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Week 8 Flex Rankings for Fantasy Football

It may be hard to believe, but we are already at the halfway point of the fantasy football regular season. Time flies when half your roster is on Injured Reserve. I think that’s how the saying goes. Anywho, there is no crying in fantasy football (except on Twitter) and your league mates will give you no quarter. So make some lemonade out of those lemons and maximize your chances to win this week. Below are my Week 8 Flex rankings. I have ranked the top-250 options, so leagues and lineups of all sizes should be well represented. I will adjust these on Sunday morning, so bookmark this page and refresh before the early games get started. In the meantime, you can always comment below with any questions you have on your specific teams. Let’s get to it!


More fantasy football fun for Week 8: Waiver Wire | FAAB Guide | Start & Sit | Loves & Hates | Stock Watch | Sleepers & Streamers | D/ST Streamers


Running Back Notes

I was very curious to see how the Atlanta Falcons would split work between Cordarrelle Patterson and Mike Davis coming out of their Week 6 bye. As much as I believed in Patterson, I was worried that Davis was still the “1A” in terms of opportunities. After all, Davis had at least 15 opportunities in every game before the bye. I also figured the return of Calvin Ridley and Russell Gage would eat into Patterson’s workload. Well, I am happy to report that was not the case. The Falcons gave Patterson 19 opportunities in last week’s victory, while Davis had just four. I can’t declare Davis dead and buried from a season-long standpoint quite yet, but I certainly want no part of him in Week 8. We saw how low the floor can be, as Davis was the RB62 a week ago.

I thought I was high on Khalil Herbert last week, as I considered him a borderline Flex play against the mighty Tampa Bay Buccaneers run defense. But the sixth-round rookie far exceeded my expectations, finishing the week as a top-10 fantasy running back. Herbert has now rushed for at least 75 yards in three consecutive games. That is a feat that David Montgomery has accomplished once in three seasons as a Chicago Bear. I am not saying we have a Wally Pipp situation on our hands once Montgomery returns from his knee injury. However, Herbert has certainly cemented himself as the Bears’ back to start in Montgomery’s absence. I ranked Herbert inside the top-50 in my Week 8 Flex rankings, and I believe fantasy managers should start him in virtually all circumstances for as long as Montgomery remains sidelined.

The Houston Texans traded running back Mark Ingram to the New Orleans Saints on Wednesday. It seems odd to think that a team trading their leading rusher will have a minimal fantasy impact, but that certainly seems where we’re headed with this deal. Despite leading the Texans’ rushing attack, Ingram is just the overall RB48 on the year. He may actually have more value as a backup in New Orleans, as strange as that may sound. Alvin Kamara is on pace to obliterate his career-high in rushing attempts, so Ingram’s presence may allow New Orleans to lessen the burden on Kamara. And Ingram knows the Saints’ offense well, having spent his first eight NFL seasons there. I have Ingram on the outside of Flex range looking in this week, as the Saints face the aforementioned Buccaneers. However, he could be an option in easier matchups.

As for the Houston side of the deal, David Johnson appears to be the primary beneficiary. He sits just behind Ingram at RB50 on the year, so he should rise as the season goes on. His upcoming matchup is a bit more friendly than one might expect against a defense that features Aaron Donald and Leonard Floyd. The Los Angeles Rams have allowed 137.9 scrimmage yards to opposing running backs this season. They have struggled in particular against pass-catching backs, as evidenced by D’Andre Swift’s overall RB2 outing a week ago. Johnson is second on the Texans in receiving yards this season and has proven to be an adept receiver throughout his career. Still, I can’t quite bring myself to recommend Johnson as a Week 8 Flex unless you are painfully thin at running back.

If a tree falls in the forest, does it make a sound? If Miles Sanders misses time due to his ankle injury, do fantasy managers notice? Sanders has more rushing yards than D’Andre Swift does this season. Yet Swift enters the week as the overall RB3 in half-PPR formats, while Sanders toils as a borderline RB3 in 12-team leagues. The Eagles simply do not give their running backs opportunities for whatever reason. With Sanders expected to miss this week’s game, Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott are expected to share the load. The matchup is great against a Detroit Lions defense that has allowed an NFL-high 12 touchdowns to opposing backs. I just don’t know if I trust either to get enough touches to warrant starting this week. If I had to start either as a Flex, I would prefer Gainwell, but I don’t feel great about it.

Wide Receiver Notes

The New York Giants are still dealing with several injuries to their receiver group. I am hopeful that Sterling Shepard will suit up for Monday night’s matchup in Kansas City, and have ranked him as a WR3 in 12-team leagues. However, relying on Shepard to recover quickly from an ailment has not exactly been a winning formula over the years. That the game is being played on Monday will likely complicate matters further. If you wanted to avoid the headache and simply forget about Shepard this week, I wouldn’t blame you. Darius Slayton led New York in receiving last week and finished as last week’s WR35. I currently have Slayton outside my range of recommended Week 8 Flex plays, but I may move him up on Sunday morning depending on what we hear regarding Shepard and Toney.

