Juicy Week Eight NFL Matchups

Three NFL players who should bring the juice to fantasy lineups this week

George Pickens (WR, Pittsburgh Steelers) vs the Giants' Defense

George Pickens looks like Russell Wilson’s new DK Metcalf. I previously wrote an article on how both receivers are fairly similar in play style and how that will bode well for Russ and fantasy managers this season. The claim finally came to fruition last week, in Russ’ first start as a Pittsburgh Steeler. He and Pickens connected on five receptions for 111 yards and a touchdown, in what would be Pickens' most productive game of the season.

Pittsburgh is playing another New York team this week, facing the Giants at home. This is the second straight week that the Giants have made it onto the juiciest matchups segment, but this time, for a different reason. The Giants' pass defense is sixth in the league, allowing only 179.4 passing yards per game. What makes the matchup juicy, is it will put Russ and Pickens to the test. Can they consistently produce no matter the matchup? They did well against a talented Jets secondary, but can they do it again?

They definitely can, and will continue to do so as long as Russ plays well. He loves Pickens, targeting him twice as many times as the second-most-targeted player. The two should continue to build upon their promising start, and could become a solid one-two punch as the season progresses. Pickens has been held back by poor quarterback play for a long time and just needs a competent player behind center to get him the ball. As long as Russ plays at least okay football, Pickens is a great flex play, with the potential to be a good WR2 in fantasy. He is a great start this week.

DeAndre Hopkins (WR, Kansas City Chiefs) vs the Raiders Defense

DeAndre Hopkins finally gets to play with an elite quarterback.

D-Hop joins superstar Patrick Mahomes and the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. They lost rising star Rashee Rice to a season-ending knee injury just a few weeks ago, and JuJu Smith-Shuster for the foreseeable future. The Chiefs needed receiving depth, and receiving depth they got. While D-Hop is a few seasons removed from his prime, he is still a good receiver. Last year in Tennessee he had his seventh 1000-yard season along with 75 receptions and seven touchdowns. Even with inconsistent quarterback play, he strung together a solid year and a top-24 fantasy season.

It will be interesting to see how Mahomes and D-Hop perform. Will it be a Randy Moss and Brady kind of season, or will Hopkins look more like the Titans' Randy Moss? Hard to tell, but the matchup against the Raiders' secondary should be a good way for him to ease into the offense. The Raiders' defense seems outstanding on paper, allowing only 180 passing yards per game, but they have not played against an elite quarterback this season, other than Lamar Jackson. Even with Patrick Mahomes struggling this season, he and D-Hop will be one of the scarier offensive duos the Raiders defense has faced as of late.

This week, D-Hop can be seen as a flex play for fantasy purposes. His value indeed skyrockets after being traded to the Chiefs, and automatically becoming Mahomes’ number-one receiver. Even with being the new guy in the locker room, look for D-Hop to be targeted often. If he is, it is a great sign of what is to come for the rest of the season. He can be seen as an upside start because of talent alone, but his floor is fairly low since he still needs to learn the offense.

De’Von Achane (RB, Miami Dolphins) vs the Cardinals Defense

De’Von Achane came out of the gates on fire this season, with back-to-back fantasy performances as a top-three running back. He had over 100 scrimmage yards, seven receptions, and a touchdown in each game. He looked like he was going to be a fantasy difference-maker this season until Tua Tagovalioa got hurt.

The Dolphins looked horrible in the absence of Tua. They could not find a way to get their star playmakers the football. This made Achane, Jaylen Waddle, and even Tyreek Hill borderline unstartable fantasy players. Over the last four weeks, Achane averaged only 47.75 all-purpose yards and 2.25 receptions per game. Since week two, he has yet to score a touchdown and finish inside the top 24 fantasy running backs.

The return of Tua, and the matchup against a poor Cardinals run defense, is salivating. Arizona's run defense ranks 26th overall , and has averaged 14.34 fantasy points to the opposing lead back. Assuming the Dolphins return to normal, there should be plenty of opportunities for Achane to put up top RB1 numbers this week through both the pass and run game.

Even though Tua isn’t elite by any means, he is the glue that holds together the Dolphins’ offense. The fantasy dry spell should finally be over, now that he is expected to make his return to the starting lineup. Those who held onto Achane can rejoice, as he now returns to a high-end RB1 and regains his absurd fantasy ceiling. Start him this week without hesitation.