Fantasy Football Week 8 Rankings: Top Players, Sleepers and Positional Guide

There aren't many matchups in NFL Week 8 that will change who the top fantasy players are. With the Los Angeles Chargers, Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans on a bye this week, many of the same faces remain the top players for the highest-scoring positions.

Kansas City once again dominates the rankings, with Chiefs players taking the No. 1 spots at quarterback and tight end. The team also boasts a No. 2 running back and a top 10 receiver. The Chiefs are predicted to have another strong week, with a matchup against the Denver Broncos approaching on Sunday.

With that being said, there are still some sleepers to take notice of for Week 8 and a few changes to the top 10 rankings.

Quarterbacks

1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

2. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

3. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings

4. Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams

5. Tom Brady, New England Patriots

6. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

7. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers

8. Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts

9. Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

10. Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears

Sleeper: Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals

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Andy Dalton disappointed fantasy owners everywhere in his weak showing against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs have had anything but a reliable defense, as the unit has given up over 300 total yards this season and has conceded the eighth-most points to opponents.

Despite all this, the Chiefs kept the Bengals to 10 points this past week and limited Dalton to less than 150 yards and only one touchdown. What had the potential to be a big week for Dalton ended up being his worst game of the season.

In Week 8, Dalton is up against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that has given up the most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season. The Buccaneers defense has allowed three games with at least three passing touchdowns and 300-plus yards. Tampa Bay allowed Chicago's Mitchell Trubisky a 354-yard, six-touchdown game in Week 4.

Dalton has proved he's able to put up high numbers, exploiting one of the best defenses in Week 2—the Baltimore Ravens—by putting up 265 yards and four touchdowns.

Tampa Bay's weak secondary gives Dalton the opportunity to put up a high-scoring game and bounce back from last week. He just has to take advantage of it.

Running Backs

1. Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams

2. Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs

3. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants

4. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

5. James Conner, Pittsburgh Steelers

6. David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals

7. Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers

8. James White, New England Patriots

9. Tarik Cohen, Chicago Bears

10. Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals

Sleeper: Matt Breida, San Francisco 49ers 

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While Matt Breida could make a potentially dangerous flex player for Week 8, you need to keep an eye on his status. Breida reinjured an already aggravated ankle in the 49ers' 39-10 loss to the Rams, and he is listed as questionable for Week 8.

It is unclear whether Breida will be healthy enough to play come Sunday's matchup against the also-struggling Arizona Cardinals. Despite Breida's vocalized desire to play through the injury, coach Kyle Shanahan said his chance of playing will be "based off how he looks in practice."

However, if Breida is healthy enough to play on Sunday, he has the potential to have the game of his career against the worst rush defense in the league. Arizona has given up over 1,000 yards as well as 12 touchdowns to opposing backs, which is the most in the league.

Breida has shown what he's capable of when he's healthy, courtesy of his 138-yard, one-touchdown game against the Detroit Lions—the team's only win. If he can show that he's healthy, his playing in Sunday's game will do a lot for his stats and his fantasy owners.

Wide Receivers

1. Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings

2. Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers

3. Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints

4. A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals

5. DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans

6. Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants

7. Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs

8. JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pittsburgh Steelers

9. Robert Woods, Los Angeles Rams

10. Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers

Sleeper: Emmanuel Sanders, Denver Broncos

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Coming off a second monster game, Emmanuel Sanders has shown what he's capable of. The Denver wideout had 115 yards and a touchdown against the undefeated Rams and followed that with a 102-yard, one-touchdown performance against the Cardinals.

Sanders showed off his arm as well, throwing a 28-yard touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton in the first quarter of the game.

The veteran receiver had a stretch of four games where he struggled to get to the end zone, including a less-than-50-yard, no-touchdown game against Kansas City in Week 4. Now, Sanders will take on the Chiefs in Kansas City hoping for a better turnout than last time. 

Sanders, like Breida, is listed as questionable for Week 8's contest. He planted his ankle wrong in the Bronco's win over the Cardinals. However, if he is healthy to play, he has the potential to continue his success for a third week.

Last time the two teams met, the Chiefs held Denver receivers to 120 yards and didn't allow a receiving touchdown. For the most part this season, though, the Chiefs have given up at least 100 yards and a touchdown to receivers.

Sanders' status must be monitored as the weekend approaches, but he's worth playing if he's healthy for Sunday's game.

Tight Ends

1. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs

2. Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles

3. Eric Ebron, Indianapolis Colts

4. Jimmy Graham, Green Bay Packers

5. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers

6. Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots

7. Jared Cook, Oakland Raiders

8. Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota Vikings

9. Jordan Reed, Washington Redskins

10. David Njoku, Cleveland Browns

Sleeper: O.J. Howard 

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O.J. Howard has solidified himself as Tampa Bay's go-to receiving tight end over Cameron Brate. Despite Brate having three touchdowns to Howard's two, Howard has notched 351 yards and double the number of targets than Brate.

The Buccaneers are up against a Cincinnati team that was dealt a nasty loss last Sunday. The Bengals have also given up four touchdowns to tight ends, as well as three 100-plus-yard games. This leaves a path open for Howard to make some noise on offense in Sunday's game at Cincinnati.

While Howard has not boasted stats that keep him in the top 10 every week—with only two touchdowns and no game over 100 yards yet—he may be able to find another scoring opportunity against the Bengals.

He has shown consistency in receiving yards even without a touchdown, averaging 70.2 yards in the five games he's played. 

Howard is a solid TE1 option in Week 8.

Stats and rankings courtesy of ESPN.com and ESPN Fantasy