My fantasy football rest-of-season (ROS) rankings provide a comprehensive overview of projected player performances for the season’s remaining games, helping guide you toward making informed decisions regarding trades, waiver wire transactions, and starting lineups.

Don’t have the time to read this just yet? You can find my full set of ROS rankings here — they're free for everyone!

Now, here are 18 ROS rankings notes heading into Week 8:

QB Rest of Season Fantasy Football Rankings Updates

Upgrade Tua Tagovailoa & Drake Maye

• The Dolphins have designated Tua Tagovailoa for return from IR, which opens the window for him to start as soon as Week 8 against the Cardinals. Opening betting lines are favoring the Dolphins by three points which encourages the immediate notion that neither Tim Boyle nor Tyler Huntley is projected to start. It would be an excellent matchup for Tagovailoa to return in, as it would allow him to rekindle the rhythm with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle while facing a defense allowing the 4th-most FPPG to opposing QBs this season.
   
• Another QB gaining traction is Drake Maye. In his first two starts, Maye has shown promise, throwing for 519 yards and 5 TDs while adding 56 rushing yards. Despite facing a challenging Week 8 matchup against a Jets defense currently allowing the 4th-fewest FPPG to opposing QBs, Maye's potential for multi-touchdown games makes him an intriguing ROS QB option.

Downgrade Two Elite QBs?

• Nearly halfway through the NFL season, and several QBs have already seen their fantasy stock take a hit. The most notable faller is Patrick Mahomes, who hasn’t seen a weekly top-12 finish since Week 12, 2023. He’s finished as QB14 or worse in 12 consecutive regular season games, but he’s still earning wins by means of being a game manager. This trend is likely to continue as long as the Chiefs keep winning, which ultimately limits Mahomes' need to air it out. This could be the new norm for Mahomes unless the team makes a move for talent before the November 5th trade deadline.
   
• Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 7, which will open the door for Jameis Winston or Dorian Thompson-Robinson to draw the start in the back half of the season. Thompson-Robinson suffered a finger injury while in relief for Watson on Sunday, and while imaging tests were negative, it’s likely Winston draws the start in Week 8, at a minimum. While Winston may be the crowd-favorite option, the fact that the Browns season is already lost means that Thompson-Robinson could be offered more opportunities, sooner than expected, to prove himself as a capable starter for the Browns ahead of their 2025 season.
   
• Justin Fields has also experienced a significant decline, with his rushing upside no longer enough to compensate for his struggles in the passing game. Russell Wilson’s strong first start against the Jets in Week 7 further solidifies Fields’ position on the bench.
   
• Despite throwing 3 TDs against the Patriots in Week 6, C.J. Stroud has only managed to finish higher than QB13 once in his last five outings.

RB Rest Of Season Fantasy Football Rankings Updates

Two Second-Year RBs Rise

• With Travis Etienne sidelined in Week 7, Tank Bigsby stepped up in a big way as the Jaguars RB1. Despite finishing as the fantasy RB1 in Week 5 with 30.9 FP, Bigsby yielded a career-high 7.7 Utilization Score in Week 7, thanks to 118 yards and 2 TDs on 39 snaps. Etienne on the field or not, Bigsby has earned increased opportunities.
   
• Jahmyr Gibbs has also seen his stock rise dramatically this season, as indicated by four top-12 weeks and four consecutive weeks of increased utilization. In Week 7, he posted a career-high 32.0 PPR points against the Vikings, highlighting his versatility with 116 rushing yards and 43 receiving yards–. Gibbs saw extra work following an early-game knee injury to David Montgomery but ultimately showcased his ability to still be Sonic without Knuckles all while finishing as the week’s RB1. Montgomery’s injury doesn’t appear to be serious, and the two will continue to split work, but Gibbs’ efficiency when the throttle was cranked displays top-5 RB upside from a ROS standpoint.

Bucky Irving Comes Back To Earth?

