Week 8 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Advice on Fantasy Football Stars to Play or Bench

It's been an unusual season for fantasy footballers thus far, with injuries, surprising slumps, and unexpected breakouts shaking up the landscape weekly. We're likely to see more of the same in Week 8, which will open with Thursday night's game between the Carolina Panthers and Green Bay Packers.

Managers can, of course, rely on their top draft picks, if healthy. However, plenty of stars are on the injury report, and several more will be on bye this week.

The Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, and San Francisco 49ers have Week 8 off.

Those looking to lean on second-tier stars can find some start/sit advice here, with picks based on recent production, projected roles, individual matchups, and point-per-reception (PPR) scoring.

Even with a fair bit of scrambling upside, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray has been a low-level streamer this season. He has topped 18 fantasy points only once and is coming off of an underwhelming 13.9-point performance against the Indianapolis Colts.

However, Murray has legitimate top-10 potential this week because of Minnesota's matchup and situation. The Vikings may have to go pass-heavy, as Aaron Jones continues to deal with an MCL sprain. They'll also face the Detroit Lions, who have surrendered more fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks than any other team.

Sit: Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers routed the Panthers in Week 7 while welcoming back Baker Mayfield from his dislocated thumb. However, Mayfield was far from 100 percent and attempted just 11 passes.

Mayfield did throw a touchdown pass, but he also threw for just 64 yards. He has a middle-of-the-road matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, but the Bucs should lean very heavily on their ground game again this week.

The Panthers enter Thursday night with the league's worst run defense, which bodes well for Josh Jacobs' managers. However, Green Bay has also struggled against the run this season and has surrendered the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs.

Chuba Hubbard had a disappointing outing in Week 7, as the Bucs boast a strong run defense, and Carolina fell behind early. He should bounce back against the Packers, though, with the potential for a top-10 scoring performance.

Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots

J.K. Dobbins might remain the Denver Broncos' starter in title, but he's rapidly falling behind in the rotation. RJ Harvey is establishing himself as the top receiving back, and rookie Jonah Coleman looked like the best ball-carrier on the roster during last week's return from injury.

Dobbins will be hard to trust moving forward, and it's impossible to trust him against the Kansas City Chiefs. Kansas City has surrendered the eighth-fewest fantasy points to opposing RBs.

Start: Stefon Diggs, Washington Commanders

Washington Commanders receiver Stefon Diggs was a bit inconsistent as the team's No. 2 receiver, but with Terry McLaurin out for the year, he's now Jayden Daniels' top target. He recorded 16.4 fantasy points against a good San Francisco 49ers defense in his last game, and he'll face a fading Philadelphia Eagles defense this week.

Philadelphia has now surrendered the second-most fantasy points to opposing receivers. The Eagles will undoubtedly focus on trying to slow Diggs, but a high target share gives him a high floor.

While Diggs has become Washington's new No. 1 receiver, A.J. Brown was supposed to replace Diggs as the New England Patriots' top target. However, he's struggled to develop chemistry with quarterback Drake Maye and has been a sizeable disappointment instead.

While Brown will probably break out of his funk at some point this season, it's unlikely to happen against the Miami Dolphins. Teams have largely attacked Miami's defense on the ground, which has led to the Dolphins surrendering the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing WRs.

Start: T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings

Any managers in need of a bye-week fill-in at tight end should see if T.J. Hockenson is available. The Vikings pass-catcher is rostered in just 57 percent of leagues and has arguably the top matchup of Week 8.

Minnesota's offense is still trying to find a rhythm, but Hockenson should match or exceed last week's 13.5-point performance. No team has surrendered more fantasy points to opposing tight ends than the Lions.

Panthers tight end Darren Waller has had some solid outings as a streamer this season, and he's coming off a 12-point performance. However, he's likely to disappoint in fantasy on Thursday night.

While the Packers have been susceptible to the run, they've been quite stout against opposing tight ends. In fact, no team has surrendered fewer fantasy points to the position this season.

*Fantasy scoring and roster information from FantasyPros .