DFS Week 8 Picks: Mahomes Brings Value Despite Hefty Salary

by Kelly Singh · Upside Plays
DFS Week 8

It’s time for my DFS Week 8 picks! Thanks for following along each week. Last week, we saw a blowout that we never expected between the Ravens and the Lions, Cooper Kupp being under-utilized, and Primetime Kirk blowing it up! My favorite part of the week was seeing the fun player facts I gave you pan out as winning prop bets. Did you get in on Mark Andrews? I did. Cha-ching! Let’s take a look at the best picks for DFS Week 8.

DFS Week 8 Picks

QB Picks

Patrick Mahomes ($8.4K DraftKings / $9.0K FanDuel)

When shopping for a QB for DFS Week 8, you’re going to have to pay up. The best matchups of the week are also the priciest. Here’s the bright side – picks like Patrick Mahomes also come with the highest projected points for the week, which to me, makes it worth it. Mahomes is projected for 24 FPPG on each platform against a poorly ranked Denver defense. DFS Week 8 rostership is looking good on DraftKings, with fewer DFS managers projected to roster him (4-percent and 11-percent on FanDuel). Last week was his 17th career game with 4 or more touchdown passes, surpassing Hall of Famer Dan Marino for the most ever in their first seven seasons. TLDR: You get what you pay for.

Lamar Jackson ($8.1K DraftKings / $8.8K FanDuel)

Lamar Jackson and the Ravens are up against the Arizona Cardinals this week. The Cardinals defense has been somewhat reliable and showed strength last week with the return of Budda Baker. That being said, they’re still one of the worst-ranked defenses in the league, both positionally and in general.

Lamar is projected for 22 FPPG on both platforms, and despite the high salary, rostership is on the high side at 11-percent on DK and 10-percent on FD. This matchup is too juicy for DFS managers to pass up.

CJ Stroud ($6.3K DraftKings / $7.4K FanDuel)

I wanted to find a pick that wasn’t so pricey, but should also still deliver on points. I’ve landed on CJ Stroud against Carolina. The Panthers defense ranks No. 29 against opposing quarterbacks and No. 17 in general. That sounds like an opportunity for Stroud to capitalize. He’s had zero interceptions in five of his last six games, including three road games. I think I’ll put that into a prop bet this week! He’s also had two touchdown passes in four of his last five games. Rostership is low on both platforms, because there are more tempting matchups, but I’m not mad at this pick.

RB Picks

Travis Etienne ($7.2K DraftKings / $8.7K FanDuel)

Running backs have a favorable matchup against the Steelers defense and one of the hottest running backs in the land happens to be Travis Etienne. While his salary is on the pricey side, look for him to bring value with 16.3 FPPG projected on DraftKings and 14.8 on FanDuel.

Rostership is projected to be on the lower end at five- to six-percent on both platforms, likely due to his salary and there being other serviceable options. Last week, he became the 1st player in franchise history to rush for two touchdowns in three straight games.

Breece Hall ($5.9K DraftKings / $7.2K FanDuel)

Facing a poorly ranked Giants defense, Breece Hall is in a good position to really make an impact on fantasy rosters this week. Projected for 15 FFPG, this matchup is so much in his favor that most DFS managers will be adding him to their rosters this week. It could be his third game in a row with 90-plus scrimmage yards and a rushing touchdown.

WR Picks

DeVonta Smith ($6.7K DraftKings / $6.9K FanDuel)

Not only is this a favorable match-up for DeVonta Smith, but it’s also a well-priced one. Smith historically plays well against Washington. He set a career-high in receiving yards against the Commanders last year and he has six or more receptions in his last three games against them. Let’s keep that trend going! Smith is projected for 13 FPPG on DraftKings and 10.7 on FanDuel with mid-range rostership.

Garrett Wilson ($6.3K DraftKings / $7.2K FanDuel)

We’ve already discussed how poorly the Giants defense is ranked, so there’s no need to beat that into the ground, but that being the case, this could be a great week for Garrett Wilson, who is facing them. He’s projected for 13 FPPG on DraftKings and 10.6 on FanDuel with mid-range rostership. This could be his fourth game in a row with 50 or more receiving yards. For what it’s worth, he’s had five or more catches in three of the past four games.

Romeo Doubs ($4.9K DraftKings / $6.7K FanDuel)

Looking for more of a bargain? We can’t have it all…at least some weeks. I do like the idea of Romeo Doubs this week against the Vikings. Their defense is ranked No. 21 against wide receivers and No. 27 in general.

Doubs isn’t projected for as much as it feels he should be, at 9.4 FPPG on DraftKings and 7.9 on FanDuel. Perhaps that’s why his rostership is super low at around 1-percent? Whatever the reason, I’m in because this could be his third game in a row at home with five or more catches and 70 or more receiving yards.

TE Picks

Mark Andrews ($6.4K DraftKings / $7.7K FanDuel)

Mark Andrews managed to bring in two receiving touchdowns last week against the Lions. This week, he’s up against an Arizona defense that allows some of the most points from tight ends. This game could mark his fifth in a row with 60 or more receiving yards. It’s probably not worth noting, but Andrews happens to be my favorite player in the league. He’s dependable, talented, and easy on the eyes…not that you care about that.

Dallas Goedert ($4.6K DraftKings / $6.2K FanDuel)

I know I’ve hit on the best matchups of the week quite a bit in this article, but I can’t help it. They are just so juicy! Dallas Goedert is aiming for his fourth game in a row with five or more receptions. He’s good for nine to 10 FPPG this week with mid- to upper-range rostership.

DEF/DST

Houston Texans ($3.3K DraftKings / $4.0K FanDuel)

Projected to bring in 7.9 FPPG this week, I think the Texans are the most value-driven defense this week. If you want to go big…choose the Baltimore Ravens. Obviously!

Use Your Resources

Now that you’ve seen my picks, have you checked out the PlayerProfiler DFS Dominator and Fantasy Tools? There are options for every budget and every fantasy football use case, from sports betting to creating and maintaining the most optimized league roster. I’ve been making it a habit to run my favorite lineups through the tools, and it’s paid off every week.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me on the app formerly known as Twitter, @KellyInPhoenix. Thanks for reading! See you next week!