Najee Harris or Tony Pollard Week 8 start 'em, sit 'em: Fantasy football projections for RBs

Najee Harris and Tony Pollard are two options for fantasy football managers to consider starting in Week 8. If the choice were to be based purely on their team's forms, this would not even be a question.

The Steelers are 5-2 with Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh defense working their magic again to give their offense a fighting chance to win every game. They have the same record as the Ravens in the AFC North, with Baltimore widely acknowledged as one of the best teams in the NFL currently.

The Titans, meanwhile, are 1-5 for the season. They are bottom of the AFC South, which is quite an achievement as they are below the Jaguars, who at 2-5 are one of the worst-performing teams in the league. They take on the Lions in Week 8, who are currently the top seed in the NFC.

So, fantasy football managers are faced with a choice between Tony Pollard, who has been one of the few bright lights in an otherwise poor team, and Najee Harris, who has played his part in the Steelers' wins but is not the biggest star on the roster.

Is Najee Harris a good pick in Week 8?

Najee Harris has 472 yards this season in seven games. He has averaged 4.1 yards per carry in 117 attempts. He has got into the endzone twice over that period.

However, the data is skewed by his performance in the last two games. He had 100 yards on the ground against the Raiders and the Jets in consecutive weeks, which has significantly burnished his overall output. Both his touchdowns also came in those games.

Therefore, fantasy football owners are faced with a judgment call: whether they believe the Steelers running back is now coming into form or the last two weeks were an aberration and he will revert to the mean.

Is Tony Pollard a good pick in Week 8?

Tony Pollard has been one of the few consistent performers in a Titans team that has otherwise struggled offensively. He has 400 yards in 94 carries at 4.3 yards per attempt. He has recorded three touchdowns so far in 2024.

Except for the game against the Packers where he had 14 yards on six carries, he has not had a single game where he has picked up less than 60 yards on the ground. He has touched the ball more than 15 times in each of those matches. Therefore, the question facing fantasy football owners is whether they should go for Pollard's consistency over Harris' rich vein of form over the last two weeks.

Whom should I start between Najee Harris and Tony Pollard in Week 8?

Sportskeeda's Start/Sit Optimizer tool is the best place to start for fantasy football managers as they look to choose between the two players in Week 8. The tool analyzes multiple factors to give us the best results.

Najee Harris vs Tony Pollard - Start 'Em Sit 'Em - Fantasy Football - Week 8 - 2024 NFL Season - Sportskeeda Optimizer Tool Results

The tool says we should go for Tony Pollard over Najee Harris. One reason the Titans running back is favored is because he has 18 receptions in six games, whereas the Steelers player has 14 in seven matches. Therefore, the former is expected to get more receiving yards.

However, the major reason the optimizer gives us the results it does is because Pollard is expected to get more rushing yards than Harris. The Titans player is expected to keep producing over 60 yards as he has done all season, whereas the Steelers running back is expected to lapse to his previous form.