4 Best FanDuel NFL DFS Stud Picks for Week 8

Hitting on high-salary players is the first step to having success in NFL DFS on FanDuel.

These players take up the biggest chunk of your salary cap, and they need to deliver quality performances for your lineup to reach its ceiling.

With some help from our NFL DFS projections, here are four studs to target on this week's main slate, which starts at 1 p.m. ET.

All betting odds come from the NFL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

NFL DFS Stud Plays for Week 8

Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens

FanDuel Salary: $8,700

Lamar Jackson appears to be on track to play this weekend for the first time since Week 4. He's welcomed back with a mouthwatering home matchup against the Chicago Bears, vaulting him right into the QB1 conversation for DFS.

In Lamar's three full games this season, he totaled 29.4, 26.3, and 27 FanDuel points (FDP). Through three weeks, Jackon ranked third in EPA per dropback (0.31), third in Completion Percentage Over Expectation (+8.1%), and fourth -- among quarterbacks -- in rushing yards per game (39.3). Jackson maintained a 9-to-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio during that stretch, adding an additional score on the ground.

Now, a hamstring injury isn't ideal for a player who relies so much on his athleticism to produce in fantasy. But Jackson averaged 21.6 FDP just from passing in those first three weeks, so it's not like he can't still produce if his ground game is hampered.

But if Lamar is fully unlocked in this matchup, there's legitimate 30-FDP upside against Chicago. Even with the Bears' defense improving since the bye, they're still just 17th in schedule-adjusted pass defense. They've let up the third-most FDP per dropback and the highest passing touchdown rate (8.7%) to opposing quarterbacks. Even adjusted for opponent, the Bears rate as the second-best fantasy matchup for QBs, per Brandon Gdula's player-level adjusted FanDuel points allowed.

And, with Chicago riding a four-game win streak, we could see the Bears push Baltimore enough to force Lamar into peak fantasy form. But even if the Ravens jump out to an early lead, this is the short of matchup Jackson could put up numbers in.

Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts

FanDuel Salary: $10,200

Jonathan Taylor appears locked into a five-figure DFS salary for the foreseeable future. But more often than not, JT has delivered in 2025.

Through seven weeks, Taylor is averaging 25.2 FDP. He's cracked 30 FDP in four separate games, punching in 3 rushing touchdowns in three of those games.

That's in part thanks to the Indianapolis Colts leading the NFL in scoring (33.1 points per game) and adjusted offensive efficiency, per numberFire's metrics.

But these monster performances also speak to how strong Jonathan Taylor's role has been. He ranks second in total rush attempts (18.7) and red zone rush attempts (5.1) per game -- marks that are even more impressive when considering how much lower his second half snap rate is (74%) compared to that in the first half (91%).

Even with the Colts consistently carrying big leads late in games, Taylor's managed to produce in fantasy. In the four games Indianapolis has won by double-digits, JT has scored 11.3, 34.3, 30.1, and 32.7 FDP.

That should give us confidence in his ability to produce even if the Colts run up a big margin against the Tennessee Titans. Taylor went for 102 rushing yards and 3 rushing touchdowns on just 17 carries the first time he matched up with the Titans, and there's obvious scoring upside again this time around. The Colts are massive favorites but also boast the main slate's highest implied total (30.5).

For what it's worth, Tennessee is bottom-10 in adjusted run defense and has been the third-best fantasy matchup for running backs by adjusted FanDuel points allowed.

We project Taylor for 22.9 FDP -- most among all players on the main slate (quarterbacks included). Given his recent performances, that could merely be the floor.

Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

FanDuel Salary: $9,600

I'm not sure this is the week to allocate such a large amount of your cap toward wide receiver. But Ja'Marr Chase's usage since Joe Flacco took over under center makes someone to prioritize on the Week 8 main slate.

In two games with Flacco, Chase has scored 20.1 and 33.1 FDP. In total, he's secured 26 of 35 targets for 255 yards and 2 touchdowns.

That is not a typo -- Ja'Marr Chase has been targeted 35 times in the last two games (8 more than the next-closest player).

Part of that is thanks to Flacco dropping back 95 times the past two weeks, helping Cincy post a 72.1% raw pass rate (fourth) and a +6.2% Pass Rate Over Expectation (third).

But Chase also has a 41.2% target share and has been targeted on 38% of his routes with Flacco under center. Normally, I'd say those rates won't hold over a larger sample, but Flacco's brought lesser pass catchers to fantasy relevance before, and he's made Chase a clear priority in this offense.

I wouldn't expect much to change this week against a New York Jets secondary which ranks just 28th in adjusted pass defense and could be without top corner Sauce Gardner. Entering Week 8, the Jets have given up the second-most yards per route run to opposing wide receivers.

That points to another busy afternoon for Chase, and this combination of role plus matchup makes him the clear top high salary wide receiver to target on the Week 8 NFL DFS main slate.

George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers

FanDuel Salary: $6,100

George Kittle put up a donut in his return to the field last week. Despite running a route on 79% of the San Francisco 49ers' dropbacks, Kittle failed to record a reception and was targeted just twice.

Even so, his impact was felt in a huge way via San Francisco's run game. Christian McCaffrey's 0.12 EPA per dropback was easily his best mark of the season, and his 54% Rushing Success Rate was the highest since Week 2.

That's all well and good for CMC, but it's still fair to question how to value Kittle heading into a Week 8 clash against the Houston Texans -- the league's No. 1 defense by numberFire's schedule-adjusted metrics.

For me, this still looks like a good buy-low spot to secure Kittle's services at a reasonable salary in DFS. Though we haven't seen his upside in 2025 due to injuries, Kittle's ceiling is perhaps higher than any other player's at the position.

Last season, Kittle scored at least 15 FDP in 7 of 15 games. Since 2022, he's scored at least 18 FDP in 11 separate games -- three more than the next-closest tight end. Since the start of last season, George Kittle is one of just four tight ends to reach 100 yards in multiple games -- he's done it four times.

Even with last week's dud, the fact that George Kittle ran so many routes should give us confidence to deploy him this week. Among the Week 8 main slate's high salary tight ends, Kittle has the most upside even in a tough matchup.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.