Fantasy Football Week 8: Top Plays at Every Position

If you thought setting your fantasy lineup was tough thus far this season, you are in for a rude awakening the next few weeks. Half of the NFL is going on bye Week 8 through Week 10, and we are already coming off a devastating week of injuries.

This makes Bleacher Report's Top Plays at Every Position as important as ever in navigating the fantasy minefield this week.

Get all of the news, matchup analysis and rankings by position in this six-part slideshow.

Quarterbacks: We Should Still Be Sticking to Our Big Guns

Andrew Luck and Philip Rivers are the elite options on bye, while Jay Cutler (groin) and Matt Schaub (ankle) were going to be out of play because of injury anyway. No one will truly miss Joe Flacco or Jake Locker, although they have had their moments in two-quarterback formats.

Vick Returning Before He's Ready?

A division game against the suspect Giants is enough to have the Eagles try to work Michael Vick (hamstring) back before he's ready. The Giants, despite a solid performance Monday night, are the sixth-worst team in fantasy against quarterbacks, according to FFToday.com, and Jordan Raanan of NJ.com reports Vick took almost all of the first-team snaps in practice this week. Assuming Vick starts, the matchup is enough to make him a play in fantasy leagues.

"This is not an issue or situation to play around with," Vick told NJ.com. "I'm not up here playing games or blowing smoke. I'm just trying to figure out what's the best situation."

Pryor Performance Not Enough

Though the Oakland Raiders' Terrelle Pryor has had his moments, you should not like him against the Steelers defense this week. Pittsburgh has been the No. 1 team in fantasy against quarterbacks. The Steelers are No. 2 against the pass and have allowed a league-low five touchdown passes.

Like Him More

We should continue to be bullish with the likes of star quarterbacks Matt Ryan and Tom Brady. Despite the issues with their targets, they are still what makes their teams go. Ryan proved it last week for fantasy owners with his three-touchdown performance. Brady has Rob Gronkowski back and might be getting Danny Amendola (concussion) back, too.

Ryan and Brady are among the quarterbacks we like more than the consensus this week:

1. Cam Newton (already starred Thursday night)
2. Matt Ryan
3. Tom Brady
4. Colin Kaepernick
5. Ben Roethlisberger

Like Him Less

You should love Robert Griffin III's matchup against the Broncos, who have been the second-worst team in fantasy against quarterbacks. Also, you should love the fact RG3 has found a budding star in tight end Jordan Reed. Still, though, we see good, not great, numbers for the disappointing quarterback here. The Redskins are not as high-volume of a passing team as some of the opponents that have made the Broncos look vulnerable.

RG3 is among the quarterbacks we like less than the masses below:

1. Robert Griffin III
2. Tony Romo
3. Michael Vick (hamstring)
4. Mike Glennon (already played Thursday night)
5. Chad Henne

Week 8 Quarterbacks Rankings - Eric Mack

Rank	Quarterbacks	Team	Opponent	ECR	vs. ECR
1	Peyton Manning	Den	vs. Was	1	0
2	Aaron Rodgers	GB	at Min	3	+1
3	Drew Brees	NO	vs. Buf	2	-1
4	Cam Newton	Car	at TB	7	+3
5	Matthew Stafford	Det	vs. Dal	4	-1
6	Matt Ryan	Atl	at Ari	11	+5
7	Tom Brady	NE	vs. Mia	12	+5
8	Colin Kaepernick	SF	at Jac	10	+2
9	Robert Griffin	Was	at Den	5	-4
10	Russell Wilson	Sea	at StL	9	-1
11	Tony Romo	Dal	at Det	6	-5
12	Michael Vick	Phi	vs. NYG	8	-4
13	Ben Roethlisberger	Pit	at Oak	16	+3
14	Eli Manning	NYG	at Phi	13	-1
15	Andy Dalton	Cin	vs. NYJ	14	-1
16	Terrelle Pryor	Oak	vs. Pit	15	-1
17	Carson Palmer	Ari	vs. Atl	17	0
18	Alex Smith	KC	vs. Cle	18	0
19	Ryan Tannehill	Mia	at NE	19	0
20	Geno Smith	NYJ	at Cin	20	0
21	Thaddeus Lewis	Buf	at NO	21	0
22	Christian Ponder	Min	vs. GB	24	+2
23	Mike Glennon	TB	vs. Car	22	-1
24	Jason Campbell	Cle	at KC	27	+3
25	Chad Henne	Jac	vs. SF	23	-2
26	Kellen Clemens	StL	vs. Sea	29	+3

Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) from over 100 experts provided by FantasyPros

Running Backs: While We Search for Answers, the Packers Have One in Eddie Lacy

The Packers finally have a worthy running back to turn their ground game over to: rookie Eddie Lacy.

