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This is the first week that fantasy football owners get hit heavy with injury and bye week concerns. After a total of four NFL teams had byes over the past two weeks, a whopping six squads will be resting this week. Alas, our fantasy teams don’t get a bye week any time soon, and we must forge ahead and start the right runners in Week 8 — the halfway point in many fantasy leagues.
Here are my Top 50 RBs for Week 8 vs. FantasyPros' ECR rankings:
Fantasy Football rankings - Week 8
View Available Players| # | Player (team) | Matchup | ECR™ | vs. ECR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Johnson (ARI) | at CAR | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | Ezekiel Elliott (DAL) | vs. PHI | 2 | 0 |
| 3 | DeMarco Murray (TEN) | vs. JAC | 4 | +1 |
| 4 | Devonta Freeman (ATL) | vs. GB | 7 | +3 |
| 5 | Lamar Miller (HOU) | vs. DET | 6 | +1 |
| 6 | Christine Michael (SEA) | at NO | 5 | -1 |
| 7 | Spencer Ware (KC) | at IND | 3 | -4 |
| 8 | LeGarrette Blount (NE) | at BUF | 10 | +2 |
| 9 | Jacquizz Rodgers (TB) | vs. OAK | 8 | -1 |
| 10 | Matt Forte (NYJ) | at CLE | 9 | -1 |
| 11 | Melvin Gordon (SD) | at DEN | 11 | 0 |
| 12 | Frank Gore (IND) | vs. KC | 13 | +1 |
| 13 | C.J. Anderson (DEN) | vs. SD | 12 | -1 |
| 14 | Mark Ingram (NO) | vs. SEA | 15 | +1 |
| 15 | Jeremy Hill (CIN) | vs. WAS | 14 | -1 |
| 16 | Jonathan Stewart (CAR) | vs. ARI | 19 | +3 |
| 17 | Latavius Murray (OAK) | at TB | 18 | +1 |
| 18 | Giovani Bernard (CIN) | vs. WAS | 16 | -2 |
| 19 | Isaiah Crowell (CLE) | vs. NYJ | 20 | +1 |
| 20 | James White (NE) | at BUF | 17 | -3 |
| 21 | Mike Gillislee (BUF) | vs. NE | 22 | +1 |
| 22 | Jerick McKinnon (MIN) | at CHI | 27 | +5 |
| 23 | Devontae Booker (DEN) | vs. SD | 26 | +3 |
| 24 | Matt Jones (WAS) | at CIN | 21 | -3 |
| 25 | Ryan Mathews (PHI) | at DAL | 23 | -2 |
| 26 | Chris Ivory (JAC) | at TEN | 28 | +2 |
| 27 | Jordan Howard (CHI) | vs. MIN | 25 | -2 |
| 28 | Matt Asiata (MIN) | at CHI | 24 | -4 |
| 29 | Chris Thompson (WAS) | at CIN | 29 | 0 |
| 30 | Duke Johnson (CLE) | vs. NYJ | 30 | 0 |
| 31 | LeSean McCoy (BUF) | vs. NE | 37 | +6 |
| 32 | Jamaal Charles (KC) | at IND | 36 | +4 |
| 33 | T.J. Yeldon (JAC) | at TEN | 31 | -2 |
| 34 | Dwayne Washington (DET) | at HOU | 50 | +16 |
| 35 | Knile Davis (GB) | at ATL | 32 | -3 |
| 36 | Bilal Powell (NYJ) | at CLE | 33 | -3 |
| 37 | Robert Kelley (WAS) | at CIN | 43 | +6 |
| 38 | DeAndre Washington (OAK) | at TB | 38 | 0 |
| 39 | Zach Zenner (DET) | at HOU | 34 | -5 |
| 40 | Darren Sproles (PHI) | at DAL | 35 | -5 |
| 41 | Ka'Deem Carey (CHI) | vs. MIN | 39 | -2 |
| 42 | Derrick Henry (TEN) | vs. JAC | 40 | -2 |
| 43 | Justin Forsett (DET) | at HOU | 42 | -1 |
| 44 | Peyton Barber (TB) | vs. OAK | 46 | +2 |
| 45 | Theo Riddick (DET) | at HOU | 41 | -4 |
| 46 | Jalen Richard (OAK) | at TB | 44 | -2 |
| 47 | Alfred Morris (DAL) | vs. PHI | 47 | 0 |
| 48 | C.J. Prosise (SEA) | at NO | 54 | +6 |
| 49 | Alfred Blue (HOU) | vs. DET | 51 | +2 |
| 50 | Andre Ellington (ARI) | at CAR | 67 | +17 |
-
Notes & Analysis:
- David Johnson is unstoppable.
- Devonta Freeman has the looks of a true workhorse this week as backfield mate Tevin Coleman nurses a hamstring strain. GB’s run defense is not as good as their stats show.
- Lamar Miller is coming off a difficult matchup against the Broncos where he had to be shuttled in and out after suffering a minor shoulder injury. He’s an upside RB1 against DET if he’s ready for Sunday.
- LeGarrette Blount continues to steamrolls opposing defenders and is always an RB1 candidate when the Patriots are playing with a lead or near the goal line — which are two pretty common scenarios.
- Jacquizz Rodgers has been much more valuable than many would’ve thought since Charles Sims went down and Doug Martin continues to experience soft-tissue setbacks. He’s a borderline RB1 with a delectable matchup.
- Matt Forte’s solid position on the RB leaderboard is mainly the result of three good — two of them massive — fantasy games. He still has a fantastic matchup and is coming off a 34-touch outing.
- C.J. Anderson looked fine running the ball on MNF, but the problem is so did his backup — a term that might already be in the past. Anderson is still a high-end RB2 in a great matchup, but Devontae Booker is sure to see more carries after a string of impressive games. He’s already an intriguing RB3 play himself.
- Jeremy Hill looked awesome last week, but he’s still being out-snapped by Giovani Bernard. Both are mid-range RB2s — Gio has a safer floor, but Hill has the TD upside.
- Keep tabs on LeSean McCoy this week, as I don’t think he’ll suit up for Sunday. If/when that is confirmed, Mike Gillislee becomes a borderline RB2.
- Is Matt Jones slowly fumbling away his 2016 fantasy relevance?
- Jerick McKinnon would make for a volatile RB3 if he can play on MNF after twisting his ankle in Week 7, while Matt Asiata could be a steady, yet low-end RB2 if the speedster sits out.
Good luck this week!