X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Week 8 Waiver Wire Overview: Darren McFadden, Stefon Diggs, Orleans Darkwa & More

By Mike Morbeck (originally posted to Flickr as Jay Cutler) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Ed Gorelik analyzes Week 8 sleepers available on your 2015 fantasy football waiver wire. These NFL running backs (RBs), wide receivers (WRs), tight ends (TEs) and quarterbacks (QBs) are fantasy football sleepers.

Waiver Wire Adds for Week Eight

The seventh Sunday of the season is through, and the wackiness continues. Miami finally began playing like the uber-talented team they were projected to be, while the Bills continued to struggle in London. And there's still another big matchup on tonight's Monday Night slate.

Week 7 saw a gruesome season ending injury to Arian Foster, dominant games from Todd Gurley and Lamar Miller, and Christine Michael did nothing after a week of being hyped up. Unfortunately though, this is a quiet week for the waiver wire.

Below are some waiver wire pickups and sleepers for Week 8 who can have a potential impact for your teams. My piece won't cover all waiver wire adds and targets each week, as there are just too many with all the league types out there, but I'll be highlighting and prioritize the biggest impact players. Additionally, be sure to check out many more great RotoBaller articles and waiver wire analysis pieces at each position throughout the week, including risers/fallers, deeper league sleepers, rankings and more.

 

Week 8 Quarterback Waiver Wire Pickups

Jay Cutler (QB, CHI)

39% Owned on Fleaflicker

Jay Cutler is returning from a bye-week, just in time to cover yours. Cutler hasn't been killing it this year but has been able to put together some high end QB2 performances since returning from injury. This week he'll face the Vikings defense, one that's been gashed by big, strong #1 WRs all year long. Alshon Jeffery is looking at a big plus matchup and that means his quarterback is looking at one too. If injuries or byes have you in need- Cutler is still one of those guys who could put up a huge game when things go right.

Other Quarterback Options: 

  • OAK QB Derek Carr - 42% owned - Criminally under-owned, Carr's going to have a rematch against his first ever opponent, the New York Jets. It's a suffocating defense that's prone to gathering turnovers making Carr a risky play. However, Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree are a pretty good duo that could make some offensive noise.
  • NYJ QB Ryan Fitzpatrick - 30% owned - Carr's opponent will be Fitzpatrick- who's had two touchdowns in all but one game this year.
  • HOU QB Brian Hoyer - 21% owned - I bring up Hoyer every single week, but he's in a matchup that is harder than most people might anticipate against the Titans.

Other Options: Blake BortlesJoe FlaccoJosh McCownColin KaepernickMarcus MariotaTeddy Bridgewater

 

Week 8 Running Back Waiver Wire Pickups

Darren McFadden (RB, DAL)

55% Owned on Fleaflicker

With Joseph Randle suffering a lower back injury, it was Darren Mcfadden who stepped in instead of Christine Michael. Although I still want to own the lottery ticket, if you're in a league where McFadden is on the waivers, he's a lottery ticket all his own. It's easy to forget that McFadden was once one of the most dangerous running backs in the league and at times was the biggest rival to Adrian Peterson in terms of physical dominance at the RB position. It's possible McFadden turns it all back on.

Alfred Blue (RB, HOU)

48% Owned on Fleaflicker

Arian Foster's 2015 is unfortunately over much earlier than anticipated and that makes Blue the next man up. Blue was decently ineffective his first time around as the starter, but the offense has changed since then and being optimistic about his potential to perform now that Hopkins has truly broken out is reasonable. I'm not rushing to spend all my waiver budget on Blue, but i'll give him a shot. He should be owned in all leagues.

Orleans Darkwa (RB, NYG)

1% Owned on Fleaflicker

I was really interested in Darkwa entering this season, listing him constantly in my version of the running back depth charts as a player to watch. Last year he saw limited action but in his one game where he got some real carries against the Rams there were traits of a capable NFL runner in there. With Andre Williams being worse at power running than Shane Vereen and Rashad Jennings being inconsistent with effectiveness, Darkwa has a long shot chance of carving out a role on this offense. He's mostly a pickup in very, very deep leagues- but he's a player to stay aware of. He's only 23 and full of potential.

