Week 8 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings: Rashee Rice, Courtland Sutton Rise

Wide receiver depth will be tested in Week 8 as six NFL teams hit their bye, forcing fantasy managers to dig deep for production — but stars like Rashee Rice and Chris Olave are heating up at the perfect time.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (4) makes a reception defended by Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Devin White (45) during the second quarter of the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Volume is king in fantasy football, and while running backs often get the most touches, wide receivers can also rack up fantasy points at a rapid pace, particularly in PPR formats. 

In Week 7, seven wide receivers recorded 25+ fantasy points: Ja’Marr Chase, DeVonta Smith, Keenan Allen, A.J. Brown, Chris Olave, Davante Adams, and Jaxon Smith-Ngigba. 

In PPR fantasy football formats, chain-moving wideouts are the cream of the crop. That’s why it’s not surprising to see guys who operate out of the slot such as Puka Nacua, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Emeka Egbuka, and JSN leading the position group. 

JSN dominated Monday Night Football with a line of eight catches for 123 yards and a touchdown. With Puka Nacua sidelined, Smith-Ngigba is now leading all wide receivers in fantasy points. Let’s take a look at the rest of the wideouts headlining the position in 2025.  

The Best Wide Receivers In 2025 Fantasy Football Leagues

Through seven weeks of NFL action, here are the top 10 wide receivers in PPR formats:

1. Jaxon Smith-Ngigba, Seattle Seahawks
2. Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
3. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions
4. Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams
5. George Pickens, Dallas Cowboys
6. Emeka Egbuka, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
7. Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers
8. Davante Adams, Los Angeles Rams
9. Chris Olave, New Orleans Saints
10. Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts

JSN has been the most consistent wideout this season, producing 18+ fantasy points in six of seven matchups. But he’ll be headlining the receivers who will be idle on bye weeks. Bye weeks become a critical landmine that fantasy football managers need to strategically set lineups around. With six teams out of action – the Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, and Seattle Seahawks – fantasy managers will need to get creative this week.

With Week 8 underway after the Chargers dismantled the Vikings on Thursday Night Football, let’s take a look at the best and worst wide receivers across the fantasy football landscape. 

Rashee Rice Is Already A Top-Five Wide Receiver

Fantasy managers waited six long weeks for Rashee Rice’s return — and he instantly reminded everyone why the wait was worth it. The Chiefs star wasted no time making an impact in his first game back, hauling in 7 of 10 targets for 42 yards and two touchdowns in Week 7. He did all that while playing just 41% of the snaps in a blowout. Last year, Rice consistently saw around 80% of Kansas City’s offensive snaps, and that’s exactly where he’s headed again — likely as soon as this coming week. Expect his playing time to nearly double moving forward.

Next up is a juicy Monday Night Football matchup against the Washington Commanders, who’ve allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers. It’s the perfect stage for Rice to continue his comeback tour and reestablish himself as one of the league’s premier wideouts. 

Chris Olave Enters the Top 10

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (12) walks on the sideline during the second half at Caesars Superdome. | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

In an otherwise disappointing outing from Spencer Rattler and the Saints, Chris Olave was the lone bright spot in their Week 7 loss to the Chicago Bears. The dynamic wideout hauled in five of seven targets for 98 yards and two touchdowns, erupting for a season-high 26.8 fantasy points in PPR formats. He now ranks ninth among all wide receivers in total fantasy points and sits 18th in points per game (14.9), reaffirming his status as a must-start every week.

If the Saints want any shot at keeping pace with the Buccaneers in Week 8, Rattler will need to feed Olave early and often. We just saw Amon-Ra St. Brown torch this same secondary, and while Olave isn’t quite as smooth as the “Sun God,” he’s been playing at an elite level and remains New Orleans’ most dangerous offensive weapon. With Kendre Miller done for the season and Alvin Kamara struggling to find consistency between the tackles, expect the Saints to lean into a more pass-heavy approach — which only boosts Olave’s outlook heading into this divisional showdown.

Courtland Sutton Joins The Top 10

Sutton may not have the name brand of other elite receivers, but his matchup vs. the Cowboys screams upside entering Week 8. He has six catches or more in four of his seven starts with a floor of 17.5 fantasy points (PPR) in four contests (6/61/1, 6/118/1, 5/81/1, and 8/99). The Broncos have given him double-digit targets twice (10 and 10). Last season, Sutton gained over 100 yards in only three (8/100, 7/122, and 6/100) of his 18 matchups while delivering one impact fantasy game (8/97/2) for his salary.

The Cowboys’ defense allows the second-most fantasy points to wide receivers (273.20) in PPR formats due to giving up a league-high 12 touchdowns to wideouts and 14.0 yards per catch. Three wide receivers have gained over 100 yards.

• Wan’Dale Robinson (8/142/1)
• Malik Nabers (9/167/2)
• Luther Burden (3/101/1)

Dallas faced two teams (GB and WAS) with wide receiver injuries. In addition, the Jets and Panthers brought subpar quarterback play. Sutton should go nucelar this week.

 Week 8 Wide Receiver Streamer: Kayshon Boutte, New England Patriots

The Patriots’ wide receiver room has been a mystery box all season, but it’s starting to look like Kayshon Boutte is carving out a consistent role in this offense. After erupting for five catches, 93 yards, and two touchdowns in Week 6, he followed it up with another strong showing in Week 7, posting 55 yards and a score on just two receptions. Boutte now sits at 20 catches for 356 yards and four touchdowns on the season — quietly emerging as one of Drake Maye’s most trusted targets.

While Stefon Diggs remains the unquestioned alpha in New England’s passing attack, Maye has shown a knack for spreading the ball around, giving Boutte plenty of weekly upside. Heading into a Week 8 matchup with the Cleveland Browns, the rookie quarterback’s growing confidence — paired with Boutte’s big-play potential — makes the second-year wideout an intriguing flex option and a player on the rise moving forward.

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Let’s examine where the rest of the NFL’s wide receivers stack up in our Week 8 rankings.

Week 8 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings