Fantasy Football Rankings: Week 8 Matchups to Consider
We are officially halfway through the fantasy football regular season! My wife doesn’t fully understand sports (though she’s getting better), so when I told her we were already halfway through the season, she asked, “Didn’t it just start?” Yup! That is why I try to cherish every game we get. Four, five, or six months into the offseason, I’ll be begging to watch even a preseason game. Halloween is this weekend, so stay safe, call an Uber if you need one, and take a second look at things, whether it’s your kid’s candy or your fantasy lineup. Tricks and treats are everywhere.
Here are some matchups and players to consider heading into Week 8:
Quarterbacks
Jacoby Brissett
QB • ARI
We have two games with projected totals of FIFTY-FIVE points this week, and with Jacoby Brissett playing in one of them, he looks like a great streaming option. Dallas allows the eighth-most fantasy points to QBs, and nobody has thrown the ball more times in 2026 than Brissett.
The Cowboys also score the fifth-most points per game, while Arizona’s defense allows more points than anyone in football. This matchup is a fantasy football dream, but it is probably more of a dream you want to hear about after the fact rather than live through.
Kyler Murray
QB • MIN
Kyler Murray’s best finish as a Minnesota Viking is QB15. Granted, it has only been four full games, but Murray has not exactly established himself as an every-week starter. However, if your QB is on bye or facing a tough matchup, this might be the week to consider streaming him.
The Lions’ pass defense is the worst in the NFL, and their run defense is middle of the pack, which should help his case. As the QB32 on the season, he is certainly not a confidence-inspiring option. Still, I’m not sure this matchup requires digging through the drawer for your steel underpants.
Running Backs
Breece Hall
RB • NYJ
After logging limited practices on Thursday and Friday last week, Breece Hall appeared to be getting close to returning. Fast forward to Week 8, and he was limited again on Wednesday. On the bright side, that is better than another missed practice. Given how rough things have been in the RB streets, many of us may have no choice but to throw Hall right back into our lineups. Fortunately, the Raiders are a great opponent to return against. They allow the third-most rushing yards per game.
My biggest hesitation is Braelon Allen. In Hall’s absence, Allen has been a full-blown bellcow, averaging more than 21 opportunities per game. I am not convinced the Jets will simply put Allen back on the bench, nor do I expect them to give Hall his full workload immediately. This backfield could get messy, and you are only happy with the RB who finds the end zone.
Blake Corum
RB • LAR
For just the second time in his 41 career games, Blake Corum eclipsed 100 scrimmage yards. I have always thought Corum was a good player who could start for several teams. If the Rams weren’t all-in on this season, I think he would make an excellent trade target for a few franchises. Of course, some context is needed for his big performance. As I mentioned with Breece Hall, the Raiders have the third-worst rushing defense in football. Corum took advantage of a very favorable matchup. The good news? This week’s matchup isn’t much tougher.
The Chargers allow the ninth-most fantasy points to RBs, and the Rams enter the game as a TD favorite against their stadium roommate. Meanwhile, the Chargers are dead last in offensive PPG. If this game plays out as expected, the Rams should have plenty of opportunities to run the ball, and that will come with a heavy dose of Corum.
Rachaad White
RB • WAS
Rachaad White has only played five games as a Commander. We have seen one game without Jacory Croskey-Merritt and one against the Eagles, whom he faces again this week. Neither performance was particularly encouraging. In fact, both left us wanting more. Much more. White failed to reach 30 rushing yards in either game, although his receiving ability does give him a somewhat safer floor. And floor is the important word here. I am not expecting anything explosive from White this week, or really anytime soon.
This game has a low 40.5-point O/U, largely because the Eagles are scoring the fourth-fewest points in the NFL. Still, there is one small reason for optimism. Philly has allowed the opposing primary RB to rush for at least 63 yards in every game this season. They are also coming off back-to-back games in which Chuba Hubbard and Javonte Williams tore them apart on the ground. Now, 63 rushing yards isn’t exactly a performance worth celebrating, but maybe it is for White, who hasn’t exceeded that mark since Week 6 of last year. If you are looking for opportunities, White should have them. Just don’t confuse opportunities with guaranteed fantasy production.
Wide Receivers
Keenan Allen
WR • IND
With Josh Downs requesting a trade, I would be surprised to see him suit up against Jacksonville in Week 8. That could mean more opportunities for Laquon Treadwell and Keenan Allen. Although Treadwell has run more routes this season, Keenan has consistently been the better fantasy option. And this week, I found something interesting that makes me like Keenan even more. According to Next Gen Stats, Jacksonville has the eighth-highest pressure rate in the NFL.
