Week 8 Thursday Night Fantasy Football Starting Options: Are Minnesota's Sam Darnold and Jordan Addison Worth Starts? Should You Start Cooper Kupp in His Return?
Breaking down the best fantasy football starting options from the week 8 Thursday night game between the Vikings and Rams.
Week 8 of the NFL season kicks off with a fun matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams.
Let’s go over the top starting options from the contest.
Looking for start/sit help? Be sure to check out the FantasySP Who Should I Start tool.
Quarterbacks
Sam Darnold and Matthew Stafford will lead their teams into battle tonight. There’s a rumor floating around that these two could be traded for each other, and while I don’t think it happens, it does add some intrigue to the contest.
Darnold has struggled a bit over the past two weeks compared to what he did in weeks 1-4. He has completed 66.5% of his passes for 1,370 yards, 12 touchdowns and five interceptions. He’s also got 100 rushing yards.
Stafford has struggled while playing without his top two receivers. He’s completed 66.7% of his passes for 1,392 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions. Stafford has lost three yards as a runner.
It’s a pretty similar matchup for the two quarterbacks, as the defenses allow 15 fantasy points per week to opposing quarterbacks. Darnold is projected for 15 fantasy points, while Stafford is set for 13.
With at least one of Stafford’s receivers back (we’ll get into that soon), and thinking the Rams might be trailing for a decent portion of this game, I actually like Stafford over Darnold on Thursday night. Check back later today for a bigger QB start decision story!
Running Backs
Kyren Williams and Aaron Jones are the workhorse backs for their respective teams.
Williams has 436 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 116 attempts this season. He’s also got 71 receiving yards and a score on 14 catches and 15 targets.
Blake Corum has been the top backup the past couple weeks, and gotten nine touches over that span. Corum has 64 rushing yards and eight receiving yards on 16 carries and one catch and target. Ronnie Rivers is another option, but has only 11 touches (10 carries and one catch/target) for 51 total yards.
Jones has rushed 85 times for 443 yards and two scores. He’s also got 190 receiving yards and a touchdown on 20 catches and 23 targets.
Ty Chandler is the top backup, rushing 44 times for 151 yards, but no scores. He’s added 42 yards on six catches and targets.
It’s a tough matchup for the Rams’ backs and a slightly above-average test for the Vikings’ RBs. In the week 8 projections, Jones is projected for 17 PPR fantasy points, while Williams is at 15. Chandler sits at five points, while Corum is at just three.
I know it’s a tougher matchup for Williams, but I still like him over Jones in this contest. I like Chandler over Williams, but would try to stay away from each guy in deeper leagues.
Wide Receivers
Here’s where things get fun, because the Rams are dealing with several injuries to the position. Cooper Kupp will be back in action for the first time in several weeks. Jordan Whittington has been ruled out, while Puka Nacua is listed as questionable.
On the other side of the field, Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison form a strong 1-2 punch, with Jalen Nailor also factoring in here and there.
In the first two weeks, Kupp had 18 catches, 147 yards, a touchdown and 27 targets. He’ll be in store for a monster week if Nacua isn’t able to play.
Nacua has been out since week 1, when he had 35 yards on four catches and targets. It seems like a longshot for him to play after just opening his practice window, but the fact that he’s listed as questionable makes him worth at least mentioning today.
Without Kupp and Nacua most of the season, it’s been Tutu Atwell that’s led the team. He has 332 yards, but no touchdowns, on 23 receptions and 34 targets.
Demarcus Robinson has 198 yards and a touchdown on 13 grabs and 26 targets. Tyler Johnson has 176 yards and no scores on 14 receptions and 22 targets.
Jefferson leads the Vikings with 531 yards, five touchdowns, 33 receptions and 51 targets. He’s a fantasy stud.
Addison has 209 yards, a touchdown, 12 receptions and 20 targets across four games. Nailor has 213 yards and three touchdowns on just 12 grabs and 16 targets.
This is a great matchup on paper for the Rams’ wideouts, while the Vikings’ receivers have a slightly below-average test ahead. In the week 8 projections, Jefferson is at the top and projected for 19 PPR points. Kupp is projected for 16 points in his return, Addison sits at 10, Atwell checks in at 10 as well while Robinson is at seven. Nacua is projected for zero, and the other wideouts don’t crack the top 74.
I know the matchup is great for Kupp, but I’d still take Jefferson first from tonight’s game. Kupp is a very close second, and could easily outscore Jefferson though.
I like Addison third, followed by Atwell. I’d then take Nailor, Robinson and finally Johnson to end things.
If Nacua ends up playing, he slots in third behind Kupp and before Addison. Nailor would move above Atwell, and everything else would stay the same.
Tight Ends
Colby Parkinson has been the only Los Angeles tight end to factor in offensively this season. Johnny Mundt is the only Minnesota TE with a target, although T.J. Hockenson has been practicing and is listed as questionable.
Hockenson hasn’t played yet this season, but was one of the top fantasy TEs last season before he got injured. It remains to be seen how he will connect with Darnold, but he’d instantly overtake Mundt for the top fantasy TE in Minnesota.
Parkinson has 197 yards and no scores on 21 catches and 34 targets this season. He’s got at least two targets and one catch in each game, but with Kupp back, his offensive role is likely to decrease again.
It’s a super favorable matchup for the Vikings’ tight ends, while being an average test for the Rams’ TEs. Our projections only have Hockenson in the top 25, and he’s projected for eight PPR points.
If Hockenson is out there, he’s the top fantasy TE option from this game. He might be eased in, but I’d still want to play him over Parkinson.
Parkinson is an OK starting option, but I’d only want to start him in a deeper league. I’d do my best to avoid Mundt in all formats, regardless if Hockenson is out there or not.
Kickers
Will Reichard kicks for Minnesota, while Joshua Karty kicks for Los Angeles.
Karty is 9-of-11 on his field goals and extra points this season. Reichard has made all 12 of his field goals and all 18 of his extra points.
Karty is projected for seven points, while Reichard is at five. I’m usually on board with the projections, but here, I definitely like Reichard more. I think Minnesota moves the ball better, and it will lead to more kicking chances for Reichard. Neither are standout options, so I’d only play them in a deeper league.
Defenses/Special Teams
The Rams’ defense allowed 364.3 yards and 25.7 points per week, which are two of the worst marks in the league. LA has eight takeaways and seven giveaways.
Minnesota’s defense allows 340.3 yards, but just 17.8 points. The Vikings have 14 takeaways and 10 giveaways.
Both defenses are projected for six fantasy points. The over/under for the game is 48 points, and that sounds pretty in line with how I think the game goes. I like Minnesota to prevail, and I prefer its D/ST by a little bit. Again, I’d only play either D/ST in a deeper league.
#start-sit-decision #2024-fantasy-football
