Fantasy Football Week 8 Rankings: Top Players, Sleepers and Positional Guide

On to the next one.

The NFL grind never stops, and therefore, neither does the fantasy football world. So, even if some fantasy managers are still processing what happened in Week 7, it's time to shift focus forward to Week 8.

The good news is that this is a bye-free week, so we have a fully loaded slate of games. That means we have gobs of players up for consideration for our weekly position rankings, plus no shortage of candidates to spotlight as waiver-wire sleepers.

Quarterback

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BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - OCTOBER 22: Quarterback Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens rushes with the ball against the Detroit Lions at M&T Bank Stadium on October 22, 2023 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Top 10

1. Patrick Mahomes, KC (at DEN)

2. Lamar Jackson, BAL (at ARI)

3. Justin Herbert, LAC (vs. CHI)

4. Jalen Hurts, PHI (at WAS)

5. Josh Allen, BUF (vs. TB)

6. Tua Tagovailoa, MIA (vs. NE)

7. C.J. Stroud, HOU (at CAR)

8. Jared Goff, DET (vs. LV)

9. Joe Burrow, CIN (at SF)

10. Brock Purdy, SF (vs. CIN)

Waiver-wire sleeper: Gardner Minshew, IND (vs. NO)

Minshew can run hot and cold, the latter evidenced by his three-interception performance in Week 6. His good games can be great, though.

He has now passed for 300-plus yards in back-to-backs, and while the first resulted from absurd volume (55 pass attempts), the second was as efficient as can be—against one of the league's stingiest defenses, no less. He needed all of 15 completions on 23 attempts to put up 305 passing yards and two passing touchdowns against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. He added 29 yards and two more scores on the ground.

The Colts are giving him a green light to attack, and that could lead to more big outings moving forward.

Running Back

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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 22: D'Onta Foreman #21 of the Chicago Bears reacts during the first quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Soldier Field on October 22, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)

Top 20

1. Christian McCaffrey, SF (vs. CIN)

2. Austin Ekeler, LAC (vs. CHI)

3. Travis Etienne, JAX (at PIT)

4. Raheem Mostert, MIA (vs. NE)

5. Saquon Barkley, NYG (vs. NYJ)

6. Jonathan Taylor, IND (vs. NO)

7. Tony Pollard, DAL (vs. LAR)

8. Kenneth Walker III, SEA (vs. CLE)

9. Derrick Henry, TEN (vs. ATL)

10. Isiah Pacheco, KC (at DEN)

11. Breece Hall, NYJ (at NYG)

12. D'Andre Swift, PHI (at WAS)

13. Alvin Kamara, NO (at IND)

14. Bijan Robinson, ATL (at TEN)

15. Aaron Jones, GB (vs. MIN)

16. Josh Jacobs, LV (at DET)

17. D'Onta Foreman, CHI (at LAC)

18. Gus Edwards, BAL (at ARI)

19. Rhamondre Stevenson, NE (at MIA)

20. Joe Mixon, CIN (at SF)

Waiver-wire sleeper: Darrell Henderson, LAR (at DAL)

Henderson was only signed to the practice squad last week, but the Rams fast-tracked him into their running back rotation. He wound up with 19 touches (18 carries and one reception), which he parlayed into 66 scrimmage yards and a score.

Considering the Rams have both Kyren Williams (ankle) and Ronnie Rivers (knee) on injured reserve, Henderson has a chance to maintain a significant role going forward.

Given his familiarity with the system—he spent three-plus seasons in L.A. before released in November—and the fact he wasn't on an NFL roster two weeks ago, it's reasonable to expect he'll do more with his opportunities as he gets re-acclimated, too.

Wide Receiver

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PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 22: A.J. Brown #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles scores a touchdown on a pass play during the second half of a game against the Miami Dolphins at Lincoln Financial Field on October 22, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

Top 20

1. Tyreek Hill, MIA (vs. NE)

2. Stefon Diggs, BUF (vs. TB)

3. A.J. Brown, PHI (at WAS)

4. Ja'Marr Chase, CIN (at SF)

5. Cooper Kupp, LAR (at DAL)

6. Amon-Ra St. Brown, DET (vs. LV)

7. Keenan Allen, LAC (vs. CHI)

8. Brandon Aiyuk, SF (vs. CIN)

9. CeeDee Lamb, DAL (vs. LAR)

10. Mike Evans, TB (at BUF)

11. Puka Nacua, LAR (at DAL)

12. DJ Moore, CHI (at LAC)

13. Jaylen Waddle, MIA (vs. NE)

14. Adam Thielen, CAR (vs. HOU)

15. DK Metcalf, SEA (vs. CLE)

16. Garrett Wilson, NYJ (at NYG)

17. Michael Pittman Jr., IND (vs. NO)

18. Chris Olave, NO (at IND)

19. Christian Kirk, JAX (at PIT)

20. Terry McLaurin, WAS (vs. PHI)

Waiver-wire sleeper: Josh Downs, IND (vs. NO)

Sooner than later, the fantasy football community will wake up to what Downs is doing in the Circle City.

The rookie third-rounder has been involved in this offense from day one, and he's getting better about making the most of his opportunities. In his first four outings, he had 27 targets, but they only yielded 17 receptions for 158 yards and no scores. In his last three games, his 20 targets have turned into 16 receptions for 243 yards and two touchdowns.

His stock is on the rise, and if it climbs much higher, he'll be plucked from the waiver wire in all but the shallowest of leagues.