Other Running Back Options: 

  • NYJ RB Zac Stacy - 9% owned - First Bilal Powell got injured. Now Chris Ivory hurt himself. Stacy was the next in line yesterday after Ivory's injury.
  • NYJ RB Stevan Ridley - 11% owned - I'm surprised he's owned in the double digits. Ridley is about ready to be re-activated and if Ivory's injury is serious, he's also a candidate to pick up.
  • KC RB Chacandrick West - 42% owned - He should already be owned in your league but if he's not- you better go get him fast.
  • SD RB Branden Oliver - 22% owned - Oliver was more effect than Melvin Gordon on Sunday and things may remain that way.
  • IND RB Ahmad Bradshaw - 16% owned - Still trying to build his role in the offense, he should eventually be valuable this year.
  • TEN RB David Cobb - 34% owned - There's a chance that when he returns from injury he'll gain the starter role in this offense. That's still some weeks away though.
  • NO RB Khiry Robinson17% owned - You may feel the need to add Robinson this week but he's been unable to carve out a role all season. He's a very deep league add only.
  • HOU RB Chris Polk15% owned - The other Houston running back, Polk has a shot at gaining some additional time too with Foster out. Don't think that's a given though.

Other Options: James StarksTheo RiddickRyan MathewsMatt JonesCharles SimsShane VereenAntonio AndrewsChristine MichaelThomas RawlsChris ThompsonDenard Robinson

 

Week 8 Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Pickups

Stefon Diggs (WR, MIN)

38% Owned on Fleaflicker

He was the #1 priority waiver last week and it's going to be no different this week. Diggs is on his way to being the waiver WR breakout for the 2015 season and should be owned. Against the Detroit Lions Diggs managed to rack up 6 receptions, 108 yards, and 1 touchdown; placing himself amongst the top 10 performers for week 7. I can't tell you to expect that every week, but expect startable FLEX numbers week in and week out. He's worth using a large percentage of your waiver budget on.

Danny Amendola (WR, NE)

16% Owned on Fleaflicker

I don't believe any notion that Amendola is breaking out all over again but the situation might be a lot more positive than we're assuming. Julian Edelman is hurting with drops, Dion Lewis is injured and may continue to stay injured, and Rob Gronkowski is the player every team gameplans against. That means someone else has to appear in his offense and in the last two weeks that player has been Danny Amendola. Back-to-back weeks of fantasy relevance might be giving us the illusion of momentum for Amendola's Patriots role, but he's been making some seriously hard catches ever since leaving the Rams and being reliable throughout. With so many other players struggling on the Patriots, there's a chance Amendola just becomes forced into targets.

Other Wide Receiver Options: 

  • CIN WR Marvin Jones - 52% owned - I can't believe we live in a world where Marvin Jones is owned this little. The 2013 breakout is breaking out again and must be had.
  • KC WR Chris Conley - 5% owned - He was an under-the-radar hype type during the draft process and was the man who replaced Maclin when he went down. Hard to see what his role is in the future, but worth looking at.
  • HOU WR Nate Washington - 2% owned - I can't say I endorse Nate Washington, but someone should be able to put up points opposite coverage-hog DeAndre Hopkins.
  • BUF WR Robert Woods - 13% owned - Robert Woods had a lot of hype on him when he entered the NFL. it's never really materialized, but as long as Watkins or Harvin are out, Woods becomes the next man up here. He's blown up in bursts and might be able to keep it up.
  • SEA WR Tyler Lockett- 13% owned - Lockett has the most fantasy potential of this Seahawks core but passing isn't in their blood.
  • TEN WR Dorial Green-Beckham - 30% owned - He'll be here every week until the near end of the season. The upside is too worthwhile to let him sit on the waivers.
  • TB WR Dontaa Dye - 0% owned - Vincent Jackson's injury opens the door for Dye to maybe walk through. Probably not though.
  • ATL WR Roddy White58% owned - Certainly he's owned this much because of name value, but Leonard Hankerson is dealing with injuries and might miss some time. That boosts White value, but who knows by how much?
  • WAS WR Jamison Crowder12% owned - Crowder's coming off a weaker game than normal but he still has a lot of PPR potential.
  • SF WR DeAndre Smelter - 3% owned - Long shot add here, but Smelter might be able to find playing time in an underwhelming WR grouping. Don't expect anything, just keep him in mind.

