NFL Week 8 is kicking off with a game between the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams. This should be a really good game as both teams are evenly matched and both teams have really good skill position players. This game will feature players like Justin Jefferson, Cooper Kopp, Kyren Williams and Aaron Jones and this will be one of the more exciting Thursday nights games we’ll see all season. This is also the first game between the teams since Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell was hired prior to the 2022 season and that’s worth noting because Kevin O’Connell was an assistant under Rams head coach Sean McVay. Will we see the former assistant beat his old boss, or will we see the teacher beat the student? Well it should be a great game and without further ado – here are the Week 8 TNF plays:
The first play is Justin Jefferson higher than 89.5 receiving yards. Jefferson is the best receiver in football and should feast on what is a not great Rams defense. The Rams are 26th in yards allowed defensively and their corners are not very good. Jefferson has an extremely high floor as a player and the lowest amount of yards he’s went for in a game this season is 59 which was all the way back in week one. He is working on five straight games of 80 or more yards and is going against a secondary that again – is not very good. I will take Justin higher than 89.5 receiving yards in this scenario every time. Justin also only has 1 100 yard game on the season and I expect that to change soon. Justin is going to get his touches and on a short week where game planning is condensed – it’s pretty simple to me. Get the best player in football the rock.
Cooper Kupp higher than 69.5 receiving yards is the second play. Kupp is by far the Rams best receiving option and even if Puka Nacua plays in this game as it is reported – he may come back from injury – Cooper is healthier and will receive more targets. Cooper received 21 targets back in the season opener against Detroit in week one before getting injured in week two against the Cardinals. Sure he may not be the player he was back in 2021 as that will prove to be his best career year by far, but he is still a very very good option. The Lions proved how to move the football on the Vikings in week seven and I think Sean McVay will continue to show the league how to move the football on the Vikings defense. If Matt Stafford throws for 240 or even 250 yards in this game – I have a hard time seeing Kupp not receive at least 70 of those yards. I like Kupp a lot in week 8 and I wouldn’t be surprised if he has a 100 yard game.
Aaron Jones higher than 79.5 rushing yards is the next play and here’s why I like this one. In six games Jones has played he has went for 90 or more rushing yards in 4 games. The only games he did not go for 90 or more yards was in week two against San Francisco, in which he only had nine carries. He also failed to hit the 90 yard mark in week five against the Jets in which he only had seven carries and left the game due to injury. So out of the six games he’s played and out of the five he’s finished – there’s only been one game where he’s went for less than 90 yards. Jones has a very high floor as a player and he is one of the more under appreciated running backs in the league. On a short week where game plans again are condensed – I think the Vikings are going to do everything they can to get him the football. The Rams are also 25th and defensive yards per carry against 30th in total total rushing yards allowed. I like Aaron Jones a lot in week 8.
Kyren Williams like Aaron Jones has a very high floor as a player and the next play is Kyren Williams higher than 99.5 rushing plus receiving yards. Kyren has four straight games of 75 or more rushing yards and he is also a threat to catch the ball out of the backfield. I think Kyren is a very very talented back and over the past four games he has had at least 19 carries in all four games. He also has 20 carries in three of those four games. Kyren is a very good running back and you know he’s going to get the opportunity which is big when you need a player to have higher than 99.5 rushing plus receiving yards. I don’t think Kyren will have 35 or 40 receiving yards, and I think this could be somewhere along the lines of an 85 to 90 yard rushing game paired with a 10 to 15 yard receiving game. The Minnesota Vikings defense is very good and it’s going to be tough, but I do think Kyren gets the job done. Kyren Williams higher than 99.5 rushing + receiving yards is the final play.
A $10 entry using this lineup would pay $139 on Underdog. New users who use code “GFB” also get up to $1,000 in bonus cash. There’s also a play where if Matt Stafford has over 0.5 yards – it cashes! This can be found on Underdog using code “GFB” when you sign up! You can also get up to a $100 deposit match on ParlayPlay and Sleeper when you use code GFB! Let’s have a great start to week 8!
