Fantasy Football Week 8 Rankings: Updated Overview for All Positions

I've always been of the belief that the more you learn, the less you know. 

Fantasy football is no different. For every trend your recognize, a statistical anomaly will cost you a matchup. For every logical decision you make, an illogical stroke of misfortune will strike at any given moment, leaving you exasperated. Football by its nature is an unpredictable beast—accepting that fact and trying to make the most educated decision rather than expecting yourself to always make the right one will save you a lot of grief.

So that's why in my rankings, I grade players based on how smart it is to start them on a given week and how safe you can feel in their ability to earn you a solid number of points. The more I learn, the less I know. 

Notes: For a full explanation of the rankings, see here. Abridged version: Startability measures how smart it is to start a given player in a week rather than attempting to project how many points he will score. "Ability" measures a player's overall talent, proficiency at his position and ability to produce fantasy numbers. "Offense" measures how much that team's offense improves his fantasy stock. The overall "startability" grade is weighted. All point totals and points-against statistics via ESPN standard scoring leagues. 

Schedule

Thursday, Oct. 23	Time (ET)
Sunday, Oct. 26	Time (ET)
Monday, Oct. 27	Time (ET)
San Diego at Denver	8:25 p.m.
Detroit at Atlanta	9:30 a.m.
St. Louis at Kansas City	1 p.m.
Houston at Tennessee	1 p.m.
Minnesota at Tampa Bay	1 p.m.
Seattle at Carolina	1 p.m.
Baltimore at Cincinnati	1 p.m.
Miami at Jacksonville	1 p.m.
Chicago at New England	1 p.m.
Buffalo at NY Jets	1 p.m.
Philadelphia at Arizona	4:05 p.m.
Oakland at Cleveland	4:25 p.m.
Indianapolis at Pittsburgh	4:25 p.m.
Green Bay at New Orleans	8:30 p.m.
Washington at Dallas	8:30 p.m.

Quarterbacks

Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
1	Aaron Rodgers	49	19	14	9	A+ (91)
2	Peyton Manning	50	13	15	10	A (88)
3	Philip Rivers	45	16	13	9	A (83)
4	Russell Wilson	44	20	10	9	A (83)
5	Andrew Luck	48	11	13	10	A (82)
6	Tony Romo	42	22	11	7	A (82)
7	Drew Brees	49	10	12	9	A- (80)
8	Tom Brady	45	15	10	6	B (76)
9	Cam Newton	47	15	8	5	B (75)
10	Matt Stafford	44	13	7	5	B- (69)
11	Nick Foles	38	14	12	5	B- (69)
12	Joe Flacco	40	16	8	5	B- (69)
13	Carson Palmer	36	20	9	4	B- (69)
14	Alex Smith	38	20	6	5	B- (69)
15	Jay Cutler	42	5	13	8	C+ (68)
16	Matt Ryan	45	3	13	5	C (66)
17	Ryan Tannehill	37	17	7	5	C (66)
18	Andy Dalton	40	8	11	4	C- (63)
19	Ben Roethlisberger	41	5	8	4	D (58)
20	Mike Glennon	35	8	9	4	D (56)

Tom Brady is trending up, folks. With 72 total fantasy points in his last three games, the legendary quarterback has to be considered a QB1 going forward, especially when he has matchups against teams like the Chicago Bears, giving up 16.7 fantasy points per week (21st in the NFL). At this point, he has to be considered a weekly QB1 each week unless he has a truly brutal matchup. 

Tony Romo is another player trending in the right direction, with 15 or more fantasy points in five straight weeks. On what has been the league's most well-rounded offense this year, Romo has been playing great football. He's another player who now has to be in the QB1 discussion every week, especially against shoddy pass defenses like the one Washington trots out every week.

Some players are trending toward confusion, however. Matt Stafford has 15 or fewer fantasy points in three straight weeks, but that's been without Calvin Johnson. Cam Newton sandwiched a 33-point performance in Week 6 with 14-point performances before and after. Joe Flacco has rotated epic performances with mediocre ones. 

Stafford's stock will rise with Megatron, though, whenever he returns. Newton's healthy again, so the rushing attempts should continue to rise, aiding his fantasy value. Flacco has never been reliable. That should help to clear up the confusion.

And then there are those players trending down, namely that fellow in Atlanta. What exactly has happened to Matt Ryan? After a strong start for fantasy owners, he's scored 14 or fewer points in three straight weeks. Chalk that up to a beat-up offensive line that can't keep him on his feet. Ryan was sacked five times last week versus Baltimore, and now the ferocious Detroit defensive line comes to town.

In other words, stay away from Ryan this week.

