It’s looking more and more like whoever you drafted is who you’ll have to ride for the season. Injuries and bye weeks are making it harder than ever to fill all your starting spots with confidence.
Quarterback and tight end matchups: the positions where fantasy football players seem to take the most risks.
Nearly two months into the season, the injury bug has spread across the NFL, with four more teams on bye and waiver wire options running thin.
Houston, New Orleans, San Francisco, and the Giants all get their breaks in Week 8. That means you’re likely filling in for C.J. Stroud, Tyler Shough, Brock Purdy, Woody Marks, Christian McCaffrey, Cam Skattebo, Nico Collins, Chris Olave, Malik Nabers, George Kittle, and more.
And, if I started listing all the starting-fantasy injuries, you’d never get to my advice, let alone the end of the article.
But I’m here going through more numbers than I can count to and analyzing matchups to maximize your “points in the hole” as I like to call them.
So, who are our top fantasy football Week 8 QB & TE streamers? Let’s dive in.
Editor’s Note: The majority of point values are based on standard scoring leagues.
Fantasy Football Week 8 QB Streamers
Geno Smith, New York vs Las Vegas
I like Geno Smith for many reasons this week. The biggest reason is that he has a good revenge game, but his receivers, including tight ends, are playing well right now, even without using Garrett Wilson to his full potential.
The magic number is 21 (perfect for a game against Las Vegas, ay?). Five consecutive quarterbacks have scored that or more against the Raiders, no doubt helping to push them to allow the fifth-most points to the position (CBSSports).
He’s a bit of a wild card so far this season, scoring more than 32 points twice and more than 11 but less than 20 four times. He hasn’t turned the ball over in his second stint with New York so far, but he’s struggling to rack up passing yards.
Aside from Week 3, Smith has his season-high passing yard totals in his last two games: 252 and 287.
This coincides with rookie receiver Omar Cooper Jr.‘s back-to-back 100-yard games on 12 combined targets. His two touchdowns are an added bonus, too.
The home game this week could be the moment Smith needs to take the next step and involve Wilson, Cooper Jr., and tight end Mason Taylor if the Jets want to win. Good news for fantasy owners: that can only mean more points.
Geno Smith is QB 29 on The Wolf’s Week 8 rankings.
Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh vs Cleveland
Cleveland’s Thursday Night Football win in Week 4 is one of this season’s shockers so far. And if it wasn’t for a second interception by Aaron Rodgers, that would’ve been his season-high in fantasy points.
In Week 8, Rodgers and Pittsburgh have a chance to lead the AFC North with a win heading into their bye week.
Rodgers is averaging upwards of 35+ pass attempts this season, with 79 in the last two weeks alone. His current fantasy struggle, however, is five interceptions through seven games. And, in the games he tosses multiple scores, he has accompanied them with at least one interception.
But Rodgers was one yard short of 300 against the Browns in the first go-round, and one fewer interception would’ve created a longer time of possession and likely pushed him over that mark. Cleveland’s defense is good, but I don’t expect him to repeat this matchup with the most interceptions in a game he has thrown this season.
Jaylen Warren also stole 17 plays in that game, something the Browns will prepare better for this weekend. But he will have him as a passing-game option, along with D.K. Metcalf and Germie Bernard, as well as his tight end duo of Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington. That quartet will need to fill the void left by Roman Wilson (finger, IR), who had 74 yards and a touchdown in Week 4.
Both team’s defenses are ranked in the Top 10 against the pass, but it didn’t stop them from a shootout one month ago. The O/U of 39.5 feels too low.
Aaron Rodgers is QB 19 on The Wolf’s Week 8 rankings.
Fantasy Football Week 8 TE Streamers
T.J. Hockenson, Vikings @ Lions
Remember three minutes ago when I said I love revenge games?
T.J. Hockenson takes 18 targets in his last two games into a matchup with the Lions, who allow the most points to the position in fantasy.
Across seven weeks, tight ends have scored 10 times. Hockenson can make it back-to-back games with touchdowns for the first time this season. He found the end zone last week when the Vikings had him, Justin Jefferson, and Jordan Addison all healthy for the first time. A second week of that will be a good thing.
T.J. Hockenson is TE 15 on The Wolf’s Week 8 rankings.
Hunter Henry, Patriots @ Dolphins
Much like Detroit, Miami is in the top three in fantasy points allowed to tight ends.
Hunter Henry had his most targets (seven) and receptions (also seven) in Week 7, and now he travels to a division rival with a strong chance that the team’s No. 1 receiver, A.J. Brown, is out.
Henry averaged 14.7 yards per catch, his season-high, when Brown was out in Week 5. His only touchdowns have come in games without Brown. Why stop the trend?
Hunter Henry is TE 14 on The Wolf’s Week 8 rankings.
Chig Okonkwo, Commanders vs Eagles
Before the season began, Chig Okonkwo looked tempting as a breakout tight end. When he was injured and missed weeks two and three, and then returned with five yards in Week 4, I almost moved on.
Okonkwo quietly has 13 targets (11 catches) in his last two games, and now Terry McLaurin (knee) is on injured reserve.
The Eagles are a mess and have struggled against the position in the last month. And not with big-name guys in the league. Players such as Tommy Tremble, Brenton Strange and Tyler Higbee.
Raachad White and Antonio Williams will likely have the better games, but Okonkwo could take red zone targets away from Stefon Diggs, especially if he avoids the coverage of either Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell.
Chigoziem Okonkwo is TE 18 on The Wolf’s Week 8 rankings.
