If you’re playing an Atlanta Falcons vs. Carolina Panthers DFS lineup for Sunday in Week 8, then you’ve come to the right place. We’ve analyzed each team’s highest-probability game scripts to assess the most likely outcomes, including which players are in line to thrive more than anticipated or fall short of expectations.
The following recommended fantasy football lineup (for tournaments, 50/50, or head-to-head competitions) aims to lock in a relatively high floor while maximizing upside.
Falcons Considerations
The good news? Aside from Cordarrelle Patterson, Atlanta has remained incredibly healthy on offense. The bad news? It’s hard to trust any Falcon to exceed DFS expectations.
Well, maybe not any Falcon. Marcus Mariota continues to impress statistically and is now the QB16 in fantasy points per game. He’ll face a lukewarm Panthers defense that rose to the occasion against Tampa Bay. However, Carolina’s also yielding only 58 rushing yards to opposing quarterbacks — the league’s second-best mark.
In fact, the Panthers limited Kyler Murray (12 carries for 26 yards), Jacoby Brissett (4-10), and Daniel Jones (10-21). That’s a pretty good track record for a squad that, before last weekend, didn’t have much to cheer about.
If Carolina also contains Mariota, then which Falcons can we trust? Neither Tyler Allgeier nor Caleb Huntley command attention in the passing game, making them largely TD-dependent options. Additionally, Drake London and Kyle Pitts continue to be the least-utilized “great” receiving duo the NFL has perhaps ever seen.
Much comes down to whether we believe Atlanta will operate a more aggressive offense, or if they’ll be content to mostly run the ball at Carolina and limit mistakes through the air. It’s quite a dilemma, especially since their opponent has even fewer semi-reliable DFS options.
Panthers Considerations
Did Carolina get better after trading away Christian McCaffrey? Of course not. But it’s possible Tampa Bay thought they’d win handily on Sunday. Honestly, when was the last time a fourth-string QB like PJ Walker defeat a future Hall of Famer like Tom Brady and his seemingly world-class backfield and receiving corps?
Now the question is whether the Panthers are for real. Playing with nothing to lose, can Walker get more out of DJ Moore, Tommy Tremble, and other pass catchers than Baker Mayfield ever did?
MORE: NFL Week 8 Predictions and Picks Against the Spread
I bet big on the Bengals’ passing game last week in DFS because they faced these same Falcons, which have given up more passing yards than any other team. In fact, they’re on pace to yield 5,411 passing yards this season, or 318 per game. That would beat the Packers’ league record of 312 (2011).
So yes, we should strongly consider incorporating at least one receiver in our DFS lineup. We should also lean into Carolina’s backfield. D’Onta Foreman proved last year he still possesses the talent he had while backing up Lamar Miller five years ago in Houston before injuries stalled his promising career.
Top DFS Lineup for Falcons vs. Panthers
Today, we’re playing DraftKings “Showdown Captain Mode,” which includes one player who earns 1.5 times his scoring output, plus five Flex players.
The following NFL betting recommendations are based on proprietary PFN predictive analytics pulled from decades of NFL historical data. Using this data, I’ve built dozens of models showing actionable probabilities of better-than-expected and worse-than-expected outcomes.
Captain: RB D’Onta Foreman, Panthers ($13,500)
Admittedly, this has been one of the toughest lineups to assemble all week. With Chuba Hubbard questionable, I feel comfortable strongly recommending Foreman. But with Drake London hobbled, there are no great “next man up” options. For that matter, will anyone in this game surpass 18 DFS points?
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Foreman should do well for the second straight week. And he’s just inexpensive enough to fit in this proposed lineup.
Flex: WR DJ Moore, Panthers ($10,400)
A lot of QBs have thrown to Moore since he arrived in the NFL in 2018. Walker sure isn’t one of the best. But he showed last week that he could repeatedly pepper Carolina’s best receiver. Expect more of the same against Atlanta’s anemic pass D.
Flex: QB Marcus Mariota, Falcons ($10,200)
As long as Atlanta remains firmly in playoff contention, I believe Marcus Mariota’s starting job is safe. That said, he’s not being asked to do much through the air. Only the Bears have attempted fewer passes. Of his fantasy production, 39% has come on the ground. I believe he’ll once again scamper his way to DFS glory.
Flex: TE Kyle Pitts, Falcons ($7,600)
I also believe Pitts will rebound against a defense averaging the third-most TE fantasy points given up. The all-world TE (when QBs throw to him) is on pace for a minuscule 504 receiving yards. Atlanta has to understand they need to get him more involved.
Flex: K Younghoe Koo, Falcons ($4,200)
Although he’s been quiet the last three weeks, Younghoe Koo remains one of the league’s better kickers. I’m banking on at least three field goals.
Flex: K Eddy Pineiro, Panthers ($4,000)
Like Koo, Eddy Pineiro can kick from deep. He’s also a commendable 12 of 13 on field-goal attempts. Field-goal battles tend to develop organically, as each team opts for higher-percentage points, knowing the other team probably will do the same if given the chance.
