Week 8 Monday Night Start Decisions | Will Steelers' Pat Freiermuth Enjoy Big Game? Start Giants' Devin Singletary or Tyrone Tracy?
Breaking down the Monday night matchup between the Giants and Steelers and ranking fantasy players from the contest.
Week 8 of the NFL season wraps up with a matchup between the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers.
For those of you still looking for week 8 start/sit help, I’m here to help and offer some advice. Let’s go over the top fantasy options for both teams.
Looking for start/sit help? Be sure to check out the FantasySP Who Should I Start tool.
Quarterbacks
Daniel Jones and Russell Wilson are the starting quarterbacks for this contest.
Wilson made his first start for the Steelers last week. He completed 55.2% of his passes for 264 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Wilson rushed for three yards and an additional touchdown.
Jones has 1,442 passing yards and 184 rushing yards on the season. He has six touchdown passes, four interceptions and no rushing scores. Jones failed to reach double figures in fantasy points in week 7, marking the second time this season that’s happened.
Wilson’s matchup is slightly above average, as New York allows opposing quarterbacks to score 18 fantasy points a game. The battle for Jones is tough, with Pittsburgh giving up only 12 points a game.
Yet in the week 8 projections, Wilson and Jones are each projected for 14 points.
I hope you don’t need to decide between these two quarterbacks (outside deeper leagues and two-QB formats), but I definitely like Wilson more in this game. I liked what he showed in week 7 and think he will deliver again this week. I’d try to avoid Jones in his tougher matchup.
Running Backs
Najee Harris is the top Pittsburgh back, and Jaylen Warren will back him up. Devin Singletary and Tyrone Tracy Jr. will lead the Giants.
Harris has 131 touches this season, rushing 117 times for 478 yards and two scores. He’s added 135 receiving yards on 14 catches and 20 targets. Harris has scored in double figures in the past five games, with his best two outings the last two weeks.
Warren has battled injuries, but has 23 touches over the past two weeks. He has 105 rushing yards on 32 attempts and 54 receiving yards on 10 grabs and 11 targets for the season.
Singletary returned from an injury last week and only got six touches. He has 239 rushing yards and two scores on 61 attempts, while adding 75 receiving yards on 11 receptions and 12 targets.
Tracy had nine touches last week. He has 231 rushing yards and a score on 53 attempts and 108 receiving yards on 14 catches and 17 targets this season.
This is a better matchup for the Steelers’ backs, as New York allows opposing backs to tally 22 points a week. Pittsburgh’s defense surrenders 20 points per week.
Harris is projected for 14 PPR points, while Warren is at nine. Tracy sits at eight points, with Singletary checking in at six.
I also like Harris the most in this contest, and I like him to continue his recent surge.
I think Warren will get enough touches to be the No. 2 fantasy back in this game. Tracy is just slightly behind Warren, but the tough matchup and uncertain workload means I can’t take him any higher. That leaves Singletary for the final spot - I’d try to avoid him, Warren and Tracy in standard leagues if I could; all three are OK starting options in deeper leagues.
Wide Receivers
There’s a few decent wide receiver fantasy options in this contest.
George Pickens is the clear leader for the Steelers. Calvin Austin and Van Jefferson are the only other wideouts on the team with over 10 targets this season.
Malik Nabers leads the Giants, while Wan'Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton are solid additional options.
Pickens has 474 yards and a touchdown on 31 receptions and 53 targets for the season. He has at least seven targets over the past four games.
Austin has 203 yards and a score on 11 catches and 21 targets. He’s gotten nine targets over the past two weeks.
Jefferson only has 77 yards and a touchdown on 10 catches and 16 targets. He had three targets last week with Wilson throwing the ball.
Nabers has 427 yards and three scores on 39 catches and 60 targets across five games played. He had eight targets in his first game after missing two games with a concussion.
Robinson has 303 yards and two scores on 43 catches and 67 targets. He had nine targets in last week’s game.
Slayton is up to 213 yards and a score on 25 catches and 40 targets. He only had three targets with Nabers back in the picture last week, but he played the most snaps among the receivers.
The Pittsburgh receivers have a slightly more favorable matchup tonight. New York’s defense allows 31 fantasy points per week, while Pittsburgh allows 29 points.
In the week 8 projections, Nabers is projected for 16 PPR points. Pickens sits at 13 points. Robinson is at 12 points and Slayton checks in at six.
I too like Nabers the most in this game. The matchup isn’t great, but the volume he’ll get makes him the safest fantasy option.
I’d want Pickens after that. I think he will remain a solid starting option in all leagues for the remainder of the season, and the matchup tonight is solid enough to be pretty confident in him.
Give me Robinson after that. He isn’t likely headed toward a ton of yards, but he can put up solid fantasy totals in PPR leagues.
I think I’d also take Slayton over any other Pittsburgh wideouts. I expect the Giants to have to pass to keep up, and that will make Slayton a decent option - I’d only want to start him in deeper leagues.
Austin and Jefferson are deep league options only to me, but last-ditch options. It’d take a big play for them to be good fantasy performers, and I don’t like relying on that from sparsely-used players.
Tight Ends
Pat Freiermuth leads the Pittsburgh tight ends, with Darnell Washington also factoring in a bit of late. Theo Johnson is the lone New York TE over 10 targets.
Johnson has 115 yards on 11 catches and 16 targets. He’s coming off a zero-target game.
Freiermuth has 245 yards and two scores on 24 catches and 29 targets. Washington has 91 yards and a score on 10 catches and 11 targets. Freiermuth had three targets last week, while Washington had four.
It’s a favorable matchup for Johnson, as Pittsburgh’s defense allows opposing TEs to score 12 points a game. New York’s defense surrenders just eight points a game to TEs. Freiermuth is the only TE in this game in the week 8 projections. He’s set for eight PPR points.
Freiermuth is the only TE in this game who I’d consider starting in a standard league. He’s a bit safer option in deeper leagues. Washington is another deep league option, but only in a pinch.
Johnson is an intriguing sleeper in deeper leagues this week. The matchup is good, but I wouldn't feel confident in him with all the wideouts and running backs available. I’d take Johnson over Washington.
Kickers
Chris Boswell kicks for the Steelers, while Greg Joseph has been kicking for the Giants.
Joseph is 9-of-12 on his field goals and has made all six extra points across five games. Boswell is 19-of-20 on his field goals and has made all 14 of his extra points.
The projections like Boswell, and he’s projected for six points. Joseph is projected for just three points. I also like Boswell more in this contest, and would only use Joseph if I absolutely had to.
Defenses/Special Teams
The Steelers’ defense allows just 298.3 yards and 14.4 points per game. Pittsburgh has 13 takeaways and only four giveaways.
The Giants’ defense surrenders 317.6 yards and 21.3 points per contest. New York has six takeaways and eight giveaways.
The projections love the Steelers’ D/ST, and they are projected for nine points. The Giants sit at only six points. I also want the Steelers’ D/ST from this matchup, and it’s not really all that close.
Offensive Overall Rankings (OP or Flex Spots)
1. Malik Nabers
2. Najee Harris
3. Russell Wilson
4. George Pickens
5. Wan’Dale Robinson
6. Pat Freiermuth
7. Daniel Jones
8. Jaylen Warren
9. Tyrone Tracy
10. Darius Slayton
11. Devin Singletary
12. Calvin Austin
13. Theo Johnson
14. Van Jefferson
15. Darnell Washington
#start-sit-decision #2024-fantasy-football
