Fantasy Football Week 8 Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em QB rankings: Lamar Jackson continues his NFL MVP campaign, as Brock Purdy struggles again

Fantasy football managers are likely well aware of the importance of the quarterback position in their lineups. They are often the highest-scoring players each week, so their output can sometimes directly determine the outcome of a fantasy matchup. This makes it crucial to start the proper quarterbacks each week to avoid missing out on valuable points.

Week 8 of the 2023 NFL season will offer managers a full slate of 32 quarterbacks to choose from. This rare situation has no teams on their bye week, so the options will be deeper than usual. The abundance of potential quarterbacks to plug into starting lineups will require even more analysis than usual to maximize final scores.

Many factors must be weighed before finalizing any lineup decisions to get the most out of any position. This includes direct weekly matchups, recent individual performances, injury situations and projected offensive roles.

Using the Start/Sit Optimizer makes this process a bit easier, as it considers every possible variable to produce fantasy projections and lineup suggestions.

This valuable tool was utilized to help generate the following list of potential quarterbacks to target, and others to avoid, in Week 8 of the 2023 fantasy football season.

Fantasy Football Week 8 Start 'Em: Quarterbacks

#1, Trevor Lawrence

Trevor Lawrence has been consistently solid for the Jacksonville Jaguars this year and has been a steady contributor in fantasy football. He has finished among the top 20 quarterbacks in six of his seven games, including two top 10 finishes. While he has just two multi-touchdown performances, he has improved his ranking in five consecutive weeks.

Up next for Lawrence is a Week 8 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. They rank in the bottom 10 in the NFL in limiting opposing passing attacks, so he is in a good situation to keep his hot streak rolling.

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Also Read: Trevor Lawrence injury update

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#2, Lamar Jackson

Lamar Jackson has been one of the most consistently dominant quarterbacks during the 2023 fantasy football season. He has ranked among the top 10 quarterbacks in five of his seven games with his elite combination of passing and rushing.

Jackson has an extremely favorable matchup in Week 8 against the Arizona Cardinals. They have one of the NFL's worst defenses and allow the fourth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. The Baltimore Ravens superstar has a strong chance of continuing his campaign toward winning a second NFL MVP award.

#3, Kirk Cousins

Kirk Cousins ranked as the overall QB1 in fantasy football through the first three weeks of the season by recording three consecutive top 10 finishes. He cooled off over his next three games, recording just one top 10 finish during that time and ranking outside of the top 20 in his other two games.

Cousins bounced back in a big way last week, setting a season-high in passing yards and jumping back into the top 10 quarterbacks for a fifth time this year, despite the absence of Justin Jefferson. Even with a tough matchup against the Green Bay Packers' solid passing defense, Cousins should still be started during his impressive run.

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For managers looking to acquire any of these Week 8 targets, make sure to consult the fantasy football trade analyzer first.

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Fantasy Football Week 8 Sit 'Em: Quarterbacks

#1, Russell Wilson

Russell Wilson has been much improved in his second season with the Denver Broncos after a disastrous campaign last year. He has ranked among the top 18 quarterbacks in five of his seven games, including two weekly finishes in the top 10. He has thrown 13 touchdowns against just four interceptions, a much more efficient ratio than last year.

Despite his solid year, Wilson should still be avoided in Week 8 against the Kansas City Chiefs. They have quietly been one of the best all-around defenses in the NFL, allowing just the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks.

#2, Brock Purdy

Brock Purdy has been excellent for the San Francisco 49ers since taking over as the starting quarterback last year. It didn't translate to fantasy football success initially, but he changed that narrative in the early weeks of this season. He finished among the top 13 quarterbacks in each of the first five weeks.

His last two games have been much less impressive as he failed to finish inside the same standard in either of them while compiling the first three interceptions of his NFL career. He should be faded until he can prove to bounce back into solid form, especially in Week 8 against a Cincinnati Bengals defense that ranks in the top 12 in limiting fantasy football quarterback production.

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Also Read: Brock Purdy fantasy outlook

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#3, Geno Smith

After his breakout 2022 NFL season that saw him finish the year among the top 10 overall fantasy quarterbacks, Geno Smith has been much less productive through seven weeks this year. He has turned in just one top 10 performance, and it came all the way back in Week 2.

Things won't get easier for Smith in Week 8 against the Cleveland Browns defense. Despite them having their worst defensive game of the year last week, they have still been one of the best units to this point. This includes allowing the fifth-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, and that's after surrendering the second-most of any team last week.

Week 8 QB rankings for 2023 fantasy football

1. Patrick Mahomes
2. Jalen Hurts
3. Lamar Jackson
4. Josh Allen
5. Justin Herbert
6. Tua Tagovailoa
7. Trevor Lawrence
8. CJ Stroud
9. Joe Burrow
10. Kirk Cousins
11. Jared Goff
12. Matthew Stafford
13. Dak Prescott
14. Deshaun Watson
15. Russell Wilson
16. Sam Howell
17. Desmond Ridder
18. Brock Purdy
19. Gardner Minshew
20. Kenny Pickett
21. Geno Smith
22. Baker Mayfield
23. Derek Carr
24. Tyson Bagent
25. Jordan Love
26. Tyrod Taylor
27. Malik Willis
28. Mac Jones
29. Bryce Young
30. Jimmy Garoppolo
31. Zach Wilson
32. Josh Dobbs