Week #8 of the NFL season is upon us, and it’s time to start thinking about drafting your daily fantasy football team. If you already have a basic idea of who you want to include on your team, this quick comparison of some of the top ranked players at each position will hopefully point you in the right direction if you need some help narrowing down your list. If you haven’t thought about drafting your team yet, this will allow you to make your choices with more ease.
Quarterback
Drew Brees: Brees is having a strong season from a fantasy point of view. He is averaging 350.2 yards per game right now and has 17 touchdowns. In many leagues, he is the second best QB in average fantasy points. But this week, as he goes against the Seattle Seahawks at home, he has potential to be the best. Yes, the Seahawks have the 7th best defense in the NFL against the throwing game, but Brees plays better at home, and the only QB ranked higher than Brees is going up against an even tougher defense. Plus, Brees is likely to be a lot cheaper than other choices. That gives him a ton of fantasy potential this weekend.
Tom Brady: There is little doubt in most people’s minds right now that Tom Brady is the best fantasy QB in the NFL. He has been almost flawless in every appearance so far this season, and even when he has a poor showing like he did last weekend against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Brady is still a top performer. But there are two things to consider before you draft Brady this week. One, he’s probably going to be the most expensive QB in your league. He might be worth it, but he might not be, too. Two, The Patriots are going up against the Buffalo Bills this weekend, who have one of the top rated defenses in the league. Brady will likely play well, but you are probably not going to get the value out of him that you expect.
Wide Receiver
Julio Jones: Julio Jones has been having a great season, both from a production point of view, and from a fantasy point of view. He’s averaging 118.6 yards per game and has 4 touchdowns. This weekend, the Falcons are going up against the Green Bay Packers, though. While not the worst passing defense out there, they are still pretty strong. Jones will be limited in potential this week, and that takes away some of his value. He is extremely expensive in pretty much every league, and as a result of that, Jones is a strong consideration as a fade this week. Wait for his price to come down and draft him in better settings.
T.Y. Hilton: The Indianapolis Colts have really struggled to put points on the board, but that hasn’t stopped Andrew Luck from posting great fantasy numbers. With T.Y. Hilton as his favorite target and with the Kansas City Chiefs having one of the worst passing defenses in the league right now, Hilton is poised for a strong showing here. If he isn’t too expensive in your fantasy league, he has potential to be one of the best value picks of the weekend. We highly recommend him.
Running Back
Devonta Freeman: Freeman is an easy pass this week. Yes, he’s a great RB and has some of the strongest numbers out there, but with the Falcons going against the Packers this week, the run game will be limited. We should expect Matt Ryan to focus on the pass, and we should see a lot more short passes to lesser used players, especially as Jones will be getting a lot of coverage. Freeman can be passed by this week without regret.
Spencer Ware: Ware is the most likely candidate for a strong value showing this week. The Chiefs have a weak defense, but a strong running game in Ware, and the Indianapolis Colts running defense is even weaker here. This gives Ware a ton of potential to run the ball. The Colts have allowed a lot of points this season, and Ware is the most likely candidate to put up even more against them.
