Fantasy Football Week 8: Updated Rankings for Sunday's Action

Believe it or not, most fantasy football leagues will already be halfway done after the weekend.

And that's just for the lucky managers who make it to the fantasy championships, which usually occur during Week 16. The chances to chalk up wins before the playoffs are dwindling, and Week 8 presents October's last opportunity to wrestle away a victory.

These rankings are missing plenty of key players, as the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers already performed on Thursday night. That leaves several managers with one or two less decisions to make for the weekend, while others are now staring at an early deficit.

Let's dive into the remaining slate to provide position-by-position fantasy football rankings for Week 8.

Quarterback

Rank	Player	Opponent
1	Aaron Rodgers	at New Orleans
2	Drew Brees	Green Bay
3	Russell Wilson	at Carolina
4	Andrew Luck	at Pittsburgh
5	Tony Romo	Washington
6	Tom Brady	Chicago
7	Nick Foles	at Arizona
8	Carson Palmer	Philadelphia
9	Cam Newton	Seattle
10	Ryan Tannehill	at Jacksonville
11	Matthew Stafford	Atlanta (London)
12	Jay Cutler	at New England
13	Joe Flacco	at Cincinnati
14	Alex Smith	St. Louis
15	Matt Ryan	Detroit (London)

Since Peyton Manning took the Thursday night shift this week, everyone gets a crack at the top quarterback ranking he often monopolizes throughout the season. Even if these rankings were released on Wednesday, however, Aaron Rodgers would reign supreme as Week 8's No. 1 quarterback.

The New Orleans Saints rank No. 28 with 270.5 passing yards allowed per contest. They just relinquished 299 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Matthew Stafford sans Calvin Johnson, and Rodgers shares no such shortage of top wideouts. Jordy Nelson leads the NFC with 47 receptions while Randall Cobb's eight touchdowns tops the conference.

Of course, you're starting Rodgers if you own him and cursing the fantasy gods if you're facing him. Tony Romo may not be regarded in such must-start terrain, but he should be.

The criminally underrated signal-caller has registered a 69.2 completion percentage, which tops the NFL. Since his three-interception season debut against the San Francisco 49ers, Romo has tossed 13 scores to just three picks, averaging 278.8 passing yards in his past four games.

Per ESPN Stats & Info, only Manning has a higher active streak of consecutive games with at least one touchdown pass:

Monday night's matchup is also ripe for picking, as Washington is tied with the New York Jets for most fantasy points surrendered to quarterbacks in ESPN leagues. They haven't exactly faced a murderer's row of passers either, having played Ryan Fitzpatrick, Chad Henne and Charlie Whitehurst.

QB sleeper: Kyle Orton, Buffalo Bills (at New York Jets)

Running Back

Rank	Player	Opponent
1	Matt Forte	at New England
2	Jamaal Charles	St. Louis
3	DeMarco Murray	Washington
4	Marshawn Lynch	at Carolina
5	Arian Foster	at Tennessee
6	Le'Veon Bell	Indianapolis
7	Andre Ellington	Philadelphia
8	Lamar Miller	at Jacksonville
9	LeSean McCoy	at Arizona
10	Joique Bell	Atlanta (London)
11	Giovani Bernard	Baltimore
12	Jerick McKinnon	at Tampa Bay
13	Eddie Lacy	at New Orleans
14	Ben Tate	Oakland
15	Ahmad Bradshaw	at Pittsburgh
16	Justin Forsett	at Cincinnati
17	Alfred Morris	at Dallas
18	Shane Vereen	Chicago
19	Mark Ingram	Green Bay
20	Darren McFadden	at Cleveland
21	Denard Robinson	Miami
22	Tre Mason	at Kansas City
23	Chris Ivory	Buffalo
24	Reggie Bush	Atlanta (London)
25	Bryce Brown	at New York Jets

Attention fantasy gamers: Jerick McKinnon demands your attention.

