RADIO
With Week 8 in the books, the UFL playoff matchups are set despite two weeks of regular season play remaining. There has been no shortage of parity between the top and bottom teams in the league's first season.
This week's rankings are likely to be more of a crapshoot than past rankings. Playoff teams have little incentive to play their starters, leaving the statuses of many fantasy stars as question marks. Availability reports will be monitored and our rankings well be adjusted accordingly, but even active players may be pulled from games early.
Week 9's Saturday slate features the Battlehawks and Renegades going head-to-head, followed by the undefeated Stallions hitting the road to take on the 6-2 Brahmas. Sunday's slate features the Defenders and Showboats, followed by the Panthers and Roughnecks. Let's dive into this week's rankings.
Quarterback UFL Fantasy Football Rankings
Rankings and analysis by Brant Henson
Adrian Martinez's fantasy heater continued in Week 8, as the quarterback rushed for two touchdowns in a 33.3 fantasy point effort to keep Birmingham's record unblemished. While the Stallions will likely shoot for a perfect season, Martinez could be pulled if they gain a convincing lead over San Antonio this week. He is our QB1, but as always, be cautious with him.
| Rank | Player Name | Team |
| 1 | Adrian Martinez | Birmingham Stallions |
| 2 | Jordan Ta'amu | DC Defenders |
| 3 | A.J. McCarron | St. Louis Battlehawks |
| 4 | Luis Perez | Arlington Renegades |
| 5 | Case Cookus | Memphis Showboats |
| 6 | Quinten Dormady | San Antonio Brahmas |
| 7 | Bryce Perkins/Brian Lewerke | Michigan Panthers |
| 8 | Nolan Henderson | Houston Roughnecks |
Jordan Ta'amu is in the smash spot of the week, facing the league's worst passing defense in Memphis. The Showboats surrender a league-leading 245.4 passing yards per game and even with star receiver Kelvin Harmon on the shelf, Ta'amu should be poised for one of his best showings of the season.
A.J. McCarron did not light up the box score in his last outing in Week 7, but this week's showdown with Arlington could see some more fireworks on the board. The Renegades' fast-paced offense is prime for creating shootouts, and McCarron is set to have his full arsenal of receivers at his disposal this week. The Battlehawks' quarterback is an intriguing option this week at a position that currently offers more questions than answers across the league, but is risky with their playoff position already in place.
Running Back UFL Fantasy Football Rankings
Rankings and analysis by Brant Henson
The top running backs this week should all see significant work and are prime fantasy values as we head down the stretch of the season.
| Rank | Player Name | Team |
| 1 | Matthew Colburn II | Michigan Panthers |
| 2 | Anthony McFarland | San Antonio Brahmas |
| 3 | Jacob Saylors | St. Louis Battlehawks |
| 4 | Ricky Person Jr. | Birmingham Stallions |
| 5 | De'Veon Smith | Arlington Renegades |
| 6 | Mark Thompson | Houston Roughnecks |
| 7 | Wayne Gallman II | St. Louis Battlehawks |
| 8 | Darius Hagans | DC Defenders |
| 9 | Darius Victor | Memphis Showboats |
| 10 | T.J. Pledger IV | Houston Roughnecks |
| 11 | Morgan Ellison | San Antonio Brahmas |
| 12 | Cam'Ron Harris | D.C. Defenders |
| 13 | Titus Swen | Memphis Showboats |
| 14 | Devin Darrington | Arlington Renegades |
| 15 | Pooka Williams Jr. | San Antonio Brahmas |
Wide Receiver UFL Fantasy Football Rankings
Rankings and analysis by Brant Henson
Daewood Davis showed up in Week 8 despite the tough matchup and made the most of his four targets, grabbing three catches for 86 yards and two touchdowns (23.6 fantasy points). DC's Ty Scott stepped up in the absence of Kelvin Harmon, grabbing six catches for 69 yards and a touchdown (18.9 fantasy points). Other receivers, like Hakeem Butler (6.9 fantasy points), struggled to piece together production with key quarterbacks missing around the league. Week 9 projects to be another tough week with quarterback question marks plaguing the league. Here's how we stand heading into the week:
| Rank | Player Name | Team |
