Start Deshaun Watson or Geno Smith? Week 8

Our Week 8 call

Start Deshaun Watson over Geno Smith in Week 8.

Market-based projections have Deshaun Watson at 15.5 points and Geno Smith at 13.3, a gap of 2.3. 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 Geno Smith this week yet, so his 13.3 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 5, 6 and 7 (14.2, 10.6 and 15.0); 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 Geno Smith yet. His market-based projections were 14.2, 10.6 and 15.0 points in Weeks 5, 6 and 7, an average of 13.3, which stands in until his Week 8 market posts.

That puts Deshaun Watson 2.3 points ahead of Geno Smith 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.

Geno Smith and NYJ host LV on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

LV allowed 20.8 fantasy points a game to QBs this season over 7 games, the 5th most in the league.

Quarterbacks threw for 245 yards and 2.3 touchdowns a game against LV, with 0.7 interceptions a game.

By points allowed to the position, Geno Smith has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Deshaun Watson is not on the injury report.

Geno Smith 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, Geno Smith played 100 percent of NYJ snaps, dropped back 237 times and threw an average of 6.8 air yards per attempt.

Geno Smith, Week 4 against CHI: 32 of 32 snaps, 8 of 15 passes for 119 yards, 1 touchdown and 0 interceptions.

Geno Smith, Week 5 against CLE: 70 of 70 snaps, 17 of 30 passes for 182 yards, 1 touchdown and 0 interceptions, 3 carries for 9 yards.

Geno Smith, Week 6 against NE: 62 of 62 snaps, 20 of 30 passes for 252 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception, 1 carry for 0 yards.

Geno Smith, Week 7 against MIA: 59 of 59 snaps, 23 of 30 passes for 287 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception, 1 carry for 1 yards.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Geno Smith played 15 games for LV and scored 190.9 PPR points, 12.7 a game, finishing QB23.

He completed 302 of 448 passes for 3025 yards, 19 touchdowns and 17 interceptions, and ran 41 times for 109 yards and 0 touchdowns.

He was on the field for 97 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 8 calls

• Start Deshaun Watson over Aaron Rodgers.
• Start Bo Nix over Deshaun Watson.
• Start Bryce Young over Deshaun Watson.
• Start Aaron Rodgers over Geno Smith.
• Start Bo Nix over Geno Smith.
• Start Geno Smith over Cam Ward.