and Sanders out along with last week's breakout, Marquez Callaway, Smith should be the No. 1 wide receiver for the Saints, though Alvin Kamara will be the No. 1 target, and Jared Cook could see a similar amount of targets as Smith. | | Tight end | | In: Dallas Goedert (ankle; IR) Questionable: Tyler Higbee (hand) Out: Austin Hooper (appendectomy), Mo Ali-Cox (knee) Fill-ins to consider: Dallas Goedert (61%) — Goedert's role in his first game back remains to be seen, but if he plays anything like a full snap share, he's going to be worth starting for Fantasy. You may not have a better option, and you certainly won't find one with more rest-of-season upside, which makes the Week 8 uncertainty worth overlooking ... Harrison Bryant (32%) — Bryant figures to see an increased workload coming off his two-touchdown game in Hooper's absence, and is a fine fill-in option. David Njoku (20%) is a bit more of a long shot, but he's worth considering, too. | | | #AskFFT Mailbag
| | | | If you want your questions answered, head to Twitter and use "#AskFFT" and we'll be answering them all morning. Here are some of the key questions I received Sunday morning: | | Benjamin: I have Ezekiel Elliot, Giovani Bernard, Jamaal Williams, and Boston Scott. Would you play Gio, Williams, and Scott and sit Elliot? Dallas will be playing from behind on the road and forced to pass with a rookie QB … the other guys have pretty good match ups. | | In nearly all situations, I am going to say start Elliott, because he should continue to see a bunch of targets in addition to his usual heavy workload in the running game. However, in this instance, it's not inconceivable that you might sit Elliott — in fact, it might be the best move. I view Bernard, Williams, and Scott as top-15 backs this week given their expected roles as the starter. What you love about that trio is they should have plenty of opportunities to make plays in the passing game, and all three have the trust of their coaches near the goal line. You'll never feel great sitting someone like Elliott, but in this spot, I think I would. | | Jennifer: Need two WR, because I'm starting Hasty in the flex: Amari Cooper, Nelson Agholor, Cole Beasley, Rashard Higgins, Greg Ward. | | I'm probably still rolling with Cooper in this one, despite the bad situation with the third-string QB in. Cooper is the kind of player who can justify a spot in your starting lineup with a single play, and I'll bet he remains the Cowboys go-to option in the passing game. And I'll go with Beasley as my No. 2, given how consistently useful he has been really going back to the last year or so — including 11 PPR points in six straight this season. He doesn't have that 120-yard upside you hope for, but he has a consistent role, with similar upside to the rest of this group. If you need someone who may have that 100-yards-and-a-touchdown upside, Higgins' big-play ability makes him a threat to go off for a long touchdown and a big game with one play, though he's certainly riskier than Beasley, as well. | | Steven: I'm in a standard league and need two WR: Justin Jefferson, Chase Claypool, T.Y. Hilton, Michael Gallup, Mecole Hardman. | | Even with weather concerns, Jefferson is a must-start option for me. He's just been too good too often this season. It's a lot trickier after that, but I think I would roll with Claypool, who was still solidly third on the team in snaps last week despite being overshadowed by JuJu Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson. Claypool still has plenty of upside, especially if the Ravens focus defensive attention on Johnson and Smith-Schustert. | | Marty: Pick two: James Conner, Darrell Henderson, Melvin Gordon, Giovani Bernard. | | Conner and Bernard. Henderson seems stuck right at that 15-carry mark, with Malcolm Brown mixing in for a healthy workload and potentially vulturing touchdowns each week, while Gordon has Phillip Lindsay likely active to split work with. Bernard and Conner should be their team's go-to backs in pretty much every situation. | | Jeffrey: I have James Robinson on a bye and Kenyan Drake on a bye/injured, leaving me with Alvin Kamara, Latavius Murray and Joshua Kelley. In 20 years of fantasy football I have never started two running backs on the same team, but Kelley has not been all that impressive and Denver's run D is pretty good, so do I start Murray over Kelly? | | I don't have any problem starting multiple backs from the same backfield if the situation calls for it, and in this case, I think it does. The Saints WR injuries mean Kamara should remain the No. 1 option in the passing game, and Murray could even see a few targets given the windy conditions they are likely to be playing in. That duo very well could combine for 30 touches in this one, and Kelley just hasn't looked good enough to say he's a significantly better option than Murray. | | Michael: I'm starting Clyde Edwards-Helaire but I need to start another RB between Boston Scott, J.K. Dobbins, or Myles Gaskin? I also need to start two of the following three: Adam Thielen, Travis Kelce, or Robert Woods? | | While Dobbins is an interesting option, it comes down to Scott vs. Gaskin for me. Both should have really solid roles in both the running and passing games, but I'll give Scott the edge because the matchup agains the Cowboys is just so much better than Gaskin's vs. the Rams. And you're sitting Woods among that trio of pass catchers, though the windy weather in Green Bay does make me a little concerned for Thielen, who relies on down-field throws in Minnesota's offense. | | | | | | | | 24/7 Sports News | | Parlay Pick'em | ✔Scores & Highlights
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