Who Should I Start for Fantasy Football Week 8? Rhamondre Stevenson, Jaylen Waddle, Michael Pittman Jr., Isiah Pacheco, Jerry Jeudy, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Kendrick Bourne, Marvin Mims Jr.

Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Patriots

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson has solidified himself as the clear workhorse in the backfield. Through seven games, Stevenson has totaled 69 carries for 245 yards and three touchdowns, while adding 15 receptions for 154 yards through the air. He showcased his trademark power running style in Week 7, rumbling for 88 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries against the Tennessee Titans. Many expected rookie TreVeyon Henderson to see an expanded role following Antonio Gibson's season-ending knee injury, but that hasn't materialized.

Over the last two games, Stevenson has dominated the workload, playing 77% of the snaps, compared to Henderson's 15%. While Stevenson remains the lead back, fantasy managers should still proceed with caution, as any given week could feature a change in the backfield rotation, especially with the team's second-round investment in Henderson. For Week 8, Stevenson projects as a high-end RB3 against the Cleveland Browns, who boast one of the toughest run defenses in the league.

Jerry Jeudy, WR, Browns

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (knee) is back at practice on Thursday, according to Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN. Jeudy was listed as a non-participant in the first practice of the week on Wednesday, but his return on Thursday puts him on the right track to be active in Week 8 on Sunday on the road against the New England Patriots. If the 26-year-old is a full-go before Friday's final session, he could be cleared from the Week 8 injury report entirely. It's been a frustrating year for Jeudy and his fantasy managers so far through seven weeks in 2025, as he's currently looking for his first visit to paydirt.

The former first-rounder was a Pro Bowler in his first year in Cleveland in 2024 with a 90-1,229-4 line in 17 games, but he has managed only 22 catches for 257 yards so far in 2025. He has not topped 20 yards in two of the last three games and has a much lower fantasy ceiling the rest of the way now that veteran quarterback Joe Flacco is in Cincinnati.

Jaylen Waddle, WR, Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins listed wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (hamstrings) as a limited practice participant on Thursday due to injuries to both hamstrings, but they also cited rest for the reason he had a cap on his reps in the second day of practice this week, according to David Furones of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Although mid-week additions to the injury report usually aren't a good thing, the 26-year-old should be able to suit up for the Week 8 contest this Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons as long as he doesn't miss Friday's practice.

The entire Dolphins offense went off the rails in last week's blowout loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, and Waddle had only one catch on four targets for 15 yards. The previous two weeks, though, he had six grabs, 205 yards, and a touchdown on 17 targets. Waddle should bounce back as a volume-based WR3/flex in fantasy on the road against Atlanta.

Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Colts

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. caught seven of his nine targets for 58 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's Week 7 win over the Los Angeles Chargers on the road at SoFi Stadium. The 28-year-old bounced back after catching just two passes last weekend. He has quietly established himself as the overall WR10 in scoring this season (PPR), and his schedule will only get easier over the next two weeks as he takes on the Titans and Steelers. Facing Tennessee in Week 8 should keep Pittman in the low-end WR1 tier. In his last outing against the Titans, he caught six passes for 73 yards and a touchdown.

Isiah Pacheco, RB, Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco has had an underwhelming season so far in 2025, recording 314 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns on 77 total touches through his first seven games. However, there may be reason to believe that the 26-year-old is trending upwards. Pacheco has at least 12 carries and 51 rushing yards in each of his last two games. Additionally, the Chiefs' offense is getting healthier and has averaged 31.5 points per game over the last four weeks, which means Pacheco should see more red zone opportunities going forward.

Kansas City will likely continue to split backfield work between Pacheco, Kareem Hunt, and Brashard Smith, which limits Pacheco's upside. Still, Pacheco has been stealing early-down work away from Hunt in recent weeks and has a higher upside in both real life and fantasy. Pacheco could be a good buy-low candidate for fantasy managers and profiles as a low-end RB2 heading into a Week 8 matchup against the Washington Commanders.