NFL

5 Daily Fantasy Football Matchups to Exploit in Week 8

Week 8 is the buffet line of the season thus far. You're not going to run short on options; you just have to pick which ones you want most.

When you're chugging through that line, of course you're going to want everything. What rational person will pass up hush puppies, chicken tenders, and a hamburger when the cost is the same no matter what you choose?

The problem that you'll run into is space. That first plate can hold only so much food, and at some point, you're going to run out of room. Sure, you can get up there a second time, but even then, your stomach (hopefully) is not a bottomless pit. Somewhere in the process, you've got to prioritize.

Week 8 has sizzling steaks, well-seasoned green beans, and a tasty array of sweets all awaiting our consumption. Half of the games on the main slate have an over/under of 50 or higher. But with only nine slots per roster, we've got some tough decisions to make.

There are going to be a lot of factors that go into this, including pace, volume, whether it's the second time for an in-division matchup, and on and on. All of those need to be part of your process. But even that's not going to give you definitive answers here because there are just so many possibilities.

That's where matchups can come into play. Once you've sorted through all the primary points of emphasis, matchups can help break those ties and tell you which asset can go from being a good play to a great one.

To help us assess those matchups, we'll turn to numberFire's Net Expected Points (NEP), the metric we use to track the expected points added or subtracted on each play throughout the season. NEP can quantify the difference between a three-yard pass on 3rd and 2 and a three-yard pass on 3rd and 4, allowing us to see which offenses are brimming with efficiency and which defenses may be a bit too lenient.

With all the great options available this week, it's going to be hard to sort out our favorite plays. But which tempting outlets have plus matchups that may move the needle just a bit? Let's check it out.