The Green Bay Packers have some depth issues at wide receiver heading into their Week 8 showdown in the desert against the Arizona Cardinals. Their top two wideouts, Davante Adams and Allen Lazard will miss Thursday’s game due to Covid protocols. For now, I have Randall Cobb as a fringe WR3 given Green Bay’s depleted receiving corps, so he could be worth playing this week. Green Bay may be getting Marquez Valdes-Scantling back off injured reserve in time for Thursday’s contest. If they indeed clear him, he would be a borderline Flex as well. Valdes-Scantling would be his normal boom or bust self, whereas Cobb would have the higher floor, especially in PPR formats. The absence of Adams and Lazard may do more for the Flex prospects of their other pass catchers than they do for Cobb and/or MVS.

Tight End Notes

Was I just talking about other Green Bay pass catchers potentially benefitting from Adams and Lazard missing Thursday night’s game? Well, enter Robert Tonyan. “Baby Kittle” has been a disappointment so far in 2021. He enters Week 8 outside the top-20 among tight ends in fantasy points. But this could be a bounceback opportunity for the fourth-year pro. It may not seem like it, but Aaron Rodgers has targeted Tonyan at the same rate this year as he did during the tight end’s 2020 breakout. The pair just have not been on the same page for whatever reason. Tonyan caught 88.1 percent of his targets a season ago. This year, that number sits at just 60 percent. Tonyan did set season-highs in receptions and yards as part of National Tight End Day on Sunday, so perhaps some of that 2020 synergy is coming back around.

Tonyan will most likely have to contend with the duo of Isaiah Simmons and Jordan Hicks. Arizona has allowed the fewest fantasy points in the NFL to opposing tight ends, largely on the strength of the coverage skills of their linebackers. However, I think the projected volume of looks is enough for me to feel good about starting Tonyan this week. Rodgers will be without his security blanket in Adams, and Tonyan should be one of the players that Rodgers looks to fill that void. There is also the possibility that Arizona uses their linebackers a bit more to pressure Rodgers given the loss of J.J. Watt. Either way, I like Tonyan’s prospects for a productive fantasy day. I do not normally advocate for starting a tight end in a Flex spot, but there are worse options than Robert Tonyan this week.

Week 8 Flex Rankings

More Week 8 Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | Kicker | D/ST | PPR | Flex

