Green Bay has the best record in the NFC at 4-1-1 (.750), sitting at 3-0 at home but 1-1-1 on the road. Pittsburgh is third in the AFC with a 4-2 mark, and the Steelers are coming off an upset 33-31 loss in Cincinnati last Thursday. In this edition of the Stokastic’s NFL DFS picks series, we’ll provide our Packers-Steelers Week 8 SNF DFS plays for the NFL Showdown action from Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Penn.
NFL Sunday Night Football Week 8 DFS Picks: Packers-Steelers
NFL DFS Picks for Sunday Night Football Week 8: Jordan Love
Jordan Love
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $10,000
FanDuel: $12,400
Fantasy Points
DraftKings: 17.95
FanDuel: 17.18
In all but one game this season (Week 6 against rookie Dillon Gabriel), Pittsburgh allowed opposing signal-callers to tally multi-touchdown games. The only asterisk is Week 1, when Justin Fields threw for one and ran for two more. Last Sunday, Joe Flacco tossed a trio of tuddies, which is the highwater mark for the season.
This will be the first meeting between Jordan Love and Aaron Rodgers on the field of battle. It is Love’s third season as the full-time starter for the Packers, so this wrinkle is unlikely to cause him any consternation. Love topped 20 fantasy points only twice, though one of those was a 30-fantasy point effort. He does have three multi-touchdown games, but he also fell shy of 200 passing yards in three of his six starts.
Love does not run much, though he is able to extend plays in the pocket, and his 18.3 rushing yards per game are a career high. He has just one rushing touchdown in his last 24 regular season games, making him less enticing in the multiplier slot but a desirable flex option.
👉 Check Out the FREE Expert Picks »
The Free Picks on Tails are your shortcuts to smarter DFS plays AND bets … no signup, no strings. Here you will find a bunch of expert picks, Sims data, DFS strategy and more, updated daily.
Green Bay Packers Positional Preview
Running Back | Packers-Steelers NFL DFS Picks for SNF Week 8
Josh Jacobs was questionable last week, dealing with a calf issue and an illness. He overcame both maladies, though he did play on a season-low 55% of the snaps. Jacobs rolled up 55 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries while converting his lone target for 3 yards.
While fantasy gamers wish Jacobs was more involved in the passing game, he dominated the available backfield opportunities with 81% of the carries and 63% of the targets. Green Bay is in the middle of the pack for rushing and receiving production, getting by on efficiency. The team is 18th with just over 60 plays per game this season but the seventh with 26.3 points per game.
In summary, Jacobs does have the coveted “bell cow” role, though it is not as flashy as Christian McCaffrey, Bijan Robinson, James Cook and Jonathan Taylor. Chris Brooks is second among running backs, totaling seven targets, while Emanuel Wilson is third with five. Wilson had a season-high 34% snap share, while Brooks remains in the 10% to 15% range.
Wilson is in play for those crafting more than a dozen lineups on DraftKings ($3,400) and FanDuel ($4,400), and Brooks is a lottery ticket at best with no real discount on either site.
Wide Receiver | Packers-Steelers NFL DFS Picks for SNF Week 8
There are a lot of question marks for the Green Bay wideouts, with rookie Matthew Golden (hip) seemingly on the wrong side of questionable, and there is a chance that Christian Watson (knee) suits up tonight. Either or neither could play, which makes it tricky to attempt an analysis. Be sure to tune into the Stokastic SNF Live Before Lock Show at 7:30 p.m. ET for all of the up-to-date DFS analysis and information.
Jayden Reed (foot/collarbone) is out for at least another month, and now Dontayvion Wicks (calf) is sidelined as well. This makes Romeo Doubs the last man standing, and depending on who else is available, Malik Heath and Savion Williams may become enticing discount dandies.
Tight End | Packers-Steelers NFL DFS Picks for SNF Week 8
Tucker Kraft is second on the team with a 19.5% target share, trailing only Doubs (21.9%). Looking at the OddsShopper Live Odds page, Kraft is -111 for over 51.5 receiving yards, -105 for more than 4.5 receptions and +145 to score a touchdown. If Golden is out, Kraft and Doubs are excellent options, as they will further consolidate the passing opportunities.
