Week 8 Fantasy Football Rankings: Drew Brees on Pace To Shatter Marino's Record

10. Tony Romo (@ PHI)

The Eagles may have the league’s best-looking pass defense on paper, but games aren’t played in the books…they’re played on the field. Especially in divisional rivalries such as this one, you can expect all the norms (and sometimes a few players) to be thrown out the window as things tend to get just a little bit messy.

Even though the Eagles pass D was torched by another inter-division QB earlier in the season when Eli Manning lit them up for four touchdowns in Philly, they seem to be getting better by the week, so I wouldn’t expect the world from Romo in this one.

Then again, in the NFC East, you just never know.

9. Philip Rivers (@ KC)

Rivers has been a bit of a mystery this season after putting up top-five fantasy numbers in 2010.

He hasn’t thrown three TDs in a single game yet and has actually put up one or less in four straight games after having just six such games in total last year.

That said, Rivers normally has good numbers against the Chiefs, so with Gates back and ready to dominate again, I expect the sidearmed slinger to return to his old ways.

8. Eli Manning (vs. MIA)

Besides that first game of the season against Tom Brady, the Dolphins pass D has played pretty decent ball and isn’t nearly as bad as their stats might look. However, that doesn’t mean they won’t give up some serious fantasy points to Manning this weekend.

The Giants coming off their bye week is good news for Eli owners on two fronts.

First, the team will be well rested and as healthy as they’ve been maybe all season. Second, Eli loves playing in games after the bye week as he’s averaged 314 yards and thrown eight TDs with only one INT in post-bye-week games over the last three seasons.

7. Tim Tebow (vs. DET)

Ohhhh Mr. Tebow, you are just as dirty as they come, aren’t you?

After pretty much a full game of doing absolutely nothing for both the Broncos and fantasy owners, all it took was a little more than five minutes at the end of regulation for Timmy to accumulate top-five QB fantasy stats for the week. That’s kind of sick and wrong, my friends.

Now even though the Lions defense is better than the Miami D he faced last Sunday, they’ve certainly been softened up as of late, especially against the run…which by the way, also happens to be Tebow’s bread and butter.

6. Matthew Stafford (@ DEN)

Stafford obviously needs to be healthy and in the lineup for this ranking to stick, but I’m guessing he takes it easy in practice all week and comes out roaring this Sunday.

The Broncos are tied with the Patriots in allowing the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season, so with their starting running back, Jahvid Best, sitting out again and “Second-Half Staff” already attempting the third-most passes in the league this year, you can bet on seeing some fireworks in Mile High Stadium (Sports Authority Field) this Sunday.

5. Cam Newton (vs. MIN)

It absolutely does not matter who the Panthers play or how good/bad their defense might be; Cam Newton stays the same ass-kicker that he is.

The guy is averaging one rushing touchdown per game this season and has only one game in which he failed to put up over 20 fantasy points. His throwing accuracy even seems to be on the upswing right now as he completed 18-of-23 passes last weekend against the Redskins.

Cam is getting smarter…and better…and scarier to face as a fantasy opponent because of it.

4. Ben Roethlisberger (vs. NE)

When you play against Tom Brady and the Patriots, you need to keep up in the scoring column if you want a shot at winning. Big Ben and his Steelers will do exactly that this Sunday.

Last year, both Brady and Roethlisberger went absolutely nuts with Ben throwing for three touchdowns and 387 yards as the Steelers lost 39-26. I expect the same type of showdown this time around with it basically being a toss-up as to who ends up doing better.

With the Pats D giving up the most fantasy points to opposing QBs this season (actually tied with Denver), Roethlisberger just might come out on top.

3. Tom Brady (@ PIT)

It’s strange to think of any player dominating the Pittsburgh Steelers and their vaunted defense, but that’s precisely what Tom Brady has done throughout his career.

In five games against them, Brady has thrown for 12 TDs with just three INTs while averaging 337 yards a game on over 68 percent passing. Sure, four of those games were played before 2008, but last year he went into Pittsburgh and ruled the field as well, going off for 350 yards and three TDs along with a rushing TD to boot!

The Steelers may own the top pass D in the league right now, but stuff like that doesn’t really matter to Brady and might actually egg him on that much more.

2. Michael Vick (vs. DAL)

As a whole, the Cowboys have a very solid defense, but their pass D leaves a little something to be desired. In his lone game against them last season, Vick threw for 270 yards and two TDs while running a third one in from a yard out.

As far as the Eagles are concerned, they finally showed some urgency two weeks ago in Washington and should continue their all-out play with Andy Reid breathing down their necks. Since Philly is just 2-4 right now and need wins to make the playoffs, I expect Vick and the rest of the guys to pour it on any chance they get.

1. Drew Brees (@ STL)

In case you were wondering, last Sunday night was not the biggest fantasy game Brees has ever had (he had two larger ones in 2009 alone), but it might have been the most uncalled-for trouncing with the game well in hand after just one quarter.

Cool Brees has now thrown for five or more TDs in a game five different times in his career, one off the record shared by Dan Marino and Peyton Manning.

Another record Drew is on the heels of is the single-season passing yards record. In fact, Brees has thrown for the most yards ever through seven games of a season and at his current pace, he would destroy Dan Marino's single-season record of 5,084 by an incredible 578 yards.

This week he’ll face a Rams team that allows a fair amount of yardage but gives away passing TDs like they’re Halloween candy, allowing more than two per game to opposing QBs.

If you were bombarded by him last week, I feel for you, but look at the bright side and be glad you don’t have to face him two weeks in a row.

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