RankPlayerPosTeamOpp
1Derrick HenryRB1TEN@IND
2Cooper KuppWR1LAR@HOU
3Alvin KamaraRB2NOTB
4Dalvin CookRB3MINDAL
5Austin EkelerRB4LACNE
6Tyreek HillWR2KCNYG
7D'Andre SwiftRB5DETPHI
8Darrell HendersonRB6LAR@HOU
9Stefon DiggsWR3BUFMIA
10Jonathan TaylorRB7INDTEN
11Ja'Marr ChaseWR4CIN@NYJ
12Aaron JonesRB8GB@ARI
13Justin JeffersonWR5MINDAL
14Najee HarrisRB9PIT@CLE
15D.J. MooreWR6CAR@ATL
16Travis KelceTE1KCNYG
17Ezekiel ElliottRB10DAL@MIN
18Deebo SamuelWR7SF@CHI
19Cordarrelle PattersonRB11ATLCAR
20Nick ChubbRB12CLEPIT
21Mike EvansWR8TB@NO
22Chris GodwinWR9TB@NO
23James RobinsonRB13JAX@SEA
24Darrel WilliamsRB14KCNYG
25Mike WilliamsWR10LACNE
26Calvin RidleyWR11ATLCAR
27Joe MixonRB15CIN@NYJ
28CeeDee LambWR12DAL@MIN
29Leonard FournetteRB16TB@NO
30Chuba HubbardRB17CAR@ATL
31DeAndre HopkinsWR13ARIGB
32A.J. BrownWR14TEN@IND
33Keenan AllenWR15LACNE
34DK MetcalfWR16SEAJAX
35Terry McLaurinWR17WAS@DEN
36Elijah MitchellRB18SF@CHI
37Courtland SuttonWR18DENWAS
38Diontae JohnsonWR19PIT@CLE
39Brandin CooksWR20HOULAR
40Amari CooperWR21DAL@MIN
41Adam ThielenWR22MINDAL
42Alex CollinsRB19SEAJAX
43Damien HarrisRB20NE@LAC
44Robert WoodsWR23LAR@HOU
45Michael Pittman Jr.WR24INDTEN
46Khalil HerbertRB21CHISF
47Emmanuel SandersWR25BUFMIA
48Tee HigginsWR26CIN@NYJ
49Kyle PittsTE2ATLCAR
50Michael CarterRB22NYJCIN
51DeVonta SmithWR27PHI@DET
52Chase ClaypoolWR28PIT@CLE
53Antonio GibsonRB23WAS@DEN
54Zack MossRB24BUFMIA
55Chase EdmondsRB25ARIGB
56Marvin JonesWR29JAX@SEA
57Tyler LockettWR30SEAJAX
58Jakobi MeyersWR31NE@LAC
59Melvin GordonRB26DENWAS
60Javonte WilliamsRB27DENWAS
61Cole BeasleyWR32BUFMIA
62Myles GaskinRB28MIA@BUF
63Sterling ShepardWR33NYG@KC
64Julio JonesWR34TEN@IND
65T.J. HockensonTE3DETPHI
66Tyler BoydWR35CIN@NYJ
67Robby AndersonWR36CAR@ATL
68Randall CobbWR37GB@ARI
69Corey DavisWR38NYJCIN
70Jaylen WaddleWR39MIA@BUF
71Laviska ShenaultWR40JAX@SEA
72Dalton SchultzTE4DAL@MIN
73Christian KirkWR41ARIGB
74Kalif RaymondWR42DETPHI
75Dallas GoedertTE5PHI@DET
76Kenneth GainwellRB29PHI@DET
77Marquez CallawayWR43NOTB
78Noah FantTE6DENWAS
79Mike GesickiTE7MIA@BUF
80A.J. GreenWR44ARIGB
81Jamaal WilliamsRB30DETPHI
82Mecole HardmanWR45KCNYG
83J.D. McKissicRB31WAS@DEN
84James ConnerRB32ARIGB
85Darnell MooneyWR46CHISF
86Jarvis LandryWR47CLEPIT
87Tony PollardRB33DAL@MIN
88Allen RobinsonWR48CHISF
89Devontae BookerRB34NYG@KC
90Jamison CrowderWR49NYJCIN
91Tyler HigbeeTE8LAR@HOU
92Darius SlaytonWR50NYG@KC
93Hunter HenryTE9NE@LAC
94Van JeffersonWR51LAR@HOU
95Rondale MooreWR52ARIGB
96Quez WatkinsWR53PHI@DET
97Jared CookTE10LACNE
98Devin SingletaryRB35BUFMIA
99David JohnsonRB36HOULAR
100Odell BeckhamWR54CLEPIT
101Amon-Ra St. BrownWR55DETPHI
102Mike DavisRB37ATLCAR
103A.J. DillonRB38GB@ARI
104Russell GageWR56ATLCAR
105Ricky Seals-JonesTE11WAS@DEN
106Tim PatrickWR57DENWAS
107Jerry JeudyWR58DENWAS
108K.J. OsbornWR59MINDAL
109Robert TonyanTE12GB@ARI
110Nelson AgholorWR60NE@LAC
111Boston ScottRB39PHI@DET
112D'Ernest JohnsonRB40CLEPIT
113Zach ErtzTE13ARIGB
114Kendrick BourneWR61NE@LAC
115Zach PascalWR62INDTEN
116Dan ArnoldTE14JAX@SEA
117Tyler ConklinTE15MINDAL
118Jalen ReagorWR63PHI@DET
119Evan EngramTE16NYG@KC
120T.Y. HiltonWR64INDTEN
121DeVante ParkerWR65MIA@BUF
122Mark IngramRB41NOTB
123Samaje PerineRB42CIN@NYJ
124Kenny GolladayWR66NYG@KC
125C.J. UzomahTE17CIN@NYJ
126Brandon AiyukWR67SF@CHI
127Nico CollinsWR68HOULAR
128Ty JohnsonRB43NYJCIN
129Nyheim HinesRB44INDTEN
