Injuries have been the story of the NFL -- and fantasy football -- season so far, but other than the opening week when Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews were out, the tight end position has been minimally affected. That's once again true this week, and with no teams on bye, our Week 8 fantasy TE rankings for standard leagues are as stacked as they've ever been.
We're past the midway point of the fantasy regular season, so every start 'em, sit 'em decision seems more crucial. Tight end is notorious for only having a handful of "must-starts," so if you don't have one of the top-tier guys, you're likely hunting for a potential sleeper or streamer this week.
Fortunately, there are quite a few, so let's break down the top TE options for Week 8.
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Which TEs are on bye in Week 8?
The NFL is doing fantasy owners a favor by scheduling no byes in Week 8.
WEEK 8 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | D/STs | Kickers
Every healthy tight end will be available, and after a six-team bye that saw Jake Ferguson and Dalton Schultz get the week off, there should be plenty of streaming options widely available in even 12-team leagues.
WEEK 8 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Who are the best fantasy TEs in Week 8?
Travis Kelce (@ Broncos in Week 8), Sam LaPorta (vs. Raiders), T.J. Hockenson (@ Packers), Darren Waller (vs. Jets), and Mark Andrews (@ Cardinals) make up our top five this week. Kelce is not only the No. 1 TE in all formats, but he's also facing a Broncos' defense that entered Week 7 allowing the most fantasy points per game (FPPG) To TEs. Good luck to anyone playing against him.
Waller might seem a little high, but the Jets entered last week allowing the second-most FPPG. He's still getting a good number of targets, so he should be able to produce in this matchup. Andrews has the toughest matchup among our top five, but even if you prefer someone like George Kittle (vs. Bengals) or Evan Engram (@ Steelers) over him, he's still a must-start because of his high ceiling, which he showed during his two-TD effort in Week 7.
WEEK 8 FANTASY ADVICE:
Sleepers | Busts | Projections | Start 'em, sit 'em
Who are the best fantasy TE sleepers, pickups, & streamers in Week 8?
Jake Ferguson (vs. Rams), Logan Thomas (vs. Eagles), and Dalton Schultz (@ Panthers) are on the start 'em, sit 'em bubble every week, but all three are facing below-average TE defenses in Week 8. Given their fairly consistent target share, all three make for solid options, especially in PPR leagues.
Going deeper, Taysom Hill (@ Colts), Michael Mayer (@ Lions), Hunter Henry (@ Dolphins), Tyler Higbee (@ Cowboys), Chig Okonkwo (vs. Falcons), Gerald Everett (vs. Bears), and Hayden Hurst (vs. Texans) all have top-12 matchups.
Hill is the most interesting of that group given his recent uptick in usage (11 catches, six rushes the past two games), making him a top sleeper. Mayer has also seen more targets lately and should be considered in even shallow leagues. Other than Henry, the rest are best suited for deeper leagues, but they all have higher floors and ceilings than usual.
WEEK 8 DFS: DK lineup | FD lineup | Best values | Best stacks
Who are the biggest potential fantasy TE busts in Week 8?
We already mentioned Andrews (@ Cardinals) having a tough matchup, and Dallas Goedert's (@ Commanders) and Evan Engram's (@ Steelers) aren't much better. We still view all three as must-starts, but you can at least consider other options in shallow leagues.
Kyle Pitts (vs. Titans) and Cole Kmet (@ Chargers) are also facing top-10 TE defenses this week, making both riskier than usual. We also wouldn't touch popular streamers Tyler Conklin (@ Giants), Trey McBride (vs. Ravens), and Dalton Kincaid (vs. Buccaneers) despite the latter having a breakout Week 7 with eight catches. (UPDATE: With Dawson Knox out because of a wrist injury, we've moved Kincaid up in our rankings and no longer recommend sitting him.)
What are the biggest TE injuries in Week 8?
Pat Freiermuth (hamstring) was placed on IR last week, keeping him out until at least Week 11. Greg Dulcich (hamstring) was also placed on IR, and he won't be eligible to return until Week 12.
Juwan Johnson (calf) has missed the past several games, and his potential return could impact the emerging Hill, so keep tabs on Johnson if you were planning on starting Hill this week.
Luke Musgrave (ankle) and Gerald Everett (quad) exited Week 7 early and figure to be "questionable" (at best) for Week 8. We've taken Musgrave out of our initial rankings but left in Everett, so we'll be watching that situation closely throughout the week. Neither has an obvious replacement you can count on in fantasy leagues, though Donald Parham Jr. (vs. Bears) would have some sneaky streamer value if he starts for L.A.
Fantasy TE Rankings Week 8: Who to start, sit at tight end
Rankings based on standard, non-PPR scoring
Rank Player
1 Travis Kelce, Chiefs @ Broncos
2 Sam LaPorta, Lions vs. Raiders
3 T.J. Hockenson, Vikings @ Packers
4 Darren Waller, Giants vs. Jets
5 Mark Andrews, Ravens @ Cardinals
6 George Kittle, 49ers vs. Bengals
7 Evan Engram, Jaguars @ Steelers
8 Dallas Goedert, Eagles @ Commanders
9 Jake Ferguson, Cowboys vs. Rams
10 Logan Thomas, Commanders vs. Eagles
11 Dalton Schultz, Texans @ Panthers
12 Taysom Hill, Saints @ Colts
13 Dalton Kincaid, Bills vs. Buccaneers
14 Luke Musgrave, Packers vs. Vikings
15 Kyle Pitts, Falcons @ Titans
16 Michael Mayer, Raiders @ Lions
17 Hunter Henry, Patriots @ Dolphins
18 Tyler Higbee, Rams @ Cowboys
19 Chigoziem Okonkwo, Titans vs. Falcons
20 Gerald Everett, Chargers vs. Bears
21 Trey McBride, Cardinals vs. Ravens
22 Cole Kmet, Bears @ Chargers
23 David Njoku, Browns @ Seahawks
24 Hayden Hurst, Panthers vs. Texans
25 Tyler Conklin, Jets @ Giants
26 Jonnu Smith, Falcons @ Titans
27 Cade Otton, Buccaneers @ Bills
28 Mike Gesicki, Patriots @ Dolphins
29 Juwan Johnson, Saints @ Colts
30 Noah Fant, Seahawks vs. Browns
31 Durham Smythe, Dolphins vs. Patriots
32 Mo Alie-Cox, Colts vs. Saints
33 Adam Trautman, Broncos vs. Chiefs
Week 8 TE fantasy projections, rankings from Draft Sharks
Draft Sharks projections for the new week will update every Tuesday and be constantly adjusted throughout the week
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