2024 Week 8 Fantasy Football Rankings: TE, K, DEF

David Njoku prepares to serve as the Browns’ de facto WR1, Sam LaPorta angles for more targets with Jameson Williams suspended, and Tucker Kraft fights for looks in a crowded Packers skill group.

Other positions: Quarterback | Running Back | Receiver

Week 8 Tight Ends

TE Notes: Even if Jakobi Meyers (ankle) returns, Brock Bowers has passed the TE1 overall test, even if we would ideally like more demonstrated ceiling. The floor is simply too ridiculous. … If you don’t think Bowers is the TE1, then you do think it’s George Kittle, who has the shakier floor but far higher ceiling. Kittle’s floor is also undoubtedly shored up by Brandon Aiyuk’s season-ending injury. That is, of course, assuming Kittle plays through his foot injury against the Cowboys. He did in Week 7. … Travis Kelce is somewhere in between Bowers and Kittle right now. Sturdy floor, but he hasn’t hit his ceiling as much as expected. As it pertains to Week 8, you don’t have to ask the Chiefs twice to rev down their offensive machine, and the Raiders won’t be forcing them to rev it up. … Trey McBride has done everything but score. Like, literally. He has zero touchdowns. With the volume too good to drop him, McBride should soon start finding the end zone.

Now functionally the Browns’ No. 1 receiver, David Njoku faces a Ravens defense allowing the league’s most overall passing yardage and sixth most TE fantasy points. … Jake Ferguson probably needed the Cowboys’ Week 7 bye after gutting through his knee injury. Not that one week will suddenly make him brand new. … Evan Engram has caught 15-of-15 targets in two games since returning from his hamstring injury. Say what you will about the man, he gets open for Trevor Lawrence. … Just as we had never been more out on Kyle Pitts, he rebounded to post top-eight results over the past three weeks, placing second in tight end yardage (261) in that timespan. The Bucs get smoked by the pass. … Just as David Njoku is the de facto lead man in Cleveland, the same could stunningly be true of Cade Otton in Tampa, whose involvement had ramped up even before Chris Godwin and Mike Evans’ injuries. Otton is by far the most established target in Tampa’s current makeshift skill corps.

And you thought Mark Andrews went through a cold stretch. Sam LaPorta has caught more than two passes twice. He’s caught more than four passes zero times. He has one touchdown and has yet to exceed 53 yards. My guess is that he’s still not over last winter’s knee issue and this fall’s ankle ailment. My other guess is that he will be needed for more with Jameson Williams serving a two-game PED ban. … Sixth in tight end yardage (133) since Drake Maye took over two games ago, Hunter Henry can probably survive on the TE1/2 borderline. … Fantasy managers absolutely love Tucker Kraft, who might be the No. 5 option in a passing attack averaging a good but not great 30 attempts over the past three weeks. The dude makes big plays, but neither his floor nor ceiling are weekly TE1 bonafide — yet. … Dalton Kincaid’s 52 yards in Week 7 were a new season high. That’s all you need to know. … T.J. Hockenson (ACL) is back but likely on a snap count, albeit against a Rams defense permitting the second most TE fantasy points.

Week 8 Kickers

Week 8 Defense/Special Teams