Should You Start Michael Thomas or Romeo Doubs in Fantasy Football Week 8?

Every year, the wide receiver position in fantasy football is a carousel, and this year has been no different. There have been star receivers who have been fantasy duds, while there have been waiver wire additions leading teams to incredible starts.

Each week, fantasy managers have to make tough decisions when picking what wide receivers they should play. With that in mind, let’s take a look at New Orleans Saints WR Michael Thomas and Green Bay Packers WR Romeo Doubs to see who fantasy football managers should play.

Michael Thomas Fantasy Outlook This Week

Thomas is back for the Saints and finally healthy for the first time in what feels like forever. He currently has 34 catches for 371 yards and only one touchdown. His 34 catches are third on the team — Chris Olave has tallied 39 catches, while Alvin Kamara has recorded 35 — while his yards are only second to Olave’s 471.

The Saints’ passing game lacks explosiveness. QB Derek Carr averages 6.3 yards per pass, which is second-to-last among starters who have started every game.

This has been very frustrating for fantasy managers. New Orleans players are getting some catches, but there are no touchdowns or big plays. It makes it very difficult to have them in your lineup since the ceiling is just so low for Thomas and his fellow receivers.

Romeo Doubs Fantasy Outlook This Week

Doubs has 23 catches for 258 yards and four touchdowns on the year, and the ability to score touchdowns is a big factor that makes him appealing to fantasy managers. Thomas has more catches than Doubs, but the four-to-one difference in touchdowns is a big advantage for the Green Bay WR.

MORE: 2023 WR Fantasy Football Rankings

The Packers play the Minnesota Vikings this Sunday, who haven’t been great against the pass this year. Entering Week 8, Minnesota is 17th in stopping the pass (224.7 pass yards allowed), bu they have looked better the last two weeks on defense — holding the Bears and 49ers to only 36 total points.

The rushing game has been non-existent for the Packers — Green Bay ranks only 24th with 90.8 rushing yards per game. These struggles have hurt QB Jordan Love in moments and have made him pass more than they would like.

Which of the NFC Wide Receivers Should You Start?

In the Pro Football Network Start/Sit Optimizer, PFN’s Consensus Rankings say that Thomas is the player to start. His projected 9.1 points include a projection of three catches for 30 receiving yards, which is very similar to Doubs.

Neither has separated themselves much, but I’m going against the optimizer in Week 8. The thing that is appealing to Doubs is the fact he has shown the ability to get in the end zone. The TD difference between these two is a significant stat and is the biggest reason why Doubs should be in your lineup.

Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!