Fantasy football rankings can change in an instant, particularly at running back. After starting the season with a knee injury and playing just 21 snaps over his first two games, Seahawks rookie Kenneth Walker III was being dropped from many Fantasy football lineups. However, when Rashaad Penny went down with a broken leg in Week 5, Walker seized his opportunity and could be one of the top Week 8 Fantasy football picks after a 164-yard, two-score performance last week.
Meanwhile, James Robinson started the year as Jacksonville’s No. 1 back, but started to see his touches dwindle with Travis Etienne overtaking him on the depth chart. Can Robinson’s Fantasy value return after the Jaguars traded him to the Jets, and where should he be in your Week 8 Fantasy football RB rankings? Before you lock in your lineups, be sure to check out the Week 8 Fantasy football rankings from the advanced computer model at SportsLine.
When it comes to ranking players, SportsLine’s model beat human experts in Fantasy football for the past several seasons especially when there were big differences in ranking. Over the course of a season, that could literally be the difference between winning your league or going home empty-handed.
Last week, the model was extremely high on Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III, saying he’d finish as a top-five player at his position. The result: Walker recorded 23 carries for 168 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday’s win over the Chargers. Anybody who had him in their lineup was well on their way to a huge week.
Now, the model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, has revealed its Fantasy football rankings for Week 8 of the 2022 NFL season. Head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top Week 8 Fantasy football picks Â
One player the model is high on this week: Jaguars running back Travis Etienne. The first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft didn’t play during his rookie season because of a Lisfranc injury, but he returned to action in 2022 and spent the first month of the season making the most of his opportunities in a complimentary role to Robinson. However, he busted out with 114 scrimmage yards in Week 5 and topped the 100-yard mark the last three weeks to prompt the Jaguars to trade Robinson on Monday.
Even with Robinson still on the roster, Etienne played in 80% of the snaps in Week 7 and carried the ball 14 times for 114 yards and a score while also being targeted five times in the passing game. Now that Robinson is in New York, Etienne faces little competition for backfield touches. The model ranks him as a top-15 back for Week 8 against a Broncos defense that ranks 23rd in yards allowed per carry (4.7). See who else to target here.
And a massive shocker: Packers running back Aaron Jones, who finished with over 75 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns last week, stumbles big-time and doesn’t even crack the top 20 at his position. Jones rushed eight times for just 23 yards in Sunday’s loss against the Commanders but brought in nine of 10 targets for 53 yards and two scores.
The Packers are struggling offensively, averaging just 18.3 points per game this season. Plus, Jones and the Packers will square off against the Buffalo Bills, a defense that’s giving up just 281.5 yards per game this season, which ranks first in the NFL. With one of the toughest NFL matchups, Jones is a player to consider putting on the bench in Week 8. See who else to fade here.
How to set Week 8 Fantasy football rankings
The model is also calling for a surprising quarterback you aren’t even thinking about to finish in the top 10 of its Week 8 Fantasy football rankings. This pick could be the difference between winning big and going home with nothing. You can only see who it is here.
So who should you start and sit this week? And which surprising quarterback could lead you to victory? Visit SportsLine now to get Week 8 Fantasy football rankings for every position, plus see which QB is going to come out of nowhere to crack the top 10, all from the model that has outperformed experts big-time.
