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Alongside our famous waiver wire pickups list, and our weekly waiver wire columns by position, this column focuses on suggested waiver wire bidding percentages for fantasy football owners in leagues using a Free Agent Acquisition Budget (FAAB). Week 7 forced many of us into playing backups thanks to the heavy byes, but with only Baltimore and Las Vegas on bye this week it widens the player pool again. Reset your bar!
As a caveat, these prices do not by any means indicate how much these free agent players will go for. Each league values players differently and will continue to do so. These values are here to provide a baseline or priority order to understand roughly how much you should be looking to spend on a particular player. Specific needs are always reasonable cause for a manual override.
It's difficult to toe the line between appropriate action and overreaction, but following context-aware volume is typically the best strategy. Monitor the injury reports and always err on the side of high-ceiling stashes for the end of your bench if bye weeks allow it. Whatever your needs, here's my median FAAB bid ranges and adds heading into Week 8.
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FAAB Waiver Wire Pickups - Quarterbacks
Daniel Jones (QB, NYG) - FAAB Bid: 0-1%
28% rostered
Jones has survived these past few weeks despite myriad injuries to his pass-catching corps and now gets an MNF matchup with Kansas City’s porous defense. While Jones doesn’t boast arms similar to top-end mobile QBs, KC did allow a combined 213 rush yards to the trio of Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, and Josh Allen earlier this year. Hope that Sterling Shepard, Kenny Golladay, and Kadarius Toney can boost the WR room for Week 8’s showdown if you go after Jones.
Mac Jones (QB, NE) - FAAB Bid: 0-1%
17% rostered
Jones delivered his first career 300-yard passing game in a blowout of the Jets, connecting on 24-of-36 passes with two TDs. His Week 8 game against the Chargers on the road offers a much tougher test, but he’s now thrown multiple scores in three of his last four as he grows in this system.
Geno Smith (QB, SEA) - FAAB Bid: 0-1%
6% rostered
Smith hasn’t really let loose yet but he’d performed admirably at Pittsburgh, completing 23-of-32 passes for 209 yards and a TD against T.J. Watt’s unit. He had another tough assignment in facing New Orleans on Monday night, but the script flips with Jacksonville’s subpar D coming to Seattle in Week 8. Without a consistent ground game or strong defense to lean on, Smith should have a chance at pushing it downfield as a streaming candidate.
*I should also say be aware of Tyrod Taylor's practice status as he's in the streaming conversation when active.
FAAB Waiver Wire Pickups - Running Backs
Kenneth Gainwell (RB, PHI) - FAAB Bid: 30-50%
21% rostered
Miles Sanders exited Sunday’s game following an ankle injury, which left Gainwell and Boston Scott in charge of the RB room. Gainwell is surely the more exciting of the two, totaling 61 yards and a score on nine touches while seeing eight targets. That was one shy of DeVonta Smith’s team-leading nine on the day. This comes after Gainwell frustratingly barely saw the field in Philly’s Week 6 loss to Tampa Bay, but that’s football! Scott did get a TD of his own, but he’s not a receiving threat like Gainwell and is a low-ceiling add. I'd be fine throwing up to 10% on Scott if need be.
#Eagles backup RB Week 7 usage
- Kenneth Gainwell: 50% snaps, 5 carries, 8 targets (61 yds, TD)
- Boston Scott: 34% snaps, 7 carries, 2 targets (29 yds, TD)— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) October 24, 2021
Samaje Perine (RB, CIN) - FAAB Bid: 8-12%
7% rostered
After missing Week 6 on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Perine returned to action with a zesty 75 yards plus a TD on 12 touches. The Bengals lambasted the Ravens, generating solid games out of both Perine and Joe Mixon even as Ja’Marr Chase eclipsed 200 yards. Cincy looks outstanding and may top 40 points again in Week 8 against a flightless Jets team, making Perine a fine flex if desperate.
Brandon Bolden (RB, NE) - FAAB Bid: 6-8%
6% rostered
Speaking of the Jets surrendering big games to an entire RB corps, Bolden notched 79 yards and a score on six catches against them while Damien Harris feasted and J.J. Taylor punched in two tuddies himself. The 54-point drubbing of NYJ involved Bolden’s strongest game of the year, giving him a chance to reassert himself as the James White stand-in. The Pats will need his receiving chops against real competition in the Chargers for Week 8.
FAAB Waiver Wire Pickups - Wide Receivers
Randall Cobb (WR, GB) - FAAB Bid: 8-12%
9% rostered
Well, this had been Allen Lazard but Adam Schefter dropped a Tuesday bomb on us that Lazard is joining Davante Adams on the reserve/COVID-19 list. It's unclear at this point whether we can trust the remaining WRs not to have it spread to them but Cobb is the only familiar starting WR for Rodgers on a short week now.
If Marquez Valdes-Scantling is activated off of the IR in time for Thursday's game then he is worth a bid in the 10% range as well, though he has the added risk of re-injury and potentially facing a snap count. Green Bay will surely want to lean on Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon but Arizona should push the pace enough to force downfield action.