Other Options: Rishard MatthewsBrandon LaFellMichael FloydMichael CrabtreeKamar AikenTavon AustinCecil ShortsLeonard HankersonJamison CrowderRueben RandleDoug BaldwinJeff JanisEddie RoyalLance MooreBryan WaltersAlbert WilsonDwayne HarrisTorrey SmithMarquess WilsonMalcom Floyd

 

Week 8 Tight End Waiver Wire Pickups

Jordan Reed (WAS, TE)

45% Owned on Fleaflicker

Jordan Reed returned to the Redskins with the top scoring performance amongst TE's, putting together 11 catches for 72 yards and two touchdowns. As the only special target on the Redskins, Reed is going to demand targets and continue to produce numbers. He must be owned in all leagues.

Eric Ebron (DET, TE)

33% Owned on Fleaflicker

There was a lot of hype about Eric Ebron when he entered the draft. Some people even believed he'd have first year value at a position that has almost never had first year value. Obviously, that didn't happen- but now Ebron might actually be having his quiet coming out party. In the five games he's played, he's averaged 50 yards per game and a touchdown in every other contest. He's starting to become nearly acceptable as an every week starter, and perhaps we should look at him that way. He should be owned.

Other Tight End Options: 

  • SD TE Ladarius Green - 52% owned - Gates MCL Sprain might continue to hinder him for more than just a week, and Green becomes a must own in that case.
  • PHI TE Zach Ertz - 44% owned - Ertz has had at least 7 targets in the last three weeks. He might be on the upswing.

Other Options: Benjamin WatsonRichard RodgersJacob TammeTimothy WrightLarry DonnellCoby Fleener

 

Week 8 Defense (D/ST) Waiver Wire Pickups

Tennessee Titans

15% Owned on Fleaflicker

You want a crazy punt play? Here's as crazy as it can get. Bryan Hoyer isn't immune to throwing INTs. He also has the 10th highest sack rate in the league right now. The Texans just lost Arian Foster for the season, putting the entire offense back on Hopkins shoulders. Although Hopkins is by all means amazing, having only one target on the field helps with garbage time stats but it'll also help the Titans play defense against the Texans.

Other Defense (D/ST) Options:

  • New Orleans Saints - 7% owned - Another crazy punt play, Eli is another QB who is prone to INTs. This is a play of pure desperation where the only saving grace is that the Saints are so heavy on running- that the clock in this game might go faster than expected, leading to some low scores.

 

NFL & Fantasy Football Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-0" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]

 


Check out RotoBaller's famous fantasy football draft sleepers and waiver wire pickups list, updated regularly!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Logan Gilbert

