The Sportsnaut Week 8 fantasy football rankings break down the most important positions in fantasy, evaluating individual matchups, recent performances, and injuries for the best players in the NFL. Bookmark this page for updates leading up to every game.
Our preliminary rankings for Week 8 are done before the latest NFL injury report comes out. There are plenty of injuries to monitor, including to NFL stars like Detroit Lions running back D’Andre Swift, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf and New York Jets running back Breece Hall.
Related: Top Waiver Wire targets for Week 8
Before diving into our fantasy rankings for Week 8, here are the NFL teams on a bye this week. Fortunately, there are only two teams on hiatus.
NFL bye weeks – Week 8
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Los Angeles Chargers
Here are our Week 8 fantasy football rankings with stats via Pro Football Reference.
Week 8 fantasy QB rankings
Related: Week 8 NFL quarterback rankings
| Rank: | PLAYER | OPPONENT |
| 1 | Joe Burrow | vs Cleveland Browns |
| 2 | Josh Allen | vs Green Bay Packers |
| 3 | Jalen Hurts | vs Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 4 | Lamar Jackson | @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 5 | Kyler Murray | @ Minnesota Vikings |
| 6 | Dak Prescott | vs Chicago Bears |
| 7 | Kirk Cousins | vs Arizona Cardinals |
| 8 | Tua Tagovailoa | @ Detroit Lions |
| 9 | Derek Carr | @ New Orleans Saints |
| 10 | Geno Smith | vs New York Giants |
| 11 | Daniel Jones | @ Seattle Seahawks |
| 12 | Jared Goff | vs Miami Dolphins |
| 13 | Jimmy Garoppolo | @ Los Angeles Rams |
| 14 | Tom Brady | vs Baltimore Ravens |
| 15 | Matthew Stafford | vs San Francisco 49ers |
| 16 | P.J. Walker | @ Atlanta Falcons |
| 17 | Trevor Lawrence | vs Denver Broncos |
| 18 | Andy Dalton | vs Las Vegas Raiders |
| 19 | Aaron Rodgers | @ Buffalo Bills |
| 20 | Russell Wilson | vs Jacksonville Jaguars |
Joe Burrow lands at No. 1 in our Week 8 fantasy football rankings coming off a stretch that can only be described as MVP worthy. He is picking apart secondaries right now, delivering 30-plus yard touchdowns and even finding the end zone with his legs. The Cleveland Browns pass defense is adequate (210.4 pass ypg, 92.7 QB rating allowed) and it could be worse without Denzel Ward.
Moving further down in our fantasy quarterback rankings, we anticipate a potential shootout between the Seattle Seahawks and New York Giants. It bodes well for Geno Smith (244.6 pass ypg) and Daniel Jones (30 rush ypg). While there might not be any elite upside, it’s not necessary when so many other quarterbacks have difficult matchups.
Quarterbacks to fade in Week 8
- Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Baltimore Ravens
- Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars vs Baltimore Ravens
- Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers vs Buffalo Bills
Speaking of those matchups, it’s why fantasy managers need to be careful on Thursday and Sunday. Opponents averaged just 192.3 passing yards per game with four total touchdowns in the last four weeks against the Baltimore Ravens. That’s not the kind of opponent you should feel comfortable starting 45-year-old Tom Brady against.
The same feeling exists for Trevor Lawrence and Aaron Rodgers. Jacksonville’s second-year passer hasn’t thrown a touchdown in three consecutive games and it comes with a 59.8% completion rate and 75.8 QB rating in that stretch. He’ll face a Broncos’ secondary that allows just 173.1 pass ypg with a 74.9 QB rating. As for Rodgers, he is a big part of the reason why the Green Bay Packers’ offense is one of the worst in the NFL and that isn’t changing against the No. 1 defense in the NFL.
Russell Wilson is starting in Week 8, but fantasy managers shouldn’t trust him. Playing through a partially-torn hamstring and lat, he is also squaring off against a quality defense. Based on the matchup, injuries and performance, there are far too many risks to start him with any confidence.
