Week 8 Fantasy Football PPR Rankings & Projections: Jonathan Taylor Is Headed For A Monster Week

We are coming off by far the wildest week of the season with plenty of scoring and exciting games. Week 8 should be more of the same with some exciting matchups like the 49ers-Seahawks, Steelers-Ravens, and Falcons-Panthers kick off the week this Thursday. There are a lot of injuries to keep an eye out for this week, especially at the running back position. Arizona and Houston are on bye this week which means two key quarterbacks are out and a few wide receivers as well. Washington and Jacksonville join them, which takes James Robinson and Terry McLaurin off the board.

Week 8 Quarterback Rankings

Teddy Bridgewater is on Thursday night this week against the Falcons. Bridgewater has two games without a passing touchdown which weigh his points per game down a bit but he also has three 20+ fantasy point games and still a strong floor. He is completing 72% of his passes this season and is averaging 21.1 points per game. The Falcons are allowing 27 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks which is the most out of any team right now. The Packers onslaught is alive and well this week with the Vikings struggling on all defensive fronts. Aaron Rodgers has been money this season and bounced back as expected against Houston.

Ryan Tannehill and Joe Burrow come in as top options this week. The Titans and Bengals are both allowing 19 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks but also struggle against the run so things have balanced out against them. This has a chance to be a high scoring affair and the Bengals are now capable of putting up those points to keep them on the gas. Derek Carr has been sneaky good this season with 1700 yards and 13 touchdowns. He is currently scoring more than Drew Brees, Matthew Stafford, and averaging more points than Matt Ryan.

Week 8 Running Backs Rankings

Alvin Kamara didn’t find the end zone last week but still had a strong week. Chicago’s defense is certainly tough but they have had a few games where they have given up some decent numbers. Adrian Peterson had over 100 all-purpose yards. Todd Gurley and Brian Hill combined for 28 fantasy points and Ronald Jones rushed for over 100 yards. They are beatable and Kamara’s usage will continue to be solid given Michael Thomas might not be ready again. Christian McCaffrey is a long shot to play this week against the Falcons, so Mike Davis is going to be a strong option one more week. Davis has made a living in the McCaffrey role with plenty of receptions and the Falcons have allowed big receiving games, including one to Davis already. He had over 140 all-purpose yards and a touchdown.

Both Aaron Jones and Dalvin Cook have been banged up and missed a game but are expected to return this week. The Packers and Vikings bring two below-average run defenses to the table, although Jones is going to have the better game script. Cook has gone against negative game scripts this season. Green Bay has allowed 25.5 fantasy points per game to running backs this season. The Vikings are allowing 18.6.

Jonathan Taylor is in a great spot this week going up against the Lions. Detroit ranks 30th in DVOA against the run. Taylor has had a good enough number of touches but would love to see him get a 20+ touch week against this defense. They have allowed the 4th most fantasy points per game. Kareem Hunt is in a great spot as well. The Raiders are allowing 25.1 fantasy points per game. Nick Chubb will be returning soon and Hunt will go back to that secondary role (which is still fantasy relevant). Derrick Henry gets the Bengals, who rank 23rd against the run. Henry should run wild this week.

Week 8 Wide Receivers Rankings

AJ Brown like many Titans this week is in a good spot. The Bengals secondary continues to be an easy target, especially when you let Baker Mayfield throw five touchdowns against you. Brown has come back extremely strong and both him and Ryan Tannehill are playing extremely well together. Tyler Boyd is a strong play this week with the Titans allowing the 6th most fantasy points per game to wide receivers. Tennessee ranks 24th in pass defense DVOA. AJ Green and Tee Higgins also get a slight bump and the passing volume can certainly support a few of these guys. Davante Adams is coming off of a monster week and he gets the Vikings this week, who have allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers.

Robby Anderson and DJ Moore get a major bump this week against the Falcons. They have allowed the 4th most fantasy points per game. The Panthers offense can put up some monster numbers this week. While Carolina’s pass defense has been better than expected, ranking 13th in pass defense DVOA, but Atlanta is a different animal when they are clicking. Julio Jones didn’t play the past game, which led to an 8-136-0 line for Calvin Ridley. Kenny Golladay is someone I like a lot this week. The Colts secondary is overrated. Those games against the Bears, Jets, and Vikings who put up duds don’t say too much.

Week 8 Tight Ends Rankings

While Seattle has limited tight ends, they haven’t exactly played anyone notable.  George Kittle is certainly notable. No surprise to see him lead the 49ers in targets this season with 45 and the next closest is Brandon Aiyuk. Deebo Samuel is potentially going to miss this week and the 49ers are limited at running back again. This should be a week where he sees a ton of targets and the game flow should be in Kittle’s favor as well. Travis Kelce is obviously in a strong spot against the Jets. There are some intriguing matchups this week, but Jonnu Smith and many of the Titans catch my eye this week. The Bengals have allowed a 42-480-6 line.

Richard Rodgers has been filling in for the injured Eagles tight ends and he saw eight targets last week. It is a good spot this week against the Cowboys, who have allowed the 10th most fantasy points per game to tight ends on the year. Tampa Bay’s offense is about to get somewhat frustrating once Antonio Brown comes in to steal some targets. Rob Gronkowski has 38 targets this season and that is second to Mike Evans. He has seen eight targets in each of the last three games. He also has seven red zone targets in that span.

Week 8 Kicker Rankings

Justin Tucker is in a great spot this week, going up against the Steelers. I expect Baltimore to still be able to move the ball but the Steelers defense will be able to hold some drives short like we saw with Tennessee this past week. Although, we expect Tucker to make his kicks. Stephen Gostkowski has had a couple of rough games but put together a strong stretch. He gets the Bengals this week who are allowing the 7th most fantasy points per game to opposing kickers this season. Rodrigo Blankenship was on bye this past week but continues to be one of the higher scoring kickers. Mason Crosby is in a great spot this week with the Vikings allowing 12.3 fantasy points per game this season. That is the most in the league. Wil Lutz is a strong option as well. The Bears have allowed 22 field goal attempts in six games this season.

Week 8 Defense Rankings

It is a pretty easy week with the top options at defense. Kansas City will take on the Jets, and they are an easy call as the top-ranked defense. Buffalo hadn’t been playing well defensively and last week were able to put up 16 fantasy points. The Chiefs had a two-touchdown performance against the Broncos and that is the upside they have with their special teams play as well. The Rams will take on a rookie quarterback, as Tua makes his start for the Dolphins this week. The Dolphins offensive line is still in the bottom half and will struggle against the Rams pass-rush. Tampa Bay get the Giants, who have allowed the 8th most fantasy points per game to opposing defenses this season. The Buccaneers have been tremendous on the defensive side this season, especially with producing fantasy points.

There are a few middling defenses that pop up top-ten in rankings this week. The Eagles are one of them as they face the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. Philadelphia’s defense has been solid against the run but has struggled against the pass a bit. While the Cowboys have plenty of weapons, the offensive line and quarterback play have been suspect the last two weeks. The Saints are a team that has played up and down football this season and especially on the defensive side. I like the chance of an upside game against the Bears this week who have continuously turned the ball over through the air and have also struggled to protect their quarterback against the better pass-rushing teams. The Saints have one of the top pass-rushing units in the game.