Best Games, Key Matchups, Fantasy Tips, Best Bets and Predictions

Week 8 in the NFL had the potential to have many intriguing games, but injuries to star players have turned the schedule upside down. 

The matchup between the Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders lost a bit of luster after rookie sensation Jayden Daniels sustained a rib injury in last week’s win against the Carolina Panthers. Daniels’s status is up in the air for this week, perhaps putting on hold the showdown between him and Caleb Williams—the top two picks in this year’s draft.

But while filling in for Daniels in Week 7. This could still be a good test for the Bears, who have wins against the Tennessee Titans, Los Angeles Rams, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Panthers, all teams with losing records. 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won’t have wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin for the foreseeable future, making them home underdogs against the Atlanta Falcons. The two teams are tied atop the NFC South standings, but the Falcons hold the tiebreaker thanks to their Week 5 win over the Buccaneers. This game will show whether the Buccaneers can play well without their two star wideouts or whether it’s the beginning of a lost season due to injuries.

The San Francisco 49ers also have injured wide receivers, even aside from Brandon Aiyuk, who sustained a season-ending knee injury last week. Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings could be game-time decisions before their matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. 

But it’s not all about injuries in Week 8. The Philadelphia Eagles appear to be back to full strength as they head to Cincinnati with a two-game winning streak after wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith returned from injuries. The Cincinnati Bengals desperately need this game to keep pace with the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North.   

We’ll also keep tabs on the AFC South battle between the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts. Here’s everything you need to know about the five best games of Week 8, including Gilberto Manzano’s key matchups, Matt Verderame’s key stats, Michael Fabiano’s who to start and who to sit in fantasy, Jennifer Piacenti’s best bets and Conor Orr’s prediction for each game. 

Sunday

When/TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS

Spread: Bengals -2.5 (over/under: 47.5)

Matchup to watch: Eagles WR A.J. Brown vs. Bengals CB Cam Taylor-Britt. Brown, who’s back to full strength after a nagging hamstring injury, could have a dominant outing against the Bengals’ sluggish secondary. He has 11 catches for 205 yards and two touchdowns in the past two games combined. Taylor-Britt is known for his trash talking, but the Bengals will need him to back it up against Brown. —Manzano

Key stat: The Bengals and Eagles have struggled getting pressure, ranking 22nd and 23rd, respectively, in pressure rate. —Verderame

Start ’em/sit ’em: Joe Burrow has played well of late, scoring 17-plus points in four of his past six games. He’s also thrown for multiple touchdowns in five of his past six starts. Philly’s defense might be tough on paper against quarterbacks based on fantasy points allowed, but it’s not … they’ve faced some bad signal-callers in Deshaun Watson, Derek Carr and Daniel Jones. —Fabiano

Best bet: Jalen Hurts over 31.5 rushing yards (-114) at FanDuel. No team has allowed more rushing attempts (54) and rushing yards (264) to opposing quarterbacks than the Cincinnati Bengals. Hurts has run the ball no fewer than seven times in any game this season, while the Bengals are allowing 4.89 yards per carry. Five quarterbacks have exceeded this prop vs. Cincinnati: Jones, Lamar Jackson, Jayden Daniels, Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Jacoby Brissett. —Piacenti

SI’s pick: I’m going to go with the Eagles here because Cincinnati has yet to show me that it can sustain a great game from start to finish. Meanwhile, the Eagles seem to have had a kind of exorcism last week against the Giants, which will hopefully improve the vibes moving forward. —Orr

When/TV: 1 p.m. ET, Fox

Spread: Falcons -2.5 (over/under: 45.5)

Matchup to watch: Buccaneers TE Cade Otton vs. Falcons’ secondary. Tampa Bay desperately needs Otton to step up after injuries to wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Otton had eight catches for 100 yards against the Ravens on Monday night, but most of those receptions occurred in garbage time. The Falcons’ defense has allowed 30-plus points in two of the past three games, including in Week 5 against the Buccaneers. —Manzano

Key stat: Atlanta is tied for 10th at 4.7 yards per carry, with Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier leading the way. Conversely, Tampa Bay’s defense allows 5.3 yards per rush, better only than the New Orleans Saints and New York Giants. —Verderame

Start ’em/sit ’em: Kyle Pitts has been solid the past three weeks, scoring 10 or more points in each game. He’s also seen a combined 22 looks from Kirk Cousins. Pitts should continue to produce against the Buccaneers, who have allowed three tight ends to beat them for 13-plus points. That includes Pitts, who finished with 15.8 points against them in Week 5. —Fabiano

Best bet: Rachaad White anytime TD (+110) at DraftKings. With no Evans or Godwin, the Buccaneers will need to use their entire running back room and utilize their pass-catching abilities. White caught two touchdowns Monday night vs. the Ravens, and for the season he owns a 13% target share. White could easily end up being the most targeted player in this game, and he has seen 10 red zone looks this season. Bucky Irving will miss this contest, too, leaving more opportunities for White. —Piacenti

SI’s pick: I’m surprised I’m lone wolfing the Buccaneers in this one. I understand the injury issues at wide receiver, but I also think this team is surprisingly deep, has a stable of playmakers and a great play-caller (OC Liam Coen) rolling underneath the surface. Tampa’s injury issues don’t disguise the fact that Atlanta has depth issues of its own defensively. —Orr

When/TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS

Spread: Texans -5.5 (over/under: 46.5)

