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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Can top prospect Brice Matthews give Houston a boost? Composite Getty Image.

What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.

Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.

 

Depth finally runs dry

 

It would be easy to point to a “Dodger hangover” as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But that’s not the story here.

Houston’s energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday’s finale.

But scoring isn’t everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.

The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.

 

Cracks in the pitching core

 

And the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.

Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasn’t spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.

But the struggles weren’t isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpen’s collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.

 

Injury handling under fire

 

Houston’s injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesday’s finale. He didn’t even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.

No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.

Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astros’ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.

 

Pressure mounts on Dana Brown

 

All eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.

Brown will need to act — and soon.

At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. He’s been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio Dubón stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthews’ upside into the infield is a logical step.

*Editor's note: The Astros must be listening, Matthews was called up Thursday afternoon!

 

There’s also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.

 

A final test before the break

 

Before the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio — Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown — to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.

The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.

There's so much more to discuss! 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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