A two-team bye week is a nice reprieve after last week's four-team bloodbath, but considering the Chiefs and Chargers are the idle squads, fantasy football owners will still have holes in their rosters. As such, a reliable set of weekly fantasy projections and rankings is crucial. After all, the more expert opinions, analysis, and stats you can absorb, the more it will sharpen your Week 8 start ‘em, sit ‘em decisions.
To show we believe in the “more is better” approach to fantasy football research, we’re happy to offer SN Fantasy readers an exclusive look at Draft Sharks’ award-winning weekly rankings and projections. We'll also highlight players at each position who stand out in our rankings compared to theirs so you get multiple perspectives on a few of the biggest start-or-sit headaches. To see Draft Sharks' exclusive Week 8 3D floor-to-ceiling projections, become a Draft Sharks member today at the link below!
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Week 8 Fantasy Football Projections, Rankings from Draft Sharks
Week 8 fantasy QB projections, rankings
Spotlight Player: Matthew Stafford, Rams vs. 49ers (SN Ranking: 11 | DS Ranking: 18)
Stafford has just one multi-TD game this year, and he was shut down by the 49ers back in Week 4 (254 yards, no TDs, one INT). Why will this week be any different? Well, San Francisco's defense is beyond beat up and vulnerable, as we saw last week against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, and Stafford is getting back Van Jefferson (knee) to go along with increased production from Allen Robinson II. We're not saying he'll be a top-five QB, but we still think he's a low-end QB1 this week. Draft Sharks isn't quite so optimistic, which makes sense given the actual production this season.
SN's WEEK 8 STANDARD RANKINGS
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Week 8 fantasy RB projections, rankings
Spotlight Player: Damien Harris, Patriots @ Jets (SN PPR Ranking: 27 | DS Ranking: 32)
There isn't a huge split on Harris here, but we're giving him a little more respect even after last week's virtual no-show. Keep in mind that Harris was playing in his first game back from an ankle injury, and game flow essentially took him out of New England's offense in the second half. Rhamondre Stevenson is the clear top back in New England, but Harris will still be involved, likely to the tune of double-digit touches and most goal-line opportunities. He loses value in PPR leagues, but we still see Harris as a solid flex as opposed to the borderline play that Draft Sharks ranks him as.
Spotlight Player: Brian Robinson Jr., Commanders @ Colts (SN PPR Ranking: 19 | DS Ranking: 28)
We're focusing more on Robinson's touches (39 the past two weeks) than his snap share, which has yet to top 47 percent. Antonio Gibson is still involved (13 touches, 39 percent of snaps last week), but Robinson is clearly the lead runner. Does that make him a safe RB2? Maybe not, but we still like the upside in a favorable matchup. Draft Sharks is still being conservative, which makes sense in PPR leagues, as both Gibson and J.D. McKissic limit Robinson's ceiling.
SN's WEEK 8 PPR RANKINGS
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Week 8 fantasy WR projections, rankings
Spotlight Player: Michael Pittman Jr., Colts vs. Commanders (SN PPR Ranking: 16 | DS Ranking: 27)
How much will new Indy QB Sam Ehlinger affect Pittman? Perhaps just as important, how much will the emergence of Alec Pierce and Parris Campbell affect him? That latter hasn't been a huge concern, as Pittman has still averaged eight catches, 11 targets, and 83.7 yards over the past three games. To be fair, he failed to top 59 yards in two of those contests, but the opportunities were still there. While Ehlinger doesn't figure to be drastically worse than Matt Ryan has been this season, a drop-off can be expected. We still give Pittman the benefit of the doubt because of the matchup and his targets, but Draft Sharks is being rightfully cautious.
Spotlight Player: Drake London, Falcons vs. Panthers (SN PPR Ranking: 25 | DS Ranking: 44)
London hasn't topped 7.5 PPR points since Week 3, so why are we still treating him like a solid starter? That's a fair question, especially after he saw just one target last week. However, he played 85 percent of snaps and ran routes at nearly an 88-percent rate, so it's not as if he's a complete afterthought in the Falcons' offense. The Panthers allow the ninth-most fantasy points per game to WRs, so London has the chance to bounce back in a big way. Ultimately, he should probably be slotted somewhere between our ranking and Draft Sharks', but we understand being leery of him until he produces again.
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Week 8 fantasy TE projections, rankings
Spotlight Player: Pat Freiermuth, Steelers @ Eagles (SN PPR Ranking: 17 | DS Ranking: 6)
Freiermuth is usually a safe bet for targets, but he's hardly a consistent producer. The Eagles haven't allowed a TE to top 48 yards this year, and they've also allowed just two TE touchdowns all season. We currently have both Darren Waller (hamstring) and Daniel Bellinger (eye) listed while Draft Sharks does not, which contributes to the disparity in our rankings, but either way, we're not nearly as high on Freiermuth this week.
Week 8 fantasy defense projections, rankings
Spotlight Player: Cleveland Browns vs. Bengals (SN Rankings: 24 | DS Ranking: 16)
The Browns simply haven't produced this year despite a host of favorable matchups. They're yet to post multiple takeaways in a game, and they've allowed at least 23 offensive points in all but one contest. On top of that, Cincinnati has really cleaned up its act since a rocky first couple of weeks. One could argue that Cleveland is "due," especially in a home prime-time game against a divisional rival, but we don't see any reason to consider the Browns this week. (Update: DS has dropped Cleveland from 13 to 16 throughout the week.)
