Week 8 Waiver Wire (Fantasy Football)
If your Week 7 was anything like mine, you should take some solace knowing that there are only two teams on a bye this week, Baltimore and Dallas. Some big names are coming back off a bye as well as injury and should be refreshed and ready to score much-needed fantasy points in Week 8. However, it should be no surprise that the waiver wire is anemic as we continue further into the fantasy season.
While we have fantasy producers coming back to our squads, we have another round of injuries to deal with as we move forward, most notably, Patrick Mahomes. For a full breakdown, read Week 8 Injury Recap by Matthew Betz. If you are in deeper leagues with an even thinner wire, check out Jeff Greenwood’s Trade Target series.
Below is a list of The Fantasy Footballers waiver wire options for WR, RB, and TEs. Check out their Week 8 Waiver Wire episode to get the full breakdown of these players, who you should target, and their QB and DST streamers of the week.
Percentages of ownership are based on Yahoo!
WR
Perhaps the most surprising name to pop into fantasy relevance is WR Alex Erickson (2% owned) who had 8 receptions for 137 yards on 14 targets on 94% of Cincinnati’s snaps. He only had 15 TOTAL targets heading into Sunday’s matchup. It was a painful game if you spent your FAAB or high waiver priority on Auden Tate, who only had three receptions for 65 yards on 90% of snaps. Keep in mind that Erickson and Tate will face the Rams, a bye, Baltimore, and finally Oakland in Week 11.
Houston’s Kenny Stills (12% owned) also surprised with four receptions for 105 yards on 93.8% of snaps. He averaged 19.5 yards per reception while his career average is 17.2. Stills faces Oakland this week who have allowed 20+ yard pass plays, that’s over five per week, and is the most in the NFL.
Main Waiver Wire Pickups
MIA DeVante Parker (13% owned)
5/55/1 on 10 targets (85% of snaps)
@PIT, NYJ, @IND, BUF
TDs 3 weeks in a row.
MIA Preston Williams (12% owned)
6/82/0 on 8 targets (90% of snaps)
@PIT, NYJ, @IND, BUF
HOU Keke Coutee (14% owned)
3/25/0 on 5 targets — 4yd TD rush (69% of snaps)
OAK, @JAX, BYE, @BAL
NE Phillip Dorsett (44% owned)
UPDATE with MNF stat line
CLE, @BAL, BYE, @PHI
NE Jakobi Meyers (5% owned)
UPDATE with MNF stat line
CLE, @BAL, BYE, @PHI
GB Marquez Valdes-Scantling (66% owned) – Jason’s least favorite player
2/133/1 on 3 targets (33% of snaps)
@KC, @LAC, CAR, BYE
GB Geronimo Allison (26% owned)
4/33/0 on 5 targets (56.7% of snaps)
@KC, @LAC, CAR, BYE
BUF Cole Beasley (29% owned)
3/16/1 on 6 targets
PHI ,WAS, @CLE, @MIA
Avg. 7.5 targets per game; More receptions than OBJ/Evans, More rec yards than Alshon
PIT Diontae Johnson (14% owned)
Before BYE: 2/14/0
MIA, IND, LAR, @CLE
NYG Darius Slayton (7% owned)
2/28/0 on 2 targets (97% of snaps)
@DET, DAL, @NYJ, BYE
Tied for 5th MOST WR routes run in Week 7
IND Zach Pascal (1% owned)
6/106/2 on 7 targets (47% of snaps)
DEN, @PIT, MIA, JAX
TEN A.J. Brown (17% owned)
6/64/0 on 8 targets
TB, @CAR, KC
TEN Corey Davis (41% owned)
6/80/1 on 7 targets (75% of snaps)
TB, @CAR, KC, BYE
CIN Auden Tate (38% owned)
3/65/0 on 6 targets (90% of snaps)
@LAR, BYE, BAL, @OAK
ATL Mohamed Sanu (57% owned)
1/3/0 on 2 targets
SEA, @NO, @CAR
RB
It should come as no surprise that Latavius Murray and Chase Edmonds are at the top of this list. While Murray may already be owned, it’s worth checking your league’s wire just in case. On 27 rush attempts, Murray logged 119 yards and two touchdowns and added five receptions for 31 yards on six targets in the passing game. Edmonds wasted no time making the most out of his opportunity (breaking David Johnson owners’ hearts) and rushing 27 times for 126 yards and THREE touchdowns. Edmonds also had two receptions on four targets for 24 yards while previously standing as the RB20 in half-PPR. He is currently 48% owned in Yahoo! leagues and will be the target of heavy FAAB and waiver priorities as long as Johnson continues to battle injuries.
