Week 8 Fantasy Football Rankings: Tim Tebow and 10 Big-Name Busts to Avoid

Week 7 of the NFL season has come and gone, but I'm sure those of you who picked up DeMarco Murray are still patting yourselves on the back. Similarly, I trust those of you who own Darren McFadden are still cursing at the heavens.

Either way, it's time to look forward. Week 8 will arrive before we know it, and that means we'll have an entirely new set of booms and busts.

I'd rather focus on the busts.

It's impossible to predict which players are going to fall flat in a given week, but I like to give it a shot.

So scroll ahead for a list of ten players that you should avoid starting in Week 8.

10. LeSean McCoy, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

Wait, the same LeSean McCoy who has 569 yards rushing and eight total touchdowns? You're including him on this list?

I am.

You have to consider who McCoy will be facing in Week 8. The Dallas Cowboys are coming to town for a Sunday night contest, bringing their league-best rush defense with them.

At the moment, the Cowboys are allowing slightly less than 70 rushing yards per game. Furthermore, they've allowed just two rushing touchdowns to running backs all season and have done a fine job of limiting opposing running backs' receptions in recent weeks.

My guess is that none of this will stop you from starting McCoy.

That's fine, but I reserve the right to say "I told you so."

9. Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys

And now for a name that I know nobody will object to.

Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo is coming off his quietest game in a long while, throwing just 24 passes against the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. While Romo took a break, DeMarco Murray did the heavy lifting for Dallas' offense.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Cowboys' gameplan against the Eagles involves turning Murray loose again. The Eagles have had issues with their rush defense all season, especially when facing bigger, stronger backs (i.e. Michael Turner and Frank Gore). Murray is on the big side, so the Eagles could struggle again.

With Murray carrying the load, Romo's throws will probably be limited against an Eagles secondary that has looked much better in its last two games. Rex Grossman can vouch.

Do you really believe that Romo is that much better than Grossman?

8. Alex Smith, QB, San Francisco 49ers

For the most part, Alex Smith has had a fine bounce-back season. A 95.2 QB rating is nothing to scoff at, even for 49ers fans who have complained about Smith for years.

However, somewhere inside this new Alex Smith is the old Alex Smith.

We saw the old Smith surface against the Detroit Lions in Week 6. He did throw a clutch touchdown pass, but he played poorly for the bulk of the game.

Don't be surprised if we see more of the same from Smith against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. The Browns have been impressive against the pass this season, not conceding a touchdown through the air since allowing three to Matt Hasselbeck of the Titans in Week 4.

Because Smith is generally not a big-yardage guy, I would consider him a very risky play against the Browns.

7. Michael Crabtree, WR, San Francisco 49ers

If Smith struggles, his receivers will also have rough days.

I can't bring myself to include tight end Vernon Davis on this list, but WR Michael Crabtree seems like a good option. Crabtree is coming off his best game of the season (nine catches for 77 yards against Detroit), but he has been pretty pedestrian in San Francisco's other games.

I don't expect Crabtree to have a big game against Cleveland. The Browns have been just as tough on opposing receivers as they've been on opponents' quarterbacks. No wide receiver has caught more than six passes against them or had more than 87 receiving yards.

Besides, Crabtree is a bust to begin with.

6. Sidney Rice, WR, Seattle Seahawks

I included Sidney Rice on my big-name bust list for Week 7, and he obliged me by catching just two passes for 38 yards against the Browns.

I fully expect more of the same from Rice against the Cincinnati Bengals. Very quietly, the Bengals have been one of the best defensive teams in the league this season, and that's a bad omen for a Seahawks team that has virtually no offense to speak of.

Rice has been hampered by the Seahawks' dreadful quarterbacks. Tarvaris Jackson is Tarvaris Jackson, and Charlie Whitehurst looked even worse than Jackson against the Browns on Sunday.

Rice must be hoping and praying for Andrew Luck.

5. Reggie Wayne, WR, Indianapolis Colts

We all know Reggie Wayne's story.

He was a great partner in crime for Peyton Manning for many years, but he simply hasn't been as productive with Kerry Collins and Curtis Painter.

Not that you can blame him.

What you can do is bench him. Wayne has no business starting at this point anyway, and it's hard to see him breaking out against a Tennessee Titans defense that has been very tough on opposing wide receivers this year. The Titans have yet to allow any receiver to reach more than 82 receiving yards in 2011.

Wayne hasn't topped that number since Week 1.

4. Peyton Hillis, RB, Cleveland Browns

We've seen the Madden cover curse strike before, but it seems to be taking a particularly brutal toll on Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis.

Hillis had to miss his second game of the season in Week 7 with a bad hamstring. The good news is that Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal tweeted on Monday that Hillis was able to run and that he is day-to-day.

Conceivably, Hillis could play on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers.

And that's the bad news.

As many people have already noticed, the 49ers have stifled opposing running backs this season. They're currently second in the NFL in rush defense, and they have yet to allow any running back to gain more than 64 yards against them.

Hey, I'm sure Hillis will be just fine in Madden 12, if you choose to enjoy his talents that way.

3. Todd Heap, TE, Arizona Cardinals

Todd Heap will face his former team on Sunday when his Cardinals take on the Baltimore Ravens, and you know that Heap would love to have a big game.

Unfortunately, Heap has been dealing with a nagging hamstring injury. It's a bump in the road in a season that won't likely go into the books as one of Heap's best.

Assuming he even plays, Heap will face a Ravens defense that hasn't allowed more than three receptions to any single tight end this season. Pro Bowl tight end Marcedes Lewis managed just one catch for 13 yards against them on Monday night.

If you own Heap, I'd keep him on the bench.

2. Marshawn Lynch, RB, Seattle Seahawks

"BEAST MO... ow, my back!"

I don't know if Lynch actually uttered these words on Sunday, but he had to miss Seattle's tilt against the Browns with back spasms. Apparently, he is prone to such spasms.

On the bright side, SportingNews.com reported on Monday that Lynch is not expected to miss Sunday's game against the Bengals. Still, I think you have to consider Lynch an injury risk, as back spasms can be unpredictable.

Of course, Lynch is a fringe starter to begin with. As I stated earlier, Seattle's offense has been horrible this season, and Lynch has laid a few eggs. You're better off benching him against a Cincinnati defense that ranks fifth in the NFL against the run.

1. Tim Tebow, QB, Denver Broncos

Before you start blathering about Tim Tebow's incomparable intangibles, remember that this is a fantasy discussion, and intangibles are not worth fantasy points.

I'll give credit where credit is due. Tebow did a nice job of salvaging what had been a disastrous fantasy performance with his two late touchdowns against the Dolphins. Had he not gotten those, I think he would have ended the day in the red.

But after watching him play for the first three and a half quarters, I fear to think how Tebow is going to fare against the Detroit Lions on Sunday. If a team like the Dolphins can sack Tebow seven times, what will Ndamukong Suh and Detroit's defensive line do to him?

That will be just one concern for Tebow. The Lions don't have a great secondary, but they've done a good job of limiting each of the last three quarterbacks they've faced. Presumably, they can handle Tebow better than the Dolphins could.