Early Week 8 fantasy football rankings: 14 sleepers and streamers

Week 7 of the fantasy football season should have come with an NSFW warning.

Brock Purdy, Bryce Young, Patrick Mahomes and Baker Mayfield all finished as the QB18 or worse. At running back, each of these players finished outside the top 30: Chuba Hubbard, Chase Brown, Kenneth Walker and Derrick Henry. Wide receiver was no different, with Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown, Tet McMillan, Garrett Wilson, Nico Collins and Jalen Coker finishing outside the top 30 as well. Finally, at tight end, the top five included Mason Taylor, Davis Allen and Eli Raridon, while Travis Kelce, Tyler Higbee, Isaiah Likely and Sam LaPorta all failed to crack the top 20. Woof.

Let's move on to Week 8.

Here's an early look at Week 8 fantasy football rankings. Toggle between standard, half PPR (point per reception) and full PPR to see where players rank in your league’s format. Scroll to the bottom to view the complete rankings.

Our team at USA TODAY Sports has you covered with plenty of content to help with your roster decisions. Looking for up-to-date player news? We’ve got it. We also have a list of 10 players to buy or sell and the 12 biggest takeaways from Week 7. Finally, don't miss our five players to drop ahead of Week 8.

Please note: These rankings will change significantly as the week goes on. Check back on Sunday morning for final updates.

(The risers and sleepers sections will focus on players available in at least 50% of Yahoo leagues. All snap and target data are from PFF.)

Week 8 fantasy football quarterback rankings: Risers and sleepers

• Cardinals QB Jacoby Brissett (27% rostered) - Brissett has been the very definition of a low-floor, high-ceiling play in 2026. The veteran has already posted two top-eight finishes this season, but he also has had performances of QB27 and QB28. The upside will be worth chasing in Week 8, when he faces a Cowboys defense that's allowed more than 20 fantasy points to quarterbacks in five of their six games (with MNF pending).
• Jets QB Geno Smith (19%) - Speaking of high-upside, low-floor plays, say hello to Geno Smith. The 36-year-old has eclipsed 24 points twice in 2026, but he's also failed to exceed 10 points in three of his seven outings. Geno will be a high-upside streamer against a Raiders team that has ceded the sixth-most fantasy points to the position this season.
• Seahawks QB Sam Darnold (36%) - Darnold has failed to surpass 15 fantasy points in any of his last four games, but he'll get his best matchup of the season in Week 8. This season, the Bears have allowed four quarterbacks to top 23 points against them, including each of the last three.

Week 8 fantasy football running back rankings: Risers and sleepers

• Broncos RB Jonah Coleman (35%) - Coleman was featured in this spot last week due to J.K. Dobbins' inefficiencies, and all he did was lead all Broncos backs in snap share (49%), routes run (11) and opportunities (11). Mind you, that was his first game back from IR. The rookie turned his 11 touches into a very nice 69 yards, good for 6.3 yards per touch. Considering that Dobbins hasn't sniffed 4.0 yards per touch since Week 1, Coleman's role is likely to expand. This is an "empty the clip" spot if he's available in your leagues.
• Colts RB Seth McGowan (7%) - The Colts fired GM Chris Ballard last week, which means a fire sale could be coming. One of the players who will certainly be on the block is Jonathan Taylor. If Taylor is indeed traded, McGowan should take over as the RB1 in Indy. The best part about this add is that you likely won't have to spend any FAAB or a premium waiver claim to make it happen.
• Browns RB Dylan Sampson (8%) - The Browns got both Quinshon Judkins and Sampson back from injury in Week 7, and the split was closer than the stats might suggest. Judkins played just five more snaps (37 to 32) while Sampson ran seven more routes (18 to 11). Sampson garnered nine touches, which he turned into 77 yards. The 22-year-old is worth an add in deeper PPR leagues.
• Cardinals RB Bam Knight (25%) - With Jeremiyah Love out again, Knight led the Arizona backfield in snap share (53%), routes (25), and opportunities (12). He turned that workload into 68 scoreless yards. If Love is out again in Week 8, Knight will be on the RB2 radar against the always-generous Cowboys defense.

Week 8 fantasy football wide receiver rankings: Risers and sleepers

• Jets WR Omar Cooper Jr. (48%) - To quote the great Michael Scott, "Fool me once, strike one. But fool me twice… strike three". In his two games since returning from injury, Cooper is fantasy's WR3, and at some point, you have to take it seriously. Among wideouts with at least 10 targets this season, Cooper is averaging nearly a full yard more per route run than the next-closest player. While Cooper's snap share was lighter in Week 7 (64%, compared to 83% in Week 6), he led the wide receiver room in targets for a second consecutive game. Sure, his efficiency metrics are bound to come crashing down to earth, but it's hard to imagine a scenario in which he doesn't have a very real role going forward.
• Commanders WR Antonio Williams (8%) - Terry McLaurin suffered a season-ending injury in Week 6, but since it happened prior to the Commanders' bye, fantasy managers were in no rush to take advantage. In that contest, Williams led all Washington wideouts in snaps (45) and routes run (35). Head coach Dan Quinn said that Stefon Diggs' role won't change much in McLaurin's absence, and that the team will look primarily to Williams to step up. If you're in need of help at the WR or flex spot, Williams is worth a sizeable claim.
• Dolphins WR Caleb Douglas (10%) - Douglas has now posted 11.9 and 20 half-PPR points in two of his three games this season. While he only managed three targets in Week 7, the rookie did finish second on the team in snaps and routes. Douglas made the most of his three targets, catching two of them for 70 yards and two touchdowns. While we don't want to chase points, this is a Dolphins team that desperately needs a wide receiver to step up and make plays. Douglas has done that in two of his three contests.
• Ravens WR Ja'Kobi Lane (17%) - While Lane finished a hair behind Rashod Bateman in snap share (69% to 73%), the rookie did total the second-most routes and targets among Baltimore wide receivers for a second consecutive game. Lane is worth an add in 12-teamers for when Lamar Jackson returns.