ClutchPoints
The fantasy football quarterback situation is getting juicier with Week 8 of the 2025 NFL season on deck. With injuries, benchings and trades all already affecting the space, there is a lot to digest to stay ahead of the game.
Injuries are a big factor in Week 8 on both ends of the spectrum. On the positive side, Lamar Jackson looks to return from a multi-game absence to potentially save his fantasy football managers.
However, those who invested in Jayden Daniels will be without his services yet again in Week 8, giving Marcus Mariota another spot start. Any Bryce Young believers will also have to look elsewhere as the Carolina Panthers turn to Andy Dalton.
Week 8 could also be the beginning of a few coaching changes. Aaron Glenn and the New York Jets are the top team to monitor in that regard, with the first-year head coach openly evaluating both Justin Fields and Tyrod Taylor for the starting job. Fans also speculate on Tua Tagovailoa‘s status as the Miami Dolphins’ starter, but he appears to be safe for the time being.
The 2025 NFL season is not yet at its midway point, but it is certainly beginning to feel that way for fantasy football managers. Any manager in desperate need of a last-minute quarterback cannot overlook these five players who could surprisingly produce meaningful weeks.
We have reached the Andy Dalton point in the Panthers’ current quarterback cycle for the second consecutive season. He will not be anyone’s first choice, but Dalton did produce multiple fantasy-relevant weeks around this point in 2024.
Dalton started five games in 2024 and was a mediocre fantasy football quarterback in three of them. He surpassed 220 passing yards with at least two touchdowns in three of his first four starts to end as a top-20 player each week.
Unfortunately, Dalton draws a much tougher matchup in Week 8 against the Buffalo Bills. Buffalo has only allowed 167.2 passing yards per game thus far, the second-fewest in the league. The matchup could not be much worse, but the game script will likely have Dalton dropping back at least 50 times.
Dalton should not be a priority addition, but he could be more useful than most currently value him at. The veteran is worth adding in two-quarterback leagues and could immediately produce better numbers than Bryce Young has all season.
Michael Penix Jr. has been subpar for most of the season, but he draws arguably his best matchup of the year in Week 8. Quarterbacks have feasted against the Miami Dolphins in fantasy football all season long, and Penix is next in line.
Although Penix is dealing with a minor knee injury, it is not expected to affect his Week 8 availability. Even if his mobility is compromised, that might not be too much of an issue against the Dolphins, whose underwhelming pass-rush ranks in the bottom half of the league in sacks.
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