Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Week 8: Tyrone Tracy Jr., Wan’Dale Robinson | Sporting News

The New York Giants (2-5) will be looking to avoid a three-game losing streak in Week 8. On Monday night, they will be on the road in a prime-time matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2). 

These teams are opposites on where they stand heading into the midpoint of the schedule. The Giants are desperate for a win as they are looking to avoid a three-game losing streak and seeing their season spiral away from them. 

The Steelers are looking to keep pace in the AFC North with the Baltimore Ravens after their offensive explosion this past Sunday night after Russell Wilson made his first start with the franchise.

Outside of Malik Nabers, the rest of the fantasy-relevant players for New York are matchup-based plays, which isn’t the case for the likes of Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Wan’Dale Robinson on Monday night. 

Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Tyrone Tracy Jr. 

The rookie running back for the Giants took advantage of his opportunity when Devin Singletary was out of the lineup for two weeks but is coming off a rough outing against the Philadelphia Eagles with Singletary back in the lineup. 

He did out-touch Singletary but only got the ball in his hands nine times and turned that into 32 total yards. This week could see a similar outing for Tracy Jr, who is facing one of the better run defenses in the league. 

Per Pro Football Reference, the Steelers are tied for the fifth-lowest PPG allowed to running backs. A deeper dive from Next Gen Stats also shows that this isn’t a favorable matchup for the rookie. 

Pittsburgh has held their opponent to negative rushing EPA on designed runs inside the tackles in six of their seven games this season, tied for the most in the NFL. Overall, opposing offenses have generated -22.5 total rushing EPA on such carries, the fewest in the league.

The Giants are one of only two teams in the NFL to not generate positive rushing EPA on designed runs between the tackles in any of their games this season.

The Steelers have allowed a league-low -80 rushing yards over expected on rushes between the tackles to opposing running backs. They have also allowed the fewest EPA per carry (-0.22) and third-lowest success rate (32.9%) to running backs on such carries.

New York has run between the tackles on 62.2% of their designed runs, the highest rate in the league.

Their running backs have generated the fewest EPA per carry (-0.39), second-lowest success rate (30.9%), and ninth-fewest rushing yards over expected (-14) on carries between the tackles this season.

Tracy Jr. is a risky flex play so your best bet is to turn to a better option on your rosters if possible.

Verdict: Sit’ Em

Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Wan’Dale Robinson

In fantasy football, it can be logical to bet on players who are seeing a high volume of targets. Wan’Dale Robinson has the second-most targets (67) in the NFL entering Week 8. But he has only turned those into 43 catches for 303 yards and two touchdowns. 

In this matchup, he’s facing a defense that is allowing the ninth-fewest PPG to wide receivers per Pro Football Reference. In Pittsburgh’s last four games, three receivers have finished with at least 80 receiving yards and have only allowed three touchdowns to the position. 

If there was a receiver in the Giants’ offense that is likely to get to at least 80 receiving yards and a touchdown is Malik Nabers, not Robinson. The best outing he’s had this season was 11 receptions for 71 yards on 14 targets, and that was with Nabers out of the lineup. 

Nabers is the only option to trust in the New York offense so fantasy football managers should leave Robinson on their bench on Monday night.

Verdict: Sit’ Em