This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Football series.
The Week 8 NFL main slate begins Sunday at 1 p.m. EDT and features 13 games. All 32 NFL teams will be in action in Week 8, but the Thursday Night Football (Vikings-Rams), Sunday Night Football (Cowboys-49ers) and Monday Night Football (Giants-Steelers) participants play outside the main slate. Yahoo will be running plenty of NFL DFS contests for Week 8, but the biggest is the Sunday Baller, which pays out a guaranteed prize pool of $100,000 to the top 1,144 finishers, including $20,000 to the winner. You can submit up to 150 entries into this contest, which has a maximum total capacity of 5,850 entries but will still run if it doesn't fill, potentially providing you with enhanced odds of winning, also known as overlay.
Playing in guaranteed prize pool (GPP) contests is about chasing upside, while lineups geared towards head-to-head, 50/50 or double-up formats should prioritize high floors. The players you want to target for these different contest types aren't mutually exclusive, but winning a GPP tournament usually requires finding a hidden gem or going against the grain in a spot or two, while building a solid base of the same chalk plays you would use anywhere. Against-the-grain plays typically consist of big-name players in tough matchups or boom-or-bust types with uncertain roles.
Keep in mind that Yahoo DFS contests use 0.5 PPR scoring rather than full PPR, which lowers the comparative value of wide receivers and running backs (in that order) while especially affecting high-volume pass-catchers. Your NFL $100k Sunday Baller lineup will consist of one QB, two RBs, three WRs, one TE, one FLEX (RB/WR/TE) and one D/ST unit. Suggested Week 8 plays include a QB, RB and WR who look to have benefited from recent trades by their teams.
QUARTERBACK
Josh Allen, BUF at SEA ($31): Allen's salary is a season low, which makes the star QB a nice value in what isn't a particularly tricky matchup against a Seattle's middling secondary. Allen consistently puts Buffalo's offense on his back, at least in the regular season. He has 12 passing TDs and three rushing TDs through seven games in 2024 after producing 29 through the air and 15 on the ground in the 2023 regular season, which he preceded with three consecutive campaigns of 35-plus passing TDs. Allen's next game with at least two passing TDs and a rushing TD will tie Cam Newton's NFL record of 22 such performances, and it wouldn't be surprising if Allen reached that milestone against a Seattle defense that has allowed 30.3 points per game in its last four games. In Buffalo's first game after trading for WR Amari Cooper last week, Allen threw for a season-high 323 yards and two TDs, including one to Cooper.
Honorable Mentions:
Jordan Love, GB at JAC ($32); Caleb Williams, CHI at WAS ($27); Kirk Cousins, ATL at TB ($25)
Against the Grainers:
C.J. Stroud, HOU vs. IND ($27); Patrick Mahomes, KC at LV ($27); Aaron Rodgers, NYJ at NE ($25)
RUNNING BACK
Breece Hall, NYJ at NE ($31): The Jets' trade acquisition of Davante Adams last Tuesday should have a cascade effect on the entire offense, including more room for Hall on runs and short passes as defenses try to guard both Adams and Garrett Wilson on the outside. It's likely no coincidence that Hall's best fantasy game of the season came immediately after Adams' arrival, as the RB posted 23.1 fantasy points against a tough Steelers defense in Week 7. Hall had 16.3 fantasy points when the Jets blew out the 1-6 Patriots 24-3 back in Week 3, but he ceded 14 touches to Braelon Allen, which seems unlikely to happen again since the rookie has only three touches in each of the last two games. Overall, New England has allowed the fourth-most rushing yards (859) and second-most rushing TDs (nine) to RBs.
Javonte Williams, DEN vs. CAR ($25): It has been hard to go wrong with RBs facing the Panthers this season, as Carolina's 933 rushing yards and 13 rushing TDs allowed to RBs are both the most in the NFL. Denver's likely to play from ahead at home against the 1-6 Panthers, especially with Carolina turning back to Bryce Young (0:3 TD:INT in three starts this season) under center. Williams posted a season-high 88 rushing yards and his first two TDs of the season last Thursday against the Saints, so he'll have both momentum and freshness after the additional few days of rest on his side for this highly favorable matchup.
