Making Week 8 Fantasy football picks for the 2025 NFL season promises to be the most challenging yet, largely due to six teams being on bye. This situation forces Fantasy managers to dig deeper into their benches, giving previously overlooked players a chance to shine. Players like Chase Brown, Chris Olave, Romeo Doubs, and Pat Freiermuth, who have shown inconsistency throughout the season but have recently posted impressive performances, might finally find a regular spot in starting lineups. Even veteran quarterback Joe Flacco, coming off a remarkable 342-yard, three-touchdown game last Thursday, is now being seriously considered in Week 8 Fantasy start/sit decisions.
Injuries further complicate lineup choices this week. For example, the Washington Commanders have several key skill players sidelined or limited: Jayden Daniel is out with a hamstring injury, Terry McLaurin is nursing a quad issue, and Deebo Samuel is battling heel pain. Similarly, the Baltimore Ravens face uncertainty with star quarterback Lamar Jackson ruled out due to a hamstring injury. These significant absences force Fantasy managers to rethink their usual strategies and identify reliable replacements. To navigate these challenges, experts recommend consulting advanced tools like the Week 8 Fantasy football rankings from SportsLine, which uses a proven computer model to analyze and project player performances.
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The SportsLine model behind the Week 8 rankings has a strong track record of outperforming human experts in Fantasy football over multiple seasons. Its advantage is particularly noticeable when there are large differences in player rankings, which can be the tipping point between winning a Fantasy league or missing out. The model’s predictive power has been demonstrated through its early recognition of breakout players like A.J. Brown, Jonathan Taylor, Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, and Jahmyr Gibbs. Fantasy managers who trusted these picks saw their teams make deep playoff runs or even win championships.
This season, the model simulates every NFL game 10,000 times to produce player rankings that factor in matchups, player health, and recent trends. Its Week 8 projections are now available on SportsLine’s platform, offering Fantasy managers data-driven insights to make informed decisions.
One of the more surprising recommendations from the model is its caution against starting Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. Despite ranking third among quarterbacks in Fantasy points over the past four weeks — fueled by an impressive 13 touchdowns and zero interceptions — Prescott faces a tough matchup against the Denver Broncos. Denver boasts the NFL’s best defense against quarterbacks, leading the league in sacks, allowing the lowest completion percentage, and conceding the second-fewest passing touchdowns this season. While Denver has been vulnerable to mobile quarterbacks rushing for touchdowns, Prescott’s injury woes have limited his mobility, placing him 25th among QBs in rushing yards. This lack of scrambling ability diminishes his upside, and the model suggests he may fall outside the top 12 quarterback rankings for Week 8, making him a risky Fantasy start.
On the flip side, the model highlights Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan as a potential breakout candidate. The No. 8 overall pick in the rookie draft has had an uneven season, with standout performances like a 100-yard game in Week 2 and two touchdowns in Week 6, but little consistency otherwise. Currently ranked 27th among wide receivers in both standard and PPR formats, McMillan faces a Buffalo Bills defense that has recently shown vulnerabilities in its secondary. After allowing just 125.8 passing yards per game over the first four weeks, Buffalo has given up an average of 250 yards in the last two weeks. Notably, receivers Stefon Diggs and Drake London each posted over 140 receiving yards against the Bills recently, and six of the seven passing touchdowns Buffalo has allowed this season have gone to wide receivers. Given this matchup, McMillan projects as a top-12 wideout for Week 8, qualifying him as a WR1 option in 12-team leagues.
In addition to these name-brand picks, the SportsLine model has also identified a lesser-known quarterback who is projected to finish in the top 10 at his position for Week 8.