Fantasy Flex plays fantasy football for Week 8

PlayerProfiler is home to award-winning redraft rankings and tools. Our player rankings are unsurpassed, and the World famous draft kit Includes detailed player descriptions and cheat sheets to help you dominate fantasy drafts! Listen. Below, Bradley Stalder breaks down premium fantasy football flex plays for Fantasy Week 8.

In this weekly Flex Plays article, I identify three players outside the top 50 projected FLEX starters who will “win” the FLEX. How do I define the “profit” of the FLEX position? If a player scores at least 12.5 points in half-point PPR scoring, that is a “win.” Anything else is a loss. I also refer to a player outside the top 100 in predicted points for the week as my long-term double-or-nothing score. Each week throughout the season I will offer players who I believe will “win” the FLEX and, for accountability purposes, update how I did last week.

Balance week 7: 1-2

Running records 10-13, 43 percent

Darnell Mooney| WR, Atlanta Falcons

Darnell Mooney is on 32 percent of teams but is only expected to start on 2 percent. He projects to be the 66th best FLEX player in Week 8. Mooney ranks 17th in fantasy points, 9th in deep targets, 14th in air yards, 10th in explosive rating and 12th in total targets. In the last game against Tampa Bay this season, Mooney scored 16 goals. He turned that into nine receptions for 105 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Mooney was the WR3 overall this week. He plans to team up with Zyon McCollum, which is worth exploiting in fantasy lineups. Mooney is PlayerProfiler's projected WR32 for this week. The fifth-year receiver may have only averaged more than 12.5 fantasy points twice this season, but it's hard to move away from consistently high goals.

With the Buccaneers suffering from injuries, expect to see more offense from the Falcons in a division game. The Falcons are favorites away from home with a respectable overall projection of 46 games.

Najee Harris | RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

Najee Harris is on 94 percent of teams and is expected to start on 58 percent. He projects him to be the 65th best FLEX player in Week 8. In his first week with Russell Wilson at quarterback, Harris rushed 21 times for 102 yards and a touchdown. Harris ranks 3rd in missed tackles, 3rd in yards per route run, 7th in yards per reception and 6th in yards created among running backs. He is on pace to set a career high in yards per carry. As Jaylen Warren recovers from his injury, Harris shows no signs of slowing down.

The Steelers and Giants face off on Monday Night Football, with what is expected to be a modest total of 36.5 games. However, in Week 7, the Giants barely allowed Saquon Barkley to rush for a season-high 176 yards on just 17 carries. Overall, the NY Giants allow the seventh-most fantasy points to running backs this season. Harris expects another FLEX-worthy start. PlayerProfiler projects him as the RB25 for Week 8.

Romeo Doubs | WR, Green Bay Packers

Romeo Doubs is in 71 percent of teams and is expected to start in 13 percent of them. Doubs projects to be the 68th best FLEX player in Week 8. Since returning from a one-game suspension, Doubs has been a producer for the Packers. He has 13-plus fantasy points and a snap share of 74 percent in two straight games. Doubs scored a season-high 10 goals in Week 7 against Houston. He ranks 24th in fantasy points per target, 25th in red zone targets, 33rd in yards per team pass attempt and 1.43rd in explosive rating. Doubs is WR38 in fantasy points per game this season.

Green Bay travels to Jacksonville. The Packers are 4.5 away favorites in the highest projected game count of the week. The Jaguars are the No. 6 wide receiver with the most fantasy points this season. Doubs doesn't leave the field and is a TD-dependent FLEX with top-15 potential. PlayerProfiler projects him as the WR35 for Week 8.

Deep Cut: Cedric Tillman | WR, Cleveland Browns

Cedric Tillman is represented in one percent of the teams and is expected to start at zero percent. According to Sleeper, Tillman will be the 166th best FLEX player in Week 8. With Amari Cooper moving to Buffalo, Tillman took a big step forward. The former third-round pick played 82 percent of the snaps and scored 12 goals. He turned them into eight receptions and 81 yards — all amid a rotation of Deshaun Watson, DTR and Jameis Winston. With Winston in the starting lineup in Week 8 against Baltimore, the Browns will throw Tillman down early and often. He already has the No. 13 win rate vs. man coverage and No. 32 route win rate this season.

Cleveland is a nine-point underdog at home against the Baltimore Ravens, currently led by the MVP favorite. Nick Chubb's return to the lineup should keep the Ravens honest from a defensive standpoint. However, we have seen Jameis in a full-time role before. With Famine in play, Cedric Tillman has a chance to celebrate in Week 8. The Ravens have given the No. 2 team the most fantasy points at wide receiver this season. PlayerProfiler projects Tillman as the WR58 for Week 8.

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