Fans 10 In Return Start Monday
Pittsburgh Steelers

Steelers, DeShon Elliott Agree to Two-Year Extension
Ryan Pepiot

Strikes Out 11 in Win
Hunter Goodman

Homers Twice, Drives in Three
Stephen Curry

"Not Even Close" to Retirement
Jonathan Kuminga

Linked to Bulls, Heat
Kevin Durant

Has "No Desire" to be Traded to Minnesota
Isaac Paredes

Returns as DH on Monday
New York Giants

Mike Kafka Expected to Reclaim Play-Calling Duties
Jon Runyan

Limited During Minicamp
Saquon Barkley

Feels Great Physically
Justin Simmons

Panthers Have Talked With Justin Simmons
Jordan Addison

Trial Date Set for July 15
New York Jets

Jets Sign Kingsley Jonathan, Marquis Hayes
Jarace Walker

Remains Sidelined for Game 5
Justin Verlander

Returning to the Rotation on Wednesday
Tony Finau

Finishes Tied For 38th at U.S. Open
Bud Cauley

Misses The Cut at U.S. Open
Cameron Young

Finishes Tied For Fourth at U.S. Open
J.J. Spaun

Wins U.S. Open
Xander Schauffele

Finishes Tied For 12th at U.S. Open
Robert MacIntyre

Finishes Second at U.S. Open
Si Woo Kim

Finishes Tied For 42nd at U.S. Open
Vershon Lee

Vikings Ink Undrafted Offensive Lineman Vershon Lee
Luke Clanton

Misses The Cut at RBC Canadian Open
San Francisco 49ers

C.J. West Signs Rookie Deal with San Fran
Jaylen Warren

Training to Handle Larger Workload
Giancarlo Stanton

to Make Season Debut on Monday
Will Campbell

Ends Minicamp as Top Left Tackle
Sam Cosmi

Making Good Progress From Torn ACL
Kamaru Usman

Gets Back In The Win Column
Adonai Mitchell

Impresses at Minicamp
Joaquin Buckley

Winning Streak Comes To An End
Miranda Maverick

Drops Decision At UFC Atlanta
Bradley Chubb

Fully Healed, Looking Disruptive
Jonnu Smith

Contract Talks "Still Fluid"
Rose Namajunas

Wins Decision At UFC Atlanta
Andre Petroski

Suffers Unanimous-Decision Loss
Edmen Shahbazyan

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Raoni Barcelos

Wins Third Fight In A Row
Chase Elliott

Ends Mexico City with A Great Finish of Third
Christopher Bell

has A Strong Runner-Up Performance At Mexico City
Chase Briscoe

Wild Day Ends with A Top-10 Finish
Michael McDowell

Leaves Mexico City with A Top-Five Finish
Cody Garbrandt

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Brundage

Defeated After Accidental Clash Of Heads
Cody Brundage

Mansur Abdul-Malik Defeats Cody Brundage By Technical Decision
Oumar Sy

Suffers His First Loss
Alonzo Menifield

Scores Upset Win
Alex Bowman

Delivers Bravura Performance After Michigan Injury
Tyler Reddick

Inexplicably Mediocre on his Once-Best Track Type
John Hunter Nemechek

Canny Strategy Gives John Hunter Nemechek Best Career Road-Course Finish
Cole Custer

Earns Best Finish Since Cup-Series Comeback at Mexico City
Grant Holmes

Punches Out 15 in Loss
Elly De La Cruz

Goes Yard in Fourth Straight Game
Will Vest

Dealing With Finger Injury
Jackson Merrill

Placed on Seven-Day Concussion Injured List
J.J. McCarthy

Looking "a Lot Stronger"
Shohei Ohtani

Will Be Dodgers' Starting Pitcher Monday
Roki Sasaki

Shut Down From Throwing
Garrett Wilson

Receives New Contract Offer
Jordan Hicks

Headed to Boston
Kyle Harrison

Traded to Red Sox
Travis Kelce

Slims Down During the Offseason
Trey Hendrickson

Bengals Restart Contract Discussions
Brady House

Nationals Promoting Brady House to Major Leagues
Rafael Devers

Traded to San Francisco
Logan Gilbert

to Start on Monday
Jayden Higgins

Impresses During Minicamp
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

on the Move to Memphis
Cole Anthony

Dealt to the Grizzlies
Seattle Seahawks

DeMarcus Lawrence Making an Impression With his New Team
Tyler Mahle

Placed on 15-Day Injured List
Luis Robert Jr.

