News & Analysis · Analysis · Data as of Oct 28, 2026
Week 8 start/sit: when PPR changes the answer
Jameson Williams climbs 7 places among receivers when catches don't count, one of 10 players who cross the illustrative 12-team starter line depending on scoring. The head-to-head that flips: Ashton Jeanty or Derrick Henry.
By Swindlr · · Sources & methodology
The short answer
Check your league's scoring before you set these spots. In PPR, Tyler Warren (TE8), Wan'Dale Robinson (WR28), Rhamondre Stevenson (RB23) and 2 more sit inside the illustrative 12-team starter line and fall outside it in standard; in standard, Jameson Williams (WR30), Jake Ferguson (TE10), Pat Freiermuth (TE12) and 2 more move inside instead. The line is a cutoff for illustration (RB24, WR30, TE12); your league's lineup and flex move it, not the order.
These are close calls either way: all 10 sit near enough to the line that, against the nearest player across it, a gap that size has gone the higher projection's way less than 58% of the time in both PPR and standard. The scoring tips the order; it rarely makes a start obvious.
The head-to-head that flips: in PPR, Ashton Jeanty projects 0.8 points ahead of Derrick Henry, a toss-up (54%); in half PPR, Derrick Henry leads by 0.7, a toss-up (53%); in standard, Derrick Henry is 2.0 ahead, a lean (60%). No scoring makes it a clear call. Sleeper's projections as of Oct 28, 5:36 p.m. ET.
Opens Who should I start? with Ashton Jeanty and Derrick Henry in standard scoring, on current projections: switch the scoring to match your league, and add the players you're choosing between.
The biggest mover
Jameson Williams projects for 10.1 points in PPR, WR37 at his position, and 6.9 in standard, WR30. He's projected for 3.2 catches, fewer than the receivers he passes when catches don't count, so standard scoring moves him up 7 places.
Who crosses the line
| Player | PPR | Half PPR | Standard | Projected catches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jameson Williams | WR37 · 10.1 | WR32 · 8.5 | WR30 · 6.9 | 3.2 |
| Tyler Warren | TE8 · 10.7 | TE11 · 8.2 | TE14 · 5.7 | 5.0 |
| Wan'Dale Robinson | WR28 · 11.1 | WR30 · 8.9 | WR33 · 6.7 | 4.4 |
| Rhamondre Stevenson | RB23 · 10.6 | RB23 · 9.4 | RB27 · 8.1 | 2.5 |
| Jaylen Waddle | WR27 · 11.2 | WR29 · 9.0 | WR31 · 6.8 | 4.4 |
| Colston Loveland | TE12 · 9.8 | TE13 · 7.7 | TE16 · 5.6 | 4.2 |
| Jake Ferguson | TE13 · 9.8 | TE12 · 8.1 | TE10 · 6.3 | 3.5 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE15 · 9.4 | TE14 · 7.6 | TE12 · 5.9 | 3.5 |
| Jonah Coleman | RB26 · 10.0 | RB26 · 9.1 | RB24 · 8.3 | 1.7 |
| Tre Tucker | WR31 · 10.5 | WR31 · 8.8 | WR29 · 7.0 | 3.5 |
Rank at his position and projected points. Projected catches are PPR minus standard, as shown; half PPR counts half of them. The line (RB24, WR30, TE12) is illustrative: where a league's starters end depends on its lineup and how its flex spots get used.
The head-to-heads that flip
These pairs play the same position, and the better start depends on your league's scoring. The percentages are how often the higher projection has outscored the lower one with a gap that size, on Sleeper's 2025 weekly projections, fitted separately for PPR, half PPR and standard (the calibration Who should I start? uses).
| In PPR, start | In standard, start | PPR call | Half PPR call | Standard call |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashton Jeanty (+0.8) | Derrick Henry (+2.0) | 54%, toss-up | Derrick Henry, 53% | 60%, lean |
| Chase Brown (+1.8) | James Cook III (+0.5) | 58%, lean | Chase Brown, 53% | 52%, toss-up |
Each call opens the start/sit tool with both players in that scoring, on current projections. [See current projections for Ashton Jeanty and Derrick Henry](/nfl/roster/start?p=12527,3198&ppr=1).
- Ashton Jeanty · PPR16.6
- Ashton Jeanty · Std12.5
- Derrick Henry · PPR15.8
- Derrick Henry · Std14.5
- Chase Brown · PPR17.9
- Chase Brown · Std13.9
- James Cook III · PPR16.1
- James Cook III · Std14.4
Why the order changes
The players inside the line only in PPR are projected for 4.1 catches on average; those inside only in standard, 3.1. Standard scoring doesn't count catches, so the yards and touchdowns behind the second group carry more weight there. Half PPR counts half of each catch, and 8 of the 10 players above land on the PPR side of the line in half PPR. These are one-week lineup calls: Swindlr's season-long values don't use a single week's projection.
What could change this
- Tyler Warren is questionable for week 8 in Sleeper's injury data; news before kickoff (the week's first game is Oct 29) can move his line, and if he doesn't play, the comparisons above don't apply to him.
- Jaylen Waddle is questionable for week 8 in Sleeper's injury data; news before kickoff (the week's first game is Oct 29) can move his line, and if he doesn't play, the comparisons above don't apply to him.
Next step: Check your own lineup in your scoring →
Sources & methodology
Automatically generated analysis using the sources and data listed below. Not individually reviewed by a human.
- Sleeper's week 8 projections · Sleeper · retrieved Oct 28, 2026, 5:36 p.m. ET
Data as of Oct 28, 2026. Data as of Oct 28, 2026, 5:36 p.m. ET.
How this was put together
Sleeper's projected stat lines for week 8 (as of Oct 28, 5:36 p.m. ET), scored by Swindlr in PPR, half PPR and standard, ranked within each position among players expected to play. The chances come from Swindlr's fit of how often the higher projection outscored the lower in 2025 by gap size, fitted separately for each scoring. Gaps are taken on the rounded points shown. The starter line is an illustrative cutoff (RB24, WR30, TE12), not a lineup rule.
The numbers are worked out before any sentence is written, and the text states only those numbers and the sources' facts. No one was interviewed or quoted.
- Updated Oct 28, 2026: Rewritten with a short answer before the evidence and conclusions drawn from this piece's own numbers; projections refreshed to the latest.
- Updated Oct 28, 2026: Revised after review: injury statuses dated to the game they describe, the move attributed to ESPN's transactions list, chances on a curve fitted for each scoring, half PPR added, an illustrative starter line, and a shorter headline; projections refreshed.