Fantasy Football Week 8 Rankings: Last-Minute Outlook for Flex Players

Like so many other things in fantasy football, the flex position is all about matchups.

After all, you likely have your top-notch running backs and top-notch wide receivers already in place, so it would be best to exploit the most favorable matchup in that extra spot. It could be the difference between a Week 8 fantasy victory and a midseason loss.

With that in mind, here is a look at the top 40 running back and wide receiver flex plays for Week 8, as well as some deeper analysis on a few of the more intriguing options across the league (*Shane Vereen was not included because he was dealing with an illness at the time of this writing).

Rank	Player	Position	Team	Opponent
1	Jordy Nelson	WR	GB	NO
2	DeMarco Murray	RB	DAL	WAS
3	Randall Cobb	WR	GB	NO
4	Marshawn Lynch	RB	SEA	CAR
5	Arian Foster	RB	HOU	TEN
6	Dez Bryant	WR	DAL	WAS
7	Matt Forte	RB	CHI	NE
8	Jamaal Charles	RB	KC	STL
9	Andre Ellington	RB	AZ	PHI
10	Eddie Lacy	RB	GB	NO
11	Antonio Brown	WR	PIT	IND
12	Golden Tate	WR	DET	ATL
13	Le'Veon Bell	RB	PIT	IND
14	T.Y. Hilton	WR	IND	PIT
15	LeSean McCoy	RB	PHI	AZ
16	Julio Jones	WR	ATL	DET
17	Alshon Jeffery	WR	CHI	NE
18	Ahmad Bradshaw	RB	IND	PIT
19	Joique Bell	RB	DET	ATL
20	Ben Tate	RB	CLE	OAK
21	Brandon Marshall	WR	CHI	NE
22	Giovani Bernard	RB	CIN	BAL
23	Jerick McKinnon	RB	MIN	TB
24	Mike Wallace	WR	MIA	JAC
25	Lamar Miller	RB	MIA	JAC
26	Jeremy Maclin	WR	PHI	AZ
27	Mark Ingram	RB	NO	GB
28	Justin Forsett	RB	BAL	CIN
29	Julian Edelman	WR	NE	CHI
30	Andre Johnson	WR	HOU	TEN
31	Sammy Watkins	WR	BUF	NYJ
32	Roddy White	WR	ATL	DET
33	Doug Martin	RB	TB	MIN
34	Steve Smith	WR	BAL	CIN
35	Alfred Morris	RB	WAS	DAL
36	Kelvin Benjamin	WR	CAR	SEA
37	DeSean Jackson	WR	WAS	DAL
38	Marques Colston	WR	NO	GB
39	Darren McFadden	RB	OAK	CLE
40	Denard Robinson	RB	JAC	MIA

WR Brandon Marshall, Chicago Bears

Brandon Marshall has a matchup with Darrelle Revis on tap, which is why he is not as high in these rankings as he has been in the past.

For what it’s worth, Marshall will likely be extra motivated after a lackluster showing last week led to boiled-over frustration. Spiegel & Mannelly of WSCR 670 certainly thinks that will be the case:

Marshall has not been the fantasy football superstar that owners were looking for when they likely drafted him in the first few rounds. His inconsistent production could be partially explained by lingering injuries early and inconsistent quarterback play, but he has topped 100 receiving yards in only one game this year.

What’s more, there have been five contests in which Marshall failed to even reach 50 yards.  

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

The key with Marshall in terms of fantasy production is whether he can find the end zone, because he does have five touchdown catches. Of course, three of those came in one game against the San Francisco 49ers, so that total is a bit misleading.

Marshall is still a star in the league and someone who is typically considered a must-start every week because he could go off at any time. However, Alshon Jeffery is ranked higher than Marshall here because Revis will likely be guarding No. 15.

That could mean more opportunity for Jeffery against New England’s secondary.

RB Mark Ingram, New Orleans Saints

Rick Osentoski/Associated Press

Mark Ingram was a fantasy stalwart in the first two weeks with 60 rushing yards and two touchdowns against the Atlanta Falcons and 83 rushing yards and a touchdown against the Cleveland Browns.

Then he got hurt, missed significant time and struggled against the Detroit Lions upon his return with only 16 rushing yards. Ingram was still clearly less than 100 percent during that contest.

However, Pierre Thomas and Khiry Robinson are both dealing with injuries themselves, which means Ingram is the one reliable running back remaining on the New Orleans sidelines for a showdown with the Green Bay Packers. Ingram discussed the chance for a big game, via Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com, "A couple guys are down, so I've got to step up and pull my weight and do my job."

Opportunity means yardage and touchdowns in fantasy football, and Ingram may be the ultimate boom-or-bust play in Week 8. 

He could go off against a Packers defense that ranks 31st in the league against the run, but the injury concerns are difficult to overlook. If Ingram was dinged up early, it would be a crippling blow to your flex production.

RB Ahmad Bradshaw, Indianapolis Colts

Even if the Indianapolis Colts rely on Andrew Luck and the passing game more so than the running attack, at some point you simply have to trust the numbers with Ahmad Bradshaw. What’s more, he is heavily involved in the passing game on a consistent basis, so even if he doesn’t get the carries, Bradshaw should put up big numbers against the Steelers.

Bradshaw has multiple catches in every single game this season and a total of six touchdown catches, including one in each of the past two contests.

AJ Mast/Associated Press

His opponents, the Pittsburgh Steelers, are 17th in the league against the run at 114.1 yards per outing and have allowed five touchdowns to opposing running backs in the past two games. In all, eight running backs have either scored or finished with 100 total yards against the Steelers this year. 

Trent Richardson is also hampered by an injury, so the opportunity will be there for Bradshaw to rack up the carries and catches on Luck’s checkdown passes. That will lead to impressive fantasy totals on Sunday.

Follow me on Twitter:

Follow @ScottPolacek