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Fantasy Football: 3 Bold Predictions for NFL Week 8

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Fantasy Football: 3 Bold Predictions for NFL Week 8

There's nothing quite like the NFL.

Football is one of the most intense, exciting sports on the planet. The source of the now-ubiquitous saying "Any Given Sunday," the NFL is a place where even struggling teams have a chance to topple the best in the league. Anything can happen when you play only 17 regular season games a year.

That uncertainty is a huge driver behind the excitement the NFL generates each and every season. What's more fun than watching something totally unexpected unfold before your eyes?

That's why, this year, we'll be bringing you some bold predictions to watch for in each week the 2025 NFL season.

All NFL betting odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

NFL Bold Predictions for Week 8

Tee Higgins Provides a Top-15 Fantasy Finish

From Weeks 1 to 6, Tee Higgins was averaging 7.2 fantasy points per game. In Joe Flacco's second game as the Cincinnati Bengals' starting quarterback, Higgins posted a season-high 18.6 fantasy points (WR12) while the Bengals logged 33 points.

Despite the spike in production, our NFL DFS projections still have Higgins as WR29 with 8.8 fantasy points for Week 8. However, I believe he has the matchup to repeat another splash fantasy performance.

Tee Higgins - Receiving Yds

Oct 26 5:01pm UTCMore odds in Sportsbook

The New York Jets rank as the 5th-worst schedule-adjusted pass defense while allowing 7.1 yards per passing attempt (12th-most). Cincinnati carries the highest pass-play rate, and Flacco's 46.0 passing attempts per game through two starts suggests the number will stay high.

Higgins could benefit from facing New York's backup CB Jarvis Brownlee Jr. as Sauce Gardner (concussion) and Qwan'tez Stiggers (hip) are dealing with injuries. The Jets feature man coverage at the eighth-highest rate; Pro Football Focus gives Higgins 2.24 yards per route run against man coverage compared to a dreadful 0.66 when seeing zone.

His 18.8% target share, 32.4% air yards share, and 22.6% red zone target share should bring enough opportunities to produce more fantasy success. He's scored two touchdowns over the last three, and plenty of red zone targets could be ahead with the Bengals carrying a 25.5 team total.

D'Andre Swift Goes For 80+ Rushing Yards

The Chicago Bears have quietly won four consecutive games. A productive run game with 5.5 yards per carry and 183.5 rushing yards per game have helped boost the Bears to wins in the previous two. Week 7's 40 rushing attempts for 222 rushing yards (5.6 yards per carry) was especially impressive as the New Orleans Saints have the 11th-best adjusted rush defense.

Chicago is a 6.5-point underdog for Week 8's matchup with the Baltimore Ravens, but the offense still seems poised for success as Baltimore ranks as worst adjusted defense while allowing 32.3 points per game (the most) and 5.7 yards per play (sixth-most). The Ravens are also ceding 4.5 yards per carry (12th-most) and rank as the third-worst adjusted rush D.

Moneyline

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Total Match Points

Oct 26 5:01pm UTCMore odds in Sportsbook

This should mean more success for D'Andre Swift, who has posted 7.0 yards per rushing attempt and 116.0 rushing yards per game over the last two. NFL Next Gen Stats even credits Swift with an excellent 1.61 rushing yards over expectation per carry (RYOE/c) since Week 6. Backed by an efficient 0.36 RYOE/c on the season, look for Swift to run wild against a weak rush defense.

The large spread is a concern, potentially putting the Bears in a negative game script. However, Chicago's 21.5 team total seems a tad low considering the Ravens' defensive marks while the Bears have posted 26.8 points per game since Week 3. I still expect the Bears to put points on the board, which should allow them to keep leaning on the league's fifth-highest rush-play rate.

Swift's efficiencies paired with Baltimore giving up the eighth-highest rush success rate should mean more success. His 14.8 rushing attempts per game could be enough volume to vault Swift to 80+ rushing yards.

Jaylen Waddle Posts Under 50 Receiving Yards

As the 11th-worst adjusted pass offense paired with 20.0 points per game (8th-fewest) and 6.3 yards per passing attempt (9th-fewest), the Miami Dolphins are an easy sell right now. Tua Tagovailoa has recorded three interceptions in back-to-back games and is now tied with Geno Smith for the most picks in the NFL (10).

Since Tyreek Hill's season-ending injury, Jaylen Waddle is averaging 7.0 targets per game and a team-high 22.6% target share over the last three. In the first two games without Hill in the lineup, the increased workload immediately paid off for Waddle as he averaged 8.5 targets, 6.0 receptions, 102.5 receiving yards, and 16.4 fantasy points per game.

However, Week 7 brought a major drop-off in production with only four targets, one reception, 15 receiving yards, and 2.0 fantasy points. This offense simply feels too dysfunctional for Waddle to provide week-to-week value. I'm expecting another underwhelming outing in Week 8.

Jaylen Waddle - Receiving Yds

Oct 26 5:01pm UTCMore odds in Sportsbook

The Atlanta Falcons sport the fourth-best adjusted pass defense and cede only 6.0 yards per passing attempt (second-fewest). Furthermore, Atlanta sports the 5th-highest adjusted pressure while the Fins have PFF's 2nd-worst pass block grade paired with carrying ESPN's 10th-lowest pass block win rate.

This defense has a nose for the ball, too, forcing 1.5 takeaways per contest (seventh-most). Tua's turnover woes could keep up, and facing a quality pass D and pass rush only adds to the worries.

Atlanta runs man coverage at the 11th-highest rate, and Waddle has posted 1.89 yards per route run against man compared to 2.21 when facing zone coverage. While his 48.5% downfield target share and average depth of target (aDOT) of 14.9 yards are valuable, the Falcons allow the second-fewest yards per downfield target.

Between turnovers and Tagovailoa likely lacking time in the pocket, I'm not sure if Waddle will have a chance to turn in another solid performance. Waddle has gone under 50 receiving yards in four of seven games; look for the trend to continue despite his 71.4 projected receiving yards.


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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.

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