130Mo Alie-CoxTE18INDTEN
131Cole KmetTE19CHISF
132Jamal AgnewWR69JAX@SEA
133Brandon BoldenRB45NE@LAC
134Freddie SwainWR70SEAJAX
135Equanimeous St. BrownWR71GB@ARI
136Kenny StillsWR72NOTB
137Saquon BarkleyRB46NYG@KC
138Salvon AhmedRB47MIA@BUF
139Elijah MooreWR73NYJCIN
140Damien WilliamsRB48CHISF
141JaMycal HastyRB49SF@CHI
142Tyler JohnsonWR74TB@NO
143Pat FreiermuthTE20PIT@CLE
144Cedrick WilsonWR75DAL@MIN
145Byron PringleWR76KCNYG
146Rashaad PennyRB50SEAJAX
147O.J. HowardTE21TB@NO
148Adam HumphriesWR77WAS@DEN
149Tommy SweeneyTE22BUFMIA
150Alexander MattisonRB51MINDAL
151Jerick McKinnonRB52KCNYG
152Gerald EverettTE23SEAJAX
153David NjokuTE24CLEPIT
154Sony MichelRB53LAR@HOU
155Austin HooperTE25CLEPIT
156Jalen GuytonWR78LACNE
157Giovani BernardRB54TB@NO
158Royce FreemanRB55CAR@ATL
159Danny AmendolaWR79HOULAR
160Demarcus RobinsonWR80KCNYG
161Hayden HurstTE26ATLCAR
162Adam TrautmanTE27NOTB
163Marquez Valdes-ScantlingWR81GB@ARI
164Tre'Quan SmithWR82NOTB
165Ronald JonesRB56TB@NO
166Blake JarwinTE28DAL@MIN
167DeSean JacksonWR83LAR@HOU
168Rob GronkowskiTE29TB@NO
169Jonnu SmithTE30NE@LAC
170Cameron BrateTE31TB@NO
171Anthony FirkserTE32TEN@IND
172Terrace MarshallWR84CAR@ATL
173Amari RodgersWR85GB@ARI
174Jordan AkinsTE33HOULAR
175Preston WilliamsWR86MIA@BUF
176Ross DwelleyTE34SF@CHI
177James WashingtonWR87PIT@CLE
178Demetric FeltonRB57CLEPIT
179Gabriel DavisWR88BUFMIA
180KhaDarel HodgeWR89DETPHI
181Phillip LindsayRB58HOULAR
182Juwan JohnsonTE35NOTB
183Kyle JuszczykRB59SF@CHI
184Marquise GoodwinWR90CHISF
185Mohamed SanuWR91SF@CHI
186Curtis SamuelWR92WAS@DEN
187Pharaoh BrownTE36HOULAR
188Nick Westbrook-IkhineWR93TEN@IND
189Tavon AustinWR94JAX@SEA
190J.J. TaylorRB60NE@LAC
191Jack DoyleTE37INDTEN
192Deonte HarrisWR95NOTB
193Donovan Peoples-JonesWR96CLEPIT
194Ian ThomasTE38CAR@ATL
195Tommy TrembleTE39CAR@ATL
196Eric EbronTE40PIT@CLE
197Chris ConleyWR97HOULAR
198Marcedes LewisTE41GB@ARI
199Donald ParhamTE42LACNE
200Elijhaa PennyRB61NYG@KC
201Kadarius ToneyWR98NYG@KC
202Josh ReynoldsWR99TEN@IND
203Durham SmytheTE43MIA@BUF
204Justin JacksonRB62LACNE
205Kyle RudolphTE44NYG@KC
206Will DisslyTE45SEAJAX
207Dyami BrownWR100WAS@DEN
208Dante PettisWR101NYG@KC
209Rashard HigginsWR102CLEPIT
210Ryan GriffinTE46NYJCIN
211Ty MontgomeryRB63NOTB
212Kendall HintonWR103DENWAS
213Ray-Ray McCloudWR104PIT@CLE
214Charlie WoernerTE47SF@CHI
215Mack HollinsWR105MIA@BUF
216Michael GallupWR106DAL@MIN
217Keelan ColeWR107NYJCIN
218Deejay DallasRB64SEAJAX
219Marcus JohnsonWR108TEN@IND
220Malik TaylorWR109GB@ARI
221Chris MooreWR110HOULAR
222MyCole PruittTE48TEN@IND
223Dede WestbrookWR111MINDAL
224Olamide ZaccheausWR112ATLCAR
225N'Keal HarryWR113NE@LAC
226Jeremy McNicholsRB65TEN@IND
227Ashton DulinWR114INDTEN
228Harrison BryantTE49CLEPIT
229Trent SherfieldWR115SF@CHI
230Travis HomerRB66SEAJAX
231Keith KirkwoodWR116CAR@ATL
232Joshua KelleyRB67LACNE
233Noah BrownWR117DAL@MIN
234Geronimo AllisonWR118DETPHI
235Marlon MackRB68INDTEN
236Denzel MimsWR119NYJCIN
237Geoff SwaimTE50TEN@IND
238Greg WardWR120PHI@DET
239DeAndre CarterWR121WAS@DEN
240Anthony SchwartzWR122CLEPIT
241Tyler KroftTE51NYJCIN
242Josh PalmerWR123LACNE
243Carlos HydeRB69JAX@SEA
244Tajae SharperWR124ATLCAR
245Jaelon DardenWR125TB@NO
246Rhamondre StevensonRB70NE@LAC
247Dax MilneWR126WAS@DEN
248Darrynton EvansRB71TEN@IND
249Darren FellsTE52DETPHI
250Trey SermonRB72SF@CHI

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