| 1 | Daewood Davis | Memphis Showboats |
| 2 | Hakeem Butler | St. Louis Battlehawks |
| 3 | Ty Scott | DC Defenders |
| 4 | Jontre Kirklin | San Antonio Brahmas |
| 5 | Jahcour Pearson | St. Louis Battlehawks |
| 6 | Chris Rowland | DC Defenders |
| 7 | Justin Hall | Houston Roughnecks |
| 8 | JaVonta Payton | Arlington Renegades |
| 9 | Vinny Papale | Memphis Showboats |
| 10 | Tyler Vaughns | Arlington Renegades |
| 11 | Keke Chism | Houston Roughnecks |
| 12 | Keke Coutee | DC Defenders |
| 13 | Deon Cain | Birmingham Stallions |
| 14 | Marlon Williams | Birmingham Stallions |
| 15 | Brandon Smith | DC Defenders |
| 16 | Kevin Austin Jr. | Birmingham Stallions |
| 17 | Devin Gray | Michigan Panthers |
| 18 | Amari Rodgers | Birmingham Stallions |
| 19 | Deontay Burnett | Arlington Renegades |
| 20 | Cyril Grayson | Houston Roughnecks |
| 21 | Jonathan Adams | Memphis Showboats |
| 22 | Samson Nacua | Michigan Panthers |
| 23 | Marquez Stevenson | San Antonio Brahmas |
| 24 | Darrius Shepherd | St. Louis Battlehawks |
| 25 | Emmanuel Butler | Houston Roughnecks |
| 26 | K.D. Cannon | San Antonio Brahmas |
| 27 | Binjimen Victor | Birmingham Stallions |
The game to target this week from a fantasy perspective is Sunday's DC-Memphis showdown. Both teams will be playing freely given that they are out of the playoff hunt, and both teams have stability at the quarterback position with Jordan Ta'amu and Case Cookus projected to start. Memphis is by far the worst passing defense in the league, and DC is no fearful matchup. Daewood Davis ranks on top of the board this week given his ability to earn targets (23.5% target share on the season) in this matchup where Memphis will likely be gunning the ball.
Four DC receivers - Ty Scott, Chris Rowland, Keke Coutee, and Brandon Smith - rank in the top 16 this week. The plus matchup is worth going after, and star receiver Kelvin Harmon being out for the season opens up targets for everyone. Scott was the beneficiary last week, grabbing six receptions for 69 yards and a score against the league's top passing defense. However, Rowland matched him in targets and Smith actually led the team in targets (19.5%) after being inactive for a few weeks. Coutee could sneakily rack up PPR points, as he is a receiver of manufactured touches around the line of scrimmage. All DC receivers are a high-ceiling, low-floor option this week.
Hakeem Butler struggled last week, but St. Louis only threw the ball 18 times and completed nine passes. Butler still earned 33% of those targets, and those numbers should go up this week in a game that could quietly be a shootout. A.J. McCarron is also back, boosting the passing offense. Look at Arlington's receivers to potentially put up numbers similar to what DC did last week on 42 passing attempts.
Tight End UFL Fantasy Football Rankings
Rankings and analysis by Brant Henson
A new face enters the fold as a top three tight end, usurping a mainstay in Sal Cannella.
| Rank | Player Name | Team |
| 1 | Sage Surratt | Memphis Showboats |
| 2 | Cody Latimer | San Antonio Brahmas |
| 3 | Alex Ellis | D.C Defenders |
| 4 | Sal Cannella | Arlington Renegades |
| 5 | Jace Sternberger | Birmingham Stallions |
| 6 | Kaden Smith | D.C. Defenders |
| 7 | Cole Hikutini | Michigan Panthers |
| 8 | Kemari Averett | St. Louis Battlehawks |
| 9 | Marcus Baugh | Birmingham Stallions |
| 10 | Alize Mack | San Antonio Brahmas |
DC's Alex Ellis came up big in Week 8 with four catches for 58 yards and a score. Ellis should see opportunity again this week against Memphis' horrible pass defense, along with the fact that Kelvin Harmon is out for the year. Both he and Kaden Smith are solid dart throws at tight end.
Sage Surratt had a 19% target share in Week 8, outpacing star receiver Daewood Davis. Memphis should be throwing a lot against DC this week, creating opportunity for the dynamic tight end.
There is a clear tier break after the top four tight ends, which is more of a top tier than we have had at the top all season. Beyond the top four, it is slim pickings. Smith, Jace Sternberger, and Cole Hikutini are all solid dart throw options.
