Fantasy Football Week 8 Start 'Em & Sit 'Em: C.J. Stroud the must-start, plus DFS sleepers to fire up

We might be getting some good news for Week 8 after some difficult injuries in Week 7. You’ll want to keep checking the injury report — and this column — before setting your lineup.

Week 7 was tough with season-ending injuries to Chris Godwin (ankle), Brandon Aiyuk (knee) and Deshaun Watson (Achilles), and Mike Evans (hamstring) is going to miss several weeks. But help might be on the way, and we already know Cooper Kupp (ankle) is going to play for the first time since Week 2.

Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) is also expected to play for the first time since Week 2, and his return is fantastic news for Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. There’s also a chance Jonathan Taylor (ankle), Chris Olave (concussion) and Jakobi Meyers (ankle) might return after extended absences. And Deebo Samuel (illness) and Jauan Jennings (hip) will hopefully get good news as the week goes on, which would be a huge boost for the 49ers after losing Aiyuk.

Hopefully we won’t have any more serious injuries in Week 8, but with the way this season has gone, that’s not realistic. That said, it will be great to get guys like Kupp, Tagovailoa, Taylor, Olave and Meyers back on the field because Fantasy managers need something positive after all the tough injuries that happened in Week 7.

Chiefs (at LV)

The Chiefs have allowed 18 points or less in four games in a row against Atlanta, the Chargers, New Orleans and San Francisco. Kansas City only has six sacks over that span, but the Chiefs also have four interceptions in their past two outings against the Saints and 49ers. Gardner Minshew started for the Raiders again in Week 7 and had four turnovers against the Rams (three interceptions and one fumble), and Las Vegas has scored 18 points or less in three games in a row against Denver, Pittsburgh and the Rams.

• Chargers (vs. NO)
• Lions (vs. TEN)
• Bears (at WAS)

Eagles (at CIN)

The Eagles defense has excelled the past two games against the Browns and Giants with 13 sacks over that span and just 13 points allowed. But going from Deshaun Watson and Daniel Jones to facing Joe Burrow this week is a much tougher task, and the Bengals have just three turnovers in their past five games. Cincinnati also has scored at least 25 points in four of their past six outings, and I don’t expect the Eagles DST to have a good performance in Week 8 based on the Bengals offense.