Welcome to Week 8 Matchups That Matter.
This article gives you a peek into the process behind our weekly projections and rankings. Below are the key metrics we use to set those numbers, so you can make sharper start/seat calls each week.
When you’re ready to set your lineup, hit the Week 8 Rankings and your Team Dashboard page for customized starting/seating advice.
Good luck in Week 8!
Maximum Game Total
1. Ravens and Bills (54.5)
2. Cardinals at Cowboys (54.5)
3. Panthers and Packers (47.5)
t-4. Colts at Jaguars (46.5)
t-4. Titans at Bengals (46.5)
t-4. Vikings at Lions (46.5)
t-4. Bears at Seahawks (46.5)
Minimum Game Total
t-12. Broncos leaders (40.5)
t-12. Eagles and Commanders (40.5)
14. Browns and Steelers (39.5)
Expected points
We can use the Vegas lines to calculate how many points each team is expected to score this week.
Maximum Expected Score
1. Cowboys (30.75)
2. Bills (28.75)
3. Bengals (28.5)
4. Jaguar (28.0)
5. Rams (26.0)
Minimum Expected Score
t-22. Chargers (19.5)
t-22. Broncos (19.5)
t-24. Colts (18.5)
t-24. Dolphins (18.5)
t-26. Titans (18.0)
t-26. Browns (18.0)
28. Eagles (17.5)
Expected Plays
The chart below shows how many plays we project each team will run compared to the league average for the week. More plays = more opportunities for fantasy points.
Most Anticipated Plays
1. Cardinals (63.6)
2. Rams (63.4)
3. Panthers (63.3)
t-4. Bills (63.1)
t-4. Bengals (63.1)
Least Expected Play
23. Chargers (60.9)
24. Eagles (60.8)
25. Browns (60.7)
26. Colts (60.5)
27. Dolphins (59.1)
28. Titans (59.0)
Pace Matchups
The chart below shows how each game stacks up in terms of pace compared to the league average for the week. Speed is calculated by averaging the seconds per snap from both teams in each game. Faster games usually produce more plays, which means more fantasy points.
Fastest Game (Average seconds per snap)
1. Panthers at Packers (27.2 seconds)
2. Cardinals at Cowboys (27.4 seconds)
3. Titans and Bengals (28.3 seconds)
4. Chargers at Rams (28.5 seconds)
5. Eagles and Commanders (28.6 seconds)
Slowest Games (Average seconds per snap)
10. Vikings at Lions (29.9 seconds)
11. Patriots and Dolphins (30.0 seconds)
12. Ravens at Bills (30.0 seconds)
13. Colts and Jaguars (30.5 seconds)
14. Falcons at Buccaneers (30.6 seconds)
Time Concerns
Back on Sunday morning.
quarterback
Pass Defense Power Rankings
Here’s a look at how each team fared in pass defense DVOA, Pro Football Focus coverage grade, PFF pass rush grade, and EPA allowed per pass through 7 weeks. Teams are ranked by “Pass Defense Power,” which is the average of those 4 metrics.
Week 8 Passing Matchups
This chart plots each team’s Pass Offense Power versus their opponent’s Pass Defense Power. The teams in the lower right quadrant are in the smash spot.
Matchup Upgrades and Downgrades Adjusted-Fantasy-Points Upgrades and Downgrades
The best and worst Week 8 matchups according to our 2026 adjusted fantasy points allowed.
5 Best QB Matchups
1. Tanner McKee and Commanders (+49.6%)
2. Kyler Murray and Lions (+44.5%)
3. Dak Prescott vs. Cardinals (+40.7%)
4. Lamar Jackson and Bills (+26.3%)
5. Sam Darnold vs. Bears (+22.9%)
5 Worst QB Matchups
24. Matthew Stafford vs. Chargers (-22.9%)
25. Deshaun Watson on Steelers (-23.5%)
26. Michael Penix of the Buccaneers (-26.1%)
27. Caleb Williams to the Seahawks (-42.5%)
28. Jared Goff vs. Vikings (-52.4%)
Running Back
Run the Defense Power Rankings
Here’s a look at how each team fared in run defense DVOA, Pro Football Focus run defense grade, and EPA allowed per rush through 7 weeks. Teams are ranked by “Run Defense Power,” which is an average of those 3 metrics.
Week 8 Rushing Matchups
This chart depicts each team’s Run Offense Power compared to their opponent’s Run Defense Power. The teams in the lower right quadrant are in the smash spot.
Matchup Upgrades and Downgrades Adjusted-Fantasy-Points Upgrades and Downgrades
The best and worst Week 8 matchups according to our 2026 adjusted fantasy points allowed.
