Week 8 Flex Rankings for Fantasy Football

It is hard to believe that we have already hit the midway point of the fantasy football regular season. Hopefully, your teams are poised to make a run at a playoff berth over the next few weeks. No matter where you currently sit in the standings, the good news is that there are no byes this week. That means all healthy players should be at your disposal. I added about 50 players to my Week 8 Flex rankings compared to last week, so leagues of all shapes and sizes should be accounted for. Remember that these are based on half-PPR scoring, so adjust based on your parameters. With all of that out of the way, let’s get to the rankings!

Running Back Notes

Browns running back Jerome Ford scored a 69-yard touchdown in the first minute of last week’s victory in Indianapolis. It appeared he would be in for a monster day. But the second-year pro lost three yards on his final nine carries of the contest. To make matters worse, he injured his ankle late and will be out for at least a week. Kareem Hunt scored two times last week, including the critical conversion on fourth down to secure the win. Hunt will likely lead Cleveland’s backfield this week when they travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks. Pierre Strong should complement Hunt but is just outside the top 100 in my Week 8 Flex rankings. Seattle allows a league-low 2.87 yards per carry to the running back position. They have given up five rushing scores, so there is some promise for Hunt to earn low-RB2 value this week.

Miles Sanders returned to practice following Carolina’s bye and should be good to go this week versus Houston. The bigger question is if he is still the team’s lead back. Chuba Hubbard ran for 88 yards and a score in Carolina’s Week 6 loss, and has now led the team in rushing yards in three straight games. Two of those games occurred with Sanders in the fold. Head coach Frank Reich praised Hubbard this week and intimated that the pair will split the workload. Carolina will face the Houston Texans in Week 8. The Texans allow the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing backs, so the matchup itself is a good one. Both backs are fringe Flex options this week, though I give the slight edge to Hubbard. I don’t mind starting Sanders if you must, but I would prefer to see some positive results from him before doing so.

Wide Receiver Notes

Christian Watson amassed just 27 receiving yards last week and suffered a knee injury in the process. It appeared as though he would miss this week’s game, but he was spotted at practice this week. In addition to health concerns, we have to acknowledge that Green Bay’s passing game has struggled. Among 32 quarterbacks with at least 100 attempts, Jordan Love ranks 28th in passer rating and 22nd in EPA (expected points added). Watson does have an advantageous matchup if he can suit up this week. The Minnesota Vikings have permitted the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers, including a league-high 112 receptions. I ranked Watson as if he will play without limitations this week. He is currently a boom-or-bust WR3 in 12-team leagues for me but keep an eye on his status as the week progresses.

Second-round rookie Rashee Rice has finished among the top 36 fantasy wideouts in three consecutive weeks. He is the overall WR39 on the year and is earning the trust of the Chiefs and fantasy managers alike. Rice ranks slightly lower in points per game, as the Chiefs have not yet had their bye. With all 32 teams in action this week, I consider him more of a WR4 than WR3. That makes him a borderline Flex play depending on your other options. I certainly would not fault anyone for riding the hot hand, especially when that hand is tied to Patrick Mahomes. Rice had a season-high 72 yards two weeks ago when the Chiefs last faced the Denver Broncos. However, he was only targeted on four of 41 throws.

Tight End Notes

Bills rookie Dalton Kincaid enjoyed his first top-20 weekly fantasy finish of the season with last week’s TE9 mark. He caught all eight of his targets for 75 yards. Buffalo played much of this game from behind, which caused Josh Allen to match his season-high with 41 pass attempts. Still, it was an encouraging performance from Kincaid. The Bills should continue to feature Kincaid as a bigger part of their passing game. I ranked Kincaid as a Week 8 fantasy starter based on that possibility and his potential upside. But admittedly this may not be the best matchup for him. Tampa Bay is one of five NFL teams who have yet to allow a tight end to score a touchdown against them so far this year. And the Bills are nine-point favorites, meaning the need to throw may not be there.

Another tight end to consider this week is Trey McBride of the Arizona Cardinals. I do not have him in my top 12, but his stock appears to be on the rise. The Cardinals placed veteran Zach Ertz on injured reserve this week with a quad injury. But keen observers would note that McBride began to usurp the tight end role even before Ertz’s injury. In his last two games, McBride has seven catches for 91 yards. Meanwhile, Ertz has just five grabs for 41 yards. With Ertz now out of the mix, McBride should become even more involved going forward. As is the case with Kincaid, McBride faces another team (Baltimore) who has yet to allow a touchdown to a tight end this season. But even if he does not crack this week’s top 12, he should be rostered in much more than 46 percent of Fantrax leagues.

Week 8 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | Half-PPR by Position | Flex Rankings | Positional Ranks w/ K & DST | Dynasty | Superflex Dynasty

Week 8 Flex Rankings