Week 7 has come and gone. As we set our sights to Week 8, we once again try to hone in on some quarterbacks that may be flying under the radar. Thus far, it has been a carousel due to injuries and mounting bye weeks.
Week 8 features four more teams on bye. The New Orleans Saints, Houston Texans, New York Giants, and San Francisco 49ers all take a deserved rest this week.
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Transparency roundup for last week’s article:
Matthew Stafford only needed 195 passing yards to throw three touchdowns. He finished as the QB10.
C.J. Stroud threw for only 153 yards after averaging 306 in each of his last three contests. He did throw two touchdowns and finished as the QB13 overall. Not great, but certainly did not kill the week where rostered. Still, it was a bit of a disappointing outing after the production he had been accumulating.
Tanner McKee ended the week with a lackluster outing. He threw for 211 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Adding virtually nothing with his legs, including a failed tush push that was saved by a defensive penalty. This call simply did not work out and against a friendly defense.
Let’s dig into the grits and bacon.
Week 8 Quarterback Streamers and Sleepers
Kirk Cousins, LV @ NYJ – Sleeper
Through eight weeks of play, Cousins is the QB14 in fantasy points per game. What is most notable, and what keeps him in nearly streamer-only conversations, is his stubborn lack of mobility. Cousins has thrown more interceptions (five) than he has accumulated rushing yards (four) this season.
This week, the Raiders travel from the West Coast to the East Coast to face off against the New York Jets. Yes, those same Jets that just allowed Malik Willis to throw two touchdown passes and notch the first rushing touchdown by a quarterback against them this season. On paper, they allow the 13th-fewest fantasy points to the position. However, a deeper dive into the numbers makes them far less scary for opposing signal callers.
On average, they allow 202.5 passing yards and 1.5 passing touchdowns per game. In four of seven games, they have allowed multiple touchdown passes. Cousins has thrown two or more touchdown passes in all but one game this season.
After a strong start, the Raiders are hungry for a win as they have lost four straight games. Cousins has been dealing, with 16 touchdown passes to only five interceptions this season. He will be suppressed somewhat in rankings this week due to the aforementioned mobility issues and the travel from West to East. Cousins should see another multi-touchdown game in North Jersey this weekend.
Sam Darnold, SEA vs. CHI – Streamer
Darnold has returned to being a weekly question mark for fantasy purposes. The volatility of his play is often a deterrent from plugging him into lineups. However, desperate times and desperate measures make a lot of managers look deep for a worthy starter in the midst of injury, bye weeks, and gnarly matchups elsewhere. Enter Mr. Darnold from stage left.
Darnold lives in QB2 land. He is the QB23 in fantasy points per game. He has thrown eight touchdowns and eight interceptions in just over five games. Still, the glimmer of the 2024/2025 quarterback shimmers on the field from time to time. Oh, and having the best wide receiver in the NFL, from a statistical standpoint, does not hurt.
The Bears pose an interesting matchup. On paper, they’re a nearly neutral opponent, allowing the 14th-most fantasy points to the position. Over their last three outings, they have allowed two or more touchdown passes and one rushing score to the position.
Despite a tough defense, the Bears have multiple avenues from which to create opportunities to score. Darnold may have to dial up the passing a little more this week. With a softer defense than what he faced last week, expect a little more production. Darnold also adds some production with his legs.
He enters the week as a QB2 with upside in a matchup that is conducive to a few extra pass attempts. He is a streamer for this week.
Jacoby Brissett, ARI vs. DAL – Streamer
Brissett enters Week 8 as the QB21 in fantasy points per game. He has become a volume-based, playing-from-behind quarterback who can be utilized in certain matchups. He has thrown for 250 or more yards in four of his seven games this season, with multiple touchdown passes in three games.
The Cowboys allow the fifth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks. On average, they surrender 239 passing yards and 1.8 passing touchdowns per game. They have allowed multiple touchdown passes in three of seven games.
The Cowboys can and will do some scoring. Brissett will once again be on the high side of pass attempts in an effort to keep pace. He is a volume-based streaming option this week in a plus matchup.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 8 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!
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