5 Best RB Matchups
1. Cardinals at Cowboys (+33.8%)
2. Patriots and Dolphins (+28.2%)
3. Ravens and Bills (+21.8%)
4. Packers vs. Panthers (+17.5%)
5. Buccaneers vs. Falcons (+13.9%)
5 Worst RB Matchups
24. Cowboys vs. Cardinals (-13.9%)
25. Titans at Bengals (-14.8%)
26. Bills vs. Ravens (-15.2%)
27. Falcons at Buccaneers (-16.3%)
28. Jahmyr Gibbs vs. Vikings (-28.1%)
Wide Receiver
Matchup Upgrades and Downgrades Adjusted-Fantasy-Points Upgrades and Downgrades
The best and worst Week 8 matchups according to our 2026 adjusted fantasy points allowed.
5 Best WR Matchups
1. Ravens and Bills (+39.5%)
2. Vikings and Lions (+22.7%)
3. Colts and Jaguars (+21.0%)
4. Bengals vs. Titans (+19.5%)
5. Commanders vs. Eagles (+12.3%)
5 Worst WR Matchups
24. Broncos vs. Chiefs (-15.4%)
25. Falcons at Buccaneers (-19.7%)
26. Patriots and Dolphins (-21.3%)
27. Lions vs. Vikings (-22.2%)
28. Bears at Seahawks (-26.6%)
WR/CB Matchup Upgrade
Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba vs. Bears CBs Jaylon Johnson and Malik Muhammad
Ravens WR Zay Flowers against Bills CB Dee Alford
Packers WRs Christian Watson and Matthew Golden vs. Panthers CBs Will Lee and Tre’Von Moehrig
Panthers WRs Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker vs. Packers CBs Keisean Nixon and Brandon Cisse
Jaguars WR Parker Washington against Colts CB Justin Wally
Steelers WR Germie Bernard against Browns CB Myles Harden
Commander WR Stefon Diggs against Eagles CB Cooper DeJean
Browns WR KC Concepcion vs. Steelers CB Jalen Ramsey
Eagles WR Makai Lemon against Commanders CB Amik Robertson
Dolphins WR Malik Washington against Patriots CB Marcus Jones
Cardinals WR Kendrick Bourne against Cowboys CB Caleb Downs
WR/CB Matchup Downgrades
Lions WRs Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams vs. Vikings CBs Byron Murphy, Isaiah Rodgers, and James Pierre
Bears WRs Luther Burden and Rome Odunze vs. Seahawks CBs Devon Witherspoon, Josh Jobe, and Nehemiah Pritchett
Chiefs WRs Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy vs. Broncos CBs Pat Surtain, Riley Moss, and Ja’Quan McMillian
Steelers WR DK Metcalf compared to Browns CBs Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell
Titans WR Carnell Tate vs. Bengals CBs DJ Turner and Daxton Hill
Tight End
Matchup Upgrades and Downgrades Adjusted-Fantasy-Points Upgrades and Downgrades
The best and worst Week 8 matchups according to our 2026 adjusted fantasy points allowed.
5 Best TE Matchups
1. Vikings and Lions (+98.4%)
2. Eagles and Commanders (+94.1%)
3. Broncos vs. Chiefs (+70.5%)
4. Jets vs. Raiders (+51.4%)
5. Titans at Bengals (+33.5%)
5 Worst TE Matchups
24. Panthers and Packers (-31.2%)
25. Bears at Seahawks (-33.2%)
26. Rams vs. Chargers (-35.8%)
27. Chargers at Rams (-41.4%)
28. Lions vs. Vikings (-43.8%)
Defense/Special Teams
Matchup Upgrades and Downgrades Adjusted-Fantasy-Points Upgrades and Downgrades
The best and worst Week 8 matchups according to our 2026 adjusted fantasy points allowed.
5 Best DST Matchups
1. Rams vs. Charger (+112.0%)
2. Bengals vs. Titans (+69.5%)
3. Bears at Seahawks (+51.1%)
4. Buccaneers vs. Falcons (+43.5%)
5. Steelers vs. Browns (+27.9%)
5 Worst DST Matchups
24. Broncos leaders (-36.5%)
25. Ravens and Bills (-47.3%)
26. Cardinals at Cowboys (-56.4%)
27. Colts and Jaguars (-57.2%)
28. Vikings and Lions (-62.3%)
Kicker
Matchup Upgrades and Downgrades Adjusted-Fantasy-Points Upgrades and Downgrades
The best and worst Week 8 matchups according to our 2026 adjusted fantasy points allowed.
5 Best K Matchups
1. Andre Szmyt of the Steelers (+35.8%)
2. Jake Elliott and Commanders (+31.9%)
3. Evan McPherson vs. Titans (+31.1%)
4. Cam Little vs. Colts (+30.4%)
5. Cameron Dicker and Rams (+28.9%)
5 Worst K Matchups
24. Spencer Shrader and Jaguars (-22.2%)
25. Jake Bates vs. Vikings (-25.8%)
26. Jason Myers vs. Bears (-39.9%)
27. Will Reichard and Lions (-40.1%)
28. Ryan Fitzgerald to Packers (-52.7%)