When does NFL Week 8 start?

Week 8 runs from Thursday 29 October, the Panthers at the Packers, to Monday 2 November, the Bears at the Seahawks: 14 games.

Which NFL teams have a bye in Week 8?

The 49ers, the Giants, the Saints and the Texans.

Who are the biggest favourites in NFL Week 8?

The Bengals by 10 against the Titans, the Jaguars by 10 against the Colts and the Cowboys by 7 against the Cardinals.

Which NFL Week 8 game has the highest total?

The Ravens at the Bills and the Cardinals at the Cowboys, at 54.5 points.

FanTeam NFL Gameweek 8: Four Byes, Five Contests and the Value List

Published October 29, 2026 by Statz NFL.

Houston, New Orleans, the Giants and San Francisco are on a bye, which takes Malik Nabers, Isaiah Likely and Tyler Shough out of gameweek 8, and FanTeam have posted five weekly contests. The injury sheet, the value list and the optimiser's RedZone and Fumble lineups.

Four byes, and the three that come back

Houston, New Orleans, the Giants and San Francisco are on a bye in gameweek 8. For a season squad that means Malik Nabers (£14.0m, 294 projected points for the season), Isaiah Likely (£12.1m, 274), Tyler Shough (£16.0m, 295) and Brock Purdy (£18.4m, 317) score nothing this week, along with every Texan, Saint, Giant and 49er. A player on a bye is the one zero the safety net cannot replace, which is the rule on the how to play FanTeam page. Two of them in your nine and you take the zero; three or more and the question is which of the three has the best price for gameweek 9.

The teams that come back are Buffalo, Jacksonville, the Chargers and Washington, so Josh Allen (£21.7m), James Cook (£19.5m), Bhayshul Tuten (£13.1m) and Jayden Daniels (£18.1m) play again. Gameweek 9 has two byes, Tennessee and Pittsburgh, so Carnell Tate and Calvin Ridley go with the Titans and Pat Freiermuth and DK Metcalf with the Steelers. Check the schedule before every transfer from here.

The injury sheet

The names to check before Thursday night. Questionable: Jahmyr Gibbs (£21.8m, shoulder), Amon-Ra St. Brown (£20.1m, ankle), Lamar Jackson (£20.0m, ankle), George Pickens (£18.4m, shoulder), Saquon Barkley (£18.1m, hamstring), Brock Bowers (£18.0m, calf), DeVonta Smith (£18.0m, hamstring), Breece Hall (£18.0m, quadricep), Jaylen Waddle (£17.5m, chest), A.J. Brown (£17.5m, ankle), Michael Wilson (£17.1m, ribs), Stefon Diggs (£17.0m, hand), Tyler Warren (£17.0m, groin), DJ Moore (£16.7m, shoulder), Rashee Rice (£16.5m, hamstring), Emeka Egbuka (£16.4m, concussion), Jakobi Meyers (£15.5m, hamstring) and Matthew Golden (£14.6m, shoulder). Ja'Marr Chase (£20.8m) is listed as questionable with a rest day, not an injury. On injured reserve: Jalen Hurts (£20.5m, calf), De'Von Achane (£18.3m, knee), Davante Adams (£17.7m, listed as resting), Terry McLaurin (£16.4m, hamstring) and Michael Pittman Jr. (£16.0m, foot).

The gameweek locks on Thursday night, so for anyone owned in a Sunday game the safety net is the plan: if he does not dress, the bench replaces him. The ones to decide before Thursday are the Thursday game's own players, Green Bay and Carolina, where Golden is the name. Hurts is still on injured reserve, so if he is still in your nine, he is a zero until you sell.