The six bye teams have sapped up of the likes of Matt Forte, Ray Rice, Arian Foster, Trent Richardson, Chris Johnson and Ryan Mathews. And, injury has taken away the likes of Doug Martin, David Wilson, Ahmad Bradshaw and perhaps C.J. Spiller (ankle).

Outside of getting Steven Jackson (hamstring) and DeMarco Murray (knee) back at practice this week and in play for fantasy owners, it is time to dip into the depths of the running-back position. We help you do so below.

Packers Pounding the Ball Now

It has taken years, but Green Bay is finally getting back to its roots of pounding the ball on the ground. A healthy, steady rookie in Eddie Lacy certainly helps. Lacy not only leads the NFL with 301 yards rushing the past three weeks, but the Packers also had James Starks and Johnathan Franklin each rush for 100 yards before Lacy returned from his concussion.

This spells bad news for the Vikings, who are the worst team in fantasy against running backs, even allowing Peyton Hillis to prove fantasy viable off the street Monday night. The Packers are without Randall Cobb (knee) and Jermichael Finley (neck), and James Jones (knee) continues to be unable to practice. The Packers have turned to the running game, which should eventually help Aaron Rodgers in the play-action pass.

"You've got to run them out of a two-shell, and that's what we've done," running backs coach Alex Van Pelt told ESPN's Rob Demovsky. "We're there right now. It's coming around."

Campbell's Soup Won't Taste So Good

The Browns are turning to Jason Campbell as their quarterback this week, but it figures to be a tough situation against the Chiefs defense in Kansas City. Campbell is a game manager who needs a running game, but don't count on the Browns mustering much with shaky veteran Willis McGahee against the third-best team in fantasy against running backs.

We even rate Chris Ogbonnaya as the better play among Browns backs because his potential in the short passing game is what the limited Campbell needs.

Like Him More

We are going to assume the Cowboys' Murray is playing this week, so you should get him active in such a tough week for viable running-back options. Owner Jerry Jones told The Dallas Morning News' David Moore he likes what he has seen of Murray in practice, too.

Murray leads the backs we like considerably more than the consensus below:

1. DeMarco Murray (knee)
2. Kendall Hunter
3. Jason Snelling
4. Chris Ogbonnaya
5. Robert Turbin

Like Him Less

While you can like the emergence of Zac Stacy as the Rams' feature back, you have to hate the fact he will have Kellen Clemens as his starting quarterback now that Sam Bradford (knee) is out for the year. Stacy is a bad-to-terrible play against the Seahawks run defense, which is No. 5 in the NFL.

Stacy is going to see a lot of eight-man boxes, which is why he leads the backs we like less than the masses this week:

1. Zac Stacy
2. Mike James (already struggled Thursday night)
3. Joseph Randle
4. Mike Tolbert (whoopsy!)
5. Brian Leonard (already struggled Thursday night)
6. Khiry Robinson

