Week 8 Fantasy Football Rankings: WR

Adam Thielen comes off bye against the Texans, Garrett Wilson hunts for more actual production vs. the Giants, and Jordan Addison looks to prove Week 7 was not a fluke.

Other positions: Quarterback | Running Back | Tight End/Kickers/Defense

Updated 10/29 at 12:00 PM ET. Left Michael Thomas and Curtis Samuel untouched. Realized I had Treylon Burks way, way too high. Leaving Josh Palmer as is, though there seems to be a real chance he sits.

Week 8 Receivers

WR Notes: A.J. Brown and Stefon Diggs will share “Him” duties for Week 8 with Tyreek Hill (hip) looking doubtful. … With Hill ailing, it is safe to immediately insert Jaylen Waddle in the high-end WR1 ranks. A target commander before Hill arrived in South Beach, Waddle is the rare No. 2 receiver who can assume No. 1 workloads without embarrassing the squad. Fantasy managers just need to hope Raheem Mostert (ankle) doesn’t join Hill on the shelf, as Wadle would then be the only obvious point of emphasis for Bill Belichick. … Ja’Marr Chase comes off bye to a Tee Higgins who is presumably much healthier after his weeks in the injury wilderness with a rib issue. Higgins had an unimpressive Week 6. With the 49ers such a tough pass defense, Higgins will be on top 20 probation until he re-proves his health on the Sunday gridiron. … Even with a 6.6 Week 6 clunker thrown into the mix, Puka Nacua is averaging 16.7 PPR points in three games since Cooper Kupp’s return. That would make him the WR15 on the year. There is ample reason to believe he will be better than that. With no other target competition to speak of, this receiver corps is big enough for the two of Kupp and Nacua.

Keenan Allen is averaging just 14.4 PPR points in three games since Mike Williams landed on injured reserve. That pales in comparison to his pre-injury production, and would make him the WR23 on the year. Now Josh Palmer (ankle) is banged up. Allen just needs to hope he doesn’t become too easy to game plan for. The good news for Week 8 is that the Bears don’t have the horses. If Palmer can go, he has forced his way into the top 36. … Davante Adams (shoulder) looks healthy. That’s good news since he hasn’t bettered 12.7 PPR points in any of his past three appearances. Jimmy Garoppolo (back) is back for Week 8. Jakobi Meyers continues to loom as a too-involved No. 2, but there is hope Adams can break out against a Lions pass defense that just got exposed by the Ravens. … CeeDee Lamb has drawn more than seven targets one time all season. The Cowboys are six-point home favorites against a Rams defense that has permitted only four passing scores in seven games. A fluke, but it’s yet another game environment where Lamb is not guaranteed to get home.

You don’t have to like it, but Adam Thielen has been what peak PPR performance looks like. The “washed” veteran is all the way up to WR8 by average points. The Texans are allowing the seventh most passing yards despite a soft early-season schedule. Bryce Young, of course, is another soft matchup, but it’s not a concerning spot for his No. 1 wideout. … Deebo Samuel (shoulder) still isn’t practicing. Brandon Aiyuk has excellent bounce-back odds from his quiet Week 7, though Sam Darnold under center is yet another variable. The Bengals do not feature the man coverage that Aiyuk thrives on. … It’s been a rough go of it for Chris Olave of late, but he’s at least had the decency to catch 14 passes on 25 targets over the past two weeks. His usage should remain gangbusters against a burnable Colts defense. That is, as long as Derek Carr isn’t still upset about whatever it was he was screaming about in Week 7. … Truckin’ as the WR14 by average PPR points, Mike Evans has a good Week 8 setup against the Bills’ injury-crumbled defense. Chris Godwin’s neck injury could also lead to a more limited role for Tampa’s No. 2.

Garrett Wilson is averaging 11 targets over his past three games. The Jets have at least accomplished Step 1 to keeping him relevant. It’s going to remain daunting translating that usage into actual production, but that’s a workload worth betting on. … Terry McLaurin has reached nine targets in 3-of-4 games. He’s facing an Eagles pass D surprisingly surrendering the second most receiver fantasy points. Sam Howell just needs to find a way to remain upright. He found McLaurin for 8/86 in these sides’ first meeting. … I am concerned about keeping DJ Moore in the top 20. I’m not expecting another Tyson Bagent free pass, but… lordy do the Chargers stink against the pass. The Bolts are hemorrhaging 8.8 yards per attempt and 27 more yards per game than any other team. No one allows more receiver fantasy points. Live and let die with Moore. … Ok yep, that was all we needed to see from Jordan Addison. He is ready for these increased targets and play-making opportunities. He could be the only show in town if T.J. Hockenson (foot) can’t go.

Nico Collins was in the midst of a quiet stretch heading into the Texans’ bye but remains amongst the league leaders in yards per route run. The Panthers are one of the better matchups he could have for Week 8. Tank Dell could also be rotating snaps with Noah Brown, making Collins more of a clear alpha. … I have finally made the Calvin Ridley/Christian Kirk switch. These moves have a way of immediately backfiring, but Ridley isn’t getting the job done. He does maintain the red zone advantage despite Kirk’s recent scores, while Kirk’s targets lead isn’t as imposing as one might assume. This saga could remain ongoing. … It’s scary season for Amari Cooper. I’m sure he’s capable of another pop-up performance with P.J. Walker, but Deshaun Watson’s latest backup hasn’t put anything good on film. … Drake London seems to have established a 6/50 floor. Ceiling will be possible against the Titans’ Kevin Byard-less pass funnel. … It’s an open question if Kenny Pickett can actually support two top-30 wideouts. It is at least possible with Pat Freiermuth on injured reserve. … Rashee Rice is scoring every other game and continuing to command more snaps and routes. At some point the Chiefs have to simplify this receiver rotation.