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Week 8 · WR · TB

Ted Hurst III Week 8 fantasy outlook: role, matchup and start/sit call

Our WR73 for Week 8 — 3.9 projected points vs ATL, rostered in 7% of leagues.

By Sally & Tina · Updated October 28, 2026 at 9:05 AM ET

Sit Ted Hurst III in Week 8 if you have a real alternative — 3.9 projected points lands 6.1 under the WR starter line.

Projection
3.9 pts
WR rank
#73
Matchup
vs ATL

Ted Hurst III's fantasy role in Week 8

Ted Hurst III goes into Week 8 of the 2026 season as a deep-league WR flyer for the TB. He is rostered in 7% of leagues and actually started in 3% of them, and we rank him WR73 on our own weekly board at 3.9 projected points.

Interest is cooling — roster rates slipped roughly 2% in the last week, so he is getting cheaper to acquire if you believe in the role.

No injury designation to work around right now, which keeps his projection honest.

Week 8 matchup breakdown

The matchup: vs ATL. Our Pepper Meter heat rating for this spot is 1 out of 5, which is how we grade the combination of role, projection and opponent difficulty.

Against a typical starting WR baseline of 10 points, his 3.9-point projection is 6.1 points short. That gap is the whole start/sit argument in one number.

How to play it

Sit Ted Hurst III in Week 8 if you have a real alternative — 3.9 projected points lands 6.1 under the WR starter line.

If you are deciding between him and another WR, compare projections first, then lean on the Pepper Meter heat rating as the tiebreaker.

Sally's take

Peppers & Picks ranks Ted Hurst III (TB WR), our WR73 this week for Week 8 of the 2026 NFL season vs ATL, projecting 3.9 projected points with a mild Pepper Meter rating. Sally wants fireworks, and 6.1 points below a typical starter isn't fireworks. 3% of managers already start him, and the depth-chart role behind that number looks stable. Nothing in the projection defends him — 61% below positional par is a bench line for me. The Pepper Meter cools him to Mild, and that reading is doing its job.

Tina's take

Peppers & Picks ranks Ted Hurst III (TB WR), our WR73 this week for Week 8 of the 2026 NFL season vs ATL, projecting 3.9 projected points with a mild Pepper Meter rating. Tina calls it a floor problem: 6.1 points under the starter line is a lot of risk for a lineup spot. ATL is the opponent, and that's the part of this I'm least worried about. 3% of managers already start him, and the depth-chart role behind that number looks stable. Tina keeps him at Mild until the usage says otherwise.