• Despite enjoying the best outing of his young career in Week 6 with a career-high Utilization Score of 7.5, Bucky Irving returned to his sub-6.0 utilization score habits after struggling to get much going on the ground against the Ravens in Week 7. While it was expected considering their opponent was allowing the fewest YPC and 3rd-fewest FP to opposing RBs this season heading into the game, it would have been nice to see further evidence supporting Irving supplanting Rachaad White on the depth chart. While Irving did log 54 yards on 3 catches that game, it was a bit surprising to see White churn out 29.1 FPs on just four extra opportunities (7.7 Utilization Score). Irving still appears entrenched as the team’s RB2, and while he’s still seeing about 40% of the work, the game script may fall out of his favor now that the Buccaneers are without Mike Evans for the next few games and Chris Godwin for the season.
   
• Zack Moss, who had been a surprise fantasy contributor earlier in the season, followed up a season-low seven touches for 15 yards in Week 6 with nine touches for 40 yards in Week 7. His usage continues to trend in the wrong direction, and he appears to have fallen behind Chase Brown in the Bengals RB pecking order.
   
• Trey Benson has also fallen out of favor, scoring under 3 FP in six of seven games. Even if James Conner gets injured, Benson might not be ready for a featured role, especially with Kyler Murray gobbling up rushing production most weeks.

WR Rest Of Season Fantasy Football Rankings Updates

Wide Receivers to Watch

• As Week 8 approaches, Cooper Kupp's availability is still up in the air. On Monday, HC Sean McVay stated that Kupp's workload for the upcoming game is “to be determined". The Rams are currently assessing Kupp's progress and will make a decision closer to game time. While there's a possibility he could suit up, be prepared for limited playing time if he does return. When healthy, Kupp has a significant impact on the Rams' offense. In the first two weeks of the season, he commanded a 36% target share, the 2nd-highest in the league, and his return should provide a much-needed boost to the Rams passing game. However, the team may need to strike a balance between utilizing Kupp and maintaining the involvement of guys like Tutu Atwell and Jordan Whittington, who have stepped up in Kupp’s absence. This approach could help prevent overreliance on Kupp and reduce the risk of re-injury as he eases back into action, especially if they’re serious about trading him.
   
• With Brandon Aiyuk out for the season with a knee injury and Deebo Samuel recovering from pneumonia, Jauan Jennings is poised to take on a larger role in the 49ers offense. Earlier this season, Jennings demonstrated his potential with a 9.9 Utilization Score against the Rams in Week 3 through a massive 11-catch, 175-yard, 3-TD performance. It could be tough sledding in Week 8 against a Cowboys defense allowing the 4th-fewest FPPG to opposing WRs, but following the 49ers Week 9 bye, the schedule favors Jennings.
   
• In Week 7, Keon Coleman saw a season-high seven targets against the Titans and translated them to four catches for 125 yards. His increasing involvement in the Bills' offense, coupled with Josh Allen's strong arm and uncanny ability to generate splash plays, makes Coleman a promising fantasy WR moving forward. As Amari Cooper is further worked in, it will be interesting to see if Coleman can sustain his increased utilization trends.
   
• DeVonta Smith, despite a recent setback where Jalen Hurts only threw 14 passes, has been a consistent producer, scoring at least 14.9 FP in every healthy appearance before Week 7. With favorable matchups against the Bengals and Jaguars ahead, Smith is presented with an excellent opportunity to make up for lost points.

Wide Receivers to Be Concerned About

• JuJu Smith-Schuster, who was promoted heavily in Week 6, suffered a hamstring injury that wrecked his Week 7 game. He's already been ruled out for Week 8, and given the quick release of the news, it's likely he'll miss multiple weeks.
   
• Michael Pittman has struggled to produce consistently with Anthony Richardson at QB. In four games with Richardson behind center, Pittman finished as the PPR WR57, WR53, and WR38. Until Richardson shows a glimmer of consistency, I won’t get my hopes up for Pittman.
   
• Xavier Legette has seen his production tail off for three consecutive weeks following his booming Week 4 utilization. The situation could worsen if Bryce Young returns as the starter, potentially causing Legette's fantasy value to collapse further.

TE Rest Of Season Fantasy Football Rankings Updates

• No notable tight end ranking updates ahead of Week 8.