Week 8 Fantasy Football Rankings: Steve Smith and the Best Wide Receiver Plays

The top-eight receivers in fantasy football for Week 8 of the NFL season are as follows:
 

1. Mike Wallace, Pittsburgh Steelers

The New England Patriots and every other team in the NFL know the vertical threat that Wallace poses for defenses. However, that doesn't mean the worst fantasy passing defense will be able to stop Wallace.

There's shootout potential here on Sunday, which means Wallace could have a big day.

2. Steve Smith, Carolina Panthers

Antoine Winfield should return for the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, but Smith has been productive in six of seven games in 2011. The NFL's leader in receiving yards will add to his total on Sunday against the 25th-worst passing defense in fantasy football. 

3. Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions

Since Johnson's streak of two-touchdown games was snapped, Megatron started a new trend. He has now had three-straight games of 100 yards or more.

Could he go for 100 yards and two scores against the Broncos on Sunday? Nothing is out of Johnson's reach.

4. Marques Colston, New Orleans Saints

With 14 catches for 226 yards and three touchdowns over his past two games, Colston has rebounded from injury to reclaim a spot among the NFL's top receivers. The Saints will likely run more than usual against the league's worst run defense (by far), but that shouldn't stop Colston from putting up top numbers again this week.

5. Miles Austin, Dallas Cowboys

The concern here is that the Cowboys will focus on the run to beat the Eagles on Sunday night. If Philadelphia gets gashed in the run game, however, Austin and Dez Bryant should see space in the Eagles secondary.

6. Hakeem Nicks, New York Giants

Vontae Davis returns to the Dolphins secondary, and he's physical enough to hang with Nicks for most of Sunday. However, Miami has allowed at least one touchdown to their opponent's No. 1 receiver in every game this season. Nicks is a solid bet to continue that trend.

7. Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs

The Chargers shut down Bowe in their first meeting, but that was before the Chiefs offense caught fire. As long as Matt Cassel continues playing well, Bowe will be a top-10 fantasy receiver.

8. Wes Welker, New England Patriots

I hesitated to put Welker this low, even against the top passing defense in the NFL. The guy just knows how to get open, and Tom Brady finds him every time he does.