Week 8 Start/Sit Cheatsheet — WR focus (Courtland Sutton, Troy Franklin, Alec Pierce) + quick rankings & waiver adds

Who to start (PPR & Half-PPR)

Start: Courtland Sutton
Flex dart: Troy Franklin
Bench/only if desperate: Alec Pierce

Why:

• Sutton — Clear red-zone alpha with a steady target share and strong end-zone usage. Even in lower-volume games, he carries TD equity that props up his floor.

• Franklin — Rookie volatility, but his route rate and designed shots give him spike-week upside. If you’re an underdog or chasing ceiling, he’s your swing.

• Pierce — Roles skew vertical/low-volume; useful if you need one deep shot to hit, but floor is thin without manufactured touches.

Standard scoring tweak: Sutton still first; Franklin’s TD/chunk-play profile edges Pierce for the boom path.

Start ’Em / Sit ’Em (quick hits)

Start ’Em

• Cade Otton (TE) — Streamable volume; strong red-zone usage on a TE-friendly week.

• Isaiah Davis (RB) — Flex if you need 10–14 touches with pass-game involvement.

• Tank Dell / similar WR2/3s — Prefer route participation + designed targets over name value.

Sit ’Em

• WR4 field-stretchers with sub-70% route rate.

• Committee RBs stuck under 35–40% snaps.

• Road D/STs that don’t create pressure (low sack rate = low ceiling).

WR Rankings — Week 8 (top 20, PPR)

1. Justin Jefferson

2. Ja’Marr Chase

3. CeeDee Lamb

4. Amon-Ra St. Brown

5. Stefon Diggs

6. Puka Nacua

7. Davante Adams

8. Garrett Wilson

9. DeVonta Smith

10. Brandon Aiyuk

11. Jaylen Waddle

12. Mike Evans

13. Nico Collins

14. Chris Olave

15. Deebo Samuel

16. Drake London

17. Tank Dell

18. Calvin Ridley

19. Keenan Allen

20. Michael Pittman Jr.
    Next tier: Courtland Sutton, DeAndre Hopkins, Zay Flowers
    Boom/Flex: Troy Franklin, Romeo Doubs, Jakobi Meyers
    Hail-Mary: Alec Pierce, Rashid Shaheed

TE Rankings — Week 8 (top 10)

1. Travis Kelce

2. Sam LaPorta

3. George Kittle

4. Mark Andrews

5. T.J. Hockenson

6. Trey McBride

7. Dalton Kincaid

8. Cade Otton

9. Evan Engram

10. David Njoku

QB Rankings — Week 8 (top 10)

1. Patrick Mahomes

2. Josh Allen

3. Jalen Hurts

4. Justin Herbert

5. C.J. Stroud

6. Joe Burrow

7. Tua Tagovailoa

8. Dak Prescott

9. Kyler Murray

10. Jared Goff

D/ST Rankings — Week 8 (top 12)

1. 49ers

2. Cowboys

3. Ravens

4. Bills

5. Browns

6. Jets

7. Chiefs

8. Eagles

9. Steelers

10. Dolphins

11. Vikings (streamable)

12. Saints

Vikings defense ranking: viable streamer vs. shaky protection or turnover-prone QBs; pressure is inconsistent, so ceiling comes from matchup.

Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups (last-minute)

• Isaiah Davis (RB) — Usage trending up; Flex play.

• RJ Harvey (RB) — Juice + growing role; stash with near-term upside.

• Cade Otton (TE) — Every-down, red-zone looks; top streaming TE.

• Oronde Gadsden II (TE/WR, deep) — TE eligibility in some apps; stash for upside.

Tiebreakers for “Who should I start?”

• Need floor? Sutton > safe WR2s > Franklin > Pierce.

• Need ceiling? Franklin > Sutton > Pierce.

• PPR lean? Favor the higher targets + routes over name brand.

• Late injury? Use the player in the later kickoff in your flex to maximize swap options.

Drop your exact roster/format if you want a bulletproof A/B pick.