Week 8 Fantasy Football Rankings: Position-by-Position Breakdown

As the 2014 NFL regular season drags on, injuries and bye weeks are becoming a major inconvenience for fantasy football owners trying to make a late push toward the playoffs.

With the fantasy postseason beginning in Week 14, it is imperative for the teams struggling to string together several wins and make the playoffs. No fantasy owner wants to be on the outside looking in when the championship is on the line.

Here is a position-by-position fantasy breakdown heading into Week 8. When in doubt, start the higher-ranked player on each list.

Quarterbacks

Rank	Player	Projections
1	Peyton Manning, DEN	25 Points
2	Drew Brees, NO	24 Points
3	Aaron Rodgers, GB	23 Points
4	Andrew Luck, IND	22 Points
5	Tom Brady, NE	21 Points
6	Matthew Stafford, DET	19 Points
7	Philip Rivers, SD	18 Points
8	Jay Cutler, CHI	17 Points
9	Matt Ryan, ATL	16 Points
10	Joe Flacco, BAL	15 Points
11	Tony Romo, DAL	14 Points
12	Russell Wilson, SEA	14 Points
13	Carson Palmer, ARI	13 Points
14	Ryan Tannehill, MIA	12 Points
15	Cam Newton, CAR	12 Points

One of the most intriguing Week 8 games is the Sunday Night Football battle between the New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers. The elite quarterback matchup between Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers will ultimately decide the winner, but fantasy owners should ride with Brees.

The New Orleans quarterback hasn’t played at his typical elite level this season, but he is still performing at a high level. While the Saints lost in Week 7, Brees once again racked up a big fantasy haul, amassing 342 passing yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

Brees talked about his struggles with Mike Triplett of ESPN.com following Sunday’s loss to Detroit:

"

Listen, turnovers are gonna happen at times, especially at the quarterback position. You've gotta throw with anticipation, you've gotta take chances at times. And I guess on the flip side you've gotta know when to take a chance -- when to try to fit a ball in there, or when to throw it away, take a sack, scramble, whatever it might be, and make sure the ball stays in your hands.

And unfortunately that's a critical time of the game where a turnover cannot happen, and I'm responsible for that. That one's on me.

"

The road won’t get any easier, though, as the Packers secondary is ranked sixth in the NFL, allowing only 214.9 yards per game. New Orleans will understand the likelihood of a shootout between the two offenses, and Brees will be ready to exploit Green Bay’s weaknesses.

Rodgers and Brees will be looking to outperform each other in Week 8, and the result will be an outstanding fantasy performance from both men. Win or lose, Brees is going to be one of the top-ranked fantasy players again moving forward.

Running Backs

Rank	Player	Projection
1	DeMarco Murray, DAL	22 Points
2	LeSean McCoy, PHI	22 Points
3	Arian Foster, HOU	20 Points
4	Jamaal Charles, KC	18 Points
5	Marshawn Lynch, SEA	18 Points
6	Le'Veon Bell, PIT	17 Points
7	Andre Ellington, ARI	16 Points
8	Matt Forte, CHI	16 Points
9	Doug Martin, TB	15 Points
10	Giovani Bernard, CIN	15 Points
11	Ronnie Hillman, DEN	15 Points
12	Alfred Morris, WAS	14 Points
13	Shane Vereen, NE	13 Points
14	Branden Oliver, SD	13 Points
15	Ben Tate, CLE	12 Points
16	Eddie Lacy, GB	11 Points
17	Lamar Miller, MIA	11 Points
18	Trent Richardson, IND	11 Points
19	Ahmad Bradshaw, IND	10 Points
20	Tre Mason, STL	10 Points
21	Justin Forsett, BAL	9 Points
22	Ben Tate, CLE	9 Points
23	Bishop Sankey, TEN	8 Points
24	Denard Robinson, JAX	8 Points
25	Jonathan Stewart, CAR	7 Points

The conversation about running backs must start with Dallas Cowboys halfback DeMarco Murray. With his seventh consecutive 100-yard performance on Sunday, Murray became the first man in NFL history to accomplish the feat.

The Cowboys offensive line deserves an immense amount of credit during this stretch, but Murray is finding all of the holes and running with intensity. Fantasy owners with Murray have been on cloud nine.

In Week 8, Dallas plays the Washington Redskins on Monday Night Football. With Washington’s defense allowing 103.3 rushing yards per game, fantasy owners with Murray will close the week out with a huge performance from the touchdown machine (seven in 2014).

Another running back worth mentioning is the New England Patriots' Shane Vereen. With the season-ending injury to Stevan Ridley, Vereen took the workload in Week 7, carrying the ball 12 times for 47 yards and catching five passes for 71 yards and a touchdown.

While there is no question that Vereen is more valuable in PPR leagues, the 118 all-purpose yards and a touchdown translates to all scoring formats. Backups Jonas Gray and Brandon Bolden were not part of the game plan, and fantasy owners should be starting Vereen each week as a flex. Vereen is a RB2 in PPR leagues.

