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The fantasy calls of Week 8, 2026

By Sparks · Week 8, 2026 · graded

Josh Allen leads our QBs at 22.9; Jahmyr Gibbs leads our RBs at 24.6; CeeDee Lamb leads our WRs at 19.4; Trey McBride leads our TEs at 15.0. Half-PPR, all of it on the open board. What follows is the reasoning at each position: who the model has ahead, by how much, and where the gap is thin enough that we would rather call it a coin flip than invent a conviction.

Ruled out this week: Brian Robinson (at Buccaneers), Tyjae Spears (at Bengals), RJ Harvey (vs Chiefs), Kyle Monangai (at Seahawks), Carnell Tate (at Bengals), DeVonta Smith (at Commanders), Dontayvion Wicks (at Commanders), Emeka Egbuka (vs Falcons), and 1 more on the board. Each carries a status instead of a projection: we do not publish a number for a player we do not expect to play, and a player who sits is excluded from the record rather than scored as a zero.

Quarterbacks (QB): Josh Allen first

The top of the position is not close this week: Josh Allen clears Caleb Williams by 6.9 in our numbers, which is a real gap at this scoring range.

  1. Our projection has Josh Allen at 22.9 half-PPR points against the Ravens in Week 8, 2026, our QB1. Actual: 26.6 half-PPR points.
  2. Caleb Williams is our QB1 at 16.0 at the Seahawks. Actual: 14.0 half-PPR points.
  3. Dak Prescott is our QB2 at 20.4 against the Cardinals. Actual: 19.8 half-PPR points.

Every QB on the open board →

Running Backs (RB): Jahmyr Gibbs first

Jahmyr Gibbs is the clearest call we have at the position. Our numbers put him 10.9 ahead of D'Andre Swift, and a gap that size rarely closes on matchup alone.

  1. Our projection has Jahmyr Gibbs at 24.6 half-PPR points against the Vikings in Week 8, 2026, our RB1. Actual: 23.8 half-PPR points.
  2. D'Andre Swift is our RB1 at 13.7 at the Seahawks. Actual: 26.9 half-PPR points.
  3. Bijan Robinson is our RB2 at 18.1 at the Buccaneers. Actual: 7.6 half-PPR points.

Every RB on the open board →

Wide Receivers (WR): CeeDee Lamb first

2.0 separates CeeDee Lamb from Jaxon Smith-Njigba in our projections. At this scoring range that is a genuine gap rather than rounding.

  1. Our projection has CeeDee Lamb at 19.4 half-PPR points against the Cardinals in Week 8, 2026, our WR1. Actual: 9.3 half-PPR points.
  2. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is our WR1 at 17.4 against the Bears. Actual: 20.8 half-PPR points.
  3. Luther Burden III is our WR2 at 8.9 at the Seahawks. Actual: 15.1 half-PPR points.

Every WR on the open board →

Tight Ends (TE): Trey McBride first

The top of the position is not close this week: Trey McBride clears Colston Loveland by 7.4 in our numbers, which is a real gap at this scoring range.

  1. Our projection has Trey McBride at 15.0 half-PPR points at the Cowboys in Week 8, 2026, our TE1. Actual: 16.7 half-PPR points.
  2. Colston Loveland is our TE1 at 7.6 at the Seahawks. Actual: 8.0 half-PPR points.
  3. Brock Bowers is our TE2 at 13.3 at the Jets. Actual: 24.7 half-PPR points.

Every TE on the open board →

Projections are our own model's output: recent role and usage, shrunk efficiency rates, and the game's scoring environment. The range beside each number is modeled, not a fixed band: the 10th to 90th percentile of that player's outcomes for the week, fit from how projections like his have actually landed. Every projection is graded against actual fantasy points the week after it publishes. Every number is conditional on the player playing: a player ruled out carries his status instead of a projection, and a player who takes no offensive snap is excluded from the record rather than counted as a zero. One snap is enough to be graded — a player who was on the field is scored on what he actually did, including nothing at all. Nothing here is betting advice.

The full Week 8, 2026 board: every player, all three scoring formats →