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Fantasy Football Week 8 Quarterback Rankings

Publish Date: October 28, 2026

With seven weeks of the 2026 NFL season in the books, the fantasy football season is already approaching its midpoint. The landscape for the best options for your fantasy football team has continued to take shape, with surprise performances, breakout players and fantasy duds shaking up rankings week to week. As we get closer to the halfway point of the season, let’s take a look at my fantasy football quarterback rankings heading into Week 8.

Key:

Must Start- A player who is in your lineup regardless of the matchup or most circumstances. They will likely finish near the top of the league in points that week and in most weeks.

Starting QB1- A player who makes fantasy owners comfortable starting week after week. Regardless of the matchup, this player has a solid floor.

Low-End Starter- A player who may not be a lock to start for a team every week, but will start more often than not because of depth at the position. Their production is based on whether they can get in the end zone or not. It can be the difference between a top-10 performance and a top-25 performance.

Deep League Starter- A player whose ceiling isn’t high but should put up enough production to be started in deep leagues. When a player like this is started, it is because their production, though it will likely be low, will be better than a few other options.

Leave on the Bench- A player who should be avoided in all lineups that week. Many times, this player could even be left on waivers.

Status Uncertain- A player who currently has an injury designation leading up to game day. Their status remains uncertain until we get closer to game day and know more.

Category	Name	Opponent	Matchup Start/Sit	Ranking
Must Start	Josh Allen	VS. Baltimore Ravens	A	QB1
Must Start	Joe Burrow	VS. Tennessee Titans	A+	QB2
Must Start	Drake Maye	AT Miami Dolphins	A+	QB3
Must Start (Status Uncertain)	Lamar Jackson	AT Buffalo Bills	A+*	QB4
Must Start	Trevor Lawrence	VS. Indianapolis Colts	A+	QB5
Starter	Jordan Love	VS. Carolina Panthers	A	QB6
Starter	Dak Prescott	VS. Arizona Cardinals	A-	QB7
Starter	Matthew Stafford	VS. Los Angeles Chargers	A	QB8
Starter	Jayden Daniels	VS. Philadelphia Eagles	A-	QB9
Starter	Bryce Young	AT Green Bay Packers	A-	QB10
Starter	Kyler Murray	AT Detroit Lions	A	QB11
Low-End Starter	Patrick Mahomes	AT Denver Broncos	B+	QB12
Low-End Starter	Aaron Rodgers	VS. Cleveland Browns	B+	QB13
Low-End Starter	Jared Goff	VS. Minnesota Vikings	B-	QB14
Low-End Starter	Caleb Williams	AT Seattle Seahawks	B-	QB15
Low-End Starter	Jacoby Brissett	AT Dallas Cowboys	B+	QB16
Low-End Starter	Kirk Cousins	AT New York Jets	B	QB17
Deep League Starter	Sam Darnold	VS. Chicago Bears	B	QB18
Deep League Starter	Geno Smith	VS. Las Vegas Raiders	B	QB19
Deep League Starter	Baker Mayfield	VS. Atlanta Falcons	B	QB20
Deep League Starter	Bo Nix	VS. Kansas City Chiefs	B-	QB21
Deep League Starter	Michael Penix Jr.	AT Tampa Bay Buccaneers	B-	QB22
Leave on the Bench	Malik Willis	VS. New England Patriots	C+	QB23
Leave on the Bench	Deshaun Watson	AT Pittsburgh Steelers	C	QB24
Leave on the Bench	Justin Herbert	AT Los Angeles Rams	C+	QB25
Leave on the Bench	Daniel Jones	AT Jacksonville Jaguars	B-	QB26
Leave on the Bench	Cam Ward	AT Cincinnati Bengals	C+	QB27
Leave on the Bench	Tanner McKee	AT Washington Commanders	C+	QB28
Leave on the Bench	Tyler Huntley	AT Buffalo Bills	C+	QB29
Leave on the Bench	Brock Purdy	BYE	N/A	N/A
Leave on the Bench	Tyler Shough	BYE	N/A	N/A
Leave on the Bench	J.J. McCarthy	BYE	N/A	N/A
Leave on the Bench	C.J. Stroud	BYE	N/A	N/A

Updates for Week 8:

Brock Purdy, J.J. McCarthy, C.J. Stroud and Tyler Shough are all on bye this week, so fantasy managers should replace these quarterbacks with options off the bench.
Lamar Jackson is likely to return in Week 8 after missing the last three weeks due to an ankle injury. Jackson participated in limited practice sessions last week and was close to returning against the Bengals but was a full participant in practice on Wednesday. Although Jackson is expected to play this week in a big game for the Ravens on the road against Buffalo, fantasy managers should continue monitoring his injury status throughout the week.
Baker Mayfield is an interesting fantasy option after returning in Week 7 against the Panthers. Mayfield missed three games with a dislocated thumb on his throwing hand before returning against Carolina. The Buccaneers dominated the Panthers on the road, and although Mayfield didn’t have to do much throughout the game, his return under center is a big boost for a Buccaneers team that has played well in recent weeks. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on Mayfield in the coming weeks and potentially add him off the waiver wire.

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