Fantasy Football Week 8 Quarterback Start/Sit: Tua Tagovailoa, Kyler Murray, Drake Maye and More

Three quarterbacks to start and three to sit in Week 8 of the NFL season.

The more games that get played, the more the best and worst teams separate from the pack. Most teams sit in the middle, but a special few make us say WOW, both for good and bad reasons.

That separation gives us a clearer picture of which teams can be targeted in fantasy. It’s not always as obvious as it seems at first glance. Bad teams can still have good defenses; the Titans are dragged down by a pitiful offense despite one of the best pass defenses in the league so far.

Let’s look at three quarterbacks to start and three to sit in Week 8. I used NFL’s defensive passing stats and our FantasySP defensive fantasy rankings to help determine which teams are the best and worst to target. I will reference those numbers often.

Start

Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings @ Los Angeles Rams

The Rams have allowed the sixth-most yards per pass attempt this year. They are in the middle in fantasy points per game allowed to QBs, but they’re only a few points from the top 10; the middle is packed very tightly.

Darnold has been a good fantasy quarterback. He’s only QB17, but he has had his bye and had a five-point Week 5, bringing down his numbers. Darnold is coming off a 259-yard performance against the Lions, a team that’s near the middle against quarterbacks.

With a better matchup in this one and Justin Jefferson still running routes, Darnold has a good chance to succeed again in Week 8.

Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins vs. Arizona Cardinals

It looks like Tua is going to be back in the lineup this week after missing four games with a concussion. Miami’s offense was broken without their starting quarterback, and star receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle must feel they’re going from a traffic jam to a wide-open freeway.

Arizona has given up the most yards per pass attempt and the seventh-most fantasy points per game to QBs. Justin Herbert threw for 349 yards against the Cardinals Monday night at nearly nine yards per attempt. Arizona is as giving as any pass defense in football.

There’s always going to be risk with a player returning from a concussion, especially a guy under as much scrutiny as Tagovailoa. With a great matchup and explosive players around him, Tua is in line for a big return, though, and should be in a lineup in every league.

Jameis Winston, Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens

This is a dangerous one, as Winston will be inserted into the lineup after Deshaun Watson’s injury. Cleveland’s offense has been horrible at times under Watson, but there’s hope that the more pass-oriented Winston will improve their efficiency.

Baltimore has allowed the second-most yards per pass attempt and third-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. While the Ravens dominate on offense, their defense is just as bad.

Winston is a low-level streamer, but the matchup is about as good as could be, which puts him on the radar. While he shouldn’t be mistaken for a possible star, Winston is worth a look if you’re without a quarterback.

Sit

Daniel Jones, New York Giants @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Jones isn’t an exciting option, but he has been QB11 or better in three of the seven weeks. He’s worth considering in the right situations, especially because he can run at times.

Week 8 isn’t a good matchup for Jones, as the Steelers have given up the fourth-least fantasy points per week to quarterbacks. They are just in the middle in terms of yards per pass attempt allowed.

One place the Steelers match up well with Jones, though, is stopping the run: Pittsburgh has given up the second-least rushing yards per game to quarterbacks, meaning one of Jones’ main avenues to fantasy production might not be available.

Given his own struggles at times and Pittsburgh’s good defense, Jones is a quarterback to skip in Week 8.

Drake Maye, New England Patriots vs. New York Jets

Maye has had two straight big fantasy weeks to start his career, finishing as QB10 in Week 6 and QB7 in Week 7. A lot of that production came from both throwing a lot to catch up and a good matchup against Jacksonville last week.

This is a different look, as the Jets have allowed the eighth-least yards per pass attempt and the fifth-least fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Russell Wilson tore through this team in Week 7; it was an oddity. The long-term numbers favor the Jets, and I’m trusting that more than one game.

Maye will have plenty more good weeks in his career, but this one isn’t set up for him to succeed.

Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals @ Miami Dolphins

Murray is one of the most dynamic running quarterbacks in the league. He hasn’t been as hot throwing the ball in 2024, failing to reach 200 yards in four of his seven games and topping 215 only once.

He’s averaging more than 45 rushing yards per game and has scored twice. That’s about five fantasy points per game added to his score, a big part of the reason he’s QB7. The matchup isn’t in his favor here, though, making him more of a risky play.

Miami has allowed the least fantasy points per game to quarterbacks and the seventh-fewest yards per pass attempt. While the offense has sputtered without Tagovailoa, the defense has kept up its part of the bargain, at least against the pass.

Specific to Murray, the Dolphins have allowed the fifth-least rushing yards per game to quarterbacks. They’ve faced Trevor Lawrence, Josh Allen, and Anthony Richardson, among others, so that’s an impressive stat.

Richardson did run for 56 yards last week, finding success on the ground, but again, I’m thinking about the long-term numbers and believing Miami can find success against Murray in this one.

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