When playing NFL DFS on FanDuel, we have to factor in matchups when rostering players. A running back who was a superb play one week might be a poor play the next week.

This article will help identify the best matchups to target on a given main slate. Which matchups stand out this week?

All betting odds come from the NFL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published. We'll reference our NFL DFS projections.

NFL DFS Matchups to Target for Week 8

Breece Hall vs. Patriots Rush Defense

This New York Jets-New England Patriots matchup has an ugly 41.5 over/under, but that shouldn't stop us from rostering Breece Hall ($7,900) against Jerod Mayo's "soft" Patriots. Despite the modest total, the Jets still sport a 24.25 implied team total as touchdown favorites in Foxborough.

Since New York appointed Todd Downing as their offensive play caller, Hall has seen an already hefty role become even more voluminous. Over the past two games, Hall has averaged an elite 30.0 adjusted opportunities (carries plus 2x targets) and 84.2% snap rate, helping him to 169 and 141 scrimmage yards. Much of his production has come through the passing game, as Breece has logged a 20.5% target share and 70.5% route rate in this sample.

Whether it's through the air or on the ground, Hall should have a field day against the flailing Patriots. New England has given up the third-most FanDuel points per game to RBs, and they were absolutely pummeled on the ground by Tank Bigsby in London last week, who racked up 118 rushing yards and 2 TDs for 26.8 points. The Patriots also rank 28th in schedule-adjusted pass defense, per numberFire's metrics, so they probably won't offer much resistance when Hall is a pass catcher, too.

If there's any area of concern in Breece's profile, it's that New York tends to throw near the goal line. Despite dominating red zone carries (75.0%) these past two weeks, his overall red zone opportunity share (27.8%) when factoring in targets isn't quite as high as we would like to see.

Still, it's hard to nitpick Hall's overall usage in such a plum spot, and while his $7,900 salary is by no means low, it's just 12th among the slate's RBs. He's pegged for the most FanDuel points at the position in our NFL DFS projections and actually comes away as the best point-per-dollar value.

Javonte Williams vs. Panthers Rush Defense

Javonte Williams ($6,000) doesn't have the premium role of a Breece Hall, but we also aren't paying a premium salary for his services.

While Williams is averaging a so-so 18.7 adjusted opportunities per game overall, he's seen a bump in Denver's last three wins (22, 25, and 20), accumulating 100.7 scrimmage yards per game in that sample.

That's usage we can work with in what should be another victory upcoming in Week 8. The Broncos are 9.5-point home favorites over the Carolina Panthers, leaving them with a promising implied team total (26.0).

Prior to last week's two-touchdown outburst against the New Orleans Saints, Williams had shown little upside on an offense we haven't looked to very often in DFS, but Denver is being gifted another juicy matchup for their run game against these Panthers.

While New Orleans ranks 31st in adjusted rush defense, Carolina isn't much better at 30th. Additionally, in terms of raw FanDuel points, the Panthers have been gashed for the most allowed per game to RBs, which includes coughing up an NFL-worst 13 rushing TDs.

Although the dual-threat abilities of Bo Nix tend to eat into Williams' red zone opportunities, the running back's usage near the goal line was very encouraging in Week 7's blowout win. Not only did Javonte get 4 of the team's 5 red zone carries, but he carried an overall 50.0% red zone opportunity share and 87.5% red zone snap rate.

This should have us all the more interested in rostering Williams, and he projects as one of the slate's better value options.

JK Dobbins vs. Saints Rush Defense

Given what we saw Javonte Williams do to the Saints' defense last week, why not take a swing with the next lead running back facing New Orleans? In addition to having the second-worst adjusted rush defense, the Saints have given up the fifth-most FanDuel points to opposing backfields.

Since Gus Edwards went on injured reserve, J.K. Dobbins ($7,400) has earned 29 and 20 adjusted opportunities, and we're more likely to see him hit that first number in what should be a positive game script. The Los Angeles Chargers are yet another team entering the week as a big favorite, and while they've been a bit more pass-heavy the last two games, this team still ranks just 26th in pass rate over expectation, and we know Jim Harbaugh loves to run the ball.

When Dobbins racked up those 29 adjusted opportunities -- a wire-to-wire victory against a much tougher Denver defense -- he saw a sizable 45.5% red zone opportunity share and 73.3% red zone snap rate. While we saw his red zone usage dip in last week's loss to the Arizona Cardinals, that presumably had more to do with the team struggling to get anything going on the ground -- something we aren't expecting this time around versus the Saints.

Dobbins' best fantasy performances came in Weeks 1 and 2, but his role is substantially better now than it was then, and this looks like the perfect spot for him to get back over the 20-FanDuel-point mark.

Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle vs. Cardinals Pass Defense

We've focused on running backs to this point, so let's round things out with some pass catchers to consider.

This Miami Dolphins offense hit rock bottom in Week 7 after Tyreek Hill ($7,600) and Jaylen Waddle ($5,900) inexplicably combined for four targets, which was even more befuddling given that Miami was coming out of its bye. But after cycling through backup quarterbacks for most of the season, the Dolphins may finally see some light at the end of the of the tunnel with Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) back at practice and expected to make his return this weekend.

While there's no guarantee that Tua will be able to single-handedly lift this offense from out of the dumpster in his first game back, it's the right matchup to get off on the right foot. That's because the Dolphins are facing a Cardinals defense that's 30th in adjusted pass defense, allowing the 4th-most FanDuel points per game to QBs and 7th-most to WRs.

In Tagovailoa's lone full game this season in Week 1, he threw for 338 pass yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars -- another poor pass defense -- and Hill was the big winner, catching 7-of-12 targets for 130 yards and a touchdown (25.5 FanDuel points). His usage checked all the boxes with a 33.3% target share, 64.8% air yards share, and 50.0% red zone target share. Keep in mind that his salary was $9,600 back then, too.

Waddle's Week 1 usage wasn't nearly as robust, though he missed a some snaps getting checked for a mid-game concussion. Still, he made the most of his chances, catching 5-of-5 targets for 109 yards (16.7 FanDuel points). With Tua back under center, we should expect him to hover around the 22.7% target share he saw in 2023, and we'll gladly take that at this bargain salary after he was up at $7,200 to open the year.

Ultimately, taking a chance on this offense requires a leap of faith, but we're getting some pretty nice discounts on a pair of talented wide receivers. In particular, Tyreek was expected to be one of the year's very best WRs again in 2024, so there's a good chance this is the lowest we see his salary the rest of the season.

Note that if Tagovailoa suffers a setback and has to sit out again, it's best to continue avoiding this passing attack for another week.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.