Honorable Mentions:
Joe Mixon, HOU vs. IND ($36); James Conner, ARI at MIA ($28); Kareem Hunt, KC at LV ($28)
Against the Grainers:
D'Andre Swift, CHI at WAS ($28); Tank Bigsby, JAC vs. GB ($23); Rachaad White, TB vs. ATL ($21)
WIDE RECEIVER
Drake London, ATL at TB ($29): London's enjoying a third-year breakout now that the 2022 first-round pick finally has a competent QB throwing him the ball in Kirk Cousins. Entering Week 8, London ranks fourth in catches (44), seventh in receiving yards (491) and tied for third in receiving TDs (six) across the NFL. London has a nice opportunity to climb further up those leaderboards against a leaky Tampa Bay secondary that gave up five passing TDs to the Ravens last season and is allowing the sixth-most receiving yards per game to WRs (162.1). He had 12 catches for 154 yards and a TD when these NFC South rivals met in Week 5.
DJ Moore, CHI at WAS ($26): Moore has remained the clear No. 1 WR in Chicago despite the offseason additions of Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze, as Moore's 47 targets are at least 16 more than any teammate has. After posting at least 1,157 receiving yards in four of his previous six seasons, Moore has been boom-or-bust while developing his connection with rookie QB Caleb Williams, but Williams is starting to find a groove, and Moore has benefited with three TDs in his last three games. Chicago's coming out of a bye, so the Bears have had extra time to draw up some effective passing plays against a Washington secondary that's tied for the second most receiving TDs allowed to WRs (10).
Cedric Tillman, CLE vs. BAL ($10): This is an ideal buy-low opportunity on Tillman, who likely won't be available at the minimum salary after this week. Tillman set career highs across the board with eight catches for 81 yards on 12 targets in Week 7 against the Bengals. The 2023 third-round draft pick stepped into a starting role on the outside following the trade of Cooper to Buffalo, and Cleveland lost struggling QB Deshaun Watson to a season-ending Achilles tear. Week 8 starter Jameis Winston has never been shy about pushing the ball downfield to WRs, so Tillman's well positioned to capitalize on a favorable matchup against a Ravens secondary that has allowed the second-most yards (1,258) and a league-high 11 TDs to WRs.
Honorable Mentions:
Ja'Marr Chase, CIN vs. PHI ($33); Davante Adams, NYJ at NE ($27); Michael Pittman, IND at HOU ($22)
Against the Grainers:
Tyreek Hill, MIA vs. ARI ($27); Xavier Worthy, KC at LV ($20); Jalen McMillan, TB vs. ATL ($10)
TIGHT END
Evan Engram, JAC vs. GB ($20): Engram has put his hamstring injury behind him, turning back into the high-volume pass catcher we saw last season. He has secured all 15 of his targets over the past two weeks, looking like the player who led all TEs with 114 catches last season. Green Bay's 39 catches and 384 yards allowed to TEs are both seventh-most in the NFL. The 2-5 Jaguars will likely have to play catch-up and go pass-heavy against the 5-2 Packers, which should lead to another high-volume outing for Engram.
Honorable Mentions:
Brock Bowers, LV vs. KC ($23); David Njoku, CLE vs. BAL ($18); Kyle Pitts, ATL at TB ($15)
Against the Grainers:
Cole Kmet, CHI at WAS ($19); Hunter Henry, NE vs. NYJ ($16); Cade Otton, TB vs. ATL ($14)
DEFENSE
Baltimore Ravens at CLE ($13): Cleveland has been the most fantasy-friendly opponent for D/ST units, and Watson's Achilles tear is unlikely to solve many of the Browns' problems. The Browns' 35 sacks allowed are by far the most in the league, 10 clear of the second-worst Patriots. Cleveland also gave up a touchdown on the opening kickoff to the Bengals last week, and the Browns have left points on the board with three missed FGs and two missed PATs from Dustin Hopkins. Winston threw a league-high 30 interceptions in his last season as a full-time starter, and he has a 7:8 TD:INT since the start of the 2022 season. The Ravens have given up plenty of yardage through the air, but they have the league's stingiest run defense and rank fourth with 22 sacks.
Honorable Mentions:
Denver Broncos vs. CAR ($20); Detroit Lions vs. TEN ($17); Kansas City at LV ($15)
Against the Grainers:
New York Jets at NE ($14); Houston Texans vs. IND ($14); Atlanta Falcons at TB ($11)
