Week 8 brings several familiar names to the top of PFN's fantasy football quarterback and tight end rankings. Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson occupy the first two spots at quarterback, while Trey McBride and Brock Bowers have separated themselves at tight end.
The more difficult decisions come farther down the rankings. PFN fantasy experts Jason Katz and Kyle Soppe have several players outside the obvious starter range positioned for favorable matchups, and PFN's Week 8 video breakdown identified Jacoby Brissett and Hunter Henry as two of the more appealing options.
There are also several other quarterbacks and tight ends worth considering, including Dak Prescott, Kyler Murray, T.J. Hockenson, and Travis Kelce.
Brissett is the quarterback who stands out most once the consensus rankings move beyond the higher-end QB1 options.
PFN's Katz-Soppe consensus has Brissett at QB15 with a projection of 15.2 fantasy points. The ranking isn't especially aggressive, but his matchup against the Dallas Cowboys gives him a clear path to beating that projection.
Dallas has allowed 19.7 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, the sixth-most in the NFL through Week 7.
Brissett has also just come through a difficult two-game stretch against the Los Angeles Rams and Denver Broncos. The Rams held him to 218 passing yards with no touchdowns and one interception in Week 6. Against Denver, he bounced back by completing 27 of 48 passes for 272 yards and a touchdown while adding 16 rushing yards.
Neither performance produced a major fantasy total, but the matchup changes considerably this week.
Brissett already showed what he can do against a more vulnerable defense in Week 5. Facing the Detroit Lions, he completed 29 of 47 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns while adding 19 yards on the ground. He finished with more than 26 fantasy points and a QB1 weekly finish.
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That type of ceiling makes him especially interesting against Dallas. He is also available in a significant number of leagues, making him a realistic streaming option rather than a quarterback fantasy managers would need to trade for.
There is some risk attached to Brissett's long-term role in Arizona, but Week 8 is about the matchup. For managers dealing with a bye or an unfavorable starting-quarterback situation, Dallas gives him one of his better opportunities of the season.
Dak Prescott isn't a sleeper, but the matchup puts him in position for one of the better quarterback performances of Week 8.
Prescott is QB6 in PFN's consensus rankings with an 18.9-point projection. Arizona has allowed 22.3 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, second-most in the league behind Detroit.
The Cowboys' offense is also coming off a strong Monday night performance against Philadelphia. With Dallas' collection of playmakers and an Arizona defense that has consistently given up quarterback production, Prescott has a chance to outperform even his already-high ranking.
Kyler Murray has been difficult to trust this season, but few matchups provide more upside than Detroit.
The Lions are allowing a league-high 25.6 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. PFN has Murray at QB12 with a 16.4-point projection, putting him directly on the QB1 border.
The inconsistency keeps him from being as appealing as some of the quarterbacks above him in the rankings, but the opponent gives Murray a legitimate ceiling if the Vikings are forced into a higher-scoring game.
Baker Mayfield sits at QB18 in the PFN consensus rankings, making him more of a deeper-league option than Brissett.
Atlanta has allowed 17.6 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, 13th-most in the league. The Falcons have been a stronger real-life defense than that number might suggest, but fantasy quarterbacks have still found enough success to make the matchup playable.
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Mayfield and the Buccaneers are also coming off a 43-13 win over Carolina. He carries more uncertainty than Brissett this week, but he remains a reasonable option for managers looking beyond the consensus top 15.
The tight end rankings become considerably less certain once McBride and Bowers are off the board.
Henry is ranked only TE15 by Katz and Soppe with a projection of 9.4 PPR points, but his recent production and matchup both suggest more upside than that ranking implies.
Henry has reached double-digit PPR points in four consecutive games. He caught five passes for 71 yards against the Chicago Bears in Week 7, producing 14.1 points without needing a touchdown.
That followed 14.8 points against the New York Jets, 13.4 against the Las Vegas Raiders, and 11.2 against the Buffalo Bills. Across seven games, Henry has caught 26 of his 31 targets for 296 yards and two touchdowns.
Now he gets the Miami Dolphins.
Miami is allowing 21.1 PPR points per game to tight ends, third-most in the NFL. That's a significant matchup advantage for a player who has already developed into a steady part of New England's passing game.
Drake Maye's play also increases the appeal. The Patriots quarterback is PFN's QB3 for Week 8 and has been operating at a high level. Against Chicago, Henry remained heavily involved even without scoring, which is encouraging for his floor.
The combination of recent volume, an efficient quarterback, and one of the league's best tight end matchups makes Henry the primary TE target from this week's breakdown.
T.J. Hockenson is already much higher in the rankings than Henry, checking in at TE6 with a 12.0-point projection.
The matchup explains much of the optimism. Detroit has allowed 29.4 PPR points per game to tight ends, easily the most in the league through Week 7.
Hockenson has delivered several useful performances this season without consistently separating himself from the crowded group behind the elite tight ends. This is the type of matchup that can push him toward the upper end of that tier.
Travis Kelce sits at TE12 in PFN's consensus rankings with a projection of 10.2 points, but the matchup is better than Denver's overall defensive reputation might indicate.
The Broncos have allowed 15.8 PPR points per game to tight ends, ninth-most in the NFL. Their defense has been difficult on quarterbacks and opposing offenses overall, but tight ends have been one of the more productive positions against them.
That creates an opportunity for Kelce to outperform his ranking. The position becomes volatile quickly once fantasy managers move outside the top tier, and Kelce's established role in Kansas City's offense still gives him a dependable path to targets.
Pat Freiermuth is farther down the board at TE18 with an 8.0-point projection against Cleveland.
The Browns have allowed 13.6 PPR points per game to tight ends, which ranks near the middle of the league. That doesn't create the same obvious matchup advantage Henry or Hockenson has, and Freiermuth's production has also been inconsistent.
Still, there is some upside if Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers can generate enough passing volume. Freiermuth is better viewed as a deeper option than a preferred Week 8 target, but he belongs in the conversation for managers without a clear weekly starter.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network .
