Week 8 Fantasy RB Rankings

The six-team byepocalypse is over, and this week, just two teams (Raiders and Ravens) are off. It’s still shaping up to be a tough week for our Week 8 fantasy RB rankings, as plenty of running backs are dealing with injuries and the usual amount of tough matchups and tougher committee situations are affecting things.

Saquon Barkley (ankle), Nick Chubb (calf), and David Montgomery (knee) are all eligible to return this week, but Montgomery is expected to remain out. Barkley (@ Chiefs) would have a cake matchup if he’s able to make it back, while Chubb (vs. Steelers) would be in a tough spot, but obviously fantasy owners just want these backs in their lineups regardless. D’Ernest Johnson showed last week he’s capable of handling a full complement of carries if Chubb is out, but a matchup against the Steelers would keep him at a low-end RB2 level.

Damien Harris (@ Chargers), Darrel Williams (vs. Giants), and Kenneth Gainwell (@ Lions), assuming Miles Sanders (ankle) is out, are in good spots this week and should produce borderline RB1-level numbers. Both Zack Moss and Devin Singletary (vs. MIA) also have great matchups, though their timeshare remains frustrating. Moss continues to play more snaps than Singletary, but Singletary closed the gap in their last game and narrowly outproduced Moss. Still, Moss’s slight advantage in touchdown potential gives him an edge in our rankings. 

Several secondary backs are in good matchup spots this week and could see some extra touches/production. Tony Pollard (@ Vikings) stands out the most in our rankings, but J.D. McKissic (@ Broncos), Brandon Bolden (@ Chargers), Boston Scott (@ Lions), and Rashaad Penny (vs. Jaguars) also have favorable matchups and should work as flexes in all formats. You could even try Samaje Perine (@ Jets) if you’re in a bind, as Bengals’ secondary backs have had a nice run of production lately.

Khalil Herbert (vs. 49ers), Myles Gaskin (@ Bills), Michael Carter (vs. Bengals), and Mark Ingram (vs. Rams) are notable borderline starters with tough matchups. Some of these guys get decent enough volume, but the same can be said for most of the secondary backs listed above who have much better matchups. The key difference is the bad-matchup players are more likely to get goal-line carries, but they’re still riskier than usual in a week where the rankings are relatively deep.

We’re getting to the point in the season where we have a good idea of who’s going to get touches and who has the best chances to produce. Some situations are still total guesswork (Dolphins, Broncos, Seahawks) or just bad (Texans, Jets), but there are others, like the Falcons or Cardinals, where the committees generally thrive. We know bad games are always possible (as we saw with a gimpy Mike Davis last week), but we also know certain players have established themselves as “must-starts.” Unless you have significantly better or more reliable options, you have to trust certain guys until they give you a reason not to. 

Note: We’ll be updating these RB rankings throughout the week, so check back for analysis and the latest player movement.

Fantasy RB Rankings Week 8: Who to start at running back

Rankings are based on standard, non-PPR scoring

Titans @ Colts

Jaguars @ Seahawks

Vikings @ Cowboys

Cowboys @ Vikings

Giants @ Chiefs

Colts vs. Titans

Bengals @ Jets

Patriots @ Chargers

Saints vs. Buccaneers

Chargers vs. Patriots

Packers @ Cardinals

Rams @ Texans

Lions vs. Eagles

Steelers @ Browns

Eagles @ Lions

Chiefs vs. Giants

Browns vs. Steelers

Falcons vs. Panthers

Panthers @ Falcons

Buccaneers @ Saints

49ers @ Bears

Washington @ Broncos

Bills vs. Dolphins

Bills vs. Dolphins

Cowboys @ Vikings

26 Alex Collins, SEA vs. JAX
27 Melvin Gordon, DEN vs. WAS
28 Khalil Herbert, CHI vs. SF
29 Mike Davis, ATL vs. CAR
30 Javonte Williams, DEN vs. WAS
31 James Conner, ARI vs. GB
32 Michael Carter, NYJ vs. CIN
33 Chase Edmonds, ARI vs. GB
34 Rashaad Penny, SEA vs. JAX
35 Brandon Bolden, NE @ LAC
36 JD McKissic, WAS @ DEN
37 Jamaal Williams, DET vs. PHI
38 Myles Gaskin, MIA @ BUF
39 Mark Ingram, HOU vs. LAR
40 Damien Williams, CHI vs. SF
41 D’Ernest Johnson, CLE vs. PIT
42 Samaje Perine, CIN @ NYJ
43 Ty Johnson, NYJ vs. CIN
44 Boston Scott, PHI @ DET
45 Alexander Mattison, MIN vs. DAL
46 Salvon Ahmed, MIA @ BUF
47 AJ Dillon, GB @ ARI
48 Malcolm Brown, MIA @ BUF
49 Ronald Jones II, TB @ NO
50 David Johnson, HOU vs. LAR
51 Nyheim Hines, IND vs. TEN
52 Devontae Booker, NYG @ KC
53 Giovani Bernard, TB @ NO
54 JaMycal Hasty, SF @ CHI
55 Sony Michel, LAR @ HOU
56 Jerick McKinnon, KC vs. NYG
57 Demetric Felton, CLE vs. PIT
58 Joshua Kelley, LAC vs. NE
59 Darrynton Evans, TEN @ IND
60 J.J. Taylor, NE @ LAC
61 Carlos Hyde, JAX @ SEA
62 Phillip Lindsay, HOU vs. LAR
63 Larry Rountree III, LAC vs. NE

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