Week 8 fantasy RB rankings
| Rank: | PLAYER | OPPONENT |
| 1 | Derrick Henry | @ Houston Texans |
| 2 | Saquon Barkley | @ Seattle Seahawks |
| 3 | Kenneth Walker | vs New York Giants |
| 4 | Christian McCaffrey | @ Los Angeles Rams |
| 5 | Joe Mixon | @ Cleveland Browns |
| 6 | Josh Jacobs | @ New Orleans Saints |
| 7 | Jonathan Taylor | vs Washington Commanders |
| 8 | Dalvin Cook | vs Arizona Cardinals |
| 9 | Leonard Fournette | vs Baltimore Ravens |
| 10 | Tony Pollard | vs Chicago Bears |
| 11 | Alvin Kamara | vs Las Vegas Raiders |
| 12 | Raheem Mostert | @ Detroit Lions |
| 13 | Gus Edwards | @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 14 | Miles Sanders | vs Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 15 | Devin Singletary | vs Green Bay Packers |
| 16 | Aaron Jones | @ Buffalo Bills |
| 17 | D’Andre Swift | vs Miami Dolphins |
| 18 | Rhamondre Stevenson | @ New York Jets |
| 19 | Dameon Pierce | vs Tennessee Titans |
| 20 | Tyler Allgeier | vs Carolina Panthers |
| 21 | Michael Carter | vs New England Patriots |
| 22 | Travis Etienne | vs Denver Broncos |
| 23 | David Montgomery | vs Dallas Cowboys |
| 24 | D’Onta Foreman | @ Atlanta Falcons |
| 25 | Brian Robinson Jr | @ Indianapolis Colts |
| 26 | Darrell Henderson Jr | vs San Francisco 49ers |
| 27 | Melvin Gordon | @ Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 28 | Najee Harris | @ Philadelphia Eagles |
| 29 | Damien Harris | @ New York Jets |
| 30 | Eno Benjamin | @ Minnesota Vikings |
Derrick Henry sits atop the Week 8 RB rankings and there was never a moment of internal debate. The Houston Texans have the worst run defense in the NFL, allowing 164.7 yards per game and 5.2 yards per carry. In the lone matchup when they held an opponent under 100 yards – Los Angeles Angers, Week 4 – Austin Ekeler scored three touchdowns.
- Derrick Henry vs Houston Texans (career): 1,035 rushing yards (103.5 ypg), 6.1 ypc, nine touchdowns in 10 games
Henry headlines the fantasy football rankings for Week 8, but there are plenty of other great matchups to spotlight. We love both Kenenth Walker and Saquon Barkley in their head-to-head matchup. The New York Giants have allowed the fifth-most rushing yards (144.4 ypg) and the highest yards per carry (5.7). Seattle isn’t much better, surrendering 4.9 ypc and 149.7 rush ypg. Barkley and Walker are both workhorses, making them elite RB1s in Week 8.
The Chicago Bears run defense entered Week 7 allowing over 160 rushing yards per game. While the Patriots didn’t take advantage of it, the Dallas Cowboys will. With Ezekiel Elliott out, Tony Pollard immediately becomes an RB1 with high upside.
Related: NFL stadium rankings
After highlighting several matchups we love in the top 15 of our Week 8 fantasy football rankings, it’s time for the opposite end of the spectrum. Aaron Jones isn’t being used effectively by the Green Bay Packers. It turns an RB1 into a high-end RB2 and that drops to a low-end RB2 against the best run defense in the NFL (76.2 rush ypg allowed).
We’re also not optimistic about Dameon Pierce. While he is an outstanding rookie, the Tennessee Titans are allowing only 96.8 rushing yards per game and that figure falls to  60.5 rushing yards per game and 3.2 yards per carry in the last four weeks.
We’re going to advise temporary caution with Travis Etienne. While we still view him as an RB2 in Week 8, Denver’s run defense is very respectable and it will be keyed in on the Jaguars’ ground attack Sunday.
Week 8 Fantasy Football Rankings – WR rankings
| Rank: | PLAYER | OPPONENT |
| 1 | Stefon Diggs | vs Green Bay Packers |
| 2 | Davante Adams | @ New Orleans Saints |
| 3 | A.J. Brown | vs Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 4 | DeAndre Hopkins | @ Minnesota Vikings |
| 5 | Tyreek Hill | @ Detroit Lions |
| 6 | Justin Jefferson | vs Arizona Cardinals |
| 7 | Cooper Kupp | vs San Francisco 49ers |
| 8 | Jaylen Waddle | @ Detroit Lions |
| 9 | Tee Higgins | @ Cleveland Browns |
| 10 | Tyler Lockett | vs New York Giants |
| 11 | CeeDee Lamb | vs Chicago Bears |
| 12 | Mike Evans | vs Baltimore Ravens |
| 13 | Brandin Cooks | vs Tennessee Titans |
| 14 | Chris Olave | vs Las Vegas Raiders |
| 15 | DeVonta Smith | vs Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 16 | Amon-Ra St. Brown | vs Miami Dolphins |
| 17 | Michael Pittman Jr | vs Washington Commanders |
| 18 | Gabriel Davis | vs Green Bay Packers |
| 19 | Chris Godwin | vs Baltimore Ravens |
| 20 | Tyler Boyd | @ Cleveland Browns |
| 21 | D.J. Moore | @ Atlanta Falcons |
| 22 | Diontae Johnson | @ Philadelphia Eagles |
| 23 | Terry McLaurin | @ Indianapolis Colts |
| 24 | Amari Cooper | vs Cincinnati Bengals |
| 25 | Brandon Aiyuk | @ Los Angeles Rams |
| 26 | Courtland Sutton | @ Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 27 | Drake London | vs Carolina Panthers |
| 28 | Adam Thielen | vs Arizona Cardinals |
| 29 | DK Metcalf (Q) | vs New York Giants |
| 30 | George Pickens | @ Philadelphia Eagles |
| 31 | Curtis Samuel | @ Indianapolis Colts |
| 32 | Christian Kirk | vs Denver Broncos |
| 33 | Jerry Jeudy | @ Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 34 | Wan’Dale Robinson | @ Seattle Seahawks |
| 35 | Jakobi Meyers | @ New York Jets |
There aren’t any big surprises in the Week 8 fantasy wide receiver rankings. Even if Stefon Diggs lines up against Jaire Alexander, the miscommunication issues in the secondary and conservative defensive play-calling will provide Diggs with plenty of receptions and a few big plays.
