Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 8 (Fantasy Football)
We are officially at the halfway point of the fantasy season…how are we shaping up, FootClan? Whether you are sitting pretty at 7-0 or tilting off the face of the planet at 0-7, you would do well to remember the wise words of renowned philosopher and scholar, Mr. Andrew Holloway: “Whatever has already happened can happen in reverse.” It doesn’t matter what your record is after Week 7…the playoffs do not start until Week 15 – so whether you are trying to scrape that maiden victory, survive another brutal bye week, or build that roster depth heading into the business end of the year – it all starts with the waiver wire!
Week 8 Byes: Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers.
Quarterback Waiver Rankings
Jacoby Brissett, QB, Arizona Cardinals
Sure, he may have had the fourth-lowest completion percentage (56.3%) and passing yards per attempt (5.7) in Week 7…but when you throw the ball as many times as Jacoby Brissett does, it almost doesn’t matter how inaccurate you are. “Where’s the Beef?” has attempted the most passes in the National Football League so far this year with 282…that is over 40 per game. Arizona heads to Jerry’s World this Sunday, with the Cowboys allowing 2.1 PAE against opposing QBs…spicy. The Cardinals have been woeful in the red zone – scoring only one TD in their last ten trips inside their opponent’s 20-yard line – but this Dallas passing defense has been incredibly generous to opposing QBs, allowing 20+ points to every play-caller they have faced this year not named Jalon Daniels or Tanner McKee.
Kyler Murray, QB, Minnesota Vikings
Did we have higher hopes for Kyler last Sunday against a fairly porous Indianapolis secondary, of course…but considering the latest installment of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare dropped hours before the Vikings welcomed the Colts to Minneapolis, his QB20 finish on the week wasn’t that bad. Murray and his undefeated charges now head to the Motor City to face the worst passing defense in the league – and if there were ever a game for K1 to announce his return to fantasy relevancy…this is it. The Lions are allowing the most passing yards, passing TDs, and fantasy points in the league to QBs. It is now or never, Kyler.
Baker Mayfield, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I will take “Unbelievable Football Stats for $500 Alex”. Finger on buzzers: “This QB completed 7-of-11 passing attempts for only 64 yards and a TD, finishing as the QB27 on the week, as his team romped to a 43-13 victory over a divisional rival”…BZZZZ..”um, who is Baker Mayfield of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?” It was somewhat of an underwhelming return for Laser Mayfield following a three-week stint on the sidelines, but the truth of the matter is, Baker did not put up huge numbers against Carolina because he simply didn’t have to. This week will be a whole different ball game for the Bucs, with another all-NFC South affair, this time against the 3-4 Atlanta Falcons. If Mayfield can show out in this one, he has the Chicago Bears in Week 9, before getting to face the aforementioned Lions in Week 11 after Tampa’s bye. He is a solid add for the next month or so, particularly in deeper formats.
Running Back Waiver Rankings
Jonah Coleman, RB, Denver Broncos
It didn’t take Jonah Coleman long to re-establish himself as the lead back in this Denver backfield following his return from a stint on Injured Reserve. Do not be fooled by the box scores in the Broncos’ blowout win over the Cardinals – Coleman paced all rushers with 54 yards on his nine carries, his efficiency far outstripping RJ Harvey and J.K. Dobbins. Bo Nix won’t be scrambling for 62-yard rushing TDs every week, and Harvey will not be taking a 52-yard dump-off score on the reg either. Denver has the second-best rest-of-season strength of schedule at the RB position…Coleman will be a difference maker down the stretch.
Kaelon Black, RB, San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers defeat on Sunday reminded us of two things…that Christian McCaffrey is a super-human who can put up more fantasy points in the first five minutes than most backs can in a full game, but also that he is now the wrong side of 30-years old and even the slightest of knocks can take him off the field for an extended period of time. CMC managers all breathed a collective sigh of relief when the current RB5 on the season re-emerged on the sidelines following a thigh strain he suffered on the 49ers’ opening drive – but those intrusive thoughts lingered far too long for my liking. Rookie Kaelon Black vaults straight back to the top of the RB handcuff chart – a speculative add for most, and a must-roster for any McCaffrey owners.
Seth McGowan, RB, Indianapolis Colts
“Hey son, did I ever tell you about that time I won my fantasy football championship after adding Seth McGowan in Week 8, right before Jonathan Taylor got traded?” Ok, so maybe it is a long shot, but those JT trade rumors are not going away, with the latest rumors suggesting he will be the latest high-profile RB to have his fantasy prowess ruined by the Seattle Seahawks. This is a pure speculation add, but the seventh-round rookie looked competent with the 11 rushing opportunities he received in the blowout loss to Minnesota. Yes, it’s a long shot, but it’s fun to just believe from time to time.