Week 8 Running Backs Rankings - Eric Mack

Rank	Running Backs	Team	Opponent	ECR	vs. ECR
1	Adrian Peterson	Min	vs. GB	4	+3
2	LeSean McCoy	Phi	vs. NYG	3	+1
3	Jamaal Charles	KC	vs. Cle	1	-2
4	Frank Gore	SF	at Jac	5	+1
5	Marshawn Lynch	Sea	at StL	2	-3
6	Knowshon Moreno	Den	vs. Was	6	0
7	Reggie Bush	Det	vs. Dal	7	0
8	Alfred Morris	Was	at Den	9	+1
9	Eddie Lacy	GB	at Min	8	-1
10	Stevan Ridley	NE	vs. Mia	12	+2
11	Darren Sproles	NO	vs. Buf	14	+3
12	Le'Veon Bell	Pit	at Oak	10	-2
13	Steven Jackson	Atl	at Ari	18	+5
14	DeMarco Murray	Dal	at Det	28	+14
15	Fred Jackson	Buf	at NO	11	-4
16	Darren McFadden	Oak	vs. Pit	13	-3
17	Lamar Miller	Mia	at NE	23	+6
18	Pierre Thomas	NO	vs. Buf	21	+3
19	Rashard Mendenhall	Ari	vs. Atl	25	+6
20	Chris Ivory	NYJ	at Cin	22	+2
21	Giovani Bernard	Cin	vs. NYJ	15	-6
22	C.J. Spiller	Buf	at NO	26	+4
23	Maurice Jones-Drew	Jac	vs. SF	19	-4
24	DeAngelo Williams	Car	at TB	16	-8
25	Peyton Hillis	NYG	at Phi	32	+7
26	Jacquizz Rodgers	Atl	at Ari	30	+4
27	Zac Stacy	StL	vs. Sea	17	-10
28	Roy Helu	Was	at Den	29	+1
29	Joique Bell	Det	vs. Dal	33	+4
30	Kendall Hunter	SF	at Jac	40	+10
31	Andre Ellington	Ari	vs. Atl	24	-7
32	Mike James	TB	vs. Car	20	-12
33	Chris Ogbonnaya	Cle	at KC	42	+9
34	BenJarvus Green-Ellis	Cin	vs. NYJ	31	-3
35	Bilal Powell	NYJ	at Cin	37	+2
36	Willis McGahee	Cle	at KC	35	-1
37	Robert Turbin	Sea	at StL	47	+10
38	Bryce Brown	Phi	vs. NYG	50	+12
39	Brandon Bolden	NE	vs. Mia	36	-3
40	Ronnie Hillman	Den	vs. Was	41	+1
41	Michael Cox	NYG	at Phi	48	+7
42	Jason Snelling	Atl	at Ari	43	+1
43	Brandon Jacobs	NYG	at Phi	34	-9
44	Joseph Randle	Dal	at Det	27	-17
45	Lance Dunbar	Dal	at Det	45	0
46	Daniel Thomas	Mia	at NE	38	-8
47	James Starks	GB	at Min	60	+13
48	Johnathan Franklin	GB	at Min	52	+4
49	Montee Ball	Den	vs. Was	51	+2
50	Mike Tolbert	Car	at TB	39	-11
51	LeGarrette Blount	NE	vs. Mia	56	+5
52	Daryl Richardson	StL	vs. Sea	53	+1
53	Felix Jones	Pit	at Oak	62	+9
54	Anthony Dixon	SF	at Jac	65	+11
55	Toby Gerhart	Min	vs. GB	58	+3
56	Brian Leonard	TB	vs. Car	44	-12
57	Justin Forsett	Jac	vs. SF	63	+6
58	Christine Michael	Sea	at StL	77	+19
59	Fozzy Whittaker	Cle	at KC	61	+2
60	LaMichael James	SF	at Jac	71	+11
61	Khiry Robinson	NO	vs. Buf	46	-15
62	Mark Ingram	NO	vs. Buf	57	-5
63	Phillip Tanner	Dal	at Det	59	-4
64	Knile Davis	KC	vs. Cle	73	+9

Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) from over 100 experts provided by FantasyPros

Wide Receivers: Depth of the Position Makes for Less Problems Here

There are so many viable wide receivers to go around in fantasy that even six bye teams cannot really put a damper on our lineups. Sure, we will miss the likes of Torrey Smith, Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, Kendall Wright, T.Y. Hilton, Keenan Allen, Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins, but the myriad options below soften the blow of injuries and absences at this position.

Anticipate a Giant Rebound

There have been a number of reasons Hakeem Nicks has been a bum for fantasy owners. First, Eli Manning has been an interception machine. Second, the offensive line hasn't given the Giants time to throw. Third, Rueben Randle has emerged to steal some targets, particularly in the red zone. And, finally, when everything goes right and Nicks does get thrown to, he has dropped it too often—like he did Monday night.

The Eagles are next on the schedule, though, so all three of Manning's targets, Victor Cruz, Nicks and Randle, are viable starters. The Eagles have been the worst team in fantasy against wide receivers, allowing league-worst totals in receptions (122), yards (1,555) and touchdowns (14).

Amendola Returning Too Soon?

Danny Amendola (concussion) has been practicing on a limited basis this week, according to the NFL Injury Report, but don't expect the Patriots and Bill Belichick to be forthcoming with any information until the Sunday inactives come out.