DET Ty Johnson (1% owned)
10/29/0 — 4/28/0 on 4 targets (64.5% snaps; tied for 2nd MOST RB Routes Run in Wk7)
NYG, @OAK, @CHI, DAL
WAS Adrian Peterson (60% owned)
20/81/0
@MIN (Thurs), @BUF, BYE, NYJ
MIA Mark Walton (20% owned)
14/66/0 — 1/-8/0 on 1 target
@PIT, NYJ, @IND, BUF
GB Jamaal Williams (60% owned)
@KC, @LAC, CAR, BYE
TB Ronald Jones II (48% owned)
Before BYE: 4/10/0
@TEN, @SEA, ARI, NO
PIT Benny Snell (5% owned)
17/75/0 — 1/14/0 on 1 target
MIA, IND, LAR, @CLE
PHI Wendell Smallwood (1% owned)
5/23/0 — 1/18/0 on 1 target
@MIN, @BUF, NYJ
Handcuff watch
MIN Alexander Mattison
NYG Wayne Gallman (18% owned)
IND Jordan Wilkins
CAR Reggie Bonnafon
DAL Tony Pollard
BAL Gus Edwards
JAX Ryquell Armstead
OAK DeAndre Washington
CIN Giovani Bernard
CLE Kareem Hunt – has returned to practice but eligible to return in Week 10
LAR Darrell Henderson (31% owned)
LAR Malcolm Brown (ankle) missed Week 7
TE
Los Angeles Rams’ Gerald Everett fulfilled fantasy owners’ hopes and dreams if they picked him up to fill in for the horrendous TE position. He led the team in targets with 10 and had four receptions for 50 yards and a touchdown. He is most likely owned at 71% in Yahoo! leagues, but it’s worth taking a peek to see if someone needed to make room during the Week 7 byes. He will face the Bengals, a bye, Steelers, and Chicago in the next four weeks.
Much to the chagrin of Zach Ertz owners, Dallas Goedert (13% owned) had a nice stat line despite playing 21% fewer snaps. Goedert had four receptions of 69 targets and touchdown although he did lose a fumble. It’s important to note that the Eagles attempted the 2nd-most passes with two TEs on the field. Ertz and Goedert will face Buffalo, Chicago, a bye, and then New England.
Probably Owned (but worth checking)
GB Jimmy Graham (70% owned)
4/65/1 on 4 targets
@KC, @LAC, CAR, BYE
DET T.J. Hockenson (66% owned)
3/32/0 on 5 targets
NYG, @OAK, @CHI
Main Waiver Wire Pickups
NYJ Chris Herndon (29% owned)
UPDATE with MNF stat line
@JAX, @MIA, NYG, @WAS
IND Eric Ebron (52% owned)
4/70/1 on 5 targets
DEN, @PIT, MIA, JAX
TB O.J. Howard (54% owned)
Before BYE- 2/35/0 on 4 targets
@TEN, @SEA, ARI, NO
BUF Dawson Knox (28% owned)
2/22/0 on 5 targets
PHI ,WAS, @CLE, @MIA
OAK Foster Moreau (0% owned)
2/24/1 on 3 targets
@HOU, DET, LAC, CIN
NE Ben Watson (4% owned)
3/18/0 on 5 targets
CLE, @BAL, BYE, @PHI
Remember to listen to The Fantasy Footballers’ Week 8 Waiver Wire episode to get the full breakdown of these players and who you should target for your teams plus Mike and Jason’s QB and DST streamers.