Week 8 fantasy football rankings

Week 8 fantasy football rankings
Photo via: Rams/Facebook

These are my very early ranks, so keep in mind I post these on Thursday. Make sure you check the injury report on Sunday for players that have missed practice. If it doesn't look like a player will play this week, I typically won't rank him. Keep in mind, these are PPR rankings, and don't forget to set your lineup for Thursday Night Football.

If you have any questions, feel free to hit me up on Twitter. Be sure to check out my show MoneyLine with Jerry Bo on ESPN 97.5FM. We're on every Sunday morning from 10-noon, and we'll talk a lot of fantasy football and NFL gambling getting you ready for kickoff every Sunday.

@JoshJordan975

@Moneyline975

@JerryBoKnowz

QB

Mike Nowak/Chargers.com

1 Deshaun Watson

2 Russell Wilson

3 Tom Brady

4 Jared Goff

5 Aaron Rodgers

6 Matthew Stafford

7 Josh Allen

8 Kirk Cousins

9 Carson Wentz

10 Jacoby Brissett

11 Ryan Tannehill

12 Kyler Murray

13 Gardner Minshew

14 Philip Rivers

15 Andy Dalton

RB

Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images

1 Saquon Barkley

2 Dalvin Cook

3 Leonard Fournette

4 James Conner

5 Christian McCaffrey

6 Le'Veon Bell

7 Chris Carson

8 Aaron Jones

9 Todd Gurley

10 Nick Chubb

11 James White

12 Latavius Murray

13 Josh Jacobs

14 Austin Ekeler

15 Sony Michel

16 Derrick Henry

17 Marlon Mack

18 Devonta Freeman

19 Carlos Hyde

20 Tevin Coleman

21 LeSean McCoy

22 Melvin Gordon

23 Phillip Lindsay

24 Ty Johnson

25 Royce Freeman

26 Jamaal Williams

27 Chase Edmonds

28 David Johnson

29 Miles Sanders

30 Joe Mixon

WR

Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images

1 DeAndre Hopkins

2 Cooper Kupp

3 Stefon Diggs

4 Chris Godwin

5 Michael Thomas

6 Julian Edelman

7 T.Y. Hilton

8 Tyreek Hill

9 Tyler Lockett

10 Julio Jones

11 Kenny Golladay

12 Allen Robinson

13 Mike Evans

14 Courtland Sutton

15 John Brown

16 Robert Woods

17 Golden Tate

18 JuJu Smith-Schuster

19 Keenan Allen

20 Brandin Cooks

21 D.J. Chark

22 Corey Davis

23 Marvin Jones

24 Odell Beckham Jr

25 Kenny Stills

26 Larry Fitzgerald

27 Terry McLaurin

28 Tyler Boyd

29 Emmanuel Sanders

30 Dede Westbrook

31 Calvin Ridley

32 Robby Anderson

33 D.K. Metcalf

34 D.J. Moore

35 Alshon Jeffery

36 Phillip Dorsett

TE

Photo via: Chiefs/Facebook

1 Travis Kelce

2 George Kittle

3 Hunter Henry

4 Darren Waller

5 Austin Hooper

6 Evan Engram

7 Zach Ertz

8 Jimmy Graham

9 Gerald Everett

10 Greg Olsen

11 T.J. Hockenson

12 Jared Cook

13 Eric Ebron

14 Vance McDonald

15 Darren Fells

Defense/ST

1 Patriots

2 Steelers

3 Jaguars

4 Vikings

5 Rams

6 Saints

7 49ers

8 Lions

9 Packers

10 Bears

11 Bills

12 Seahawks

13 Colts

14 Chargers

15 Titans

Kicker

1Greg Zuerlein

2Wil Lutz

3Robbie Gould

4Chris Boswell

5Mason Crosby

6Matt Prater

7Mike Nugent

8Josh Lambo

9Ka'imi Fairbairn

10Zane Gonzalez

11Joey Slye

12Cody Parkey

13Harrison Butker

14Jason Myers

15Dan Bailey

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The Astros are back in action Tuesday night, hosting the White Sox. Composite Getty Image.

The Astros are making noise again — not by bludgeoning teams with a powerhouse offense, but by grinding through games and getting elite production from a patched-together pitching staff. It’s a testament to their depth and resilience that they went 4-2 on a tough road trip while averaging just 3.6 runs per game. Even more impressive? The staff allowed just 2.3 runs per game during that stretch.

It’s fair to be impressed. This is a team still missing key pieces and leaning heavily on unproven arms, yet they’ve built a 2.5-game lead over Seattle in the AL West. If the rotation keeps performing like this, that cushion might not just hold through the All-Star break — it could grow.

Houston's pitching has been the great stabilizer. The Astros rank 1st in strikeouts, 9th in ERA, 4th in WHIP, and 2nd in batting average against. The numbers aren’t carried solely by the stars either. Youngsters like Brandon Walter and Colton Gordon have stepped in admirably. Walter has allowed just two runs combined across his first two starts (6 IP and 5 IP), while Gordon has quietly gone five innings in three straight outings, giving up 1, 4, and 3 runs. Ryan Gusto has been inconsistent — failing to get through five innings in his last three starts — but has kept the damage manageable (3, 2, and 2 runs in those outings).

Meanwhile, the top of the rotation has been lights out. Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown have become one of the most dominant 1-2 punches in baseball, and Lance McCullers Jr. is starting to look like a real contributor again. It’s a staff carrying the team while the bats slowly try to catch up.

That offense, while mediocre overall — 15th in OPS, 20th in runs, 19th in homers, and 18th in slugging — has shown signs of life in recent days. Jeremy Peña and Jake Meyers have provided much-needed sparks. Peña is hitting .370 over the past week with an .851 OPS, while Meyers has been even hotter, posting a .381 average and .934 OPS.

The biggest news off the field this week was the potential end of the Forrest Whitley era. The former first-round pick was designated for assignment, a move that answers an early-season question: Who’s more likely to contribute this year — Whitley or McCullers? The answer is now clear.

Whitley’s DFA also serves as a reminder that not even elite GMs like Jeff Luhnow are immune to draft misses.

As the Houston Chronicle's Greg Rajan points out, Luhnow’s final four first-round picks with Houston all fell short: Whitley (2016), J.B. Bukauskas (2017), Seth Beer (2018), and Korey Lee (2019) have yet to become meaningful pieces for any club. The draft remains a gamble — even for the best.

Still, the Astros are finding answers. Despite an offense that’s still searching for consistency, their pitching — both from the top and the bottom of the depth chart — has been dominant. If that continues, this club won't just hold the lead. They’ll have momentum heading into July.

There's so much more to cover! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!

The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!

*ChatGPT assisted.

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