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Here are 4 DFS player props to consider for Week 8. Everything below can be found inside the Sleeper Fantasy app. New users who sign up with the promo code SOUTHXL will get a deposit match up to $100.
Season record: 13-10
Nebraska TE Thomas Fidone over 1.5 receptions
Fidone has multiple receptions in 4 straight games for the Huskers. He has at least 3 targets in 4 of his 6 appearances this season. Indiana is going to predominantly play zone coverage in the backend and it has done a tremendous job this season of keeping teams in front of it. The Hoosiers have only given up 11 red zone trips all year, as they are forcing teams to dink and dunk to move the ball and pouncing on the mistakes along the way. Indiana produces a ton of havoc and I expect they’ll try to get freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola on his heels early. I’m looking for Nebraska to give Raiola quick hits and easy throws to build a rhythm. That could mean Fidone gets a couple of early targets in the soft spots.
Illinois WR Pat Bryant over 53.5 receiving yards
Part of Luke Altmyer’s turnaround this season can be attributed to the emergence of Pat Bryant. He had 43 receptions for 560 yards and 7 scores in 12 games last season. Through the first 6 games this year, he already has 452 yards and 7 scores. He has at least 5 targets in 4 straight games and Penn State has been the only defense so far to hold him in check. Michigan (57th in EPA per dropback, Game on Paper) doesn’t have that caliber of defense. Will Johnson has given up 12.2 yards per reception this season. Jyaire Hill has been picked on to great success. Both have missed a handful of tackles and both have given up chunk plays.
Baylor QB Sawyer Robertson over 18.5 completions
Baylor has dropped 4 of its last 5 and hasn’t stopped a soul. Against Air Force and Tarleton State, the Bears gave up 6 combined points. Against Utah, Colorado, BYU, and Iowa State, they’ve given up an average of 34.5 points per game. For Baylor to have any chance of winning games right now, Robertson has to be a gunslinger. He took over for Dequan Finn in the Air Force game and has been the sole guy ever since. Robertson threw 45 combined passes in his first 2 starts, but he has thrown 48 and 45 in the 2 starts since. He completed 27 passes against BYU and then 25 against Iowa State. Against a rolling Texas Tech team (4 straight wins, 42 points per game), Baylor will likely once again find itself in a hole and have to lean on the throw game.
SMU QB Kevin Jennings over 203.5 passing yards
The Ponies have stabilized since that wobbly start to the season. They’ve won 3 straight, with a chaotic victory in the Battle for the Iron Skillet, a legitimizing win over Florida State, and a huge win over a ranked Louisville team on the road. Jennings’ growth as a passer has been a big part of that. He had a QBR of 30.1 in the loss to BYU on Sept. 6. In the 3 games since, he has QBRs of 78.4, 89.4, and 95.9. He was spectacular in the win over Lousiville, throwing for 281 yards and running for another 113. He hasn’t thrown a pick since the BYU game and he has only taken 3 sacks. That reads like a QB settling in. Now, he gets a Stanford defense that ranks 103rd in EPA per dropback allowed (Game on Paper) and 109th in passing success rate allowed. Stanford has given up some huge chunk plays through the air this season. I think Jennings get a couple in this game.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
