October 29, 2016

Ben Ruppert's 2016 Week 8 tight end (TE) fantasy football rankings analysis and tiered ranks. His rankings and start/sit advice for your Week 8 tight end matchups.

Below you will find our Week 8 tight end rankings, to help determine your TE starts/sits for this week, brought to you by Bill Dubiel (@Roto_Dubs), Nick Mariano (@NMariano53) and Ben Ruppert (@Ben_Ruppert_21).

Featured writer Ben Ruppert also highlights some TE rankings and matchups analysis for Week 8, and draws some matchup conclusions. He tells you who he likes, who he doesn't, and most importantly who he thinks you should be starting in Week 8. You can also check out RotoBaller's overall player rankings here.

Editor's Note: New users that sign up on FantasyAces, make a $20 deposit, and enter any game will receive our full season NFL (or NBA) Premium Pass for free, a $59.99 value. Just email [email protected] with your new FantasyAces username - and boom, that's it! We will email you with your Premium pass.

Week 8 Tight End - Rankings & Matchups Analysis

Rob Gronkowski has terrorized the Bills throughout his career. In 10 career games against them, Gronk has averaged five receptions for 70 yards and a TD per game. This also includes the game earlier this season with Jacoby Brissett at QB. This time however, the Pats face the Bills with Tom Brady available at QB. Over the past three games since Brady’s return, Gronk has averaged five catches for 121 yards per game with two TDs in three games. The Bills have been holding opposing TEs to the second fewest fantasy points this season, but they will have no answer for the big man on Sunday. Gronk is far too dominant to handle with Brady at QB.

If there were one week Greg Olsen would have a down week, it would be this week. The Panthers welcome the Cardinals into Carolina this week, in what will be a rematch of last season’s NFC championship game. The Panthers dominated that game 49-to-15, but this game likely won’t turn out that lopsided. This season the 1-and-5 Panthers are just trying to stay alive in the NFC south. The Cardinals have been the best team in the league at shutting down opposing TEs, limiting them to three catches for 26 yards per game. They have faced Jimmy Graham and Martellus Bennett this season, so it’s not like all they have faced is scrubs either. Newton will need to pick through the Cardinals amazing secondary if he want to find success this week, which is much easier said than done.

Jack Doyle is a popular sleeper TE this week, and with Dwayne Allen still out there is plenty of reason for optimism. However, he is facing a team known for shutting down TEs in the Kansas City Chiefs. They were the best in the league last season, and this year have given up the seventh fewest fantasy points to opposing TEs, limiting them to three catches for 35 yards. They have only allowed one TE to score a TD this season. Luck will have to strike gold looking for T.Y. Hilton and the now-healthy Donte Moncrief, who is looking like he will play this week. Doyle will be good for as long as Allen is out, but this is one matchup Doyle will not be able to overcome.

Gary Barnidge received some wonderful news this week; Josh McCown is starting for the Browns at QB! Barnidge’s career took off last season with McCown under center, as the two gained chemistry almost immediately on the field.  In the seven full games McCown played in last season, Barnidge hauled in 43-of-64 targets for 603 yards and six scores. That is a per-game average of 6-of-9 for 86 and a TD. McCown back under center can only mean good things for the big TE.

Charles Clay should see a bump in targets this week with the Bills welcoming the Patriots into town. Tyrod Taylor will need to pass a ton to keep up, especially with star RB LeSean McCoy looking like he will be out. Add in that their top three receivers to begin the year are all also out, and you leave Clay as the main target in the passing game. He has been inconsistent all season, but this matchup is too juicy to pass up if you’re scrambling for a TE option this week. I think this is the week Clay will find the end zone while the Bills play catchup.

Jordan Reed is making the trip with the Redskins out to London, though he has not been medically cleared to play yet. If he is, he would be a top-10 option no question. The only thing keeping him from elite status is his health. Reed has sustained numerous concussions in his career, and you never know when the next one will be his last one. He says he no longer has any symptoms from the concussion he most recently sustained, but with Reed you’re rolling the dice each week. When on the field, he is an elite player.

On the other side of the ball, expect Tyler Eifert to see a bigger role in the offense this week after putting his feet in the water last week. He will be much closer to a full workload this week, giving the Bengals something they have been missing in his absence; a big red zone target. It shouldn’t take much time for the TDs to start pouring in for the Dalton-to-Eifert connection. Washington has been a middle of the pack team at covering opposing TEs this season, but have yet to face one as good as Eifert.

Week 8 Fantasy Football Rankings - Tight End