Running Backs

Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
1	Marshawn Lynch	49	22	15	10	A+ (96)
2	Matt Forte	48	17	14	10	A+ (89)
3	Arian Foster	47	13	13	9	A (82)
4	Le'Veon Bell	47	13	13	9	A (82)
5	DeMarco Murray	48	5	15	10	A (78)
6	Jamaal Charles	49	5	14	10	A (78)
7	Joique Bell	40	25	8	5	A (78)
8	Andre Ellington	43	13	12	8	A- (76)
9	Eddie Lacy	42	16	10	7	B+ (75)
10	Ben Tate	38	22	10	5	B+ (75)
11	Jerick McKinnon	38	20	12	5	B+ (75)
12	Ahmad Bradshaw	40	14	12	8	B (74)
13	Lamar Miller	39	15	12	7	B (73)
14	LeSean McCoy	48	4	12	7	B (71)
15	Giovani Bernard	44	5	12	8	B (69)
16	Branden Oliver	36	13	14	6	B (69)
17	Doug Martin	40	18	8	5	B (69)
18	Alfred Morris	44	8	10	6	B- (68)
19	Justin Forsett	36	14	11	7	B- (68)
20	Ronnie Hillman	38	11	13	6	B- (68)
21	Darren McFadden	37	19	6	6	B- (68)
22	Reggie Bush	35	25	4	3	C+ (67)
23	Trent Richardson	38	14	8	6	C+ (66)
24	Shane Vereen	36	11	12	5	C (64)
25	Bishop Sankey	36	16	5	5	C (62)
26	Bryce Brown	38	10	8	4	C (60)
27	Darren Sproles*	41	4	9	5	C (59)
28	Chris Ivory	38	3	9	7	C- (57)
29	Mark Ingram	37	11	5	4	C- (57)
30	Anthony Dixon	37	10	4	3	C- (56)
31	Khiry Robinson	37	11	4	4	C- (56)
32	Denard Robinson	35	12	4	3	D (54)
33	Tre Mason	36	6	7	3	D (50)
34	Steven Jackson	34	7	5	3	D (49)
35	Antone Smith	36	7	3	3	D (49)

Just when you thought you were figuring out the running back position in fantasy football, Week 7 went ahead and threw a wrench in the entire operation. 

Tre Mason apparently seized the starting role in St. Louis, but who really knows what Benny Cunningham and Zac Stacy's roles will be? C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson got hurt, seemingly opening the door for Bryce Brown, but he has been inactive for every game this year despite being hurt. Shane Vereen seems to be the guy in New England, but that backfield is always a muddled mess to decipher. And don't even get me started on the backfield in New Orleans. 

Because of the uncertainty in places like St. Louis and Buffalo, Mason and Brown won't be ranked terribly high here, though I think both players have big upside this week if they are in fact the clear starters. If nothing else, they should be rostered and at least considered for your flex.

And then there's Denard Robinson, who was excellent in Week 7 but plays behind a poor offensive line and is likely to concede some, if not most, of his carries to Toby Gerhart this week, returning from an injury. I think Robinson is a flex consideration, but until his role is clearly defined, he's a risky option in your starting lineup.

More than a few talented players have brutal matchups this week, helping to elevate players like Ben Tate and Jerick McKinnon way up the rankings. Tate faces an Oakland defense allowing 22.8 fantasy points to opposing running backs per week, 31st in the NFL. Things are even better for McKinnon against an Atlanta defense giving up 26 fantasy points per week, worst in the league. Start these two without hesitation. 

But your ultimate sleeper start this week is Darren McFadden. Yes, I said Darren McFadden. Very quietly, McFadden has seven or more fantasy points in four of his last five games and now faces a Cleveland defense giving up 21.3 points per week to opposing backs per game, 29th in the NFL. He's still probably a flex starter for you, but if you've been holding onto him for depth, this is a great week to insert him into your lineup.

Wide Receivers

Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
1	Jordy Nelson	48	24	14	9	A+ (95)
2	Randall Cobb	45	24	13	9	A+ (91)
3	A.J. Green*	48	18	13	10	A+ (89)
4	Dez Bryant	49	15	13	9	A (86)
5	Demaryius Thomas	47	10	14	9	A (80)
6	Jeremy Maclin	42	16	14	8	A (80)
7	Mike Wallace	44	14	12	8	A (78)
8	Julio Jones	49	5	13	9	A- (76)
9	Emmanuel Sanders	43	10	15	8	A- (76)
10	Vincent Jackson	44	15	10	6	A- (75)
11	Antonio Brown	47	3	12	10	B+ (72)
12	Golden Tate	40	15	11	7	B+ (72)
13	Andre Johnson	42	13	10	7	B+ (72)
14	Brandon Marshall	48	3	12	8	B (71)
15	T.Y. Hilton	42	10	12	7	B (71)
16	Calvin Johnson*	40	15	10	5	B (70)
17	DeAndre Hopkins	40	13	10	7	B (70)
18	Steve Smith	42	6	13	8	B- (69)
19	DeSean Jackson	45	7	11	6	B- (69)
20	Kelvin Benjamin	41	10	10	7	C+ (68)
21	Alshon Jeffery	45	3	12	7	C+ (68)
22	Michael Floyd	40	18	5	5	C+ (68)
23	Terrance Williams	38	15	8	7	C+ (68)
24	Mohamed Sanu	37	18	8	5	C+ (68)
25	Larry Fitzgerald	40	18	5	3	C (66)
26	Julian Edelman	37	13	10	6	C (66)
27	Pierre Garcon	42	7	11	6	C (66)
28	Doug Baldwin	33	20	10	3	C (66)
29	Mike Evans	40	15	7	4	C (66)
30	Sammy Watkins	41	14	5	5	C- (65)
31	Eric Decker	38	16	5	6	C- (65)
32	Reggie Wayne*	40	10	10	5	C- (65)
33	Marques Colston	37	13	10	4	D+ (64)
34	James Jones	37	13	8	6	D+ (64)
35	Percy Harvin	42	16	3	2	D (63)
36	Malcom Floyd	35	9	8	6	D (58)
37	Brandon LaFell	32	13	8	4	D (57)
38	Torrey Smith	40	6	10	6	D (56)
39	Roddy White	38	5	7	4	D- (54)
40	Eddie Royal	30	9	8	5	D- (54)

