High-Cost Option: Tom Brady $8,300
Despite the shortened week, Tom Brady faces the best matchup among the highest priced quarterbacks this week. Averaging 28.3 fantasy points per game, Brady takes on a Miami defense that just allowed Brian Hoyer 26.92 garbage-time points. Brady has scored 3 touchdowns in his last three games and has this offense rolling, as the Patriots are averaging 29 points over the same time span. New England is now an eight-point favorite at home in this week's highest-projected scoring game.
Mid-Cost Option: Philip Rivers $6,600
West coast teams traveling east for early games aren't usually an ideal target, but Philip Rivers and the Chargers get to take on a struggling 1-6 Baltimore team that is yielding the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks on the season. Rivers has scored over 30 fantasy points his last two outings as the Chargers have gone with a heavy-volume passing attack as of late. San Diego has now raised their passing play percentage to 67% on the year -- third highest in the league. The Ravens are giving up the fifth-most passing yards per game and will likely see that ranking nosedive further with Rivers leading the league in passing yardage. At $6,600, Rivers will be a heavily-owned quarterback in Week 8. As three-point underdogs, the Chargers passing attack could continue to see a ton of volume.
Low-Cost Option: Andy Dalton $6,000
Andy Dalton at such a low price is borderline comical. He has surpassed 20 fantasy points in five straight weeks, in which he has either thrown for 300-plus yards or 3 touchdowns (sometimes both). The Steelers have given up the sixth-most passing yards per game and have given up four 20-plus quarterback fantasy outings and two 30-plus outings to Tom Brady and Colin Kaepernick. Pittsburgh has had a tough time defending the tight end position, and a Dalton-Tyler Eifert stack could pay dividends at a fairly affordable price. With Ben Roethlisberger's anticipated return to the field this week, this game could potentially turn into a shootout.
GPP Wildcard: Eli Manning $6,600
A great pivot from Rivers would be going for his 2004 draftmate Eli Manning. Fantasy owners will likely be off Manning after last week's 6.4-point fantasy outing against Dallas, but greener pastures lie ahead for New York. Manning squares up against a Saints secondary allowing the second-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, the seventh-most passing yards per game, and the sixth-most passing touchdowns. Three-point road underdogs in this one, Manning should be throwing from behind providing a nice fantasy ceiling in one of this week's highest projected scoring games.