Welcome to Week 8, where bye weeks, injuries, and a quarterback change in Indianapolis all affect the Week 8 quarterback rankings. For this round of byes, Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert are both out. On the injury front, Russell Wilson’s status is up in the air after he missed Week 7 with a hamstring injury. Brett Rypien would get another start if Wilson misses more time. Ryan Tannehill suffered an ankle injury in Week 7. If he can’t suit up, rookie Malik Willis would get his first career start. The Colts pulled the plug on Matt Ryan after a disappointing start to the season, and Sam Ehlinger will be their starter from here on out. Be sure to stay on top of the week’s injury reports and adjust your lineups accordingly. Good luck, everybody!
Week 8 Quarterback Notes
Bye Weeks: KC, LAC
- I’m a big fan of Kirk Cousins this week. He’s coming off a bye week and gets a favorable home matchup against Arizona. The Cardinals are allowing 19.54 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, as well as the sixth-most passing yards to the position. They also just allowed Andy Dalton to throw for 361 yards and hang four touchdowns on them in Week 7. Cousins should be able to take advantage and is a top-eight option for me in Week 8.
- Tua Tagovailoa has an opportunity to put up nice numbers this week. He faces off against a Lions team that has the fourth-worst defense against quarterbacks. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are some of the best receiving weapons in the league. Tagovailoa should have no problems taking advantage and is a top-10 option for me this week.
- Justin Fields has been rolling lately, thanks in part to his ground game. In the last two weeks, he’s had double-digit rushing attempts, as well as at least 82 rushing yards, helping to cement top-eight finishes in back-to-back weeks. A Week 8 matchup against Dallas is a tough one, but the Cowboys are allowing the eighth-most rushing yards to quarterbacks. If Chicago continues to design run plays for Fields, that should equal fantasy goodness. Fields is just outside my top-12 quarterbacks this week, but the upside is there.
- In the last two weeks, Trevor Lawrence has finished as the QB4 and QB6 due in large part to his combined three rushing touchdowns. However, this is a week to fade the young quarterback. He gets a tough matchup in Week 8 against a Denver Broncos defense that is the stingiest against quarterbacks. Lawrence will likely have a hard time scoring this week, as the Broncos have allowed the fewest touchdowns through seven weeks (3).
- Andy Dalton is coming off his best game of the season, completing 30-of-47 passes for 361 yards and four touchdowns. He also threw three interceptions but was still able to finish as the week’s QB4. Dalton has the opportunity to have another good day at the office in Week 8. He faces off against the Raiders, who are allowing the most fantasy points to the position (23.82). Dalton only has one multi-touchdown game in four weeks, but he could add to that total this week. He’s a mid-QB2 in Week 8.
Week 8 Quarterback Rankings
More Week 8 Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | Flex Rankings
Rnk | Player | Team | Opponent |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Jalen Hurts | PHI | PIT |
2 | Josh Allen | BUF | GB |
3 | Joe Burrow | CIN | @CLE |
4 | Lamar Jackson | BAL | @TB |
5 | Kyler Murray | ARI | @MIN |
6 | Kirk Cousins | MIN | ARI |
7 | Tua Tagovailoa | MIA | @DET |
8 | Dak Prescott | DAL | CHI |
9 | Geno Smith | SEA | NYG |
10 | Tom Brady | TB | BAL |
11 | Derek Carr | LVR | @NO |
12 | Daniel Jones | NYG | @SEA |
13 | Jared Goff | DET | MIA |
14 | Justin Fields | CHI | @DAL |
15 | Andy Dalton | NO | LVR |
16 | Jimmy Garoppolo | SF | @LAR |
17 | Trevor Lawrence | JAX | DEN |
18 | Aaron Rodgers | GB | @BUF |
19 | Matthew Stafford | LAR | SF |
20 | Sam Ehlinger | IND | WAS |
21 | Marcus Mariota | ATL | CAR |
22 | Russell Wilson | DEN | @JAX |
23 | Taylor Heinicke | WAS | @IND |
24 | Davis Mills | HOU | TEN |
25 | PJ Walker | CAR | @ATL |
26 | Jacoby Brissett | CLE | CIN |
27 | Mac Jones | NE | @NYJ |
28 | Ryan Tannehill | TEN | @HOU |
29 | Zach Wilson | NYJ | NE |
30 | Kenny Pickett | PIT | @PHI |
31 | Malik Willis | TEN | @HOU |
32 | Brett Rypien | DEN | @JAX |