Shaking free from Matt Asiata's shadow, the 22-year-old has generated 381 total yards through his past four games. He's done so at an efficient rate, averaging 5.5 yards per carry compared to Asiata's 3.7 over the same stretch.

Adam Bettcher/Getty Images

McKinnon is the superior Minnesota Vikings rusher, and it's not particularly close. According to The Associated Press' Dave Campbell, he has the full support of rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.

"Whenever the ball is in his hand, he's going to make a play. The first guy doesn't usually bring him down in the open field," Bridgewater said. "He's a guy who's very exciting to watch and very exciting to be in the backfield with. He's going to do some great things for this team."

Campbell also noted that McKinnon ranks third with 2.6 yards per carry after contact with 6.8 yards per run up the middle. Both are phenomenal signs from a 5"9" back cast as a speedster, so Minnesota has no excuse to keep using the bigger Asiata in goal-line work.

He should continue to pry away most of Minnesota's touches, and fantasy owners will hope that transition develops this weekend. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers rank No. 25 in rushing defense, and McKinnon could pull double duty as a pass-catcher against the NFL's worst passing defense. Start the newcomer with confidence.

RB Sleeper: Travaris Cadet, New Orleans Saints (vs. Green Bay Packers)

Wide Receiver

Rank	Player	Opponent
1	Jordy Nelson	at New Orleans
2	Dez Bryant	Washington
3	Antonio Brown	Indianapolis
4	Randall Cobb	at New Orleans
5	TY Hilton	at Pittsburgh
6	Julio Jones	Detroit (London)
7	Jeremy Maclin	at Arizona
8	Mike Wallace	at Jacksonville
9	Sammy Watkins	at New York Jets
10	Golden Tate	Atlanta (London)
11	Brandon Marshall	at New England
12	Alshon Jeffery	at New England
13	Steve Smith	at Cincinnati
14	Vincent Jackson	Minnesota
15	Michael Floyd	Philadelphia
16	Andre Johnson	at Tennessee
17	Kelvin Benjamin	Seattle
18	Julian Edelman	Chicago
19	Pierre Garcon	at Dallas
20	Doug Baldwin	at Carolina
21	DeSean Jackson	at Dallas
22	Terrance Williams	Washington
23	DeAndre Hopkins	at Tennessee
24	Marques Colston	Green Bay
25	Calvin Johnson	Atlanta (London)

All Sammy Watkins needed was a quarterback change to springboard from fringe flex play to top-10 wideout given the right matchup.

Take at look at what the rookie has accomplished in three games with Kyle Orton under center and consider that the New England Patriots employ Darrelle Revis at cornerback:

Opponent	Rec.	Tar.	Rec. YDs	TDs
at Detroit Lions	7	12	87	0
New England Patriots	2	3	27	0
Minnesota Vikings	9	14	122	2

Just like that, Watkins is now pushing for 1,000 receiving yards during his rookie campaign. While EJ Manuel frequently targeted the highly-touted first-round pick, the duo successfully connected on an inefficient 17 of 32 targets. 

The New York Jets no longer roster Revis, and they did not locate a suitable replacement to play man coverage. It's important to note Gang Green has endured a brutal schedule where they have ran into Rodgers, Manning, Philip Rivers and Tom Brady, so maybe the secondary deserves some slack.

But Watkins is too talented to halt those struggles completely on Sunday. Going forward, treat the Buffalo Bills' electric receiver as a starting mainstay.

WR Sleeper: Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers (at New Orleans Saints)

Tight End

Rank	Player	Opponent
1	Rob Gronkowski	Chicago
2	Greg Olsen	Seattle
3	Jimmy Graham	Green Bay
4	Jordan Reed	at Dallas
5	Martellus Bennett	at New England
6	Dwayne Allen	at Pittsburgh
7	Jordan Cameron	Oakland
8	Owen Daniels	at Cincinnati
9	Zach Ertz	at Arizona
10	Travis Kelce	St. Louis
11	Jason Witten	Washington
12	Charles Clay	at Jacksonville
13	Delanie Walker	Houston
14	Jared Cook	at Kansas City
15	Scott Chandler	at New York Jets

The top of this list looks awfully thin with Thursday participants Julius Thomas and Antonio Gate ineligible and a hobbled Jimmy Graham playing limited snaps. That makes Greg Olsen an elite option against the Seattle Seahawks, who have already surrendered eight touchdowns to opposing tight ends.