Amendola is about as "game-time decision" as it gets this week, and the fact the Dolphins are No. 3 in fantasy against wide receivers and haven't allowed a touchdown reception to the position all year might lead you to avoid him, despite our optimistic ranking below.

Like Him More

Josh Gordon is coming off his first bad week and has to contend with the Browns' quarterback change to Jason Campbell, as well as the Chiefs defense, but he is still too good to sit in any fantasy league, particularly amid this heavy bye week and the injuries of late.

Gordon leads the wide receivers we like more than the masses below:

1. Josh Gordon
2. Danny Amendola
3. Lance Moore
4. Donnie Avery
5. Ted Ginn (already starred Thursday night)
6. Jason Avant

Like Him Less

The Jarrett Boykin phenomenon is legit, especially because James Jones (knee) still isn't practicing, according to the official NFL Injury Report. The matchup against the Vikings is also favorable. What we don't necessarily like is it could be a busy week for Eddie Lacy, James Starks and even Johnathan Franklin on the ground, and Jordy Nelson through the air.

Boykin is a must-start in all leagues, but he still rates as one of the wideouts we like less than the consensus this week:

1. Jarrett Boykin
2. Steve Smith (already struggled Thursday night)
3. Cecil Shorts
4. Brian Hartline
5. Dwayne Bowe
6. Jeremy Kerley

Week 8 Wide Receivers Rankings - Eric Mack

Rank	Wide Receivers	Team	Opponent	ECR	vs. ECR
1	Calvin Johnson	Det	vs. Dal	1	0
2	Dez Bryant	Dal	at Det	2	0
3	A.J. Green	Cin	vs. NYJ	4	+1
4	Jordy Nelson	GB	at Min	3	-1
5	Wes Welker	Den	vs. Was	6	+1
6	Demaryius Thomas	Den	vs. Was	5	-1
7	Eric Decker	Den	vs. Was	12	+5
8	Victor Cruz	NYG	at Phi	7	-1
9	DeSean Jackson	Phi	vs. NYG	8	-1
10	Larry Fitzgerald	Ari	vs. Atl	13	+3
11	Marques Colston	NO	vs. Buf	16	+5
12	Antonio Brown	Pit	at Oak	10	-2
13	Josh Gordon	Cle	at KC	19	+6
14	Vincent Jackson	TB	vs. Car	9	-5
15	Pierre Garcon	Was	at Den	11	-4
16	Danny Amendola	NE	vs. Mia	38	+22
17	Justin Blackmon	Jac	vs. SF	14	-3
18	Hakeem Nicks	NYG	at Phi	20	+2
19	Anquan Boldin	SF	at Jac	17	-2
20	Mike Wallace	Mia	at NE	21	+1
21	Harry Douglas	Atl	at Ari	22	+1
22	Jarrett Boykin	GB	at Min	15	-7
23	Terrance Williams	Dal	at Det	26	+3
24	Steve Smith	Car	at TB	18	-6
25	Rueben Randle	NYG	at Phi	24	-1
26	Greg Jennings	Min	vs. GB	31	+5
27	Denarius Moore	Oak	vs. Pit	27	0
28	Lance Moore	NO	vs. Buf	54	+26
29	Michael Floyd	Ari	vs. Atl	25	-4
30	Cecil Shorts	Jac	vs. SF	23	-7
31	Golden Tate	Sea	at StL	32	+1
32	Steve Johnson	Buf	at NO	29	-3
33	Julian Edelman	NE	vs. Mia	33	0
34	Kris Durham	Det	vs. Dal	36	+2
35	Brian Hartline	Mia	at NE	28	-7
36	Kenbrell Thompkins	NE	vs. Mia	40	+4
37	Emmanuel Sanders	Pit	at Oak	35	-2
38	Mike Williams	TB	vs. Car	39	+1
39	Donnie Avery	KC	vs. Cle	53	+14
40	Dwayne Bowe	KC	vs. Cle	34	-6
41	Brandon LaFell	Car	at TB	37	-4
42	Roddy White	Atl	at Ari	41	-1
43	James Jones	GB	at Min	48	+5
44	Ted Ginn	Car	at TB	57	+13
45	Jeremy Kerley	NYJ	at Cin	30	-15
46	Stephen Hill	NYJ	at Cin	42	-4
47	Brandon Gibson	Mia	at NE	44	-3
48	Sidney Rice	Sea	at StL	46	-2
49	Riley Cooper	Phi	vs. NYG	49	0
50	Jason Avant	Phi	vs. NYG	56	+6
51	Aaron Dobson	NE	vs. Mia	47	-4
52	Robert Woods	Buf	at NO	43	-9
53	Jerricho Cotchery	Pit	at Oak	65	+12
54	Rod Streater	Oak	vs. Pit	58	+4
55	Doug Baldwin	Sea	at StL	62	+7
56	Jon Baldwin	SF	at Jac	91	+35
57	Santana Moss	Was	at Den	74	+17
58	Miles Austin	Dal	at Det	67	+9
59	Kenny Stills	NO	vs. Buf	52	-7
60	Chris Givens	StL	vs. Sea	60	0
61	Austin Pettis	StL	vs. Sea	61	0
62	Jerome Simpson	Min	vs. GB	45	-17
63	Leonard Hankerson	Was	at Den	55	-8
64	David Nelson	NYJ	at Cin	72	+8
65	Greg Little	Cle	at KC	71	+6
66	Andre Roberts	Ari	vs. Atl	70	+4
67	Davone Bess	Cle	at KC	79	+12
68	Mohamed Sanu	Cin	vs. NYJ	66	-2
69	Marvin Jones	Cin	vs. NYJ	50	-19
70	Nick Toon	NO	vs. Buf	96	+26
71	Ryan Broyles	Det	vs. Dal	76	+5
72	Tavon Austin	StL	vs. Sea	63	-9
73	Brian Quick	StL	vs. Sea	78	+5
74	Dexter McCluster	KC	vs. Cle	84	+10
75	Cole Beasley	Dal	at Det	59	-16
76	Cordarrelle Patterson	Min	vs. GB	73	-3

Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) from over 100 experts provided by FantasyPros

Tight Ends: Saints, Fantasy Owners Likely Need a Stopgap for Jimmy Graham

The potential absence of Jimmy Graham might propel Rob Gronkowski to the top of the rankings.

We finally get Rob Gronkowski back into fantasy lineups and now we have to deal with another potential week without Jimmy Graham (foot). He missed practice again Thursday, according to the official NFL Injury Report, and Larry Holder of The Times-Picayune reports the Saints are readying Ben Watson to start.

That is disappointing news for those hoping they wouldn't need anyone but Graham at the position from here on out. Despite our No. 1 ranking of him below, you have to expect him to be on the wrong side of Sunday's game-time decision. Have a replacement handy.

Gonzalez Headed for Big Week

Atlanta's Tony Gonzalez wasn't himself last week against the Bucs, coming off two huge weeks before the bye, which is particularly surprising with the Falcons having injuries to Julio Jones (foot) and Roddy White (ankle/hamstring). Expect Gonzalez to be a one-man wrecking crew against a Cardinals defense that has been the worst in fantasy against tight ends to date.

You Have the Wrong Jordan Now?

Jordan Cameron might be giving way to Jordan Reed as the breakthrough tight end of the year. The Browns' Cameron hasn't slowed enough to sit in fantasy, but Reed was a monster last week and the Browns have some things to be worried about if you are a Cameron owner this week: 1) Jason Campbell is taking over for Brandon Weeden. 2) The Chiefs are the No. 1 team in fantasy against tight ends. Keep Cameron active, but be wary of what the quarterback change and matchup might do to his numbers.

Like Him More

Kyle Rudolph had his best performance in Week 6 before putting up that stinker with Josh Freeman (concussion) Monday night. The likely move back to Christian Ponder could be a good thing for Rudolph owners. After all, it was Ponder who made Rudolph such a potent weapon in the red zone a year ago and a top-10 pick at the position this preseason.

Rudolph leads the tight ends we like more than most this week:

1. Kyle Rudolph
2. Anthony Fasano
3. Brandon Myers
4. Lance Kendricks
5. Marcedes Lewis

Like Him Less

Before we go anointing the Redskins' Reed a fantasy star, we should proceed with caution. Not so much caution that we sit him, but don't expect consistent numbers week to week. The Broncos are better than they have played in the secondary.

