Fantasy RB Rankings Week 8: Who to start, sit at running back in fantasy football

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.

WEEK 8 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker

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. 

WEEK 8 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker

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.

WEEK 8 DFS LINEUPS: FanDuel | DraftKings | Yahoo

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. (Update: With Mark Ingram traded to the Saints, Phillip Lindsay and David Johnson are now in a committee in a tough matchup against the Rams this week.)

MORE WEEK 8 DFS: Best stacks | Best values | Lineup Builder

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. 

WEEK 8 FANTASY: Sleepers | Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em

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