Later on the board, Jordan Reed and Owen Daniels are both juicy options to play against vulnerable opponents. Reed gets the Dallas Cowboys, who have yielded a league-high 50 receptions to tight ends along with seven touchdowns. Daniels get the Cincinnati Bengals, whose 609 yards tops the leaderboard versus the position.

After a hamstring injury cost him a month, Reed has returned strong with 13 catches for 146 yards. Considering the 26 targets sent Niles Paul's way in his absence, Reed would probably be appraised shortly outside the top five tight ends had he remained healthy.

Health has rarely helped Owen Daniels in the past, and it's rearing its ugly head again. The 31-year-old did not attend the Baltimore Ravens' practice yesterday with a knee ailment, per the team's official Twitter account:

If he suits up, Daniels is a starting play given a strong matchup and his prominence since Dennis Pitta went down for the season. The veteran has stockpiled 205 receiving yards in the last four games, scoring a touchdown last Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. Monitor his status heading into Sunday and start him if he's a go.

TE Sleeper: Jermaine Gresham, Cincinnati Bengals (vs. Baltimore Ravens)

Defense

Rank	Team	Opponent
1	Buffalo Bills	at New York Jets
2	Miami Dolphins	at Jacksonville Jaguars
3	Houston Texans	at Tennessee
4	Dallas Cowboys	Washington
5	Detroit Lions	Atlanta (London)
6	Kansas City Chiefs	St. Louis
7	Cleveland Browns	Oakland
8	Seattle Seahawks	at Carolina
9	Indianapolis Colts	at Pittsburgh
10	Philadelphia Eagles	at Arizona Cardinals

Even in the Jacksonville Jaguars' first winning effort of the season, Blake Bortles fired three interceptions and got sacked twice. Leading the way with 15 giveaways and 29 sacks, Jacksonville remains a primary source of fantasy points for its opposition.

Otherwise a fringe option, the Miami Dolphins catapult to a must-start. Yet most fantasy managers know that. If you're too late to scoop up Miami, aim for the Kansas City Chiefs, who sport the NFL's second-best passing defense despite having encountered Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Philip Rivers.

Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

Although the St. Louis Rams are riding high after upsetting the Seattle Seahawks, they have yielded the third-most fantasy points to opposing defenses in ESPN standard-scoring formats. They're not last year's touchdown-scoring juggernaut, but the Chiefs are a solid Week 8 play nonetheless.

D Sleeper: Baltimore Ravens (at Cincinnati Bengals)

Kicker

Rank	Player	Opponent
1	Dan Bailey	Washington
2	Stephen Gostkowski	Chicago
3	Mason Crosby	at New Orleans
4	Steven Hauschka	at Carolina
5	Adam Vinatieri	at Pittsburgh
6	Justin Tucker	at Cincinnati
7	Chandler Catanzaro	Philadelphia
8	Cody Parkey	at Arizona
9	Blair Walsh	at Tampa Bay
10	Caleb Sturgis	at Jacksonville

Chandler Catanzaro has converted all 15 field-goal attempts during his inaugural season. If he makes his first try on Sunday, he'll set a new rookie record for most consecutive makes to start a career.

While he's nailed just one 50-plus yarder, he's displayed superb mid-range accuracy with five field goals between 40-49 yards.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Although the Philadelphia Eagles shut out the New York Giants before enjoying their Week 7 bye, they still possess the No. 24 overall defense. The young kicker, owned in just 17.4 percent of ESPN leagues, should get some chances to boot home a few points for his few fantasy owners.

K Sleeper: Cairo Santos, Kansas City Chiefs (vs. St. Louis Rams)