Week 8 Waiver Wire – NFL Fantasy Football

DFS Army’s Gthom goes over the the waiver wire targets for this week. These waiver wire targets are normally available in 50-percent of ESPN leagues.

Follow Gthom on the cesspool they call twitter, @GarettThomas.

QUARTERBACKS

Kyler Murray (ARI) – 23% Ownership

He is coming back from an injury and he should be ready for Week 10, but may play in Week 9 if all things go well. From 2018 – 2021, Murray was a perennial top-10 quarterback each season and finished with the second most fantasy points at his position in 2019.

Derek Carr (NO) – 19% Ownership

Carr has not been anything flashy but he is throwing the ball quite a bit. He has the seventh most team pass plays per game, and leads the league in deep ball attempts with 37. The issue is he doesn’t rack up touchdowns. Carr has averaged 17.5 fantasy points per game over his last three and his upcoming schedule is a cake walk: @IND, CHI, and @MIN.

Bryce Young (CAR) – 9% Ownership

Struggled to start the season but he faces HOU, IND and @CHI over his next three weeks. Young is throwing the ball a lot in these contests as well, 37 pass attempts over the last three games. Young continues to get better each game. He is a great pickup in two-QB leagues and SFLX leagues.

 

RUNNING BACKS

Darrell Henderson (LAR) – 6% Ownership

He went 18/66/1 in his first game off the practice squad. He had a 57% snap participation rate compared to teammate Royce Freeman’s 43%. Henderson seems to be the player to pickup in this backfield and he will be flex-worthy until starter Kyren Williams returns from injury.

Emari Demercado (ARI) – 17% Ownership

80% snap participation rate in Week 7. 13/58/0 on the ground and 4/17/0 through the air, good for 11.5-PPR points. If this is the level of usage we are going to see then Demercado is a priority to pickup this week. The bad thing is his upcoming schedule which features BAL, @CLE and ATL. Those opponents generally do a good job of limiting fantasy points to running backs.

Pierre Strong (CLE) – 1% Ownership

Starter Jerome Ford was seen in a walking boot after Cleveland’s Week 7 contest. With Ford out one-to-two weeks, Strong automatically gets fantasy value because Cleveland prefers to utilize two running backs. Further, Strong saw eight carries for 25 rushing yards in Week 7 with teammate Kareem Hunt getting the bulk of the work. Hunt is the priority pickup if he is somehow available, but Strong has value too.

Tyjae Spears (TEN) – 34% Ownership

Surprisingly, Spears sees 50% of his team’s snaps and commands a 12.4% target share. He will continue to have stand-alone flex-value in PPR leagues due to his efficiency and utilization. If Henry were to ever get hurt, Spears may turn into a RB1 rest-of-season.

Ezekiel Elliott (NE) – 40% Ownership

If you are looking for a back that may fall into the end zone on any given week, Elliott is your guy. Two touchdowns over the last two weeks and he added 18 carries for 65 yards in that span. Zeke also receives small usage in the passing game.

Royce Freeman (LAR) – 11% Ownership

Former practice squad member, Darrell Henderson, got used the most from the Los Angeles running back room in Week 7. This is a red flag for Freeman. The former Oregon Duck had flex-level usage: 12 carries and 66 rushing yards. Freeman should be picked up in deeper leagues or by managers hoping for a change-in-usage following a one-week sample size.

 

WIDE RECEIVERS

Josh Downs (IND) – 35% Ownership

Downs looks like he is getting more usage with Gardner Minshew starting for the Colts. 14 targets and two touchdowns in his last two weeks. This is the third week in a row that Downs has been in this article and he is the top pick.

Kendrick Bourne (NE) – 23% Ownership

When he participates in 87% of snaps or more he averages 16.3-PPR points across four games. At this pace he is a WR2 every week, with upside if he finds the endzone. This New England offense has been bad but expect this offense to continue improving after hitting rock bottom earlier this season.

Tank Dell (HOU) – 49% Ownership

This Houston passing offense is real and you need to hop on the train before it takes off. Dell has two 20-plus fantasy performances under his belt and is due for more soon. He will have down weeks but he is a flex option on most weeks.

Rashid Shaheed (NO) – 19% Ownership

Limited in targets but can always catch a bomb. He has an ADOT of 18.2 yards (3^rd) and has 12 deep targets on the season (5^th). Shaheed has two weeks in a row with a 70% snap participation rate, too.

Odell Beckham Jr. (BAL) – 45% Ownership

Not on the field as much as you would desire, 57% snap participation, and despite that he received seven targets in Week 8. If his snap rate increases that will move Beckham into flex consideration. The Ravens offense has battled injuries with their receivers this season, plus have had growing pains with their new offensive system. Better days are ahead for this offense.

TIGHT ENDS

Jake Ferguson (DAL) – 45% Ownership

Ferguson was on BYE in Week7 and that deflated his ownership. He has the 10^th best target rate at his position. He leads tight ends with 11 redzone targets and he’s received 29.7% of his team’s red zone targets.

Logan Thomas (WAS) – 37% Ownership

 11^th most fantasy points per game at the tight end position. He has a 15.5% target share and a 22.2% red zone target share.

Dalton Kincaid (BUF) – 32% Ownership

Kincaid caught all eight of his targets against New England in Week 7. Despite the Bills losing, Kincaid’s 15.5-PPR points was his best performance of the season. The starting tight end, Dawson Knox, is undergoing wrist surgery which boosts Kincaid going forward.

 

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