NFL Week 8 Top Draftkings DFS plays | Taking down the Main Slate

Welcome back to the Heater Dynasty Podcast, hosted by Eric Heater — your one-stop shop for all things fantasy football and DFS lineup optimization. In this week’s episode, Eric dives deep into the NFL Week 8 Top Draftkings DFS plays for the main slate , focusing primarily on cash game strategy with plenty of actionable insights for GPP (Guaranteed Prize Pool) tournaments as well.

If you’re looking to gain a strategic edge this week, this breakdown of the podcast will help you lock in high-upside plays, smart salary pivots, and sharp leverage options across DraftKings and FanDuel.

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🔥 Quick Offer: Fantasy Slate Templates

Before we get into the games — Eric offers his DFS lineup template for sale:

• Full season access for $15 (includes every slate)
• Weekly pass for $5
• Available directly or on Etsy
• Includes a promo code for $5 off full-season access

The DFS Lineup Builder: A Game-Changing Tool

Eric’s DFS lineup builder tool—available on Patreon and Etsy—is designed to simplify roster construction. Features like automatic salary recalculations, late-swap flexibility, and custom player pools make optimizing lineups faster and smarter.

This tool empowers users to test multiple builds instantly, making it easier to pivot between cash game safety and GPP risk/reward profiles. Now onto the NFL Week 8 Top Draftkings DFS plays:

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🏟️ Week 8 Game Overview: Top Over/Unders

Eric starts the slate by analyzing key matchups based on Vegas totals and betting lines — a cornerstone for every DFS build.

Game	Over/Under	Favorite	Key Notes
Broncos vs. Cowboys	50.5	Broncos -3.5	High-scoring potential, but Dallas pieces are pricey
Ravens vs. Bears	49.5	Ravens -7	Lamar Jackson’s health is key — huge swing factor
Colts vs. Titans	47.5	Colts -15	Heavy Colts stack potential; strong for GPPs
Buccaneers vs. Saints	46.5	Bucs -4.5	Offense missing key weapons — look for value plays
Bills vs. Panthers	46.5	Bills -7	Panthers’ run game could exploit Buffalo’s weakness

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💪 Running Back Analysis: Premium but Pricey

Running back salaries are up this week, with the top-tier trio dominating pricing:

• Bijan Robinson – 🔹 Top value play: Cheapest of the elite backs and facing a weak Dolphins run D.
• Jonathan Taylor – 🔹 Strong GPP target with massive upside in a Colts-favored game script.
• Christian McCaffrey – 🔹 Always viable; elite weighted opportunity (4.48) but high price tag.

Sleeper Alert:

• Quinshon Judkins (Patriots matchup) — solid mid-range contrarian pivot.
• Rashaad White — value cash play with volume and consistent usage.
• Derrick Henry — undervalued this week at $6K, ideal for Ravens-focused builds.

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🎯 Quarterback Strategy: Balancing Cost & Ceiling

Eric outlines two clear QB tiers for Week 8:

Spend-up options:

• Lamar Jackson – Ceiling play if healthy.
• Jalen Hurts – Always safe in high-volume games.
• Bo Nix – Favorite for cash builds.

Value options:

• Joe Flacco – $5,400 and showing chemistry with Ja’Marr Chase.
• Andy Dalton – Minimum price and upside if Panthers air it out.

Tournament leverage:

• Daniel Jones – Low ownership, dual-threat potential.

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💸 Wide Receiver Targets: Salary Relief Central

Wide receiver is where Eric finds major salary relief this week:

• DeVonta Smith – Top value: A.J. Brown is out; steps into WR1 role.
• Zay Flowers – Priced down due to Lamar’s absence; great rebound spot.
• Troy Franklin – Budget play with solid volume.
• Chris Olave – Target hog at a disrespectful $5,800 price.
• Ja’Marr Chase – Elite spend-up with Joe Flacco stack potential.

Bonus mentions:

• Drake London, Emeka Egbuka, Tez Johnson for GPP builds.
• Jerry Jeudy at $4,100 — deep sleeper play for tournament leverage.

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🧩 Tight End Picks: Punt Week

Expect the field to save salary here. Eric’s top calls:

• Dalton Schultz – Safe volume, especially with Nico Collins out.
• Dallas Goedert – Reliable mid-tier option vs. the Giants.
• Colston Loveland – Ultra-cheap dart throw with increased snaps.
• Cade Otton – Viable if Tampa’s injury issues continue.

GPP pivots: Tyler Warren, George Kittle.

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🛡️ Defenses to Target

Eric’s favorite defenses based on value and matchup:

• Bengals – Facing 0-7 Jets; top play of the week.
• Colts – Chalky but strong against Titans.
• Browns – Cheap and aggressive defense.
• Ravens – Moderate price, sneaky upside.

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💥 Tournament Leverage Plays

If you’re pivoting off the chalk, consider these tournament gems:

• Rashid Shaheed over Chris Olave
• D’Andre Swift over Derrick Henry
• Quinshon Judkins over mid-tier RB chalk

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🎯 Dart Throws for Deep GPPs

• Jaylin Noel (Texans) – More targets with Nico Collins out.
• Woody Marks – Cheap contrarian RB pivot.
• Jerry Jeudy – Low-owned veteran who can still produce.

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🧠 Sample Cash Lineup Construction

QB: Joe Flacco
RBs: Bijan Robinson, Rashaad White, Derrick Henry
WRs: Zay Flowers, DeVonta Smith, Troy Franklin
TE: Dalton Schultz
DEF: Panthers or Browns

Eric also provides Bo Nix and Lamar Jackson builds for players who prefer spending up at quarterback.

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🔄 GPP Stack Ideas

1. Bo Nix + Courtland Sutton + Troy Franklin
   → Bring back with CeeDee Lamb or George Pickens
2. Lamar Jackson + Zay Flowers + Derrick Henry
   → Leverage ground and air for full Ravens exposure
3. Daniel Jones + Jonathan Taylor + Michael Pittman + Tyler Warren
   → Full Colts onslaught, no Titans bring-back

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🎙️ Final Thoughts

Eric wraps up the podcast by reminding viewers to:

• Subscribe on YouTube or Spotify
• Leave a comment with feedback or player requests
• Check out the Thursday Night Showdown Slate each week

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