Luke Musgrave is a capable tight end who was gobsmacked with a variety of injuries. If his misfortunes landed with Kraft, Musgrave would likely be the player that DFS gamers are excited for in the Green Bay receiving game. He too would be elevated in the pecking order if Golden were out, likely doubling his current median fantasy projection to just over 4 points on DraftKings and three on FanDuel.
Kicker | Packers-Steelers NFL DFS Picks for SNF Week 8
Lucas Havrisik filled in for injured veteran Brandon McManus the last two games. Havrisik made all four field goal attempts, and he is perfect on six point-after-touchdown tries. It sounds like he will have the role again tonight since there is no point in rushing McManus back into action.
Defense | Packers-Steelers NFL DFS Picks for SNF Week 8
Pittsburgh allowed only nine sacks, which are the fifth fewest in the league. Of course, All-Pro Micah Parsons is coming off a three-sack effort, and Green Bay is now averaging a solid three quarterback takedowns per tilt. The Steelers have five interceptions and no fumbles, which is outstanding. The Packers have only two interceptions and one fumble recovery, and the defense seems less ferocious than it appeared on paper to start the year.
Need help getting started with Stokastic’s NFL DFS Sims? Check out all of these FREE resources!
- How to Use NFL DFS Sims for Winning Lineups in 2025
- NFL DFS Late Swap Strategy with Stokastic’s NFL DFS Sims
- Master NFL DFS Sims with This Single Lineup Simulator Strategy
- Stokastic NFL DFS Sims is Better Than Outdated NFL DFS Optimizers
- How to Win with the NFL DFS Entry Manager | NFL DFS Strategy
NFL DFS Picks for Sunday Night Football Week 8: Jaylen Warren
Jaylen Warren
DFS Salary
DraftKings: $12,000
FanDuel: $13,200
Fantasy Points
DraftKings: 19.33
FanDuel: 15.95
Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell are among the league leaders in broken-tackle rate and rushing yards after contact. Sadly, they are met all too often at the line, and shaky blocking, along with conservative play calling, kept upside opportunities limited when both are healthy.
Rookie Kaleb Johnson had a rough training camp, and he has been in the doghouse since his kick return mistake in Week 2, leaving the ball laying untouched in the end zone for Seattle to recover for a touchdown. He did get six carries in Week 4 when Warren was out and another six in mop-up duty against Cleveland in Week 6. Otherwise he did not see any opportunities in close games.
Gainwell is the RB2, though even taking out the game he started while Warren was sidelined, the duo is seeing similar passing game chances. Warren is a solid 19th with a career-best 62.3 rushing yards per game, and the playing time is closer to a 60/40 split over the last two games.
Tonight the Stokastic NFL DFS stat projections have Warren for 14.9 carries and 68.3 yards, with Gainwell seeing 5.7 for 25.8 yards. The passing game is closer with Warren earmarked for 3.6 opportunities and Gainwell trending towards 3.2 targets. Johnson is projected for 2.1 offensive opportunities and 6.8 combined yards. He has only one target on the season, so his chances are likely to be low-leverage carries.
Follow these 4 simple steps to get Stokastic DFS Sim Tools FREE:
- Pick a Promo
- Sign Up & Bet
- Show Proof
- Claim Your Tools
It’s that easy! Now you have the best DFS tools in the business.
Pittsburgh Steelers Positional Preview
Quarterback | Packers-Steelers NFL DFS Picks for SNF Week 8
Aaron Rodgers is facing the Packers for the first time since orchestrating his trade to New York. The four-time NFL MVP indicated that he would like to retire with Green Bay, though it is unknown if that will be this year or in the future. Rodgers and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith somehow are on the same page for now, with each accepting portions of the other’s offensive preferences.
Pittsburgh loves to run the ball, and given Rodgers’ proclivity for working the play clock down to nothing most of the game, the team is averaging only 54.2 plays per game, which is the third-lowest rate in the game. Rodgers had 25 fantasy points in the opener and 24 last week, failing to crack 13 fantasy points in three of the other four outings.
This lack of floor and upside make Rodgers suitable for the flex slot, though far from a priority click. The Packers allowed multiple aerial scores in four of the last five games, but three quarterbacks were unable to clear 220 passing yards.
Wide Receivers | Packers-Steelers NFL DFS Picks for SNF Week 8
Quick, name another Pittsburgh wideout aside from DK Metcalf. The former Seattle stalwart has 36 of 62 (58%) of the targets to the position. Calvin Austin III is second on the team (17), and he is expected to return after a three-week absence. In the two games he missed, Scotty Miller had one of his two targets for the season, while Roman Wilson saw three of his five overall opportunities.
