Fantasy football strategy, rankings, and podcasts

Well, it just doesn't feel like a proper NFL season until Arian Foster goes on the IR, am I right? Now that balance has returned to the universe (I was kicking myself for not drafting him when he was available late), we can look forward to the Week 8 rankings. This week, we have to deal with Buffalo, Philadelphia, Washington and Jacksonville taking a bye week. That's plenty of good fantasy players on bye, however there's plenty more to choose from - check out our waiver wire picks if you need any more help.

Derek Carr has a tough draw this week, facing the Jets, but at least he gets to do it at home. Last week, Tom Brady showed that the Jets are vulnerable to the pass, throwing it a whopping 54 times. Carr can have similar success as long as he doesn't turn the ball over, and despite the matchup, needs to be starting in all 2-QB formats. Matthew Stafford should remain on your bench, people. His ECR this week is still way up at 8, but he had an injury to his non-throwing hand and has to deal with the circus of going to London. The Chiefs have had a chance to gain some confidence, beating up on Landry Jones and Teddy Bridgewater this week. Stafford won't be an insurmountable challenge for them.

Dion Lewis practiced on Tuesday and should return to the Patriots lineup on Thursday night, healed up from his abdomen injury. He can be fired up as a solid RB2 as the Patriots look to re-establish their run game. The Pats ran the ball 9 times in Week 7, a number that is not at all sustainable. Just make sure the Pats aren't messing with the injury reports and verify he's playing when Thursday night rolls around. It's not certain who will emerge in Houston as the main back, but one thing IS certain - don't start Chris Polk, even though he might look like a tempting flex play.

Nate Washington had a great time collecting lots of garbage points in Miami on Sunday, and look for him to be in a similar high-volume role this week if Cecil Shorts is still out. The Texans throw the ball more than any other team (including the Chargers!) and they need guys there to soak up targets. Washington is the only decent receiver other than DeAndre Hopkins on that team, so there's plenty of balls to go around. Stay away from Brandin Cooks this week. Marques Colston is back, Willie Snead has been involved a lot in the offense, and Ben Watson has become a decent facsimile of Jimmy Graham. There isn't enough consistent work for Cooks to be an every week start. Try to sell high on him if you can.

Having tight end problems? Well, if they're fantasy football related, try a nice relaxing Crockett Gillmore for your pains. Gillmore is the second best target on his team and is going up against a Chargers team that got beat badly through the air last week. He's a good replacement if you're tired of trotting out Kyle Rudolph or Jordan Cameron.

Here we go, onto Week 8! I hope that your team has managed to get into a good position so far this season, but there is still time to right the ship if you're a few games behind. Don't listen to the hype out there - make smart, rational decisions on your pickups and weekly starts and with a little bit of luck your team will be packing to head to the playoffs later this year! Listen to or watch the Fantasy Finish Line podcast to stay on top of the latest news and analysis - we broadcast live on YouTube weekly on Wednesdays at 9pm CT.

Guys that jump out to me this week to overperform expectations: Joe Burrow, James White, Marquise Brown, Mike Gesicki, and New England Patriots DST.

Pay attention to these rankings throughout the season, as they will continue to evolve based on the latest injury updates, news, and player analysis. Have any specific lineup questions? Feel free to tweet us @drinkfive with any of your questions or comments!

Our rankings are created each week expressly to help you make some tough decisions on starts/sits and bye week fill-ins. This week we're missing Atlanta, Dallas, Tennessee, and the Los Angeles Chargers. Great plays this week from my perspective include Chris Carson, Kenjon Barner, Sterling Shepard, and the Arizona Cardinals defense. I would avoid playing Allen Robinson and Alex Collins if you can find a good substitute for those players. Good luck in Week 8 and remember, you can tweet us @drinkfive with any of your lineup questions!

After week 7's "bye-pocalypse" it has to be better from here on out, right? Well, not strictly speaking. The NFL has become more complicated with COVID-19 protocols and short-term IR becoming commonplace issues for fantasy rosters. But we're here to help you out of the weeds and on your way to a fantasy football championship this year, so pay attention to the rankings as they change throughout the week and use them as a tool to determine the value of players to pick up. Guys that I like more than other experts this week: Kenneth Gainwell, Rashaad Penny, Marvin Jones, and Pat Freiermuth. Good luck!

Good luck, and feel free to reach out to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any specific questions or comments that you might have. We are now broadcasting our weekly podcast, The Fantasy Finish Line, LIVE on YouTube every Wednesday at 9pm CT during the regular season. Tune in!