NFL Week 8 PPR Rankings: Chiefs May Be Broken, but Expect Fantasy Bounce-Backs From Top Players

Week 7 is over, and we get teams like the Bills, Cowboys, Chargers, and Vikings back in action along with their superstar fantasy football players. Last week was one of the worst weeks of professional football in recent memory. Still, the Week 8 slate already looks to be much better, and it kicks off with an NFC showdown between the Packers and Cardinals with massive playoff implications. A Sunday Night showdown between the Cowboys and Vikings also figures to be exciting. Let’s take a look at some of the best fantasy football options this week.

NFL Week 8 Quarterback Rankings

Kyler Murray checks in as my QB1 again this week in a manageable matchup against the Packers without top cornerback Jaire Alexander. Murray is an elite talent who is supported by arguably the most pass-catching talent in the NFL. Josh Allen had a poor showing against the Dolphins earlier this season. Still, their defense has devolved into one of the worst in the league, and the Bills’ passer put up seven touchdowns to just one interception against them last season – he’s due for a big bounceback this week. Patrick Mahomes is coming off the worst game of his career with a career-low 7.7 fantasy points, but I’m not over-reacting and he should still be considered a top-five option against a beatable Giants’ defense. Mahomes should be fine to suit up on Monday, coming off his concussion. Matthew Stafford draws a great matchup against the Texans, who are allowing the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. Dak Prescott and Kirk Cousins should have great showings against one another on primetime on Sunday night. Tom Brady draws a Saints defense that has given him some troubles in the past, but he’s the QB1 on the season and has shown no signs of slowing down. I’m also very excited for what Jalen Hurts can do against the lowly Lions. Aaron Rodgers is deflated in my rankings as he’s facing a tough Arizona defense and will be without top wideout Davante Adams after he tested positive for COVID-19. My favorite streamers for this week are Matt Ryan against the Panthers, Carson Wentz against the Titans, Daniel Jones against the Chiefs, and Tua Tagovailoa against the Bills.

NFL Week 8 Running Back Rankings

Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook are back this week after their Week 7 byes, and they both land inside the top five in my rankings. Aaron Jones is coming off a down game with just 8.9 PPR points, but he’s still a top-five option, particularly with a likely increase in passing work with Davante Adams out. The Cardinals have been vulnerable against the run at times this season, as well. D’Andre Swift has arrived as a top-five RB, and he’s essentially a WR2 who also gets 10-12 carries every week, and that’s a lethal combination. Alvin Kamara concerns me this week against an elite Buccaneers’ run defense, but he does enough in the passing game to maintain a top-10 spot in the rankings. Joe Mixon should feast against a poor Jets defense that allows the most fantasy points to running backs this year. Damien Harris excelled against the Jets last week to finish as the RB3 on the week, and he should have another big performance against the Chargers who are allowing the most rushing yards per game in the NFL. Leonard Fournette, Elijah Mitchell, and Cordarelle Patterson have risen to the top of their respective teams’ depth charts and deserve to be in your lineup every week. Meanwhile, Darrell Williams, Chuba Hubbard, Devontae Booker, and Khalil Herbert remain top-20 options due to the injuries on their respective teams. Kenneth Gainwell joins that group this week with Miles Sanders not expected to play, especially against a Lions defense that allows the sixth-most fantasy points to RBs. Nick Chubb could make his return this week, but it’s unclear how much work he would get right away, particularly with how productive De’Ernest Johnson was last week.

NFL Week 8 Wide Receiver Rankings

Cooper Kupp has dominated this season, and he had another 2-touchdown performance on Sunday as he continues to show strong rapport with quarterback Matthew Stafford. Nobody in the Texans’ secondary can give him any challenge this week. Tyreek Hill suffered during Patrick Mahomes’s poor effort, but he should get back on track against the Giants. Ja’Marr Chase has already entered the conversation of the best wide receivers in the NFL at just 21 years old, and he looks ready to set the league on fire for years to come. He’s a top-five option against the Jets. Stefon Diggs may be a bit disappointing this year, but he should see a slight uptick in target share with Dawson Knox sidelined, and the Dolphins are allowing the second-most fantasy points to WRs. The issue facing all of these wideouts is their games may turn into blowouts early, leaving their teams in run-heavy game scripts, but that’s the only potential downside this week. The Sunday Night showdown between the Vikings and Cowboys should make all of Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, Amari Cooper, and Adam Thielen valuable for fantasy lineups this week. DJ Moore has suffered from poor play from Sam Darnold lately, but he has to be in the top ten based on volume. DeAndre Hopkins should be very successful against the Packers without Jaire Alexander. I’m a bit lower on Deebo Samuel this week in what I project as a gross, low-scoring game against the Bears, but he should still be started everywhere. Calvin Ridley is starting to slide in my rankings as Kyle Pitts is arguably already the WR1 for that team, while DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are suffering from having Russell Wilson out and Geno Smith in.

NFL Week 8 Tight End Rankings

I was curious to see if Kyle Pitts’s massive Week 5 performance was sustainable after he broke out with so many players out for Atlanta, and we have our answer. He dominated against a hapless Dolphins’ secondary and is being split out wide on a majority of his snaps, leaving him with a treasured downfield role. He should have another huge game this week and is locked in everywhere as a high-value starter. Travis Kelce should bounce back after a poor Week 7 showing against the Giants. Thanks to the high level of volume they get in their respective offenses, T.J. Hockenson, Mike Gesicki, Dallas Goedert, and Dalton Schultz are some of the best tight-end options. Mark Andrews and Darren Waller are on bye this week, meaning you might be scrambling to pick up a tight end to play. If C.J. Uzomah is still available in your league, make sure you change that as he was the TE1 last week and has a valuable role in a hot offense led by Joe Burrow. Hunter Henry, Tyler Higbee, and Jared Cook are fine plays with touchdown upside every week, while Robert Tonyan Jr. is back in the conversation with Davante Adams out this week. Dan Arnold is likely available in your league, and he seems to have a valuable role in the Jacksonville offense. David Njoku and Mo Alie-Cox are decent dart throws, as well.