Power Rankings: Week 8

Week 9 is going to be a DOOZY. With the standings more tightly contested than ever, each matchup becomes critical. Hell, each and every point scored could be critical in the event the playoff picture comes down to a tiebreaker.

Giddyup, cowboy.

1. Ryan (5-3)

   Last Week: 3rd

   The cream of the crop, the belle of the ball. Alvin Kamara is every bit the star Ryan hoped he’d be, and Kenneth Walker has entered bonafide RB1 territory. Any additional production in the WR room behind Stefon Diggs would surely bring a championship parade to the streets of El Granada.

   I’d written this entry before the trade went through - anyone who doesn’t now view Ryan as the heavy favorite to take home the 2022 Title needy a lobotomy.

2. Case (4-4)

   Last Week: 4th

   More upside than the North Pole. Lamar can do it all, Chubb is a machine, Waddle is the WR4, and Mark Andrews is right up there with Travis Kelce when healthy. Is it possible? Could Case actually run it back?

3. Chet & Mike (6-2)

   Last Week: 1st

   One game closer to the rest of the pack. Maybe it was just one down week, but Najee Harris has gone from ‘concerning’ to ‘disastrous’. The current leading candidate for ‘Bust of the Year’ would be under much more scrutiny if not for the excellence of Brown, Hill, & Jacobs. Tough BYE Week on deck!

4. Devon (5-3)

   Last Week: 2nd

   The misfits finally found the short end of the stick after a four game winning streak. No one can deny the wonders of Lenny and Ekeler, but the receivers are suspect. Rookie tailback Isiah Pacheco holds all of the cards. Coming out of the BYE, he has a unique opportunity to highjack the KC backfield and make a league-winning push.

5. Cole (4-4)

   Last Week: 6th

   Back to .500 and feelin’ peachy! But man - what is up with Jonathan Taylor? He’s launching his own campaign for ‘Bust of the Year’. Derrick Henry has been leading a different kind of campaign, making us all question how he fell to 6th overall back in September. All the while, Khalil Herbert is making an interesting run at fantasy relevancy as well.

6. Tom (3-5)

   Last Week: 7th

   Sean McVay’s little Cooper Kupp mishap in the final minute of Sunday’s game almost earned him a roundhouse kick to the gonads (from yours truly). Thankfully the injury appears to be minor, which which keeps this lineup both top-heavy and deadly. Aaron Jones continues to eat into AJ Dillon’s usage, and the TE question has finally been answered by the sneaky combo of Everett & Dulcich. The star power is undeniable, but so is the shakiness of the FLEX spot.

7. Bali (3-5)

   Last Week: 10th

   Hey, hey, hey! What did I tell you? Just imagine what this roster could look like with the two Mikes at full health. It may be a while until those two retake the field, which means Duvernay and Mooney will need to continue shouldering the load. Even Allgeier’s days are numbered with Cordarrelle on his way back. Huge matchup on Sunday between two equally desperate 3-5 clubs!

8. Kyle (3-5)

   Last Week: 8th

   I’ve seen some tough BYE weeks in my day, but I’m not sure it gets any worse than this. To address the issue, Mr. Harwood blew almost 50% of his FAAB budget and pieced together a respectable lineup with decent upside. When you’re 3-5 with your RB1 and WR1 on break, you have to be aggressive! Job well done. Up next is a newly rebranded and arguably beatable opponent.

9. Henry (4-4)

   Last Week: 11th

   In the wake of a trade that offended many, these boys dropped 135! Granted it wasn’t enough for a win, but there’s plenty of reason to believe this lineup could secure a playoff spot. Pierce and Rhamondre are both excellent, and there’s enough volume from the WR room to constitute WR2/3 numbers across the board. Bare with me here - if Hebert can overcome the brittle nature of his supporting staff, why can’t this team be a dark horse?

10. Bacich (4-4)

    Last Week: 5th

    I need to understand the reasoning - how does this trade make the team better? In fantasy football, there’s the old adage that you ‘sell high’ and ‘buy low’. Peter here, made the decision to ‘buy high’ and ‘sell low’. That’s one way to do it! Maybe I’m wrong about Foreman - maybe he does end the year as a top fifteen back. Maybe Schultz is a top ten TE and maybe Lazard maintains his production. But I refuse to believe that a package including Deebo, a viable FLEX RB, and a TE with steep draft capital can’t land a bigger fish.

11. Brad (3-5)

    Last Week: 9th

    Cruelty knows no bounds. Jamar Chase busts his hip, Keenan reaggravates his leg bicep, and Swift continues to regain his strength. If it weren’t’ for Etienne and Lockett - things could have gone from bad to worse. Did anyone project Tyler Boyd to be a top fifteen WR after Week 8? Heck of a dart throw on draft day right there. Despite all of the injuries, at 3-5 there is still a clear path forward.

12. Austin (4-4)

    Last Week: 12th

    Losers of three straight, with CMC taking a well-earned breather in Week 9. Trevor Lawrence and Aaron Rodgers have been wildly inconsistent - in fact, Stain’s starting QB’s have surpassed ESPN’s weekly projections just once all season. Even with quality WRs, QB production and RB depth remain top concerns. But hey - at .500 this roster is just a few lucky breaks away from climbing the ranks.