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RotoBaller's updated Week 8 FLEX rankings for fantasy football in 2026. Read the weekend updates for our fantasy football FLEX rankings and win more.
Fantasy football rosters will be tested again, with tough start/sit decisions to make as the 49ers, Giants, Texans, and Saints enter Week 8 on bye. At RotoBaller HQ, we updated our top 200 Week 8 fantasy football FLEX rankings to help with those tough FLEX decisions. In this article, you will find FLEX options like Rico Dowdle, Emanuel Wilson, Malik Washington, Chris Godwin Jr., Khalil Shakir, Tez Johnson, J.K. Dobbins, Chig Okonkwo, Samaje Perine, Wan'Dale Robinson, Xavier Worthy, Dylan Sampson, Greg Dulcich, Colby Parkinson, DeMario Douglas, and Jake Ferguson.
Our FLEX fantasy football rankings for Week 8 are put together by Nick Mariano. In addition to his rankings, below you will also find a summary of the important fantasy football injury news for this week. Key injuries are always in play, so be sure to check back until kickoff.
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Week 8 FLEX Rankings for Fantasy Football
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Week 8 FLEX Outlooks for Fantasy Football
Rico Dowdle, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rico Dowdle has been getting more involved since returning from a toe injury and should again play an important role against the Cleveland Browns in Week 8. While Dowdle only finished with nine carries last week, he led the Steelers in receptions, securing all six of his targets for 45 yards. Cleveland is giving up the ninth-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing running backs, but it is surrendering the fourth-most yards per carry and allowed the Tennessee Titans to rush for 141 yards and three touchdowns last Sunday.
Given how thin Pittsburgh is at wide receiver right now, Dowdle's role as a pass-catcher should continue alongside his work as a change-of-pace option behind teammate Jaylen Warren. The backfield split keeps Dowdle from being a must-start fantasy option, but the 28-year-old has flex appeal and could surprise in this matchup.
Wan'Dale Robinson, Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson continues to see consistent involvement in the passing game but has struggled to turn those opportunities into meaningful fantasy production. Robinson caught four of six targets for a mere seven yards against Cleveland last week, and through seven games, he has accumulated only 29 receptions for 205 yards. However, Sunday's matchup against Cincinnati could provide an opportunity for improvement, particularly with rookie Carnell Tate (shoulder) ruled out and Calvin Ridley (hip) questionable.
While the Bengals have been particularly effective against outside receivers, Robinson faces a more favorable matchup operating primarily out of the slot. Tennessee is also expected to play from behind, potentially creating additional opportunities for Robinson. His limited big-play ability caps his ceiling, but the potential target volume gives him some solid flex appeal, especially in full-PPR leagues.
Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy will face the Denver Broncos in Week 8. In Rashee Rice's absence, Worthy manned the WR1 role but produced mixed results. After catching seven passes for 73 yards in Week 6, Worthy caught three passes for 11 yards in Seattle. Now that Rice is officially back from his injury, Worthy should move right back into his WR2 role. Worthy will get the chance to bounce back this week against a strong Broncos secondary.
The speedy wideout will need to step up his level of play because the Chiefs are severely lacking production from their receivers. Given his inconsistent performance and the tough matchup, Worthy is a tough player to trust in lineups this week. Worthy is ranked WR50 in our RotoBaller Week 8 PPR rankings, making him a desperation flex option this Sunday.
Samaje Perine, Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine took a backseat to Chase Brown in last week's 35-13 win over the Baltimore Ravens, and that should be the case again this week at home against the Tennessee Titans. Perine found the end zone last Sunday but had far fewer touches than Brown. Perine had just four touches to Brown's 15. Perine should return to his complementary role for the rest of the season after splitting the work with Brown in Week 5 before the team's bye.
Perine is capable when given the opportunity, but he'll likely get it only if Brown struggles mightily. That said, Perine will likely have a limited role against a beatable Titans defense at home. Perine is ranked RB34 in our RotoBaller Week 8 PPR rankings, making him a low-end RB3/flex option with touchdown upside. Fantasy managers should try to avoid starting Perine this week unless they are truly desperate at running back.
Chig Okonkwo, Washington Commanders
Washington Commanders tight end Chig Okonkwo is coming off his best game of the season before the Week 6 bye, hauling in all seven of his targets for 69 yards against the 49ers. The seven catches were his most in a game since Week 16 of the 2024 season, and the former Tennessee Titan has strung together back-to-back games with at least 60 yards for the first time in his career. With Washington's No. 1 wideout Terry McLaurin (knee) suffering a season-ending injury, Okonkwo could emerge as a major piece of the passing attack.
The 27-year-old has been used at all depths of the field so far in Washington and could emerge as an intriguing fantasy tight end option as he continues to connect with Jayden Daniels. Okonkwo has upside as a borderline TE1 against the Eagles on Sunday night, as they have been susceptible through the air. However, Philadelphia has allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points to opposing tight ends and ranks TE13 in the latest Week 8 rankings from RotoBaller.
Who Should I Start Tool
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Week 8 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players: Rico Dowdle, Emanuel Wilson, Malik Washington, Chris Godwin Jr., Khalil Shakir, Tez Johnson, J.K. Dobbins, Chig Okonkwo, Samaje Perine, Wan'Dale Robinson, Dylan Sampson, Greg Dulcich, Colby Parkinson, Xavier Worthy, DeMario Douglas, and Jake Ferguson. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 8.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our 'Who Should I Start?' tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, player news, and enhanced search results with data to compare, all in a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circle), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 8 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 8 (2026)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 8 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 8 for Rico Dowdle, Emanuel Wilson, Malik Washington, Chris Godwin Jr., Khalil Shakir, Tez Johnson, J.K. Dobbins, Chig Okonkwo, Samaje Perine, Wan'Dale Robinson, Xavier Worthy, Dylan Sampson, Greg Dulcich, Colby Parkinson, DeMario Douglas, and Jake Ferguson:
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