FanDuel.com NFL DFS Week 8 Picks and Plays for Cash Game and GPP Lineups

Week 8 of NFL DFS is upon us, and everyone is looking to cash in on the big daily fantasy football money at FanDuel. Every week, we’ll bring you our top daily fantasy NFL picks for each position and recommend them as Cash Game and/or GPP plays. And to keep up with all things PlayPicks, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

As with any DFS, the advice below is relevant for fantasy purposes. A player or team might be better or worse from a fantasy perspective than in real life due to matchup, price, gameflow, and more factors. This is important when constructing a roster. And if you’re looking for a new ways to play NFL DFS, be sure and give DRAFT Fantasy a try with our exclusive promo code.

In NFL DFS, predicting gameflow can be vital. Teams on the way to winning comfortably will be far more likely to lean on their running games, while two teams with poor defenses and high-powered offenses could pay off by getting into a shootout. Later in the season, weather will play a key factor in NFL games, so make sure to check the forecast for each Sunday.

Cash Game options generally come with less risk and a more stable floor, while the best GPP plays can come with tons of risk and upside. If you want to win the big money, you have to take big chances. Sometimes that means fading a safer choice for a risky play with more upside.

Best Week 8 NFL DFS Quarterbacks on FanDuel

Drew Brees vs. CHI ($8.5k FanDuel) – Cash/GPP
The Bears’ pass defense has been great but less so on the road, where they’re giving up 27.3 points per game this season. Drew Brees has made a Hall-of-Fame career of capitalizing on the defensive mistakes of any unit that comes into the Superdome, and he’s probably watching film of Chicago with Sean Payton right now, discussing how they can carve up that unit by making the throws Cam Newton and a suddenly old Ben Roethlisberger could not. With Willie Snead (hamstring) growing healthier and Ted Ginn Jr. breaking out, Brees has a lot of weapons surrounding top WR Michael Thomas.

Carson Wentz vs. SF ($7.9k FanDuel) – Cash
Carson Wentz is on the cusp of becoming an indisputable top five QB in the NFL, and I, for one, welcome his future dominance of the league. His pocket presence is beyond anything we’ve seen before, and his ability to extend plays turned what might’ve been a horrible outing for most QBs in Washington into a 268-yard, four-TD, 63-rushing-yard masterpiece, producing 32.02 FD points in the process. Now, he faces a reeling 49ers team that was picked apart at home last week. The only real enemy to his prospects is gameflow, which is why Wentz might best be utilized in Cash Games.

Derek Carr @ BUF ($7.8k FanDuel) – GPP
After a couple of lackluster performances, Derek Carr lit it up last Thursday night to down the Chiefs in dramatic fashion. He finished with 417 passing yards on a season-high 52 attempts and didn’t look hampered by his back injury even though the Chiefs’ defenders clearly tried to re-injure him at one point. In any case, he looks like the MVP candidate we saw last year and now faces a Bills defense that couldn’t stop Jameis Winston while he was playing with a shoulder sprain. Because it’s a perceived tough matchup, Carr should be lightly owned, making him a great candidate to go against the grain in GPP formats.

Andy Dalton vs. IND ($7.6k FanDuel) – GPP
Andy Dalton has thrown four picks and is averaging just 234 passing yards per game during his last two appearances, yet the Bills and Steelers were clearly much tougher matchups than the Colts. This week, Cincy hosts arguably the worst pass defense in the NFL. Indy is giving up the second-most passing YPG (300.7) and the most pass plays of 20-plus yards (40) by far this season, so Dalton might even be trustworthy in Cash Games given how he performed in a plus spot against the Browns a few weeks back. A Dalton stack with A.J. Green and/or TE Tyler Kroft makes a lot of sense in a clear bounce-back spot for this offense.

