Deeper League Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 8

October 27, 2020

Rishi Patel identifies players at QB, RB, WR, and TE to target or add from the waiver wire in deep fantasy football leagues for Week 8 of the 2020 NFL season.

It’s unbelievable that we are entering the middle portion of the season already, but things are now starting to get more serious in both the NFL and fantasy leagues everywhere. This week brought about another devastating injury, this time to Browns WR Odell Beckham Jr.

The importance of the waiver wire remains incredibly important with injuries piling up. At this point, some sleepers may emerge and I’m here to guide and inform you about the best players to pick up for your team in deep leagues.

As always, players in this column are rostered at or below 15% in Yahoo leagues. Let’s get right to it.

Free Agent Quarterbacks

Nick Foles, Chicago Bears- 10%

Once again, Foles is the best QB option to pick up for your deep league. Though he can be cold sometimes (on the field), there is no doubt he offers a much higher upside than some of the other options available. For that reason, Foles is worth stashing if you need QB depth.

Free Agent Running Backs

JaMycal Hasty, San Francisco 49ers - 6%

With lead back Raheem Mostert on IR, Jeff Wilson Jr. ran the show for the 49ers’ ground attack in a convincing win over New England in Week 7. The 24-year-old took 17 carries for an incredible 112 rushing yards and three scores. Wilson would one of the best pickups this week considering his role would be huge. Nevertheless, he suffered a high-ankle sprain per reports, and this means JaMycal Hasty would likely be the lead back on the 49ers going forward. He’s one of the strongest adds of the week.

Gus Edwards, Baltimore Ravens - 6%

With Mark Ingram II banged up coming out of the Ravens’ bye week, Gus Edwards would be the most logical player to benefit in fantasy if Ingram misses the game this week. That alone makes him worth a stash on a Ravens offense known for the run. Edwards did get 14 carries for 26 yards and a score in Week 6 before their bye.

Free Agent Wide Receivers

Randall Cobb, Houston Texans - 15%

Even though he has had a few off-games, Randall Cobb has generally been quite effective on the Texans this season and he garnered eight receptions for 95 yards on 10 targets in Week 7 against his former employer, the Packers. Cobb’s role is decent on this squad as he has gotten over 45 yards in four of seven games. He’s certainly a deep-league flex pickup given his outputs this season.

Curtis Samuel, Carolina Panthers - 15%

Samuel is technically the WR3 on this team, but he also offers rushing value too. The 24-year-old just had his first rushing touchdown of the season in Week 7 and has seen at least four targets and 35 receiving yards in five of six games. His dual-threat status should make him an appealing option to grab and stash. He may be worth a start in some weeks if you need fill-ins as his production is generally modest but consistent.

Scotty Miller, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 9%

Miller may not be the most popular or well-known guy on the Bucs’ receiving corps, but he can be explosive. The 23-year-old posted his best total of the season in Week 7, as he got six receptions for 109 yards and a score on nine targets. Miller is only worth a stash right now as the Bucs still do have a loaded offense with other playmakers, Antonio Brown will soon enter the mix, and this WR is not consistent enough for weekly starting status.

Greg Ward, Philadelphia Eagles - 7%

DeSean Jackson is now injured again and on IR and the Eagles still don’t have healthy WRs. This means Ward is still going to be a factor in this offense for now and he should be considered as a pickup to stash.

Denzel Mims, New York Jets- 4%

Look, the Jets are probably the last team you want to look to for fantasy help, but this rookie Denzel Mims has great potential. Though Sam Darnold can look completely hapless at times, he can toss a few stellar throws here and there too. This means Mims can provide value, especially sooner rather than later considering Jamison Crowder and Breshad Perriman are banged up. Mims did see four receptions for 42 yards on seven targets in Week 7.

Zach Pascal, Indianapolis Colts - 4%

Like the Jets, the Colts are also dealing with WR injuries, meaning guys like Zach Pascal are now going to have a big role. Pascal had four receptions for 54 yards and a score on seven targets in Week 6 before the team’s bye. His elevated role could help keep him in the flex tier going forward.

Deonte Harris, New Orleans Saints - 3%

The Saints are currently thin on receiver and Deonte Harris has stepped up as a result. The 22-year-old had four receptions for 46 yards and a score on five targets in Week 7. Harris is worth a stash, but take a wait-and-see approach before potentially starting him as he has not proved his consistency.

Nelson Agholor, Las Vegas Raiders - 3%

Nelson Agholor has emerged as a big part of the Raiders’ offense in the past few weeks and he delivered an epic performance in Week 7, getting five receptions for 107 yards and a score on nine targets. Agholor now has a touchdown in three straight games and his value is trending up. Grab him now as he could be an immediate flex play going forward.

Rashard Higgins, Cleveland Browns - 1%

From a fantasy perspective, Rashard Higgins should see a good increase in value as he is now the WR2 on the Browns after Odell Beckham Jr. went down with an ACL injury. Higgins will now be in the starting tier as a flex going forward, but managers can only hope for consistency. He did offer a glimpse of his potential in Week 7 as he grabbed six receptions for 110 yards on six targets.

Marquez Callaway, New Orleans Saints - 1%

Like Deonte Harris, Callaway is another receiver to stash from the Saints given the team is currently thin on depth at the position. The 22-year-old had an impressive showing in Week 7, getting eight receptions for 75 yards on 10 targets. It’s worth noting he did suffer a leg injury in that Week 7 contest, meaning Harris is the safer option to pick up of the two.

Free Agent Tight Ends

Richard Rodgers, Philadelphia Eagles - 8 %

As long as the Eagles are down their tight ends, Richard Rodgers is a terrific streaming option. In addition, the WR unit is banged up, so more targets will come his way overall. In Week 7, the former Packer had six receptions for 85 yards on eight targets. This is one of the best tight ends to acquire now for bye-week fill-ins.

David Njoku, Cleveland Browns - 4 %

Disgruntled Browns tight end David Njoku saw some more action in Week 7 with Austin Hooper out and he finished with two receptions for 20 yards and a score on three targets. Njoku is only worth a stash at this point considering the crowded Cleveland TE room.

Harrison Bryant, Cleveland Browns - 1%

Harrison Bryant showed out in Week 7 with four receptions for 56 yards and two scores on five targets. This likely happened because Austin Hooper was out. Nevertheless, Bryant is worth a stash right now as he could build on this Week 7 performance.

Tyler Kroft, Buffalo Bills - 1%

The Bills placed all their tight ends except Kroft on the COVID list this past week, meaning Kroft saw more action. The TE had four receptions for 64 yards on four targets in Week 7 and his role is slated to remain large for now. Even when the other TEs come back, Kroft’s role could stay strong if he proves himself now. For your fantasy team, he’s worth a stash only at this point as he needs to prove himself enough in fantasy too.

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