Metcalf should see around half a dozen looks, with a few going to Austin and the rest of the wideouts projecting for 1.8 combined targets. Yikes!
Tight Ends | Packers-Steelers NFL DFS Picks for SNF Week 8
Not one, not two, but three Pittsburgh tight ends scored on Thursday Night Football in Week 7 at Cincinnati, combining for four — yes, FOUR — touchdowns. Just when it looked like Pat Freiermuth was falling out of favor, he had a season-high six targets, as did Arthur’s favorite Jonnu Smith, with Darnell Washington getting five looks. The tight ends have two fewer targets than the wideouts, which is crazy. Rodgers does have a long history of going to the position, but not to this extreme.
Green Bay allowed five touchdowns to tight ends this season, with five producing 40-plus yards in a game. Smith is still the lead tight end, and while Freiermuth got lucky on his 68-yard touchdown just before the two-minute warning, he should at least be back on the radar. Washington is an imposing physical specimen, plus he continues to improve as a pass-catcher.
Connor Heyward is the clear fourth option, though two of his three targets came the last two games, and it is, of course, National Tight End Day!
Kicker | Packers-Steelers NFL DFS Picks for SNF Week 8
Chris Boswell earned Pro Bowl honors for the second time in his 10-year career while also being named First-Team All-Pro as the place kicker. He led the league with 44 field goal attempts and 41 (93%) successful conversions. While he had only one attempt last Thursday, he did make all four of his extra-point attempts, remaining perfect on 16 tries. He is used to the tricky wind conditions that start to act up as the temperatures drop at Acrisure Stadium.
Defense | Packers-Steelers NFL DFS Picks for SNF Week 8
The Steelers are averaging 3.7 sacks per game, which ranks in the top 5, while Green Bay does a nice job of protecting Love, allowing only 10 sacks through six games. The Packers have just three turnovers, the second-best mark in the league, with Pittsburgh seventh overall at 10 takeaways.
NFL DFS Picks for Packers-Steelers NFL DFS Picks for SNF Week 8: Rankings
Top 10 NFL DFS Showdown Picks for Packers-Steelers
- Jordan Love: Slight edge over the rest of the field, though far from a lock at the top.
- Josh Jacobs: If he had a little more work in the passing game, he would be the priority play.
- Jaylen Warren: Capable in all facets of the game, light on touchdowns.
- DK Metcalf: Steady as they come, with the ability to take one to the house from anywhere on the field.
- Aaron Rodgers: Tenuous ranking with caveats.
- Romeo Doubs and Tucker Kraft: Both move ahead of Rodgers if Golden is out. Doubs could return punts, depending on Golden’s status.
- Chris Boswell: Proven commodity.
- Jonnu Smith: Just a tick above his counterparts.
- Lucas Havrisik/Brandon McManus: Whichever is active.
- Darnell Washington: Is in the top 10 for DraftKings, slips to the top of the lower section on FanDuel. Yes, it is basically the same, but median fantasy points are just different enough to make this callout between the sites.
Secondary Options
- Kenny Gainwell: Could play his way into a 50/50 split tonight or slip to 70/30 via ineffective results. Also lead kickoff returner.
- Green Bay DST: Parsons and company are live for a big play at any time.
- Matthew Golden: If there were no health concerns, he would jump ahead of Washington.
- Pittsburgh DST: Only staying out of the bottom section with homefield advantage tonight.
- Calvin Austin III: Meh.
Lottery Tickets
- Luke Musgrave: Will he celebrate National Tight End Day?!
- Malik Heath: Jumps ahead of Austin from a fantasy point-per-dollar perspective if Golden is out.
- Christian Watson: Surrounded by uncertainty about his effectiveness after a long layoff; may not return until next week.
- Emanuel Wilson: Could easily be at the top of this section; let personal preference be your guide.
- Savion Williams: Moves to Heath’s spot if Golden is inactive. Lead kickoff returner.
- Roman Wilson: Last player worthy of their own line.
- Kaleb Johnson and Ke’Shawn Williams: Johnson has a chance to return kickoffs, though Williams may be ahead of him and the latter also returns punts.
- Ben Skowronek, Conner Heyward, John FitzPatrick, Chris Brooks: No thanks.