Others to consider: Dak Prescott, Deshaun Watson, Kirk Cousins, Cam Newton

Best Week 8 NFL DFS Running Backs on FanDuel

Le’Veon Bell @ DET ($9.4k FanDuel) – Cash/GPP
Believe it or not, Le’Veon Bell might actually be a bit of a contrarian pivot this week after Ezekiel Elliott erupted for a career-best 219 total yards and three touchdowns last Sunday. Yet Zeke and the Cowboys face a stout Washington front seven in what should be a physical division game, while Bell and the Steelers are in a primetime matchup at Detroit that could become high scoring. Bell has been even more dangerous in away games, with nine touchdowns over his last seven road games and is the premier “floor” play given the fact that he’s topped 180 yards from scrimmage in three of his last four appearances.

Mark Ingram vs. CHI ($7.2k FanDuel) – Cash/GPP
The Saints’ offense remains a premier unit, capable of lighting up the scoreboard at the Superdome. But their improved defense makes New Orleans a legitimate playoff team and also enhances the outlook of an early-down workhorse in Mark Ingram. With positive gameflow playing a factor, Ingram’s rushed for 219 yards on 47 carries in two appearances since Adrian Peterson was traded. Now, he’ll face a Bears defense more vulnerable on the ground than through the air, and he’ll likely get more scoring opportunities inside the 10-yard line.

Wendell Smallwood vs. SF ($5.5k FanDuel) – GPP
Wendell Smallwood’s return after a two-week absence didn’t really impact the box score on Monday night, as Carson Wentz did most of the damage against the Washington’s solid defense. Yet it’s worth noting Smallwood only played one fewer snap and saw four fewer touches than plodder LeGarrette Blount despite positive gameflow for the Eagles. This Sunday, Philly should once again build a lead against a struggling 49ers team that ranks 24th in DVOA defense and has given up the fourth-most RuYPG (134.6) this season. You’d figure either Blount or Smallwood will have a big game, with the latter costing much less on FanDuel.

Giovani Bernard vs. IND ($5.1k FanDuel) – GPP
If you want a true longshot to separate from the field in GPP formats, consider the Bengals’ pass-catching back. Giovani Bernard actually led Cincy’s backfield in snaps (23) last week but was forced to pass block often against a fierce Steelers rush and only caught one ball on three targets. The Colts have recorded the seventh-fewest sacks (13) in the NFL and rank 31st against the pass, as a result. If we expect similar results to Cincy’s beatdown of Cleveland in their last favorable matchup back in Week 4, Bernard might be able to approach the three receptions for 67 yards he recorded in that contest.

Others to consider: Ezekiel Elliott, LeSean McCoy, Melvin Gordon, Chris Thompson, Christian McCaffrey, Tarik Cohen

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Best Week 8 NFL DFS Wide Receivers on FanDuel

A.J. Green vs. IND ($8.5k FanDuel) – Cash/GPP
Andy Dalton is a premier bounce-back candidate this week, and it’s worth stacking him with a few of his favorite weapons, beginning with A.J. Green. The Bengals’ top wideout was shut down by old nemesis Joe Haden and the Steelers’ top-ranked pass defense in Week 7 but now faces a putrid Colts team against the pass. He’s caught 11 balls for 123 yards and two touchdowns in a pair of meetings against Indy in his career and is simply too talented for a below-average secondary to handle.

Mike Evans vs. CAR ($8.3k FanDuel) – GPP
Sometimes superior talents can overcome tough matchups, and that’s exactly what Mike Evans did while going for 88 yards and a touchdown against Buffalo’s stingy defense last Sunday. He drew a team-high 10 targets from an aggressive Jameis Winston and is starting to resemble the monster who garnered a league-high 179 targets last season. Carolina’s defense has been good from a yardage standpoint but has coughed up 10 passing TDs with just one interception this year. The Panthers will be far more vulnerable if defensive MVP Luke Kuechly (concussion) remains out. Evans went for 154 yards and two TDs in two meetings with Carolina last year and is an incredible red-zone presence.

