Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 8 (Fantasy Football)

Week 7 was a rough one, but those matchups are in the books. It’s time to turn our attention to Week 8 and find some spot-starts to fill in for byes and injuries.

• Check out the Waiver Wire Rankings page with individual ranks and FAAB amounts
• Get a full breakdown from The Fantasy Footballers on today’s episode

Wide Receivers

Wan’Dale Robinson has fared well since his return from injury for the New York Giants. After logging three receptions for 37 yards and a touchdown in Week 6, he caught six receptions for 50 yards but failed to score in their win over the Jaguars. QB Daniel Jones is looking for the young receiver when Saquon Barkley isn’t an option and his own running lane is closed. Robinson is available in 56% of Sleeper leagues and will face the Seahawks before New York’s bye in Week 9.

I cannot believe this is 2022 and I am bringing this player’s name up, but Marquise Goodwin is actually an option at receiver. DK Metcalf suffered a sprained patellar tendon in Week 7 and is likely to miss some time. While Tyler Lockett drew a majority of defensive looks, Geno Smith found Goodwin four times for 67 yards and two touchdowns. While the TDs are not likely to repeat, the target volume is sustainable enough to get you past the injury issues and bye weeks.

• Check out the Waiver Wire Rankings page with individual ranks and FAAB amounts
• Get a full breakdown from The Fantasy Footballers on today’s episode

Running Backs

While some of us rushed to pick up Kenyan Drake of the Baltimore Ravens, a few managers went instead with Gus Edwards and were rewarded with two touchdowns on 16 attempts for 66 yards. I say a “few” because Edwards is only rostered in 38% of sleeper leagues. While J.K. Dobbins will miss a significant amount of time, Edwards is a good add for the next two weeks. The Ravens have a tough schedule ahead facing the Buccaneers and the Saints before their Week 10 bye.

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There was breaking news on Monday night that Jaguars RB James Robinson was traded to the New York Jets to help fill the void left by Breece Hall who is out for the season with a torn ACL. This is much better news for Robinson, who had been steadily losing work to Travis Etienne, but it’s less than favorable for Michael Carter. Since Robinson will not be able to duplicate Hall’s explosive play-making ability, Michael Carter is still a viable addition based on volume, but he will split carries with his new teammate.

The tandem running back situation in Carolina is interesting. Chuba Hubbard is said to have suffered a high-ankle sprain, so if he misses time, D’Onta Foreman will see the volume. If Hubbard is good to go, it will likely be a committee approach to that backfield. If push comes to shove, I would rather roster Hubbard if healthy.

• Check out the Waiver Wire Rankings page with individual ranks and FAAB amounts
• Get a full breakdown from The Fantasy Footballers on today’s episode

Tight Ends

Once again, the tight end landscape looks rather bleak. The only two that have sustainability (on a good day) are Evan Engram and Irv Smith. Engram has seen ten, six, and seven targets respectively over the last three weeks but has yet to score a touchdown this season. Smith has seen his fair share of targets in the Vikings’ offense with six, four, and seven over the same time frame. It’s not flashy, but Smith will face the Arizona Cardinals in Week 8 who are ridiculously soft against tight ends.

If Hayden Hurst is somehow still available, he would be above both of those players, save Smith for Week 8. Hurst and the Bengals face the Jets and the Colts until their Week 10 bye.

• Check out the Waiver Wire Rankings page with individual ranks and FAAB amounts
• Get a full breakdown from The Fantasy Footballers on today’s episode

Team DEF/ST

• Check out the Waiver Wire Rankings page with individual ranks and FAAB amounts
• Catch today’s episode of The Fantasy Footballers Podcast for a full discussion of the top waiver adds

Good luck with your waiver claims!