Fantasy football managers are entering the second half of their fantasy seasons, and with that comes some of their most important start 'em, sit 'em decisions to date.

Fantasy managers will be trying to guide their teams on playoff runs, and that will mean finding a way to navigate bye weeks, injuries and difficult matchups to post winning weeks.

Week 8 of the 2026 NFL season will be one of fantasy managers' toughest tests so far. Four teams will be on bye – the Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers – and their absences will create notable holes at the quarterback position.

Luckily, the quarterback position is deep, so fantasy managers will have plenty of streamers to trust. But who else deserves to start, and which potential flex plays should sit in difficult matchups?

USA TODAY Sports outlines 30 players to trust or fade in Week 8:

Fantasy football players to start in Week 8

Quarterbacks

Young just had a woeful outing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7, but he should be poised to bounce back on "Thursday Night Football." The Packers have allowed an average of 256.3 passing yards per game when facing starting quarterbacks, while Young was averaging 309.8 passing yards and 2.2 touchdowns per game across his first five starts of the season. Expect Young to bounce back in another solid outing.

Brissett has only accounted for one touchdown over his last two games combined, but he gets a favorable matchup against the Cowboys in Week 8. Dallas ranks last league-wide in defensive EPA per play, per the NFL's Next Gen Stats, so Brissett should find a way to log multiple touchdowns in what could be a high-scoring affair between two struggling defenses.

The Jets have allowed multiple passing touchdowns in four of their last six games and Cousins is leading the NFL with 16 passing touchdowns thus far in 2026. Fernando Mendoza may eventually take over for Cousins if the Raiders can't stop their four-game skid, but this week, Cousins is again a high-floor streamer.

Running backs

Coleman led the Broncos with nine carries against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 7 and turned them into 54 yards. The fourth-round rookie is averaging 4.9 yards per carry in limited action this season and should only see increased opportunities as he gets further removed from the ankle injury that landed him on IR. The Chiefs have allowed the ninth-fewest fantasy points per game (FPPG) to running backs this season. However, after Kansas City surrendered 100 yards to Emanuel Wilson in Week 7, fantasy managers should be confident in Coleman posting flex-caliber numbers against the Chiefs.

Brown hasn't lived up to his early-round fantasy draft billing this season, averaging just 3.5 yards per carry and logging a modest average of 59 total yards over his last two games. Even so, Brown should be started against a Titans defense that ranks middle-of-the-pack against running backs and has allowed nine rushing touchdowns in seven games this season, including three last week to the Cleveland Browns.

Corum handled a season-high 18 touches and turned them into 101 yards and a score against the Raiders. He still played just 44.4% of the Rams' offensive snaps in that contest and will continue to split playing time with Kyren Williams, but in favorable matchups where the Rams can build a lead, Corum can be trusted. The Chargers are 0-6 and are scoring just 15 points per game, so the Rams should run away with this one and give Corum an opportunity for 10-15 touches once again.

White played nearly 69% of the Commanders' offensive snaps in Week 6 against the 49ers after Jacory Croskey-Merritt was lost to a groin injury. White should remain Washington's lead back coming off its bye and gets a nice matchup against an Eagles run defense that just allowed 204 rushing yards to the Cowboys.

Wide receivers

Wilson has averaged just four catches for 39 yards in three games without Marvin Harrison Jr. this season, but he draws a favorable matchup against the Cowboys in Week 8. The Cowboys have struggled to contain opposing receivers so it would hardly surprise to see Wilson re-emerge as a quality WR2 this week.

Tucker just found success in a tough matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, totaling 103 yards and a touchdown on five receptions. Much of his production has come in late-game situations when the Raiders were trailing, but he should have a chance to be more consistent against a middle-of-the-pack Jets defense.

Since returning from IR, Cooper has posted back-to-back games with at least five catches, 103 receiving yards and a touchdown. Teams will eventually shift more attention to Cooper, but until they do, he will have immense fantasy upside. The Raiders are also allowing 15.7 yards per reception to receivers this year, so Cooper should be poised to have another strong showing.

Lemon performed well in the Eagles' "Monday Night Football" loss to the Cowboys, as Tanner McKee was able to get him the ball more frequently on in-breaking routes over the middle of the field than Jalen Hurts has been able to this season. Lemon should continue to get chances over the middle, where he's at his best, and should perform well against a Commanders team that has allowed the eighth-most FPPG to wide receivers this year.

Tight end

The Lions have played just six games thus far in 2026, but they still lead the league in catches (56), receiving yards (602) and touchdowns (10) allowed to the tight end position. Expect Hockenson, a favorite target of Kyler Murray, to have a big day in a favorable matchup.

Over his last four games, Henry is averaging 56.3 receiving yards and has logged two touchdowns. He has posted at least 44 receiving yards in every matchup, making him a rare, consistent option at tight end. The Dolphins have allowed the third-most FPPG to tight ends this year, so expect another good showing from Henry.