Wide Receivers

Rank	Player	Projection
1	Demaryius Thomas, DEN	22 Points
2	Jordy Nelson, GB	22 Points
3	Dez Bryant, DAL	20 Points
4	Antonio Brown, PIT	20 Points
5	Julio Jones, ATL	19 Points
6	Brandon Marshall, CHI	18 Points
7	Jeremy Maclin, PHI	18 Points
8	T.Y. Hilton, IND	17 Points
9	Alshon Jeffery, CHI	17 Points
10	Kelvin Benjamin, CAR	16 Points
11	Steve Smith, BAL	16 Points
12	Andre Johnson, HOU	15 Points
13	Vincent Jackson, TB	15 Points
14	Randall Cobb, GB	14 Points
15	Mike Wallace, MIA	14 Points
16	Keenan Allen, SD	14 Points
17	Torrey Smith, BAL	13 Points
18	DeSean Jackson, WSH	12 Points
19	Larry Fitzgerald, ARI	12 Points
20	Doug Baldwin, SEA	11 Points
21	DeAndre Hopkins, HOU	10 Points
22	Percy Harvin, NYJ	10 Points
23	Reggie Wayne, IND	9 Points
24	Marques Colston, NO	8 Points
25	Golden Tate, DET	8 Points
26	Pierre Garcon, WAS	8 Points
27	Roddy White, ATL	7 Points
28	Brandin Cooks, NO	6 Points
29	Julian Edelman, NE	6 Points
30	Sammy Watkins, BUF	5 Points
31	Cordarrelle Patterson, MIN	5 Points
32	Kendall Wright, TEN	5 Points
33	Michael Floyd, ARI	5 Points
34	Brian Quick, STL	5 Points
35	Michael Crabtree, SF	5 Points

The biggest wide receiver name being talked about this week is New York Jets' newly acquired weapon Percy Harvin. While many fans in Seattle and fantasy football owners were taken aback by this move, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said the deal was best for the team:

It will be a risk to play Harvin the first week he joins his new team, but Rex Ryan and the Jets will be looking to immediately implement a weapon as dangerous as Harvin. With a favorable matchup against the Bills secondary, Buffalo unsure of what to expect and Harvin’s ability to contribute in the rushing and passing attacks, fantasy owners should expect a big statistical performance.

A wide receiver who is quietly making a very big name for himself is Carolina Panthers rookie Kelvin Benjamin. Despite suffering a concussion last week, Benjamin was still a big part of Carolina’s game plan and amassed three catches for 61 yards and a touchdown.

With five touchdowns, it is clear Benjamin is quarterback Cam Newton’s favorite end-zone target and will continue to be throughout the season. Benjamin has only caught 34 of the 61 passes thrown his way this season, but the targets are there as the rookie continues learning the offensive game plan.

Benjamin and Harvin are well worth a start in all standard-scoring and PPR leagues for Week 8.

Tight Ends

Rank	Player	Projection
1	Julius Thomas, DEN	18 Points
2	Rob Gronkowski, NE	18 Points
3	Martellus Bennett, CHI	14 Points
4	Greg Olsen, CAR	14 Points
5	Jimmy Graham, NO	13 Points
6	Antonio Gates, SD	12 Points
7	Vernon Davis, SF	12 Points
8	Jace Amaro, NYJ	11 Points
9	Delanie Walker, TEN	10 Points
10	Jordan Cameron, CLE	10 Points
11	Travis Kelce, KC	9 Points
12	Jason Witten, DAL	8 Points

The Fountain of Youth may not be real, but San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates has found some mystical way to remain one of the best players at his position even at 34 years old.

"

Antonio Gates is the oldest player on the field today in San Diego. Sure doesn’t look like it.

— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) October 19, 2014"

Quarterback Philip Rivers and Gates have been attached at the hip for years, but Gates has stayed healthy in 2014 and is racking up big numbers. With 363 yards and seven touchdowns, Gates is one of the most dangerous receivers in the NFL.

Gates now has four touchdowns in his last three games and has been targeted at least five times in each of the last four games. Rivers is clearly looking for Gates in the end zone, and fantasy owners should expect the steady load of touchdowns to continue.

Health will always be a concern for a 34-year-old tight end, but Gates will excel during Week 8’s game against the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football.

Team Defenses

Rank	Team	Opponent	Projection
1	Seattle Seahawks	Carolina	16 Points
2	Miami Dolphins	Jacksonville	16 Points
3	Minnesota Vikings	Tampa Bay	14 Points
4	New York Jets	Buffalo	14 Points
5	Detroit Lions	Atlanta	14 Points
6	Philadelphia Eagles	Arizona	12 Points
7	Arizona Cardinals	Philadelphia	12 Points
8	Houston Texans	Tennessee	12 Points
9	Denver Broncos	San Diego	10 Points
10	San Diego Chargers	Denver	10 Points
11	Cleveland Browns	Oakland	10 Points
12	Dallas Cowboys	Washington	8 Points

Many fantasy owners pick up and drop defenses every week based on matchups. The best defense likely available is the Miami Dolphins. With a matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, this is the perfect pickup.

Miami is coming off a dominant defensive performance over Chicago and will be looking to take advantage of rookie quarterback Blake Bortles. Jacksonville may have earned its first win of the season in Week 7, but the offense will struggle against the Dolphins defense.

Kickers

Rank	Player	Projection
1	Stephen Gostkowski, NE	14 Points
2	Dan Bailey, DAL	14 Points
3	Justin Tucker, BAL	13 Points
4	Chandler Catanzaro, ARI	12 Points
5	Nick Folk, NYJ	12 Points
6	Matt Bryant, ATL	11 Points
7	Brandon McManus, DEN	10 Points
8	Mason Crosby, GB	9 Points
9	Matt Prater, DET	8 Points
10	Cody Parkey, PHI	7 Points
11	Adam Vinatieri, IND	6 Points
12	Dan Carpenter, BUF	6 Points

The New York Jets got a new weapon with the acquisition of Harvin, and most fans agree it should make the offense instantly better. One of the players who will benefit most from the upgrades is kicker Nick Folk.

This season, Folk has made 13 of his 14 field-goal attempts and all 10 of his extra points. With a matchup against Buffalo that could yield several field-goal opportunities, Folk would be a smart start in all fantasy leagues.

*Stats via NFL.com.