Reed is among the tight ends we like a bit less than the consensus:

1. Vernon Davis
2. Jordan Reed
3. Tyler Eifert
4. Jeff Cumberland
5. Scott Chandler

Week 8 Tight Ends Rankings - Eric Mack

Rank	Tight Ends	Team	Opponent	ECR	vs. ECR
1	Jimmy Graham	NO	vs. Buf	3	+2
2	Rob Gronkowski	NE	vs. Mia	1	-1
3	Julius Thomas	Den	vs. Was	4	+1
4	Jason Witten	Dal	at Det	6	+2
5	Tony Gonzalez	Atl	at Ari	5	0
6	Jordan Cameron	Cle	at KC	8	+2
7	Vernon Davis	SF	at Jac	2	-5
8	Kyle Rudolph	Min	vs. GB	12	+4
9	Greg Olsen	Car	at TB	10	+1
10	Charles Clay	Mia	at NE	11	+1
11	Jordan Reed	Was	at Den	7	-4
12	Heath Miller	Pit	at Oak	9	-3
13	Brandon Pettigrew	Det	vs. Dal	16	+3
14	Jared Cook	StL	vs. Sea	17	+3
15	Anthony Fasano	KC	vs. Cle	24	+9
16	Joseph Fauria	Det	vs. Dal	14	-2
17	Rob Housler	Ari	vs. Atl	18	+1
18	Brandon Myers	NYG	at Phi	25	+7
19	Tyler Eifert	Cin	vs. NYJ	15	-4
20	Jeff Cumberland	NYJ	at Cin	13	-7
21	Jermaine Gresham	Cin	vs. NYJ	21	0
22	Tim Wright	TB	vs. Car	23	+1
23	Zach Miller	Sea	at StL	22	-1
24	Lance Kendricks	StL	vs. Sea	29	+5
25	Zach Ertz	Phi	vs. NYG	28	+3
26	Scott Chandler	Buf	at NO	19	-7
27	Marcedes Lewis	Jac	vs. SF	31	+4
28	Brent Celek	Phi	vs. NYG	26	-2
29	Sean McGrath	KC	vs. Cle	32	+3
30	Ben Watson	NO	vs. Buf	27	-3
31	Mychal Rivera	Oak	vs. Pit	33	+2
32	Levine Toilolo	Atl	at Ari	35	+3

Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) from over 100 experts provided by FantasyPros

Defense/Special Teams: We Have to Turn to Some Softer Units This Week

There is no shortage of streaming options as we rate some of the softer defenses as viable options this week, including Green Bay, New Orleans and Philadelphia. Even the resurgent units of the Steelers and Jets rank among the starters with the sliding Ravens, Texans and Bears on a bye.

Giants Matchup Too Good to Ignore?

Throw out the Monday-night performance against the Vikings. They stink. The Giants are still the second-worst team in fantasy against opposing defense/special teams. The Eagles embarrassed the Giants back in Week 5 on the road, finishing among the top eight fantasy units in standard-scoring leagues. You have to figure the circumstances will be better at home here in Week 8.

Cowboy Down Instead of Up?

The Cowboys have been one of the biggest surprises at this position, sitting No. 2 behind only the Chiefs in standard scoring to date. We still rate their unit outside of the top 12 options this week, though, because the Cowboys are facing the Lions, who have been the third-toughest opponent for opposing defensive units in fantasy to date. You might have no choice but to start them, but the matchup could be a deal breaker if you have one of those higher-ranking units below.

Like Them More

The Pats have had significant injuries to their defense, but their unit is still one of the trustworthy options at the position this week—especially since the Dolphins have been the seventh most favorable matchup for opposing defenses.

The Pats are among the teams we like more than the consensus below:

1. New England Patriots
2. New York Jets
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
4. Dallas Cowboys

Like Them Less

You might not have noticed in the Falcons' disappointing start to the season, but Atlanta has been the toughest matchup for opposing defenses. For that reason, we rank the Cardinals among the defenses we like less than the masses this week:

