Week 8 NFL DFS Picks: Core Players for DraftKings & FanDuel

Every week, I'll review the players I am targeting for DFS across all games, tournaments, and game stacks.

The idea is to paint a clearer picture of how to build lineups.

Our core players are the ones we will have the most exposure to at their respective positions.

You can play them in cash games and tournaments.

I'll include analysis on the player selections and game writeups, but check out the Week 8 Worksheet for a fully detailed breakdown of the players and games.

Rich's Week 8 Quarterback Core Plays

1. Dak Prescott ($8,000 FanDuel/$6,300 DraftKings)
2. Josh Allen ($9,400 FanDuel/$7,700 DraftKings)
3. Jacoby Brissett ($7,100 FanDuel/$5,700 DraftKings)

Dak Prescott

Prescott is at home with a massive team total against an Arizona defense that has been hemorrhaging points to opposing quarterbacks.

The Cardinals allow 18.6 passing points per game (29th), rank 31st in yards allowed per pass attempt (8.5), and allow a league-high 8.5% touchdown rate.

The Cardinals have allowed six consecutive QB1 scorers.

Prescott has played 18 career home games with an implied team total of 30-plus points.

In those games, he averages 24.3 fantasy points per game with 15 QB1 scoring weeks.

He has thrown multiple passing touchdowns in 16 of those games.

Josh Allen

I would love to have Allen everywhere this weekend, but we live in a DFS world where salaries matter, and this is a top-down great quarterback slate.

Paying up for him is restrictive, but he is in a great spot to produce.

Allen comes out of the bye leading all quarterbacks in fantasy points per game (26.9).

He is expected to get D.J. Moore back this week.

It has also benefited gamers that Buffalo's defense is as bad as it has been, which has pushed Allen.

Buffalo has already allowed 30 or more points in four games this season.

They have allowed 29-plus points in five of six games, with the only exception being the Chargers game.

Since 2020, when Allen's defense allows 30-plus points, he averages 30.4 fantasy points.

When they allow 24 or more points (below the Baltimore team total), Allen averages 28.1 fantasy points per game.

Jacoby Brissett

Our salary saver and primary cash game option this week.

Arizona has a 24-point team total, and they've shown they'll throw a lot when chasing points.

Brissett has 53 dropbacks against Denver on Sunday (13.8 second-half fantasy points).

Two weeks ago, against Detroit, Brissett had 52 dropbacks (17.9 second-half fantasy points).

In Week 3 against the 49ers, Brissett had 53 dropbacks (20.0 second-half fantasy points).

You may not want to watch the first half, but Brissett has volume-based potential to score points in a loss.

He also gets a favorable matchup.

Dallas ranks 25th in passing points allowed (15.6 per game), allowing a 68.2% completion rate (30th), 7.7 yards per pass attempt (27th), and a 5.6% touchdown rate (24th).

Rich's Week 8 Running Back Core Plays