The return of DeAndre Hopkins provided an important development for fantasy managers. Hopkins played 27 snaps in the slot, almost tripling his previous high during his Cardinals’ tenure. If that plan remains in place, with Kliff Kingsbury finally doing what every other NFL team does with its No. 1 wideout, 100-yard performances could become a regular thing for Hopkins after a disappointing 2021 season.
Related: NFL games today – 2023 NFL schedule
Both the Cincinnati Bengals’ and Miami Dolphins’ receivers make it into the top 11 of our rankings. The Dolphins are competing against a Lions’ defense that is still allowing an average 102.4 QB rating to opponents even after showing some signs of improvement after the bye. With Tua Tagovailoa locked in on both Waddle and Hill, they can each be WR1s in fantasy. As for Tee Higgins, he becomes an elite option with Ja’Marr Chase sidelined. Meanwhile, Tyler Boyd is elevated into the top 20 of our fantasy rankings.
Week 8 also represents the first time in nearly a month that D.J. Moore returns to the top 30 in our fantasy rankings. He drew 10 targets from P.J. Walker, turning them into a season-high 69 receiving yards with his first touchdown since Sep. 18. Facing a woeful Falcons’ secondary, this is the time for fantasy managers to get Moore back into their starting lineup.
Fantasy Football Rankings Week 8 – Tight Ends
| Rank: | PLAYER | OPPONENT |
| 1 | Mark Andrews | @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 2 | Zach Ertz | @ Minnesota Vikings |
| 3 | George Kittle | @ Los Angeles Rams |
| 4 | T.J. Hockenson | vs Miami Dolphins |
| 5 | Dallas Goedert | vs Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 6 | Kyle Pitts | vs Carolina Panthers |
| 7 | Taysom Hill | vs Las Vegas Raiders |
| 8 | Robert Tonyan | @ Buffalo Bills |
| 9 | Tyler Higbee | vs San Francisco 49ers |
| 10 | Darren Waller | @ New Orleans Saints |
| 11 | Harrison Bryant | vs Cincinnati Bengals |
| 12 | Pat Freiermuth | @ Philadelphia Eagles |
| 13 | Hayden Hurst | @ Cleveland Browns |
| 14 | Dalton Schultz | vs Chicago Bears |
| 15 | Irv Smith Jr. | @ Arizona Cardinals |
With Travis Kelce enjoying the bye week, Mark Andrews comes in as the No. 1 tight end in the Week 8 fantasy rankings. It’s understandable if managers are concerned after last week’s performance, but Andrews remains Lamar Jackson’s favorite. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have allowed 372 receiving yards and 36 receptions to tight ends this season, so this is a matchup Andrews can take advantage of.
Irv Smith Jr. is a streaming TE option to keep an eye on. Not only have the Arizona Cardinals allowed the most touchdowns to tight ends this season (six), they also surrendered the most receiving yards (539) to the position. The presence of Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen caps Smith Jr’s ceiling, but 40 yards and a touchdown is possible.
Yes, we remain believers in Kyle Pitts. He still drew five of Marcus Mariota’s 13 targets in Week 7, leading the team. Atlanta should return to having Mariota throw 20-plus times on Sunday and considering the overall instability at tight end, we’ll bet on Pitts’ athleticism one last time.
Week 8 fantasy kicker rankings
- Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Tyler Bass, Buffalo Bills vs Green Bay Packers
- Evan McPherson, Cincinnati Bengals vs Cleveland Browns
- Jason Myers, Seattle Seahawks vs New York Giants
- Younghoe Koo, Atlanta Falcons vs Carolina Panthers
- Daniel Carlson, Las Vegas Raiders vs New Orleans Saints
- Will Lutz, New Orleans Saints vs Las Vegas Raiders
- Brett Maher, Dallas Cowboys vs Chicago Bears
- Ryan Succop, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Baltimore Ravens
- Graham Gano, New York Giants vs Seattle Seahawks
- Jake Elliott, Philadelphia Eagles vs Pittsburgh Steelers
- Greg Joseph, Minnesota Vikings vs Arizona Cardinals
- Ka’imi Fairbairn, Houston Texans vs Tennessee Titans
- Nick Folk, New England Patriots vs New York Jets
- Jason Sanders, Miami Dolphins vs Detroit Lions
