Week 7 saw Giants QB Jaxson Dart continue his inspiring rookie season, only to land on the wrong end of a historic fourth-quarter collapse, when the New York surrendered a 19-point lead to the Broncos.
As for the Chargers, they put themselves in a halftime 23-3 hole against the Colts, a hole they couldn’t dig themselves out of, even with a 420-yard, 3-TD performance from QB Justin Herbert.
Both signal callers finished top-three in fantasy production for Week 7. Could we see an encore in Week 8?
In a battle between these surging gunslingers, let’s break down our Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 8 QB clash between Jaxson Dart or Justin Herbert.
Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 8 QB: Jaxson Dart or Justin Herbert?
Why Start Jaxson Dart?
- Dart is coming off a game in which he passed for 283 yards and racked up 4 total TDs against the Broncos D, one of the toughest defense he's faced to date.
- The Giants' field general is familiar with this Eagles defense, having passed for 195 yards and rushed for 58 yards, with 2 total TDs, while finishing with 23.6 fantasy points in New York's 34-17 upset win over the Birds in Week 6.
- Philadelphia has struggled against the pass this year, ranking 19th in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game (221.3) and giving up 17.57 fantasy points to opposing QBs per game.
- The dual-threat capabilities of the former Ole Miss Rebel give him a safe floor in Week 8 — he’s top-11 in most rushing statistics among QBs through just four starts: 19.5% carry share (11), 6.17 carries per game (6), 3.17 designed runs per game (3), 2.33 scrambles per game (11), 1.67 red zone carries per game (4), 4.81 yards per carry (8), and 3 rushing TDs (4).
- This year’s current favorite for rookie of the year has finished as a top-three fantasy QB in his last two games, averaging 26.5 fantasy points, in large part due to getting the ball in the end zone with 6 TDs over that span.
Jaxson Dart PrizePicks Projections: 199.5 Pass Yards, 39.5 Rush Yards
Why Start Justin Herbert?
- Herbert currently ranks as the QB10 in fantasy football with 20.2 fantasy points per game through seven weeks. He's completed 183 of 271 passes (67.5%) for 1,913 yards (first among all QBs) with 13 TDs.
- Los Angeles’ "other" NFL franchise QB leads the league in passing attempts (271), and the Chargers rank fourth in the league in team pass plays per game (39.7).
- Herbert is coming off that aforementioned career-best performance against the Colts, also his highest-scoring fantasy game of the season with 29.9 points.
- Over his last three games, Herbert has averaged 21.4 fantasy points, racking up 850 yards and 6 TDs.
- Herbert may have the 12th-lowest odds for NFL MVP, but his stats are comparable to the odds-on favorite Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes — he has more passing yards (1,913), completions (183), and completion percentage (67.5). etting sacked 20 times due, in part, to the Bolts missing four starters on the offensive line hasn't helped his cause.
- Minnesota ranks just seventh in passing yards allowed per game (184), but the Vikings have allowed 8 passing TDs. They've also just given up a combined 13 catches for 304 yards and 3 TDs to AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith last week.
- The former Oregon Duck has been dominant on Thursday Night Football throughout his career, posting a 102.4 passer rating with 1,168 yards and 9 TDs in four appearances.
Justin Herbert PrizePicks Projections: 260.5 Pass Yards, 16.5 Rush Yards
Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Verdict: Start Jaxson Dart
Dart proved the doubters wrong with his Week 7 performance against the Denver Broncos. While he did make some critical mistakes at the most inopportune times, he still drove down the field with what looked to be the game-winning drive.
Unfortunately, his top-three fantasy performance wasn’t good enough to bring home the W. However, he gets to attempt to do the unthinkable and beat the Philadelphia Eagles twice in the same year, something the Giants haven't managed since 2007.
Herbert enters Week 8 as one of just two quarterbacks to have passed for 400 or more yards in a game this season. He looks to push the envelope against a stingy Vikings defense as he continues his stat-stuffing season.
Herbert has been having the best year of his career, leading the NFL in passing yards, but he has also absorbed the most hits this season due to the numerous injuries on the Chargers’ offensive line. He has been hit a staggering 62 times through seven weeks — the only passer taking more hits is Titans QB Cam Ward (44). The Chargers get to go up against a DC Brian Flores defense that blitzes the second-most in the NFL (36.7%) with 2.7 sacks per game.
Dart and Herbert have the ability to go off on any given night, but it’s Dart’s matchup against Philadelphia that has me siding with him. Also, his ability to extend plays and avoid the blitz is what gives him the nod over Herbert in Week 8.
If you’re looking for more Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em breakdowns for the 2025 season, then Playbook is your go-to for season-long NFL analysis.
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