This article is part of our DFS NFL series.
Week 8 brings us plenty of more options to sift through on Monkey Knife Fight. Three Game Types are offered, including "More Or Less," "Rapid Fire" and "Stat Shootout." For a full breakdown of the rules for each game, see the House Rules page. Let's dive into some of the contests within each Game Type and discuss how things might play out.
More Or Less Contest
Let's start with a 2/2 goal for 3.5X the prize. We need to pick sides on Derrick Henry 19.5 fantasy points and Geno Smith 18.5 fantasy points. Right off the bat, give me the over for Henry. He comes into his matchup against the Texans with at least 102 rushing yards in three consecutive games. He also has five rushing touchdowns this season. Look for him to demolish the Texans, who have allowed the most rushing yards per game in the league.
For Smith, let's take the under. He's been impressive, but a lot of his production has come in passing touchdowns. He has at least two TD passes in five of seven games, but he has thrown for 210 yards or fewer four times. The Giants have allow 18.6 points per game, thanks to giving up only seven passing touchdowns this season.
Rapid Fire Contest
An interesting option is a 2/2 goal for 3X the prize. We have Matthew Stafford vs. Jimmy Garoppolo passing yards (with Garoppolo receiving a +19.5 passing yards bonus) and Henry vs. Saquon Barkley rushing yards (with Barkley receiving a +12.5 rushing yards bonus). Let's start with the running backs and take Henry to outproduce Barkley. Both should be heavily involved in their team's games, and the Seahawks haven't been great at stopping the run, either, allowing the fourth-most rushing yards per game. Barkley can contribute more in the passing game, though, so he could end up with fewer carries than Henry.
For the quarterbacks, I'm leaning toward Stafford over Garoppolo. Stafford should be well rested coming out of the Rams' bye, and this is an important game after their 3-3 start. They already lost to the 49ers in San Francisco, so they don't want to drop both games to their division rivals. With Cooper Kupp by his side, Stafford has a higher ceiling. The 49ers could also rely more on the running game in this matchup now that they have Christian McCaffrey in the fold.
Stat Shootout Contest
Let's select three players to combine for 2.5-plus touchdowns for 1.5X the prize. First, Henry has to be included. His matchup is as good as it gets and he's received 14 carries inside the red zone this season. I'll also roll with Barkley, who has reached the end zone four times this season. The last two weeks alone, he's received a whopping 12 red-zone carries.
Finally, let's complete this trio with Kenneth Walker III. Walker has scored a touchdown in three consecutive games, and he had two last week against the Chargers. Since taking over as the Seahawks' primary running back, he has 11 red-zone carries and three touchdowns over two games. As good as the Giants' defense has been, the Seahawks should look Walker's way when they do get in close.