Yes, Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb are atop the rankings this week. And why not? The former is averaging a little over 100 yards a game and is being targeted a little over 10 times a game. The latter already has eight receiving touchdowns. And with Aaron Rodgers red hot at the moment, there's no reason to think either player is about to slow down his production.  

This is the last week I'll advise rostering Larry Fitzgerald if he doesn't produce. Why? Because if he can't exploit a terrible—and I mean terrible—Philadelphia secondary giving up 24.5 fantasy points to opposing wideouts per week (26th in the NFL), he simply isn't going to produce at all this year. Few players could use a change of scenery more than Fitzgerald.

What will a change of scenery mean for Percy Harvin? Who knows. Honestly, it's a mystery. One would guess the New York Jets will try to utilize him in unique ways immediately, but it's not as though he's going to a top offense, either. He should be better in New York than he was in Seattle, but he remains nothing more than a risky flex consideration. 

If A.J. Green starts, you play him. Given that he's been dealing with the same toe injury all season and produced earlier in the year with the ailment, it's highly unlikely he'll be a decoy if he plays this week. Start him with confidence. 

As for Megatron, well, it's a wait-and-see approach. But if he's a game-time decision, your decision should probably be to go with a different option. 

Very quietly, Torrey Smith has begun to emerge as a viable fantasy starter again, with double-digit fantasy points in three of the last four weeks. He's always been a streaky player, sure, but Joe Flacco continues to look his way, siphoning some of Steve Smith Sr.'s fantasy value along the way. His streakiness makes him a risky start, but the reward is starting to make that risk worthwhile for many fantasy owners. 

Tight Ends 

Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
1	Greg Olsen	45	20	12	8	85
2	Julius Thomas	49	10	15	10	84
3	Rob Gronkowski	48	15	12	8	83
4	Jimmy Graham	50	10	13	10	83
5	Zach Ertz	42	18	9	5	74
6	Antonio Gates	40	12	13	8	73
7	Martellus Bennett	41	12	13	7	73
8	Jordan Reed	40	20	9	4	73
9	Owen Daniels	36	21	8	6	71
10	Dwayne Allen	37	16	10	7	70
11	Travis Kelce	42	10	10	7	69
12	Jordan Cameron	44	13	8	3	68
13	Jason Witten	40	15	5	6	66
14	Coby Fleener	35	16	8	5	64
15	Delanie Walker	39	7	8	4	58

Sometimes stats can be misleading. For example, the San Diego Chargers are giving up just 4.3 fantasy points to opposing tight ends per week, third in the NFL, perhaps leading some folks to fear for Julius Thomas this week.

Stop. Just stop.

The reason San Diego has appeared so ferocious against tight ends likely has something to do with the fact that they haven't faced many good players at the position yet this year. In fact, the only player that appears on these rankings to have faced the Chargers is Travis Kelce. 

Lenny Ignelzi/Associated Press

Yes, Kelce was held to just four receptions for 33 yards last week. No, Kansas City's offense cannot, should not and will not be compared to the Denver Broncos offense. Orange Julius had an off week against San Francisco in Week 7, but the Chargers are unlikely to make it two in a row.

I love Zach Ertz this week. The Arizona Cardinals have given up seven or more fantasy points to opposing tight ends in 16 of their last 22 games. In a contest where the Eagles are likely to have more success through the air than on the ground, Ertz seems destined to play a huge role.

Defense/Special Teams

Rank	Defense
1	Buffalo Bills
2	Miami Dolphins
3	Houston Texans
4	Philadelphia Eagles
5	Kansas City Chiefs
6	Detroit Lions
7	New England Patriots
8	Cleveland Browns
9	Dallas Cowboys
10	St. Louis Rams

Kickers

Rank	Player
1	Stephen Gostkowski
2	Adam Vinatieri
3	Dan Bailey
4	Cody Parkey
5	Justin Tucker
6	Chandler Catanzaro
7	Nick Novak
8	Randy Bullock
9	Blair Walsh
10	Mason Crosby

Hit me up on Twitter—I'll answer your fantasy questions and make some corny jokes, too. It's more fun than trying to keep a straight face while offering Percy Harvin for Julius Thomas in a trade.