Week 8 Flex Rankings

Fantasy football managers will once again have to deal with four NFL teams being idle this week. This week’s byes include four top-30 year-to-date fantasy running backs, seven top-36 wide receivers, and four top-20 tight ends, including the overall TE2 (Isaiah Likely) and TE3 (George Kittle). This also doesn’t include several impact players currently affected by injuries. The good news is that my Week 8 Flex rankings will help you sort through the chaos. Below, I have ranked over 200 players based on Half-PPR scoring. Adjust as needed based on your league settings. These rankings should help you make start/sit decisions and identify potential holes in your roster.

Running Back Notes

New York Jets running back Braelon Allen enters Week 8 as the season-long RB20. And while he is neither injured nor on bye, it is difficult to project him as an RB2 this week. That is because starting running back Breece Hall is expected back after a four-week absence due to a quad injury. The good news for those with Allen is that he has proven himself worthy of more opportunities. But Hall’s return will lower Allen’s ceiling. The reverse also appears to be true regarding Allen’s impact on Hall’s outlook this week. The Jets have a favorable matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. I consider Hall the safer option, but Allen could be a viable Flex if you’re thin at running back.

I currently have Philadelphia Eagles backup running back Dameon Pierce outside the top 100 overall in my Week 8 Flex rankings. But Pierce would be in an excellent position to provide value if Saquon Barkley continues to be limited by injuries. Pierce out-snapped Barkley 42-10 in the team’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night. Barkley could not stay on the field, seemingly aggravating something every time he touched the football. The Eagles have an outstanding running back matchup this week against the Washington Commanders. However, with Barkley’s health issues and a short week ahead, it is hard to view him as more than an RB2 in 10-and 12-team leagues.

Wide Receiver Notes

Stefon Diggs enters Week 8 as the overall WR29 on the year despite playing in just five games. The only wideouts who have played in five games who rank higher than Diggs on the year-to-date leaderboard are Puka Nacua and Nico Collins. Not bad company for a player who was unemployed in early August. And with Terry McLaurin out for the season, Diggs should remain relevant for the foreseeable future. Head coach Dan Quinn said that the veteran’s role will not necessarily expand in McLaurin’s absence. But I rank Diggs as a low-end WR2 in 12-team leagues this week. Rookie wide receiver Antonio Williams could earn more opportunities going forward, but I wouldn’t trust him in starting lineups quite yet. I currently have Williams ranked 48^th among wide receivers this week.

Speaking of rookies, four of them finished as top-13 fantasy wideouts based on Half-PPR scoring last week. The question is how much that will translate going forward. I currently have three of the four ranked as WR3s in 12-team leagues for Week 8. That includes Omar Cooper Jr., KC Concepcion, and Makai Lemon. I am less bullish on Miami wide receiver Caleb Douglas. He is the only one of the four who sits outside my overall top-100 in my Week 8 Flex rankings. The talent is certainly there, but I wonder if Douglas will get enough opportunities. As good as Douglas was in Miami’s victory, he only earned three targets. That makes him a tough player to advocate for as a starter.

Tight End Notes

I would be lying if I said I definitively knew what to do with Ravens tight end Mark Andrews. The veteran has not reached 30 receiving yards in a game since Week 2. He also hasn’t caught a pass that went for more than 10 yards in that span. I am inclined to hold onto him in the hopes that he can regain some of his mojo once Lamar Jackson returns to the lineup. That could happen as soon as Week 8, coinciding with a marquee matchup against the Buffalo Bills. That said, I am not in a rush to start the veteran given his pedestrian play over the past month. I have Andrews ranked 15^th among fantasy tight ends heading into this week and am most likely benching him where I have him.