Scratched with Thumb Soreness
Desmond Bane

Traded to Orlando
Byron Buxton

Scratched from Sunday's Lineup
Brendan Donovan

Returns to the Lineup
Steven Adams

Rockets Agree to Three-Year Contract Extension
Ty Dillon

Is a Respectable Cap Flexiblity-Focused DFS Option For Mexico City
Corey Perry

Produces 10th Postseason Goal
Connor McDavid

Scores First Finals Goal
John Hunter Nemechek

Is John Hunter Nemechek Worth Rostering In Mexico City DFS Lineups?
Sam Bennett

Nets Another Road Goal in Game 5 Win
Eetu Luostarinen

Earns Two Points Saturday
Brad Marchand

Pots Two Goals in Game 5 Victory
Sergei Bobrovsky

Ties NHL Record with 10th Road Win
Ross Chastain

Trackhouse Racing's Mexico Focus Makes Ross Chastain a Leading Contender for the Win
Kyle Busch

One of Two Past Mexico City Winners in the Field
Ryan Preece

Earns Surprising Front-Row Start
Austin Cindric

Not as Strong of a Road Racer as People Think
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Stronger on Infield Road Courses Than Purpose-Built Ones
Joey Logano

Seemingly Alternating Between Good and Mediocre Races
Brad Keselowski

One of the Few Drivers with Mexico City Experience
Denny Hamlin

Ryan Truex Makes First Cup Series Start Since 2014
Erik Jones

Mexico City Will Likely be a Struggle for Erik Jones
Noah Gragson

Front Row Motorsports' Speed May Make Noah Gragson a Decent DFS Option
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Road Courses Are Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s Worst Track Type
Evander Kane

Drops to Fourth Line Saturday
Kasperi Kapanen

Won't Play on Saturday
Calvin Pickard

Starts Game 5 for Oilers
Tyrese Haliburton

Struggles in Friday's Loss to OKC
Chet Holmgren

Dominates the Glass in Game 4
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Leads the Way in Game 4
Jalen Williams

Has a Quality Showing on Friday Night
Russell Westbrook

to Decline Player Option
Kevin Durant

Trade Could Happen in the "Next Few Days"
Joaquin Buckley

Set For Main Event
Kamaru Usman

An Underdog At UFC Atlanta
Miranda Maverick

Set For Co-Main Event
Rose Namajunas

Looks To Bounce Back
Andre Petroski

Looks To Extend His Win Streak To Four
Edmen Shahbazyan

A Favorite At UFC Atlanta
Raoni Barcelos

Set To Take On Former Champion
Cody Garbrandt

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Mansur Abdul-Malik

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Connor Hellebuyck

Wins Vezina And Hart Trophies
Aleksander Barkov

Records Two Power-Play Assists Thursday
Sam Reinhart

Collects Three Points in Thursday's Loss
Matthew Tkachuk

Notches Three Points in Losing Effort
Calvin Pickard

Joins Exclusive List with Thursday's Win
Mattias Ekholm

Logs Two Assists in Comeback Victory
Leon Draisaitl

Delivers Victory in Overtime Thursday
Myles Turner

Playing Through Illness
Reed Sheppard

Will Play in the NBA Summer League
Kevin Durant

Deal Could Come Sooner Rather Than Later
Dorian Finney-Smith

Undergoes Ankle Surgery
Anze Kopitar

Wins Third Lady Byng Trophy
Sergei Bobrovsky

Heading Out for Win No. 15
John Klingberg

Won't Play in Game 4 Against Panthers
Viktor Arvidsson

Sits Out Game 4 Against Panthers
Stuart Skinner

Remains in Oilers Crease Thursday
Jalen Williams

Leads Thunder in Scoring Wednesday
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Settles for 24 Points in Game 3 Loss
Pascal Siakam

Does Everything for Pacers Wednesday Night
Matt McCarty

Comes Off Season-Best Showing at RBC Canadian Open
Justin Thomas

Desperate to Continue Good 2025 Season
Jon Rahm

Seeks Revenge at U.S. Open
Tom Kim

Aiming for Improvement in U.S. Open
PGA

Sungjae Im Expects Solid Performance at Oakmont
Brian Harman

Aims to Rebound From the Memorial
Tony Finau

has Been Up and Down at U.S. Open
Patrick Cantlay

Hoping This is the Year at Oakmont
Akshay Bhatia

Improving in Time for U.S. Open
Xander Schauffele

Primed for Another Major Championship Run
Cameron Young

May Struggle at U.S. Open
Collin Morikawa

Eyeing Third Major Championship Title
Matt Fitzpatrick

Seeks to Avenge Oakmont Collapse
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF