Week 8 Fantasy Football Rankings: Flex and PPR Outlook for Each Position

Few fantasy football lineup decisions are harder to make—or more critical to nail—than knowing what to do at the flex spots.

Drop even the slightest bit down from the NFL's elite ranks at running back, wide receiver and tight end, and you'll encounter plenty of volatility. These players can post monster stat lines, but they can also sink your week when they go cold.

Let's try to get you on the right side unpredictability with a look at our top rankings and favorite sleeper at each of the three flex positions.

Running Back

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - OCTOBER 20: Jalen Hurts #1 and Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles in action against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on October 20, 2024 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

Top 20

1. Saquon Barkley, PHI (at CIN)

2. Breece Hall, NYJ (at NE)

3. Derrick Henry, BAL (at CLE)

4. Bijan Robinson, ATL (at TB)

5. Jahmyr Gibbs, DET (vs. TEN)

6. Joe Mixon, HOU (vs. IND)

7. Jordan Mason, SF (vs. DAL)

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

9. Jonathan Taylor, IND (at HOU)

10. J.K. Dobbins, LAC (vs. NO)

11. De'Von Achane, MIA (vs. ARI)

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

13. Kareem Hunt, KC (at LV)

14. Javonte Williams, DEN (vs. CAR)

15. Josh Jacobs, GB (at JAX)

16. Alvin Kamara, NO (at LAC)

17. James Cook, BUF (at SEA)

18. James Conner, ARI (at MIA)

19. Tony Pollard, TEN (at DET)

20. Brian Robinson Jr., WAS (vs. CHI)

Sleeper: Jaleel McLaughlin, DEN (vs. CAR)

Denver's backfield is crowded. Three different running backs had at least four carries last week, which is to say nothing of the 10 toted by quarterback Bo Nix. It's possible, in other words, for McLaughlin to get lost in the mix.

Saying that, it's also possible for him to find his way to double-digit touches. And if he can approach that number this weekend, then he'll almost certainly be worth plugging into your flex spot against a Carolina defense that has been easily the league's most generous to running backs.

Wide Receiver

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CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 20: Ja'Marr Chase #1 of the Cincinnati Bengals carries the ball during the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field on October 20, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)

Top 20

1. Ja'Marr Chase, CIN (vs. PHI)

2. CeeDee Lamb, DAL (at SF)

3. Amon-Ra St. Brown, DET (vs. TEN)

4. Tyreek Hill, MIA (vs. ARI)

5. A.J. Brown, PHI (at CIN)

6. Stefon Diggs, HOU (vs. IND)

7. Malik Nabers, NYG (at PIT)

8. Drake London, ATL (at TB)

9. Davante Adams, NYJ (at NE)

10. DJ Moore, CHI (at WAS)

11. Garrett Wilson, NYJ (at NE)

12. Jayden Reed, GB (at JAX)

13. Brian Thomas Jr., JAX (vs. GB)

14. Tee Higgins, CIN (vs. PHI)

15. Zay Flowers, BAL (at CLE)

16. George Pickens, PIT (vs. NYG)

17. Amari Cooper, BUF (at SEA)

18. Marvin Harrison Jr., ARI (at MIA)

19. DeVonta Smith, PHI (at CIN)

20. Jaylen Waddle, MIA (vs. ARI)

Sleeper: Dontayvion Wicks, GB (at JAX)

Wicks' target tally this season is all over the place. He's had four or fewer targets in four different games and had 26 combined targets over the three others. Perhaps most notably, those three others all came within the last four weeks, albeit with a three-quiet contest sandwiched between them.

Still, for a flex receiver, he can see as many opportunities as anyone when Green Bay wants to get him involved. He has four touchdowns on the season and could easily add to that count against a Jacksonville defense that has surrendered a league-worst 16 touchdown passes.

Tight End

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SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 20: George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco runs with the ball during an NFL Football game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Levi's Stadium on October 20, 2024 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)

Top 10

1. George Kittle, SF (vs. DAL)

2. Brock Bowers, LV (vs. KC)

3. Travis Kelce, KC (at LV)

4. Evan Engram, JAX (vs. GB)

5. David Njoku, CLE (vs. BAL)

6. Trey McBride, ARI (at MIA)

7. Jake Ferguson, DAL (at SF)

8. Kyle Pitts, ATL (at TB)

9. Tucker Kraft, GB (at JAX)

10. Cade Otton, TB (vs. ATL)

Sleeper: Dalton Schultz, HOU (vs. IND)

Consistency is hard enough to find at the tight end position without digging into the sleeper ranks. That's how we ended recommending someone who hasn't found the end zone or tallied 40 receiving yards in a game this season.

If you're just throwing a dart, though, it might be worth nothing that Schultz has seen at least five targets in four of his last five games and had four catches apiece in two of his last three. Those numbers haven't amounted to much more, but they'll matter against an Indianapolis defense allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to tight ends.