Defense/special teams

The Bengals should be the top streaming play this week. They just limited the Ravens to 13 points in Week 7 and now get to face a Titans team that is averaging just 15.4 points per game, second-fewest in the NFL. Cam Ward has also thrown an interception in five consecutive games, so the Bengals should emerge as a top-10 fantasy defense this week if they can extend that streak to six games.

The Eagles are averaging just 17.5 points per game in McKee's two starts and may not have Saquon Barkley (back/hamstring) at their disposal in this one. That could make the Commanders a sneaky-good streaming option this week.

Fantasy football players to sit in Week 8

Quarterbacks

No team has allowed fewer passing touchdowns to quarterbacks this season than the Vikings. Brian Flores' squad has surrendered just three in six games, thanks to its aggressive, blitz-happy defense. Goff has been excellent this season and sports an impressive 129.6 passer rating against the blitz, per Pro Football Focus, but each of his last two multi-interception games have come against Flores' defense. That will make the Lions starter more of a boom-or-bust option this week.

Mahomes had three touchdowns against the Broncos in Week 1, but Denver will likely have a better plan to contain him in Week 8. This seems more like a spot where Kenneth Walker III could enjoy a bounce-back game and Mahomes take a backseat, especially since the quarterback hasn't logged a touchdown since his team's Week 4 win over the Raiders.

Murray is averaging 45 rushing yards over his last two games but he has only accounted for three total touchdowns across five games with the Vikings. The Lions have sported a weak defense this year, but they showed more ability to slow down the Packers last week with Brian Branch returning to their secondary. Murray's floor remains too low to trust, even in what looks like, on paper, a good matchup.

Running backs

It isn't yet clear whether Monangai (thumb) will be able to return for the Bears in Week 8. However, even if he can play, it will be hard to trust him against a Seahawks defense that just shut down the aforementioned Walker. This seems more like a spot in which D'Andre Swift will do damage through the air – the Seahawks have allowed 38 receptions to RBs this season, tied for third-most in the NFL – while Monangai will play second fiddle and be a TD-dependent flex option.

Jones is "day-to-day" with a knee injury that isn't expected to be serious. Even so, it's hard to trust him as anything more than a boom-or-bust flex, since Jordan Mason appears to be the Vikings' backfield leader after returning from a thumb injury. The Lions have also been better against the run than the pass, so this isn't a good spot in which to back Jones.

No NFL team has allowed fewer rushing touchdowns to running backs than the Rams (2). That makes it hard to trust Hampton, who is averaging just 3.6 yards per carry behind a struggling Chargers offensive line, to post the numbers needed to emerge as a quality flex play.

Charbonnet may return for the Seahawks in Week 8. Even if he does, it's hard to recommend trusting him in what still could be a committee backfield in Seattle. Emanuel Wilson will take some touches from the UCLA product and the Bears have allowed the eighth-fewest FPPG to running backs this season. All of that makes Charbonnet a risky play.

Wide receivers

Williams' fantasy value is largely dependent on big plays and touchdowns. The Vikings have allowed just three receiving touchdowns to wideouts this season, which will put a cap on Williams' ceiling – as will the fact that any potential quick passing game the Lions might use could tilt targets toward Amon-Ra St. Brown.

The Dolphins have allowed just 78 targets to wide receivers this season, the lowest in the league by far. That's largely because Miami's opponents rarely have to throw late in games to beat the Dolphins. The Patriots may not have to do that either, and with the team needing to focus on getting A.J. Brown right for the long haul, Douglas could see decreased opportunities despite facing a weak-on-paper defense.

The Seahawks have allowed the fewest FPPG to receivers this season. Odunze hasn't been consistent for the Bears and hasn't caught a touchdown yet. With that in mind, it's hard to recommend trusting him in this spot.

Jaylen Waddle may not play because of a chest injury, but that won't automatically make Sutton a starter. The veteran has yet to record more than three catches in a game this season and is averaging a career-worst 10.5 yards per reception. The Chiefs have been good against wideouts this year, so don't expect Sutton to magically break out here.

Tight end

Kincaid was hot in the first two games of the 2026 NFL season, but he has averaged just 22.5 receiving yards per game over his last four outings. He's simply too hit-or-miss to trust against a Ravens defense that has surrendered just 29 receptions to tight ends this season, tied for the sixth-fewest league-wide.

Look, I get that tight end isn't very deep, so many out there will have no choice but to start LaPorta. Even so, expect him to have low upside against a Vikings defense that has allowed just 18 receptions and zero receiving touchdowns to tight ends this season.

Defense/special teams

The Broncos should have a better plan to handle the Chiefs a second time around, but that doesn't make them a great fantasy play. Mahomes has only been sacked seven times in six games while Kansas City has only committed five turnovers this season. That will give Denver a lower floor/ceiling combination than usual in Week 8.

The Seahawks could easily perform well in this matchup, but the Bears have scored at least 30 points in each game since Caleb Williams returned from his hamstring injury. That makes Seattle more of a boom-or-bust play, especially since Williams has thrown only one interception this season.