Rashod Bateman (WR, BAL) - FAAB Bid: 6-10%
32% rostered
I realize Baltimore is hitting their bye, but Bateman just saw another six targets (three catches for 80 yards) to make him the No. 2 WR behind Marquise Browns’ 14 looks. It was an unusual gamescript for the Ravens, who found themselves deep in the hole against Cincinnati all Sunday long. This offense is a weekly threat for 30-plus points, which makes Bateman intriguing if he can hold off Sammy Watkins once the veteran returns.
Russell Gage (WR, ATL) - FAAB Bid: 3-5%
10% rostered
On the field for the first time since Week 2, Gage blew past the defense for a 49-yard TD to juice his 4-67-1 line on the week. He’s the No. 2 receiver once again, though it’s closer to No. 4 behind Kyle Pitts and Cordarrelle Patterson. Regardless, Atlanta’s defense and Mike Davis’ ineffectiveness means the passing game does most of the lifting. He can still produce with 6-8 targets per week but the volatility is higher than years past.
Kalif Raymond (WR, DET) - FAAB Bid: 3-5%
3% rostered
Raymond paced Detroit’s pass-catchers with 115 yards on six catches, giving him six receptions for the second straight game (and his third of the sort in his last five contests). The Lions are desperate for weapons beyond D’Andre Swift and T.J. Hockenson, and Raymond has been their Huckleberry of late. Until Tyrell Williams is ready to go, Raymond is a solid deep-league dart given how heavily Detroit has to throw throughout games.
Others to consider:
Bryan Edwards - 13% rostered - FAAB: 3-5%
Jamison Crowder - 23% rostered - FAAB: 2-3%
Nelson Agholor -27% rostered - FAAB: 1-2%
Van Jefferson - 9% rostered - FAAB: 1-2%
Jalen Reagor - 12% rostered - FAAB: 1-2%
K.J. Osborn - 7% rostered - FAAB: 0-1%
Kendrick Bourne - 6% rostered - FAAB: 0-1%
Byron Pringle - 1% rostered - FAAB: 0-1%
Dante Pettis - 1% rostered -FAAB: 0-1%
FAAB Waiver Wire Pickups - Tight Ends
C.J. Uzomah (TE, CIN) - FAAB Bid: 2-4%
18% rostered
On a team that boasts three strong wide receivers and two hot RBs, Uzomah has still carved out a role with five TDs in his last four games. His latest double-dance came on just three targets, which he has only exceeded once in seven games this year. That is not a viable volume for many of us, but Cincy is going off and may follow New England’s cue in blowing out the Jets.
C.J. Uzomah tore his achilles last year then decided to become the most efficient TE in the league
SSS but he has 5TD on 19(!!) targets, the 6th-highest YAC%, and he's doubling his career YPT despite possessing the 5th-lowest aDOT among TE's #WhoDey pic.twitter.com/Bl0pgTEeZr
— Kev Mahserejian (@RotoSurgeon) October 25, 2021
Dan Arnold (TE, JAX) - FAAB Bid: 2-4%
4% rostered
Arnold can be quietly added with Jacksonville coming off of its bye. After Arnold averaged 2-4 targets on the Panthers prior to the trade, he has seen a combined 13 looks in two games with the Jags. If that usage pattern continues in a solid Seattle matchup for Week 8, then averaging six or more looks per game gives him top-12 volume at the position. Whether Trevor Lawrence can make the targets count is another story.
If you can scoop Evan Engram (31% rostered) or Gerald Everett (30%) then they have favorable Week 8 matchups and are likely overlooked if still on your waiver wire.
Then, if you can stomach the Vegas bye week then Foster Moreau (3%) is a savvy add as well, as he caught all six targets for 60 yards and a score with Darren Waller out.
FAAB Waiver Wire Pickups - Defense/Special Teams
Cincinnati Bengals Defense (at NYJ) - FAAB Bid: 2-4%
16% rostered
The Bengals will be Week 8’s top defense and they are widely available following a scary date with the Ravens. Cincinnati not only faces the Jets, but they face a Jets team that is likely starting Mike White at quarterback. The Bengals’ O will put the Jets in a hole and force them to take risks that provide ample opportunity for mistakes and turnovers.
The #Bengals defense had a 64.1% (!!!!!) pass-rush win rate vs the Ravens. That is by far their best in a game this season.
The big difference? Sam Hubbard showing out in the pass-rush game with a 21.1% win rate.
— Andrew Russell (@PFF_AndrewR) October 25, 2021
Seattle Seahawks Defense (vs. JAX) - FAAB Bid: 0-1%
10% rostered
Seattle’s defense has fallen far compared to their Legion of Boom days, but facing Jacksonville makes anyone a viable play. They held up well against a Saints team in bad weather on MNF and Jacksonville doesn't have an Alvin Kamara-esque weapon to deploy either, leaving Trevor Lawrence stuck looking to improvise against a Seattle unit that ranked within the top-12 with a 10.6% hurry rate on QBs (entering Week 7).
Philadelphia Eagles Defense (at DET) - FAAB Bid: 0-1%
6% rostered
The Eagles started 2021 hot, allowing just 23 points combined between their first two games, but have averaged 31 points allowed in their last five games. Why the recommendation then? Well, they’re facing Jared Goff next. The Lions’ offense hasn’t put up more than 20 points on a defense since Week 1, supplying five turnovers in their last three games. Deep-leaguers have taken far worse gambles on defensive streams.
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