Start Deshaun Watson or Aaron Rodgers? Week 8

Our Week 8 call

Start Deshaun Watson over Aaron Rodgers in Week 8.

Market-based projections have Deshaun Watson at 15.5 points and Aaron Rodgers at 14.6, a gap of 1.0. That is inside the noise of a single catch, so treat it as close to a coin flip. No player market is posted for Deshaun Watson this week yet, so his 15.5 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 5, 6 and 7 (16.3, 16.9 and 13.5); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. No player market is posted for Aaron Rodgers this week yet, so his 14.6 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 5, 6 and 7 (14.5, 14.3 and 14.8); the call is rebuilt when his market posts.

What the market projects

No Week 8 player market is posted for Deshaun Watson yet. His market-based projections were 16.3, 16.9 and 13.5 points in Weeks 5, 6 and 7, an average of 15.5, which stands in until his Week 8 market posts.

No Week 8 player market is posted for Aaron Rodgers yet. His market-based projections were 14.5, 14.4 and 14.8 points in Weeks 5, 6 and 7, an average of 14.6, which stands in until his Week 8 market posts.

That puts Deshaun Watson 1.0 points ahead of Aaron Rodgers on these projections.

Week 8 matchups

Deshaun Watson and CLE visit PIT on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

PIT allowed 13.2 fantasy points a game to QBs this season over 7 games, the 4th fewest in the league.

Quarterbacks threw for 230 yards and a touchdown a game against PIT, with an interception a game.

Aaron Rodgers and PIT host CLE on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

CLE allowed 15.4 fantasy points a game to QBs this season over 7 games, the 8th fewest in the league.

Quarterbacks threw for 221 yards and 1.6 touchdowns a game against CLE, with 0.7 interceptions a game.

By points allowed to the position, Aaron Rodgers has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Deshaun Watson is not on the injury report.

Aaron Rodgers is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 8

Through Week 7, Deshaun Watson played 100 percent of CLE snaps, dropped back 258 times and threw an average of 7.4 air yards per attempt.

Deshaun Watson, Week 4 against PIT: 64 of 64 snaps, 24 of 33 passes for 268 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception, 5 carries for 24 yards.

Deshaun Watson, Week 5 against NYJ: 68 of 68 snaps, 15 of 33 passes for 155 yards, 1 touchdown and 0 interceptions, 6 carries for 40 yards.

Deshaun Watson, Week 6 against BAL: 62 of 62 snaps, 16 of 26 passes for 164 yards, 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, 8 carries for 29 yards.

Deshaun Watson, Week 7 against TEN: 70 of 70 snaps, 25 of 36 passes for 308 yards, 0 touchdowns and 1 interception, 3 carries for 19 yards.

Through Week 7, Aaron Rodgers played 99 percent of PIT snaps, dropped back 286 times and threw an average of 7.5 air yards per attempt.

Aaron Rodgers, Week 4 against CLE: 72 of 72 snaps, 22 of 40 passes for 299 yards, 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.

Aaron Rodgers, Week 5 against IND: 58 of 60 snaps, 22 of 31 passes for 235 yards, 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, 1 carry for 6 yards.

Aaron Rodgers, Week 6 against TB: 79 of 79 snaps, 33 of 47 passes for 253 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception.

Aaron Rodgers, Week 7 against NO: 64 of 64 snaps, 19 of 30 passes for 212 yards, 1 touchdown and 0 interceptions, 1 carry for 8 yards.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Aaron Rodgers played 16 games for PIT and scored 234.1 PPR points, 14.6 a game, finishing QB18.

He completed 327 of 498 passes for 3322 yards, 24 touchdowns and 7 interceptions, and ran 21 times for 61 yards and 1 touchdown.

He was on the field for 95 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 8 calls

• Start Bo Nix over Deshaun Watson.
• Start Bryce Young over Deshaun Watson.
• Start Caleb Williams over Deshaun Watson.
• Start Bo Nix over Aaron Rodgers.
• Start Bryce Young over Aaron Rodgers.
• Start Aaron Rodgers over Cam Ward.