Start Carnell Tate or Ladd McConkey? Week 8

Our Week 8 call

Start Ladd McConkey over Carnell Tate in Week 8.

Market-based projections have Ladd McConkey at 9.6 points and Carnell Tate at 11.5, a gap of 1.9. Ladd McConkey still gets the call because it also weighs where drafters take each player, ADP 39 against 81, and that outweighs a gap this size.

What the market projects

Player markets imply 11.5 fantasy points for Carnell Tate, with 100 percent of the markets a WR needs posted.

The market-based projection for Carnell Tate is 53 receiving yards, 4-5 receptions and 0.3 touchdowns (12, 10 and 13 market sources).

Player markets imply 9.6 fantasy points for Ladd McConkey, with 100 percent of the markets a WR needs posted.

The market-based projection for Ladd McConkey is 43 receiving yards, 3-4 receptions and 0.3 touchdowns (10, 9 and 9 market sources).

That puts Carnell Tate 1.9 points ahead of Ladd McConkey on the market projections.

Week 8 matchups

Carnell Tate and TEN visit CIN on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

CIN allowed 31.4 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 6 games, the 15th most in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 138 yards and a touchdown a game against CIN.

Ladd McConkey and LAC visit LAR on Sunday at 4:05 PM ET.

LAR allowed 26.8 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 7 games, the 5th fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 106 yards and 1.1 touchdowns a game against LAR.

By points allowed to the position, Carnell Tate has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Carnell Tate is listed as questionable with a shoulder injury.

Ladd McConkey is listed as questionable with a concussion injury.

Usage before Week 8

Through Week 7, Carnell Tate played 82 percent of TEN snaps, drew 26 percent of the targets, earned 45 percent of the air yards and had 5 percent of the red zone chances.

Carnell Tate, Week 4 against BAL: 54 of 64 snaps, 12 targets and 9 catches for 145 yards.

Carnell Tate, Week 5 against HOU: 48 of 63 snaps, 5 targets and 1 catch for 6 yards.

Carnell Tate, Week 6 against IND: 34 of 46 snaps, 7 targets and 6 catches for 70 yards, 1 touchdown.

Carnell Tate, Week 7 against CLE: 56 of 63 snaps, 7 targets and 5 catches for 69 yards.

Through Week 6, Ladd McConkey played 46 percent of LAC snaps, drew 12 percent of the targets, earned 19 percent of the air yards and had 5 percent of the red zone chances.

Ladd McConkey, Week 2 against LV: 31 of 68 snaps, 3 targets and 3 catches for 35 yards.

Ladd McConkey, Week 3 against BUF: 61 of 69 snaps, 5 targets and 4 catches for 66 yards.

Ladd McConkey, Week 4 against SEA: 24 of 71 snaps, 2 targets and 0 catches for 0 yards.

Ladd McConkey, Week 6 against KC: 8 of 68 snaps, 1 target and 1 catch for 17 yards.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Ladd McConkey played 16 games for LAC and scored 180.9 PPR points, 11.3 a game, finishing WR30.

He caught 66 of 106 targets for 789 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 14 red zone targets and 479 air yards.

He was on the field for 78 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 8 calls

• Start A.J. Brown over Carnell Tate.
• Start Christian Watson over Carnell Tate.
• Start Carnell Tate over Denzel Boston.
• Start Ladd McConkey over Adonai Mitchell.
• Start Ladd McConkey over Chris Godwin Jr..
• Start Ladd McConkey over Courtland Sutton.