That sent me looking into how Daniel Jones performs when defenders get in his face. One thing that stood out was his air yards per target, which actually increased under pressure. That makes some sense. Pressure can take away shorter passing options, force QBs to look farther downfield, or lead to throwaways that inflate air yards per target specifically when pressured. But I wanted to know where his completed passes were actually going. Of Jones’ 43 completions under pressure, 10 each went to Keenan and Tyler Warren, eight to Downs, and three to Treadwell. The remaining completions were spread among other players. Considering how frequently the Jags pressure QBs, that makes me like Keenan a little bit more this week.
Germie Bernard
WR • PIT
Some fantasy managers will see Cleveland on the schedule this week and immediately hesitate to start Germie Bernard. I get it. The Browns have a good defense, Bernard struggled last week, and the last time he faced Cleveland, he managed just 11 yards and no TDs. But there is more to the story. That previous matchup came when Michael Pittman and Roman Wilson were still ahead of Bernard on the depth chart. With both sidelined by injuries, Bernard has emerged as a full-time player. Since stepping into that role, he has run just one fewer route than DK Metcalf, who leads the team.
Aaron Rodgers has been red light, green light with his pass attempts. Maybe it’s load management for a 42-year-old QB. Maybe not. I certainly wouldn’t build an argument around that theory. What we do know is that Rodgers attempted just 30 passes in Week 7, his fewest in a game this season. It doesn’t project to be a high-scoring game (39.5 O/U), but then again, it wasn’t in Week 4 either, and the teams combined for 51 points. Despite the tough matchup, I am comfortable going right back to Bernard.
Ja'Kobi Lane
WR • BAL
As impressive as the Bills are at putting up points, averaging 32.8 PPG, best in the NFL, they’re almost equally impressive at giving them up. Their defense allows 28.5 PPG, the third-most in football. For fantasy purposes, that is exactly the kind of combination we love. The other thing we would love to see is Lamar Jackson back on the field. The two-time MVP makes everyone around him better, and the entire offense runs more smoothly when he’s playing.
One player who has caught my eye is Jason’s second-half sleeper, rookie WR Ja’Kobi Lane. This is more of a deep-league option or stash candidate, but I have liked what I’ve seen from Lane beyond the box score. On film, he looks fluid, finds the right spots against zone coverage, and generally looks comfortable for a rookie. In Week 1, I thought he looked good. He actually had a TD called back because of a holding penalty. And yes, the hold probably helped make the play happen. But what interested me more was what happened afterward. The Ravens went to Mark Andrews on the next play, then targeted Lane twice more, including on fourth down. That is a pretty encouraging sign of the trust Lamar has in the rookie, as well as the confidence OC Declan Doyle has in him. Lane might not be someone you are ready to start just yet, but he’s certainly someone I would want to keep an eye on.
Tight Ends
T.J. Hockenson
TE • MIN
Jason mentioned it on Tuesday’s show, but the short version is simple: the Lions stink against TEs. I don’t think T.J. Hockenson is some otherworldly talent anymore, but his role fits perfectly with how Kyler Murray has been playing. Murray ranks 25th in air yards per attempt at 7.2, meaning he isn’t consistently pushing the ball far downfield. Meanwhile, Hockenson’s average target travels just 6.5 yards through the air. That makes him a natural fit for Murray’s shorter passing game.
When we are streaming TEs, we’re usually looking for one of two things: someone who can be the first or second receiving option in an offense, or someone with a good chance of scoring a TD. Lucky for us, Hockenson checks both boxes. Hockenson leads the Vikings in targets, and no team has allowed more TDs to TEs this season than Detroit.
Chig Okonkwo
TE • WAS
You always hate seeing star players go down with season-ending injuries, especially older veterans who have already given us so many great moments. It is not how anyone wants to see their story end. It’s kind of like the finale of your favorite TV show. No matter how it ends, there is a good chance you are going to be disappointed. Even when players retire on their own terms like Lions legends and Hall of Famers Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson, we are still left wanting more. With Terry McLaurin out for at least the remainder of 2026, someone else in Washington needs to step up.
Many people, including Mike, have pointed to Antonio Williams as the most likely beneficiary. That is a reasonable take, and I think Williams has looked good. But he has also had plenty of opportunities already. I expect him to improve as the season goes on, as rookie receivers often do. I’m just not convinced he will see the biggest immediate boost. Instead, I am looking at Chig Okonkwo. If we set aside his first game back from injury, Chig has looked good over his last two outings. One came without Diggs, and the other featured McLaurin’s early exit. The Commanders are coming out of their bye week, which should have given the coaching staff enough time to figure out how they want to move forward without McLaurin. Whoever comes out swinging could give us a pretty good indication of which player Washington plans to lean on for the rest of the season.