Fantasy Football Week 8 Low-Ranked Fantasy Starters: Caleb Williams, Troy Franklin, and More

Last week's attempt to find players ranked below the starters at their position who would break into that group was an exercise in futility, as only one pick hit the mark:

• Jared Goff had an efficient but low-volume day, as his team dominated Tampa Bay much of the game. Goff finished with 241 yards on 8.3 per attempt with a touchdown and an interception, ranking as QB21.
• Rhamondre Stevenson led New England's backfield, taking 18 carries for 88 yards and a touchdown, though his two receptions totaled zero yards. He was QB13 in both standard and PPR scoring.
• Xavier Worthy had worry of Rashee Rice's return pushing him down the pecking order, and that was the case, as Worthy caught just three passes for 35 yards and added a 13-yard rush. He finished outside the top 40 WRs.
• Harold Fannin had a phenomenal matchup against the Dolphins, but his team only threw the ball 18 times while dominating Miami. Fannin was held to four catches and 36 yards, though both marks led the team.

So, only Stevenson met the criteria. Goff and Fannin were held back because their teams didn't need to do much on offense in the second half, but that's the way things go sometimes; fantasy football is a random game.

Let's do it again and find a lower-ranked player who will finish the week among the fantasy starters at his position. We are using our FantasySP projections for the rankings. The top 10 will represent the “starters” at quarterback and tight end and the top 20 for running backs and wide receivers. Most stats are from NFL.com.

Use FantasySP's defensive rankings to find the teams with the best and worst matchups each week and help make all your toughest lineup decisions!

Quarterback

Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears @ Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens are a floundering team right now. They are ravaged by injuries, and Lamar Jackson is going to miss this game, his third in a row with the bye week also thrown in there. Tyler Huntley will start at QB after Cooper Rush failed to get anything going.

The defense is also struggling, allowing 32.3 points per game, more than any other team. They are just a little worse than average in yards per pass attempt allowed, but the Ravens have given up the second-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks.

That poor fantasy performance comes from volume and touchdowns, as the Ravens have given up 255.3 passing yards per game and 14 touchdowns to just one interception in six games. They haven't given up a ton of rushing to QBs, but Josh Allen had 30 yards and two touchdowns in Week 1, and C.J. Stroud went for 33 yards in Week 5.

Williams has done modest damage both with his arm and his legs, averaging 225.2 passing yards per game and 17.7 rushing yards per game. He started better on the ground, gaining 110 yards in the first four weeks, but he has a total of negative-four rushing yards in the past two games.

He should be expected to contribute in both facets most weeks, and the matchup here points toward good things. Williams has the outlook of a top-10 fantasy QB this week.

Running Back

Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons vs. Miami Dolphins

Allgeier is questionable, so make sure he is playing before you put him in your fantasy lineup. If he is going to be on the field, though, he has one of the nicest matchups available against the Dolphins.

Miami has given up the fourth-most yards per rush attempt and the third-most fantasy points per game to running backs. The Dolphins have also allowed the fourth-most points per game on their way to a 1-6 record.

If the game plays out the way it would seem on paper, and the Falcons control things most of the way, that will mean big carries for both Allgeier and Bijan Robinson in the Atlanta backfield. While Allgeier has just 57 carries to 97 for Robinson, he's still averaging 10 touches per game and has scored three rushing touchdowns (to just two for Robinson).

There's always risk in counting on the second player in the backfield, and there's even more this week because of Allgeier's injury status, which could limit him even if he plays. With a role in the offense and a strong matchup here, though, Allgeier has a chance to finish among the top 20 fantasy running backs in Week 8.

Wide Receiver

Troy Franklin, Denver Broncos vs. Dallas Cowboys

Courtland Sutton is the big receiver in Denver, but he's expected to do well; we're looking for guys further down the food chain that can perform like top players, and Franklin fits the bill this week.

Franklin is just four targets, six receptions, and one touchdown behind Sutton. The latter has 200 more yards, but Franklin has been involved and has a few games in which he was the team's leading receiver.

Dallas presents maybe the best matchup for both quarterbacks and wide receivers, allowing the second-most yards per pass attempt and the most fantasy points per game to both QBs and WRs. Receivers have scored 12 touchdowns against the Cowboys, with three games of three scores apiece.

Franklin is the team's second option, but this has the chance to be a high-volume game for quarterback Bo Nix if the score runs up the way it has in other Cowboys games. Franklin is ranked down near WR40, but he has a chance to get at least into the flex range in a great matchup.

Tight End

Mason Taylor, New York Jets @ Cincinnati Bengals

There was thought that Tyrod Taylor might start this game, something that would have raised the floor of the passing game, but he is out, so Justin Fields will be under center. Mason Taylor is dealing with an injury of his own and is questionable, so he needs to be verified as playing before being put into your lineup.

The matchup here is just too good to ignore, though. Cincinnati has allowed the fifth-most yards per pass attempt and by far the most fantasy points per game to tight ends. This position has regularly beaten the Bengals, and it hit a new level last week against the Steelers when three different Pittsburgh tight ends caught touchdowns and combined for 11 receptions and 141 yards.

Taylor's usage has been a little uneven, as he has four games with five or more targets (topping out at 12) and three games with two or fewer targets. He has reached 20 yards four times and 60 yards twice; Taylor has been middling at best (and probably worse).

This is all about upside. You might have a player with a higher floor, but if you're without a tight end, particularly in a deep league, then the matchup is set for Taylor to have a nice game. Don't expect a huge performance, and understand that there's a low floor also, but he is a reasonable streamer this week.