Check: Jahmyr Gibbs — RB, DET · £21.8m · questionable, shoulder — at £21.8m — The best projection on the board at £21.8m for 477. The safety net catches a scratch, so he stays if he is in your nine. Game preview
Check: Lamar Jackson — QB, BAL · £20.0m · questionable, ankle — at £20.0m — Questionable again. Josh Allen at £21.7m projects 406 and is back from the bye. Game preview

The value list for the transfers you have left

Running back: Bhayshul Tuten at £13.1m projects 349 points, 26.6 per £1m, the best value on the whole list and back from the bye against Indianapolis; Braelon Allen at £8.4m projects 194 (23.0), though he is questionable; Kenneth Walker III at £19.2m projects 423 (22.0), Gibbs at £21.8m 477 (21.9), Bucky Irving at £15.1m 330 (21.9) and James Cook at £19.5m 425 (21.8). Receiver: Malik Nabers at £14.0m projects 294, 21.0 per £1m, on a bye; Carnell Tate at £10.3m 203 (19.7), questionable; Jaxon Smith-Njigba at £22.2m 431 (19.4); Denzel Boston at £9.2m 175 (19.0); CeeDee Lamb at £19.0m 353 (18.6); KC Concepcion at £9.5m 173 (18.2). Quarterback: Josh Allen at £21.7m projects 406, 18.7 per £1m, the best at the position; Tyler Shough at £16.0m 295 (18.4), on a bye; Joe Burrow at £19.0m 345 (18.1); Kirk Cousins at £15.7m 281 (17.9); Jared Goff at £18.6m 321 (17.3).

Tight end: Isaiah Likely at £12.1m projects 274, 22.6 per £1m, the best tight end value by six points and on a bye; Trey McBride at £19.0m 307 (16.2); Brenton Strange at £13.0m 205 (15.8); T.J. Hockenson at £12.5m 182 (14.5); Michael Mayer at £9.6m 136 (14.1); Tyler Higbee at £9.7m 136 (14.0). Defence: Minnesota at £8.8m (154, 17.5), Tampa Bay at £7.5m (129, 17.2), Cincinnati at £7.7m (130, 16.9) and Pittsburgh at £8.6m (123, 14.3).

Bhayshul Tuten — RB, JAX · £13.1m · 349 projected — at £13.1m — The best value on the list, back from the bye against Indianapolis. Game preview
Josh Allen — QB, BUF · £21.7m · 406 projected — at £21.7m — The best quarterback value on the list, back from the bye against Baltimore. Game preview
Bucky Irving — RB, TB · £15.1m · 330 projected — at £15.1m — At home to Atlanta in a game the model has at 39 points. Game preview

The five weekly contests

FanTeam have posted all five one-off contests for the week, each a nine-player classic with the same shape as the season game: a quarterback, two backs, three receivers, a tight end, a flex and a defence, with no more than three from one club. Thursday night, Packers against Panthers, is £91m and locks at kick-off; Sunday night, Commanders against Eagles, is £93m; Monday night, Seahawks against Bears, is £95m. The lineups for those are in the previews for Thursday, Sunday night and Monday night.

Sunday RedZone covers the eleven afternoon games and is £116m, starting at 6pm UK. The optimiser's lineup is Lamar Jackson (£18.0m), Jahmyr Gibbs (£20.0m), Bhayshul Tuten (£13.7m), Tee Higgins (£15.1m), KC Concepcion (£10.3m), Xavier Worthy (£10.4m), Brenton Strange (£10.3m), Rhamondre Stevenson (£11.4m) and the Denver defence (£6.8m), for 139.4 projected points. Jackson and Gibbs are both questionable, so check the inactives, which drop 90 minutes before kick-off. Sunday Fumble covers the three late games, starts at 9:05pm UK and is £109m. The optimiser's lineup is Malik Willis (£13.7m), Kenneth Walker III (£18.5m), Stevenson (£11.4m), Puka Nacua (£19.0m), Jaylen Waddle (£11.9m), Worthy (£10.4m), Travis Kelce (£12.0m), KeAndre Lambert-Smith (£5.2m) and the Denver defence (£6.8m), for 123.4. Waddle is questionable with a chest injury, and Lambert-Smith is on the Chargers' injured-reserve list in our injury table, so treat that £5.2m as open money and spend it on a Chargers or Rams player who will play.

Put it to work

FanTeam Optimiser The season game, priced against the projection, and all five weekly contests.
Injuries Gibbs, Jackson, St. Brown and Waddle are the names to check before the lock.
Schedule The byes by gameweek: Houston, New Orleans, the Giants and San Francisco this week.