Alshon Jeffery vs. SF ($6.6k FanDuel) – GPP
Alshon Jeffery struggled in yet another brutal matchup on Monday night, hauling in just two of six targets for 37 yards against Washington’s physical corners. But now he faces a 49ers team ranked 23rd in DVOA pass defense against opposing top receivers. San Francisco has coughed up 12 passing TDs through seven games. Carson Wentz is spreading the ball around but has still targeted Jeffery six-plus times in every game where his top wideout hasn’t faced elite CB Patrick Peterson. Plus, Zach Ertz might be held in check by the Niners top-ranked DVOA defense against TEs, opening up more red zone opportunities for Jeffery.

Ted Ginn Jr. vs. CHI ($5.9k FanDuel) – Cash/GPP
The Bears’ defense has been good this year due in part to the addition of plus-sized corners Prince Amukamara and Marcus Cooper. But their size leaves those DBs vulnerable to speedsters like Ted Ginn Jr. The former Panthers wideout is gaining chemistry with Drew Brees by the day, as he’s piled up 11 catches for 207 yards and a touchdown in two games since the Saints’ bye week. Chicago is giving up 27.3 PPG on the road versus just 15.8 PPG at home this year. Facing the Saints in the Superdome is akin to playing at Coors Field the way it elevates offenses.

Others to consider: Antonio Brown, Julio Jones, Kelvin Benjamin, Michael Crabtree, Nelson Agholor, Kenny Golladay

Best Week 8 NFL DFS Tight Ends on FanDuel

Jordan Reed vs. DAL ($6.1k FanDuel) – GPP
He may finally be getting healthy, and Jordan Reed flashed his potential by catching a pair of second-half TDs during Washington’s comeback bid on Monday night. Dallas ranks 29th in DVOA defense against opposing TEs, and Reed torched the Cowboys for 95 yards and two TDs on 10 receptions last Thanksgiving. While he’s rarely healthy, Reed is a matchup nightmare who can cut across the face of slower linebackers, and Kirk Cousins loves to look for him in the red zone. With Washington’s wideouts struggling mightily, Reed stands to see heavy volume in another NFC East clash.

Tyler Kroft vs. IND ($5.7k FanDuel) – Cash/GPP
Yet another Bengals receiving option to consider ahead of a juicy Week 8 matchup, Tyler Kroft faces a pathetic Colts unit. Indy ranks 27th in DVOA pass defense and 24th against the TE position this year. The 6’6 Rutgers product caught an early TD against one of the best defenses in the NFL last week (at Pittsburgh) and has complied 14 catches for 129 yards and three scores in three appearances since Tyler Eifert bowed out for the season.

Others to consider: Rob Gronkowski, Zach Ertz, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Jared Cook

Best Week 8 NFL DFS D/ST on FanDuel

Saints vs. CHI ($4.8k FanDuel) – GPP
Don’t look now, but the Saints D/ST is the second-highest scoring unit in DFS this season. Much of that production came thanks to a few flukey scores in a shootout win over the Lions. That game was at the same Superdome where New Orleans now hosts a rookie QB in Mitch Trubisky, who somehow won despite completing just four passes last week. With CB Marshon Lattimore and SS Kenny Vaccaro starring at the back end, New Orleans ranks 11th in DVOA pass defense and will be able to sell out to stop Jordan Howard and the Bears’ running game while potentially piling up sacks and turnovers if they can get a big second-half lead in this contest.

Patriots vs. LAC ($4.5k FanDuel) – Cash
While the Patriots’ defense has stiffened, beginning with a Thursday night win at Tampa, the fantasy results have yet to come along accordingly. However, this unit did racked up four sacks and three takeaways at the Jets in Week 6 and held the Falcons to 223 passing yards to keep a QB under 300 passing yards for the first time this season. The Pats at least have a solid floor against a Chargers team ranked 29th in time of possession and 20th in PPG (19.6) this season, especially as they make a trip across the country following a hard-fought divisional win.