Fantasy Football Week 8 Rankings: Top 25 Quarterbacks

How should fantasy owners view struggling quarterbacks like Cam Newton, Michael Vick or Matthew Stafford in Week 8?  How do tough matchups impact some of the better options like Robert Griffin III and Eli Manning?  Which under-the-radar option do you want to consider?  Let’s try to answer all the questions and more:

1. Peyton Manning – Denver Broncos – vs. New Orleans
2. Aaron Rodgers – Green Bay Packers – vs. Jacksonville
3. Drew Brees – New Orleans Saints – at Denver
4. Robert Griffin III – Washington Redskins – at Pittsburgh
5. Ben Roethlisberger – Pittsburgh Steelers – vs. Washington
6. Matt Ryan – Atlanta Falcons – at Philadelphia
7. Tom Brady – New England Patriots – at St. Louis
8. Eli Manning – New York Giants – at Dallas
9. Andrew Luck – Indianapolis Colts – at Tennessee
10. Cam Newton – Carolina Panthers – at Chicago
11. Tony Romo – Dallas Cowboys – vs. New York Giants
12. Philip Rivers – San Diego Chargers – at Cleveland
13. Matthew Stafford – Detroit Lions – vs. Seattle
14. Michael Vick – Philadelphia Eagles – vs. Atlanta
15. Jay Cutler – Chicago Bears – vs. Carolina
16. Christian Ponder – Minnesota Vikings – vs. Tampa Bay
17. Carson Palmer – Oakland Raiders – at Kansas City
18. Josh Freeman – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – at Minnesota
19. Matt Hasselbeck – Tennessee Titans – vs. Indianapolis
20. Sam Bradford – St. Louis Rams – vs. New England
21. Brandon Weedon – Cleveland Browns – vs. San Diego
22. Mark Sanchez – New York Jets – vs. Miami
23. Ryan Tannehill – Miami Dolphins – at New York Jets
24. Russell Wilson – Seattle Seahawks – at Detroit
25. John Skelton – Arizona Cardinals – vs. San Francisco

Thoughts:

• It’s become clear that the Saints defense simply doesn’t scare anyone, hasn’t it?  Josh Freeman torched them for 420 yards and 3 TD in Week 7, and the Saints are now one of three teams allowing over 300 passing yards per game.  Throw in 12 TD allowed and it’s extremely hard not to like Peyton Manning this week.  Manning has been playing well as it is, averaging 328.5 yards over his past four games to go along with 11 TD and 1 INT.
• Robert Griffin III could have problems throwing the ball against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but we all know his ability to rush the football is going to keep him among the top options in the league.  He’s become one of the few players who doesn’t get downgraded based on their matchup alone.
• Eli Manning has proven to be one of the elite QB in the league, but the Cowboys should prove to be a tough challenge.  Manning struggled the first time around in ’12, throwing for 213 yards and 1 TD.  However, he’s been significantly better since then and the Giants have proven that they can move the ball against anyone.  While he’s downgraded a little bit from most weeks, he should remain a QB1 in all formats.
• The last time Philip Rivers was on the football field he had a miserable night, but there is every reason to think that he is going to come back strong in Week 8.  A matchup with a Browns defense that has allowed 15 passing TD tends to do that.  Remember, Joe Haden is back so things could be significantly different then the first few weeks.  That just keeps Rivers in check.
• Does anyone truly trust Michael Vick at this point, especially against a defense that has 10 INT on the season?  Vick has been a turnover machine and it is hard to consider him a QB1 until he proves otherwise.
• Early word had Jake Locker returning to action for Week 8, but that ultimately does not appear to be the case.
• Will Matthew Stafford ever get things fully on track?  You have to think that, sooner or later, he and Calvin Johnson are going to get on the same page and start making big plays.  This week may not be the week, with a tough matchup against the Seahawks, but fantasy owners would be best served to stay patient.

Make sure to check out all of our Week 8 rankings:

• Top 25 Tight Ends