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Last week on Fantasy Football Today DFS, I claimed the new slogan for all of NFL DFS: "Fade Cooper Kupp at your own risk." I try to tell you. After another monster week where Kupp posted 10-156-2 receiving, he checks in as the highest priced player on DraftKings this week. I'm not so sure it matters. More on that a little later on. Like most DFS slates, last week was unique. The chalk running backs let us down while unlikely standouts Tua Tagovailoa, Kyle Pitts, and Foster Moreau broke the slate. Who will it be this week?

The first thing you should know about Week 8 is its lack of star power at the quarterback position. Because of island games, we're without Kyler Murray, Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, Aaron Rodgers, and Kirk Cousins on the main slate. As a result, we also miss out on their amazing weapons. According to Caesars Sportsbook, we have just one game with a total over 50 points on the main slate: Titans at Colts. We do, however, have six more games with a total over 46 points. Just like last week, we also have to navigate three games with double-digit spreads. Enough of the chit chat, where do we start our DFS lineup construction?

Which star to pay up for?

Let's start the same place we did last week. In Week 7 we were debating four superstars. This week it's only three. Kupp, Derrick Henry, or Alvin Kamara. All three are priced between $8,700 and $9,000 on DraftKings this week and rightfully so. Kupp is putting up historic wide receiver numbers through six games, Henry has at least 29 carries in five of seven games and Kamara is coming off a game with 30 touches, including 10 receptions. Each has their reasoning on this specific slate as well. The Rams have the second highest implied team total on the slate while Henry and Kamara are involved in the two highest game totals. As of now I'm ranking the three Kupp, Kamara and Henry this week.

The hope here is that the Texans can keep this game tighter than the spread indicates at home with their starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor returning. Honestly, I'm not sure it matters. The Rams are fourth in pass rate over expectation this season. The last time we saw them in a blowout scenario was Week 6. Matthew Stafford proceeded to add passing touchdowns while up 21-3 and later when they were up 31-3. Another reason I like spending up for Kupp this week is because I really like the mid-tier and the value plays at running back this week. When deciding who you want to pay up for, you should also consider who you like at other positions. If you're a fan of the value at wide receiver, maybe Henry or Kamara are the answer for you.

Running back standouts

The three names that stand out to me most on the main slate are Darrell Henderson, D'Andre Swift and Jonathan Taylor. Henderson let us down last week, but his usage was still elite and his price went down by $100 on DraftKings. Henderson played 88% of the snaps with 18 touches in Week 7 and now he faces the Texans, one of two teams allowing over 5.0 yards per carry to running backs this season. Look, we have to take advantage of any and all Taylor-Swift weeks in DFS. Looking back, Swift's $6,000 price tag last week was egregious. He's game-script proof and has elite usage. Swift leads all running backs in targets and receptions plus he has 25 red-zone opportunities on the season. The Lions are finally projected for a competitive game with the Eagles. Last but not least, we have Taylor. He has at least 110 scrimmage yards and a touchdown in four straight games. Taylor also leads the NFL with 37 red-zone opportunities. In fact, our Mike McClure likes him so much, he'd take him over Derrick Henry this week.

"I would actually prefer Jonathan Taylor to Derrick Henry in this game just because of the price savings and the opportunities. Taylor is clearly the guy they want to feed especially in the red zone… Because of Derrick Henry and Alvin Kamara, I think that Jonathan Taylor is  a very interesting tournament play that is probably going to be under-owned even though this game has the highest total on the slate."

Here are my five favorite mid-tier standouts:

There's no shortage of value this week, either, at the running back position. If you're looking to save some money, you can with the likes of Khalil Herbert, the Eagles running backs, Michael Carter, and David Johnson. Miles Sanders is all but out this week, which leaves Kenneth Gainwell at $5,000 and Boston Scott at $4,400 on DraftKings this week. As usual, the Jets are a mess but they're starting a quarterback in Mike White who will check down a bunch. We saw it last week when he targeted Carter nine times. Last but not least Mark Ingram was traded from the Houston Texans this week, which means Johnson and Phillip Lindsay should see more work.

The most important position in sports

… is quarterback. We save the best for last. Like last week, we have three huge spreads this week including Josh Allen and the Bills carrying the highest implied team total on the slate. After a slow start to the season, Allen is averaging 33.4 Fantasy points per game on DraftKings. Like the Rams that I mentioned earlier, the Bills rank in the top eight in pass rate over expectation. Even if they have a big lead against the Dolphins, Allen could still get his numbers. My other two favorite quarterbacks on the slate are Jalen Hurts and Carson Wentz. Say what you want about the real-life quarterback play of Hurts but nobody has been more consistent in terms of floor and ceiling at the position this season. As for Wentz, he has exactly two passing touchdowns in four straight games and finds himself in an important divisional matchup and the highest game total on the slate. I know the Titans shut down the Chiefs, but I'm not exactly buying that they're all of a sudden a good pass defense.

Here are my favorite stacks in Week 8:

Here's a GPP lineup I already have built out for this week:

  • Carson Wentz, $5,700
  • D'andre Swift, $7,100
  • David Johnson, $4,200
  • Cooper Kupp, $9,000
  • A.J. Brown, $6,900
  • Michael Pittman, $5,300
  • Dallas Goedert, $4,700
  • Cole Beasley, $4,900
  • WFT DST, $2,100