1. Kansas City Chiefs
2. Carolina Panthers (already played Thursday night)
3. Arizona Cardinals
4. Oakland Raiders

Week 8 Defenses and Special Teams Rankings - Eric Mack

Rank	Defenses and Special Teams	Team	Opponent	ECR	vs. ECR
1	Seattle Seahawks	Sea	at StL	2	+1
2	San Francisco 49ers	SF	at Jac	3	+1
3	Kansas City Chiefs	KC	vs. Cle	1	-2
4	New England Patriots	NE	vs. Mia	6	+2
5	Cincinnati Bengals	Cin	vs. NYJ	5	0
6	Carolina Panthers	Car	at TB	4	-2
7	Green Bay Packers	GB	at Min	8	+1
8	New Orleans Saints	NO	vs. Buf	7	-1
9	Pittsburgh Steelers	Pit	at Oak	9	0
10	Philadelphia Eagles	Phi	vs. NYG	10	0
11	New York Jets	NYJ	at Cin	14	+3
12	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	TB	vs. Car	16	+4
13	Dallas Cowboys	Dal	at Det	17	+4
14	Atlanta Falcons	Atl	at Ari	13	-1
15	Arizona Cardinals	Ari	vs. Atl	12	-3
16	Denver Broncos	Den	vs. Was	15	-1
17	Oakland Raiders	Oak	vs. Pit	11	-6
18	Detroit Lions	Det	vs. Dal	19	+1
19	Cleveland Browns	Cle	at KC	18	-1
20	Miami Dolphins	Mia	at NE	21	+1

Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) from over 100 experts provided by FantasyPros

Kickers: Having Someone Through Their Bye Is Reason Enough to Like Him Here

Dan's Still Your Man: Dan Bailey has cooled after a hot start, but he still rates among our kicker starts.

The bye weeks have the tendency to create some waiver opportunities at the kicker position. The best of those likely cut this week include Justin Tucker—a preseason top-seven option—Adam Vinatieri and Nick Novak.

You could pick up any of those three this weekend or next Tuesday night and be set for the season at the position.

In the meantime…  

Bailey Back in Fantasy's Good Graces

The Cowboys' Dan Bailey has had some lean weeks after a torrid start, but he looks to rebound against a Lions team that has allowed the second most field goals in the NFL to date (18). Only the idle Ravens have allowed more (19). Bailey remains a start, barely, before he finally goes on a bye.

Pack up Walsh for the Week

The hamstring injury isn't enough to consider moving away from the Vikings' Blair Walsh, but their quarterback issues and the matchup against the Packers are reasons to. The Packers are tied with the Saints for allowing the fewest made field goals thus far this season. Walsh is far less of a sure thing in fantasy, especially coming off that stinker Monday night.

Like Them More

We have been jockeying Mason Crosby as one of the resurgent kicker stars in fantasy and continue to like him more than the consensus. The absence of some of the Packers' premium receivers and a renewed emphasis on the running game have helped Crosby, too.

Here are the kickers we like more than others this week:

1. Mason Crosby
2. Ryan Succop
3. Caleb Sturgis
4. Shaun Suisham
5. Josh Brown

Like Them Less

We cannot be sure the Giants have truly turned their defense around, but they cannot possibly be as bad as they had looked before Week 7, right? It is perhaps the only reason to be a bit more wary of Alex Henery as a must-start fantasy kicker.

Here are those we like less than the consensus:

1. Alex Henery
2. Steven Hauschka
3. Dan Bailey
4. Kai Forbath
5. David Aker

Week 8 Kickers Rankings - Eric Mack

Rank	Kickers	Team	Opponent	ECR	vs. ECR
1	Stephen Gostkowski	NE	vs. Mia	1	0
2	Matt Prater	Den	vs. Was	2	0
3	Mason Crosby	GB	at Min	9	+6
4	Garrett Hartley	NO	vs. Buf	4	0
5	Alex Henery	Phi	vs. NYG	3	-2
6	Matt Bryant	Atl	at Ari	6	0
7	Ryan Succop	KC	vs. Cle	10	+3
8	Phil Dawson	SF	at Jac	8	0
9	Steven Hauschka	Sea	at StL	5	-4
10	Dan Bailey	Dal	at Det	7	-3
11	Blair Walsh	Min	vs. GB	11	0
12	Caleb Sturgis	Mia	at NE	21	+9
13	Shaun Suisham	Pit	at Oak	15	+2
14	Kai Forbath	Was	at Den	12	-2
15	Mike Nugent	Cin	vs. NYJ	14	-1
16	David Akers	Det	vs. Dal	13	-3
17	Sebastian Janikowski	Oak	vs. Pit	16	-1
18	Jay Feely	Ari	vs. Atl	17	-1
19	Josh Brown	NYG	at Phi	23	+4
20	Nick Folk	NYJ	at Cin	18	-2

Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) from over 100 experts provided by FantasyPros