Wide Receiver Waiver Rankings
KC Concepcion Jr., WR, Cleveland Browns
Hey rookie, welcome to the NFL! Move over Denzel Boston; there is a new Cleveland Browns rookie WR stealing the hearts of WR-needy fantasy managers, and his name is KC Concepcion…junior. KCJ (let’s make this a thing) had a huge breakout game in the Browns’ come-from-behind, walk-off 27-24 victory in Nashville this past weekend – putting up 129 scoreless yards on eight grabs from He Who Shall Not Be Named. There is a good chance he is already rostered, but Conception is a priority add in all formats if he is somehow still available.
Antonio Williams, WR, Washington Commanders
There is a bit of a theme to this week’s WR waiver adds. It appears…second WR on our list, second rookie. Antonio Williams – a third-round rookie pick out of Clemson – was a wildly hyped post-draft sleeper…that is until Stefon Diggs signed a $12m one-year deal with the Commanders in early August, pouring cold water all over the hopes and dreams of Williams’ truthers. Well, Diggs hasn’t gone anywhere, but an opportunity has been presented to the rookie with the season-ending injury suffered by Washington’s other veteran WR, Terry McLaurin. He will battle for targets with TE Chig Okonkwo (more on him below), but he should see enough work to make him a solid FLEX play in deeper leagues.
Jordyn Tyson, WR, New Orleans Saints
This is your weekly reminder to add the eighth overall pick from this year’s draft to your IR slot if you have one, or even the end of your bench if your depth can survive it through the bye weeks. Tyson is yet to have his 21-day practice window opened by the Saints, and remains on Injured Reserve, but he could make his NFL debut as soon as November 8th when New Orleans play host to the 5-2 AFC North-topping Cleveland Browns. He was drafted to be great; make sure he is on your roster when he shows just that.
Tight End Waiver Rankings
Chig Okonkwo, TE, Washington Commanders
I told you we would be talking about Chig. There is not much to add that doesn’t echo for Antonio Williams – this is a pure opportunity add with the injury to Terry McLaurin. With Scary Terry done for the year, somebody not named Stefon Diggs has to catch passes from Jayden Daniels, and the three-year, $27m contract the former Tennessee Titan signed back in March suggests it may just be him. The Commanders’ schedule rest-of-season is rough for the TE position, but Chig could go full Charles Clay and turn into Mr. Necessary down the stretch. It is not a sexy add, but outside of the elites, the TE position is a minefield on any given week. He was a perfect 7-of-7 for 69 very nice receiving yards on Jayden Daniels’ second game back from the left-elbow injury, which saw him miss the games versus Seattle and Indianapolis. Chig is trusted by his QB, and that is all we can really hope for when streaming the position.
T.J. Hockenson, TE, Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota’s 6’5” man-mountain of a TE went full Hockules in Week 7, finishing as the TE8 on the week thanks to a trip to the End Zone on National TEs Day. Hockenson is going full red-light/green-light with his performances this season, sandwiching in a Hockstrap-level TE48 between his credible performance at the weekend and an overall TE1 finish back in Week 6. Fantasy managers will be looking for the former Lion to make it back-to-back fantasy-relevant performances as he heads back to Detroit to face his former team on Sunday afternoon. Outside of Justin Jefferson, it’s almost impossible to call who will show up for the Vikings on a week-to-week basis (if anyone), but Hockenson is just as good a punt as Jordan Addison or any of the RBs.
Mason Taylor, TE, New York Jets
The man they call Meow-son had his fantasy managers (all six of them) purring with delight this past weekend as he roared his way to a TE2 finish, posting a 5/62/2 line in a losing effort against the Miami Dolphins…yes, the Dolphins. Taylor led all pass-catchers on the Jets in targets, and was outpaced in yardage only by rookie WR Omar Cooper Jr. It may be a flash in the pan for the Cat Man, but with back-to-back matchups against the Las Vegas Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs – both of whom rank bottom three against opposing TEs – Taylor may provide some streaming value either side of Daylight Savings Time.
Team DST Waiver Rankings
The Jags defense may have been dropped in your league because they are on a bye in Week 7, so now is the perfect time to scoop them up after a well-deserved rest following a fortnight in foggy London town. They host the Indianapolis Colts this Sunday afternoon and are The Ballers’ consensus second-ranked DST on the week. They have been a top-10 unit for fantasy three times already this season…do not bet against them making it four against Daniel Jones and company this weekend.
What do the following all have in common…the Las Vegas Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings and the Cincinnati Bengals? If you answered that they have all played the Miami Dolphins and finished as a top-12 weekly DST for fantasy football…you would be correct! The Jets may have ruined the formula with their abject performance at home to the Fins at the weekend (DST22), but another AFC East team will be a far more formidable foe late Sunday afternoon. They are a middle-of-the-pack defense, but that practically equates to the 1985 Chicago Bears against Malik Willis and Miami’s ragtag, motley crew of pass-catchers.