Fantasy Football WR PPR Rankings Week 8: Who to start, best sleepers at wide receiver

Nick Musial

Fantasy Football WR PPR Rankings Week 8: Who to start, best sleepers at wide receiver image

In a week where two rookie wide receivers, Josh Downs and Puka Nacua, emerged as the top scorers in PPR format during the Sunday afternoon games, there's plenty of week-to-week unpredictability at the wide receiver position. While this variance makes it difficult to gauge how the upcoming week will unfold, it's worth noting that water tends to find its level over the fantasy football season, which is why the usual suspects sit atop our Week 8 fantasy WR PPR rankings.

That's why there's no need for Davante Adams' owners to panic. Adams' Week 7 fantasy output would have looked much different had he hauled in an easy touchdown reception that he dropped, but the variance monster tends to strike at the least opportune times. Opportunity is everything in fantasy football, and as long as your wideouts consistently have high route participation numbers and receive a respectable number of targets, production will soon follow.

With that in mind, let's highlight those wide receivers who see plenty of opportunities that will hopefully translate into strong fantasy performances during a stacked Week 8.

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Which WRs are on bye in Week 8?

Interestingly enough, zero teams are on bye in Week 8, which means fantasy owners have plenty of wide receivers to round out their starting lineups at their disposal.

WEEK 8 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers

Week 8 is the last week no teams are on bye until Week 12, so take advantage of the deep WR pool while you can.

WEEK 8 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers

Who are the best fantasy WRs Week 8?

It's only fitting that the league's receiving leader, Tyreek Hill (vs. Patriots in Week 8), sits as the overall fantasy WR1 in Week 8 despite matching up against a sound New England secondary. Close behind sits Stefon Diggs (vs. Buccaneers), who continues to thrive despite the Bills offense encountering hiccups the past couple of weeks.

A.J. Brown (@ Commanders) looks to replicate his nine-catch, 175-yard, two-TD effort against the Commanders in Week 4, profiling as a must-start WR1 with boom potential. Ja'Marr Chase (@ 49ers) will be the focal point of the 49ers' defensive game plan but should still see plenty of usage as Joe Burrow's safety blanket.

Cooper Kupp (@ Cowboys) aims to rebound after his worst fantasy day of the season, but we're optimistic he does just as in a potential negative game script in Dallas. Amon Ra-St. Brown (vs. Raiders) thrived in garbage time last week but should help the Lions get back in the win column on Monday night. 

WEEK 8 FANTASY ADVICE:
Sleepers | Busts | Projections | Start 'em, sit 'em

Who are the best fantasy WR sleepers, waiver pickups Week 8?

In this week's waiver wire piece, we advised fantasy owners to consider picking up Josh Downs (vs. Saints), Kendrick Bourne (@ Dolphins), Jayden Reed (vs. Vikings), Jalin Hyatt (vs. Jets), and Brandin Cooks (vs. Rams).

Sure, Downs was lucky to score a 59-yard TD on a play the Browns thought was blown dead, but the rookie still led the Colts in targets (6) and is seeing increased opportunities each week. Bourne's becoming the Patriots' unquestioned WR1, and while their offense remains one of the league's most inefficient units, there's no reason for Bourne to sit in the free-agent pool anymore.

Reed could see an uptick in usage should fellow WR Christian Watson (knee) miss time with injury, making him a viable flex play against an exploitable Vikings pass defense.  Hyatt's another rookie whose stock is soaring towards the back half of the fantasy regular season, while Cooks is starting to find his footing in the Cowboys' offense. Both have tough matchups on paper this week, but they're the type of big-play receivers who can pay off with just one long catch. They have lower floors and ceilings in PPR formats, but they can still have value.

WEEK 8 DFS: DK lineup | FD lineup | Best values | Best stacks

Who are the biggest potential WR busts Week 8?

We have little to no appetite in starting Curtis Samuel (vs. Eagles), Michael Wilson (vs. Ravens), Rashid Shaheed (@ Colts), and DJ Chark (vs. Texans) this week. While all these wideouts profile as flex plays in 12-team formats, neither wideout sees consistent enough usage to warrant a flier. 

In shallower leagues, we'd refrain from rolling out Jerry Jeudy (vs. Chiefs), Tyler Boyd (@ 49ers), and Robert Woods (@ Panthers), as each of these WRs faces a strong coverage unit who ranks within the top half of the league in fewest fantasy points per game allowed to WRs.

What are the biggest WR injuries Week 8?

Leading into Week 7, DK Metcalf (shoulder), Deebo Samuel (shoulder), Zay Jones (knee), and JuJu Smith-Schuster (head) were the most notable injury-related inactives. As for their Week 8 prospects, we know Samuel won't play, but do expect Metcalf, Jones, and Smith-Schuster to return to game action.

Thankfully, just two wideouts, Christian Watson (knee) and Jaylen Waddle (back), got banged up in game action, as we avoided an onslaught of in-game injuries. We'll monitor both closely throughout the week.

The position should get even healthier, as Tank Dell (head) is on track to return from a concussion, profiling as a WR3/flex play.

As usual, we'll update these WR PPR rankings throughout the week, so check back for the latest player movement and analysis.

Fantasy WR PPR Rankings Week 8: Who to start, sit at wide receiver

Rankings based on PPR scoring formats

Rank    Player
1    Tyreek Hill, Dolphins vs. Patriots
2    Stefon Diggs, Bills vs. Buccaneers
3    A.J. Brown, Eagles @ Commanders
4    Cooper Kupp, Rams @ Cowboys
5    Ja'Marr Chase, Bengals @ 49ers
6    Amon-Ra St. Brown, Lions vs. Raiders
7    Keenan Allen, Chargers vs. Bears
8    Davante Adams, Raiders @ Lions
9    Adam Thielen, Panthers vs. Texans
10    CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys vs. Rams
11    Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers vs. Bengals
12    DJ Moore, Bears @ Chargers
13    Puka Nacua, Rams @ Cowboys
14    Garrett Wilson, Jets @ Giants
15    Chris Olave, Saints @ Colts
16    Mike Evans, Buccaneers @ Bills
17    Michael Pittman Jr., Colts vs. Saints
18    Jakobi Meyers, Raiders @ Lions
19    Zay Flowers, Ravens @ Cardinals
20    Christian Kirk, Jaguars @ Steelers
21    George Pickens, Steelers vs. Jaguars
22    DK Metcalf, Seahawks vs. Browns
23    Jordan Addison, Vikings @ Packers
24    Jaylen Waddle, Dolphins vs. Patriots
25    Marquise Brown, Cardinals vs. Ravens
26    Nico Collins, Texans @ Panthers
27    Christian Watson, Packers vs. Vikings
28    Amari Cooper, Browns @ Seahawks
29    DeVonta Smith, Eagles @ Commanders
30    Drake London, Falcons @ Titans
31    Chris Godwin, Buccaneers @ Bills
32    Tee Higgins, Bengals @ 49ers
33    Terry McLaurin, Commanders vs. Eagles
34    Josh Downs, Colts vs. Saints
35    Calvin Ridley, Jaguars @ Steelers
36    Romeo Doubs, Packers vs. Vikings
37    Joshua Palmer, Chargers vs. Bears
38    DeAndre Hopkins, Titans vs. Falcons
39    Kendrick Bourne, Patriots @ Dolphins
40    Michael Thomas, Saints @ Colts
41    Diontae Johnson, Steelers vs. Jaguars
42    Courtland Sutton, Broncos vs. Chiefs
43    Tyler Lockett, Seahawks vs. Browns
44    Jerry Jeudy, Broncos vs. Chiefs
45    Rashee Rice, Chiefs @ Broncos
46    Gabe Davis, Bills vs. Buccaneers
47    K.J. Osborn, Vikings @ Packers
48    Michael Wilson, Cardinals vs. Ravens
49    Wan'Dale Robinson, Giants vs. Jets
50    Curtis Samuel, Commanders vs. Eagles
51    Tank Dell, Texans @ Panthers
52    Jayden Reed, Packers vs. Vikings
53    Jahan Dotson, Commanders vs. Eagles
54    Elijah Moore, Browns @ Seahawks
55    Jameson Williams, Lions vs. Raiders
56    Kadarius Toney, Chiefs @ Broncos
57    Jauan Jennings, 49ers vs. Bengals
58    Rashid Shaheed, Saints @ Colts
59    Tyler Boyd, Bengals @ 49ers
60    DeVante Parker, Patriots @ Dolphins
61    Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seahawks vs. Browns
62    Brandin Cooks, Cowboys vs. Rams
63    Odell Beckham Jr., Ravens @ Cardinals
64    Treylon Burks, Titans vs. Falcons
65    Josh Reynolds, Lions vs. Raiders
66    Michael Gallup, Cowboys vs. Rams
67    Darnell Mooney, Bears @ Chargers
68    DJ Chark, Panthers vs. Texans
69    Demario Douglas, Patriots @ Dolphins
70    Jalin Hyatt, Giants vs. Jets
71    Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Chiefs @ Broncos
72    Darius Slayton, Giants vs. Jets
73    JuJu Smith-Schuster, Patriots @ Raiders
74    Allen Lazard, Jets @ Giants
75    Tutu Atwell, Rams @ Cowboys
76    Alec Pierce, Colts vs. Saints
77    Nelson Agholor, Ravens @ Cardinals
78    Rondale Moore, Cardinals vs. Ravens
79    Jonathan Mingo, Panthers vs. Texans
80    Skyy Moore, Chiefs @ Broncos
81    Marvin Mims Jr., Broncos vs. Chiefs
82    Cedrick Wilson, Dolphins vs. Patriots
83    Quentin Johnston, Chargers vs. Bears

Week 8 WR PPR fantasy projections, rankings from Draft Sharks

Draft Sharks projections for the new week will update every Tuesday and be constantly adjusted throughout the week

We're proud to offer SN Fantasy readers an exclusive look at Draft Sharks’ award-winning projections and rankings every week. To see Draft Sharks' Week 8 3D floor-to-ceiling projections for wide receivers -- plus get access to all of Draft Sharks' industry-leading tools -- become a Draft Sharks' member today at the link below!

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Nick Musial

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Nick Musial is a Content Producer at The Sporting News. He recently joined the team after studying sport management and journalism at the University of Kansas. Nick’s an avid sports bettor who’s always looking for value.