Week 8 Fantasy Football Rankings: Standard and PPR Leagues

RotoBaller brings you our Week 8 fantasy football rankings, for both PPR and standard leagues, by authors Zach Wilkens (@LopsidedTrades) and Ryan Rufe (@RyanRufe) along with some Week 8 rankings analysis by Ryan Rufe. For even more Week 8 rankings analysis, be sure to check out our positional rankings going up on the site later today.

Editor's Note: In case you missed it, Zach Wilkens and Ryan Rufe nailed their rankings in week 6. They were both ranked in the top 10 overall accuracy scores on FantasyPros for week 6's fantasy football rankings, going up against some of the biggest and baddest fantasy gurus in the industry. Zach came in at 4th overall (out of 133 experts), and Ryan cam in at 7th overall. Congrats guys, let's show them some love!

Week 8 Fantasy Football Rankings

The NFL season is about 40% of the way through ladies and gents. You should be familiar with the routine by now, but just in case you weren't sure, every week fellow RotoBaller Zach Wilkens and I will be posting our weekly fantasy football rankings and rankings analysis, based on team matchups and expected player performances for the week.

Below are RotoBaller's Week 8 fantasy football rankings for all positions including running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, kickers and team defenses. Hopefully our rankings can help guide you in Week 8, and every other week of the NFL season, when setting your fantasy football lineups. Good luck RotoBallers!


2014 Fantasy Football Rankings powered by FantasyPros
 
 

Week 8 Quarterback Rankings Analysis

Two quarterbacks I'm much higher on this week than other experts are Mike Glennon and Ryan Fitzpatrick.  Despite a match up against the 9th-ranked Minnesota pass defense, Glennon has been a consistent 250+ yard, 2 TD/1 INT signal caller over the past several weeks.  Fitzpatrick isn't the sexiest QB around, especially since he'll need a machete to trim that beard of his, but he can still put up serviceable fantasy numbers.  He's not likely to deliver a monster fantasy day with Arian Foster running the ball so well for the Texans, but we could see flashes of "FitzMagic" this week against Tennessee.  

For those of you who have been waiting for Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons to return to the friendly confines of the Georgia Dome, where Ryan generally thrives, keep in mind this week's "home" game against the Detroit Lions will be played in London.  Detroit is allowing only 15 points and 290.3 yards of offense per game, both tops in the NFL. I would avoid Ryan this week, if possible.  Who knows whether RG3 will be ready to play in time for Monday Night Football against the Cowboys?  Washington is preparing as if Colt McCoy will be the starter and RG3 would be a desperation play at best against Dallas' 12th-ranked pass defense.  I'm keeping both RG3 and McCoy at the bottom of my QB ranks until a starter is announced, but I can't imagine I'd move either QB up very far. 

Week 8 Running Back Rankings Analysis

Don't sleep on Dolphins' backup running back Daniel Thomas this week.  Jacksonville has been very good against the run recently, shutting down Cleveland's 6th-ranked rushing attack last week, but they just lost two of their best defensive players, Paul Posluzsny (torn pectoral) and Andre Branch (torn groin), to injury.

Those losses are significant for the Jags and bodes well for Lamar Miller and Miami's 4th-ranked rushing attack on Sunday.  Thomas, in particular, received 10 touches in last week's win over Chicago and I'd expect about the same, if not more, against Jacksonville. 

Week 8 Wide Receiver Rankings Analysis

If Colt McCoy starts this week against Dallas, I wouldn't be too excited about Washington's wide receivers. McCoy did go 11-12 for 128 yards and a score in relief of Kirk Cousins last week against the Titans, but 70 yards came on one play.  Take that touchdown to Pierre Garcon away and McCoy went 10-11 for 58 yards (5.27 YPA). I'm downgrading Pierre Garcon and Desean Jackson accordingly this week.  

Another wideout I dropped significantly in my ranks this week is Saints' rookie Brandin Cooks.  Drew Brees threw the ball 45 times during last week's loss to Detroit, but only three of those passes went to Cooks, who finished with a 2-23-0 line in a game I thought he'd blow up due to Jimmy Graham's injury.  Perhaps the Lions took Cooks out of the equation as part of their game plan, but the fact remains the 21-year-old rookie hasn't topped 77 yards receiving or 100 combined yards in a game yet this season. 

Week 8 Tight End Rankings Analysis

The Arizona Cardinals have been very generous to opposing tight ends this season, so make sure Zach Ertz is in your lineups this week.  Bengals' tight end Jermaine Gresham didn't find the end zone like I expected him to last week against the Colts, but he did haul in 10 passes on 12 targets in the loss.  

Granted, those 10 receptions went for a mere 48 yards, but as long as A.J. Green remains out of Cincinnati's lineup, Gresham will be a decent play at one of the weakest positions in fantasy.  Delanie Walker's production has dipped significantly over the past three weeks, but with Jake Locker expected to return from injury for the Titans, I'd start him again with confidence.