Matchup to watch: Texans WR Tank Dell vs. Colts’ secondary. This could be the perfect time for C.J. Stroud to take downfield shots to Dell, something that has seldom occurred this season. Dell, who was shut out last week against the Packers, was a dangerous downfield threat as a rookie, but he’s been far from that this season, with only 20 catches for 194 yards and one touchdown. The Colts allow an average of 222.1 passing yards per game. —Manzano

Key stat: The Texans have been excellent at shutting down the pass, allowing 167.7 passing yards per game, fourth-best in the league. Meanwhile Anthony Richardson has struggled under center for the Colts, ranking 34th among qualified quarterbacks with 156.6 yards per game while completing less than half of his attempts. —Verderame

Start ’em/sit ’em: Anthony Richardson has been a disappointment so far this season. After scoring 26.1 points in Week 1, he’s scored a combined 29 points in his past four games. So, despite the fact that he’s facing the Texans, whom he beat for those 26.1 points, it’s hard to start Richardson with confidence. At best, he’ll be a risk-reward, low-end starter this weekend. —Fabiano

Best bet: Joe Mixon over 76.5 rushing yards (-115) at DraftKings. Mixon burned the Colts for 159 yards on the ground in Week 1, and he’s had more than 100 yards in three of four games he’s played this season. The Colts have allowed an average of 125 rushing yards per game to running backs, and the Texans won’t be afraid to use their veteran runner. —Piacenti 

SI’s pick: The Texans. I think until the Colts abandon the short-term plan for Anthony Richardson, they’re going to struggle against versatile defenses with a steady pass rush. If you had told me Joe Flacco was playing, I might feel a little differently. We may have a home run Richardson game, but we may not. And the chances of the latter seem greater than the chances that Richardson puts it all together. —Orr

When/TV: 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS

Spread: Bears -2.5 (over/under: 43.5)

Matchup to watch: Bears DE Montez Sweat vs. Commanders’ offensive line. Sweat has had somewhat of a quiet season with only 2.5 sacks, but perhaps he’ll break out of his slump against his former team. Washington’s offensive line has allowed 16 sacks this season. Sweat had 12.5 sacks last season while playing eight games for Washington and the final nine games for Chicago. —Manzano

Key stat: With Jayden Daniels’s status uncertain, the Commanders might have to run the ball for their sixth win. Washington averages 165.4 yards per game on 5.2 yards per carry, third in both categories. However, Daniels has contributed 372 rushing yards thus far. If he’s out or limited, can Washington keep it going? —Verderame

Start ’em/sit ’em: D’Andre Swift was on fire before the Bears’ bye week, scoring 20-plus points in three consecutive games after being held to single digits in his first three contests. He should stay hot against the Commanders, who have given up 5.2 yards per rush to running backs. What’s more, five different backs have beaten them for 14-plus points, including three who have scored 18-plus and two with 20-plus. —Fabiano

Best bet: Caleb Williams over 1.5 passing touchdowns (+100) at DraftKings. Before last week’s matchup with Andy Dalton and the Panthers, the Commanders had allowed an average of two passing touchdowns per game to opposing quarterbacks. Williams has tossed two-plus touchdowns in three of his past four games, including four touchdowns against. the Jaguars before the bye. I like the value of the even money here. —Piacenti

SI’s pick: I like the Bears here, specifically because Daniels (if he plays) will be challenged by one of the best defenses in the NFL in recent weeks and Williams can showcase a continued, steady ascension. As I’ve said many times, OC Shane Waldron is rolling folks, and this offense is quietly one of the most fun and enjoyable to watch in the NFL. —Orr

When/TV: 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC, Peacock

Spread: 49ers -4.5 (over/under: 45.5)

Matchup to watch: 49ers RB Jordan Mason vs. Cowboys’ defensive front. San Francisco might lean on Mason heavily with wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings dealing with injuries. That might not be a bad approach because the Cowboys’ defense has struggled against the run for most of the season. Dallas is allowing 143.2 rushing yards per game, sixth worst in the league. Mason has 667 rushing yards this season, second best in the NFL. —Manzano 

Key stat: San Francisco still has a dynamic passing attack, even without Brandon Aiyuk, so expect that to continue. The Niners rank first in yards per completion at 13.3, while the Cowboys allow 12.2, third-most in football. —Verderame

Start ’em/sit ’em: Dak Prescott has been a disappointment for fantasy managers, scoring fewer than 17 points in all but one game. In fact, his only good game came against the Ravens when he had to throw the ball 51 times.. Next up he faces the 49ers, who have allowed an average of fewer than 15 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks this season. Beware Prescott. —Fabiano

Best bet: Prescott over 1.5 passing touchdowns (+115) at DraftKings. In 2023 after the bye, Prescott tossed four touchdowns. After the bye in ’22, he tossed three. In fact, in his entire career, Dak has never had fewer than two touchdowns in his first game after the bye. Add to that his new engagement and the fact the Cowboys’ implied point total is 21, and it’s hard to see Prescott not passing for a pair. —Piacenti 

SI’s pick: I can’t with any degree of confidence pick the Cowboys in a big spot right now. This team needs to show me it can do more than pick on vulnerable teams with weak offensive lines. The 49ers are banged up but even at their thinnest are a better prepared and more talented team across the board. —Orr

All best bet odds courtesy FanDuel and DraftKings.

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