Jaguars @ Steelers Week 8 Game Preview
Jonathan Fuller breaks down the Week 8 matchup between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers from a fantasy football and betting perspective.
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Pittsburgh Steelers
This is one of only two games in Week 8 where both teams enter with a winning record (Browns @ Seahawks is the other) which is more of an indictment on the matchups this week rather than a testament to the quality of this matchup.
Amazingly, both the Jaguars and Steelers feel like they have disappointed relative to preseason expectations (at least from a fantasy perspective), and yet they are 5-2 and 4-2, respectively.
Both teams rank in the middle of the pack in terms of situation-neutral pass rate.
The Jaguars' defense has been solid against the run, giving up just the fourth-fewest rushing yards per game this year. They have been more susceptible to opposing passing attacks, with their 273.9 passing yards per game allowed the second highest in the league.
The Steelers offense has been below average in both areas but they have been missing weapons throughout most of this season. Pat Freiermuth is still on IR, but Diontae Johnson returned to the lineup last week, and Kenny Pickett posted his most efficient passing game of the season in terms of yards per attempt and completion percentage.
The Steelers will look to build on that solid outing against this Jags defense, and both Diontae Johnson and George Pickens are among the top 36 WRs in the Fantasy Life consensus ranks for Week 8.
It will be more difficult for Najee Harris or Jaylen Warren to deliver high-end fantasy production unless they score, as they are in a full-blown committee backfield, with neither player earning a big enough workload to make them a reliable starter for fantasy. Warren continues to be the more explosive of the two, but Najee is putting together the most efficient season of his career so far, which has allowed him to retain the lead-back role.
The Jaguars offense has been revolving around Travis Etienne in recent weeks, and he has delivered with the three straight multi-TD games. Etienne is currently third among RBs in rushing TDs and fourth in receiving yards, a potent combination of high-value touches that has him sitting at the RB3 in total fantasy points so far this season.
Oct 19, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) runs against the New Orleans Saints during the fourth quarter at the Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports
While Jacksonville is, of course, happy with their four-game winning streak and strong rushing game, they must also be looking for ways to get their premiere offseason addition, Calvin Ridley, more involved in the offense.
Ridley has finished as a top-24 WR in PPR scoring just twice this season, while teammate Christian Kirk has managed that feat six times already. Our rankers are buying that Kirk is the team’s top WR and have him ranked as the WR17 on the week while Ridley is down at WR32.
Meanwhile, Evan Engram continues to exemplify the second tier of TEs on a weekly basis as someone who has a solid floor (5+ targets every week this year) but a limited ceiling (no games with 15+ PPR points yet).
The Jaguars are 2.5-point favorites on the road, which backs up the idea that the Steelers aren’t quite as strong of a team as their record indicates. I believe Jacksonville will get the win, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Steelers keep the game close at home, so I would feel more confident taking the Jags moneyline rather than betting the spread.