NFL RODS Rankings: Week 8

The RODS rankings are my self-developed statistical analysis of team performance, looking at all three phases of the game. The Standard RODS is an aggregate of the Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams ratings and is based purely on what happens on the field, taking into consideration no outside factors. Additionally I have taken the standard fantasy point scoring from ESPN and aggregated each team’s total fantasy output so we are able to compare actual performance with their fantasy output. For a further breakdown of how the ratings are derived, you can find the full breakdown of the RODS ratings here.

RODS Rankings Week 8

There’s little change at the top as we hit the mid point of the regular season, with the Saints gaining slightly on the league-leading Rams as they won their fifth straight game as they defeated the Bears. The Rams and Jaguars stay first and third respectively during their bye weeks, with the Eagles moving up two places to fourth as they put up their highest rating of the season as they strolled past the 49ers.

The big movers of week 8 were the Panthers and Ravens, who moved up four and six places after posting the top two ratings of week 8. At the other end of the table, the Buccaneers fell the most places this week, dropping three places to 27th as they posted their worst rating of the season in the 17-3 loss to the Panthers.

The Dolphins have dropped to the bottom of the overall rankings following their 40-0 blowout loss to the Ravens, which gave them a -100.0% rating (the lowest possible), only the second time this seaosn a team has posted such a rating (Colts week 1 @ Rams). Their offense rates as the worst in the league and given the news that dropped Tuesday with the trade of running back Jay Ajayi to the Eagles, I wouldn’t be putting any money on it getting better any time soon. The Dolphins also rank last in fantasy points per game, with a paltry 53.82 average points.

The Saints have overtaken the Chiefs for the top offense in the league, with the Patriots also leapfrogging the Chiefs into second. The Saints are one of the most balanced offenses in the league with Drew Brees ranking as my second rated quarterback, and the rushing attack rating sixth in the league. Despite the Patriots ranking 16th overall, thanks to their bottom rated defense, they are the top fantasy team of the season to date, averaging over 90 fantasy points a week, just ahead of the Eagles and Chiefs.