Week 8 Waiver Wire Sleepers & Overview for Fantasy Football

Week 8 Waiver Wire for Fantasy Football

Just a friendly reminder that in my weekly waiver wire pickups overview column, I only highlight players owned in fewer than 50% of leagues on Fleaflicker.

There very well may be other options out there, so be sure to read all of RotoBaller's Week 8 waiver wire analysis. And of course you can always stop by the RotoBaller chat rooms for any live advice you may need.

For now, check out my waiver wire thoughts below for Week 8, but be sure to come back to see my rankings when they're posted right here on RotoBaller later on in the week!

 

Quarterback Waiver Wire Pickup Options

1. Ryan Tannehill (MIA) @ Jaguars - 37% Owned on Fleaflicker

Tannehill has now had three straight decent games in a row. While the Jaguars are not the guaranteed points they were at the beginning of the season, I would start Tannehill with confidence. He has been over 240 yards and two touchdowns in each of his last three games, with a completion rate over 70% in two of them. He also continued his mobility, going over 30 yards rushing for the third straight game. Those extra points there are what have really separated him from the pack recently.

2. Kyle Orton (BUF) @ Jets - 9% Owned on Fleaflicker

Since taking over the starting job, Orton has delivered three solid fantasy performances. This most recent one was capped by a last-minute game-winning touchdown. In Week 8, Orton will face the Jets, and we know their secondary is pretty bad. I expect Orton to reach the 15-point mark again.

3. Teddy Bridgewater (MIN) @ Buccaneers - 22% Owned on Fleaflicker 

It's been a rough couple of weeks for Teddy. In three starts, he has managed just one passing touchdown against five interceptions. Fortunately, the Vikings face a truly awful Bucs team in Week 8. The only worry here is that the Bucs are coming off their bye, and we have seen teams play much better after a week off (Chiefs and Saints, most recently). With a coach like Lovie Smith, that is a worry in the back of my mind for Teddy's start here. In the end, though, I'd still have no problem starting Teddy in deeper leagues.

Other Week 8 Quarterbacks to Consider

Geno Smith (17%) has been playing better again lately, but can you really trust him? After replacing Kirk Cousins (52%), Colt McCoy (1%) was 11 of 12 passing with a TD to Garcon. That touchdown was mostly Garcon's work, but 92% completion rate is no mean feat against any team. In two-QB leagues, I'd take McCoy as a bye-week fill-in.

 

Running Back Waiver Wire Pickup Options

1. Tre Mason (STL) @ Chiefs - 25% Owned on Fleaflicker

There are a few really good RB pickups this week, but Mason tops the list. The Seahawks are not what they once were, but they are still tough. Mason's 18 carries for 85 yards were impressive, and even better, he had 18 of 20 RB touches for the Rams, and Zac Stacy was invisible. I don't trust the situation completely, but it does look like Mason is the guy. I loved him coming out of college, but he faded into obscurity during the preseason. He's back now, and there is no reason he can't repeat Week 7's performance against the Chiefs.

2. Bryce Brown (BUF) @ Jets - 7% Owned on Fleaflicker

You may remember Bryce Brown from the 2012 season when he got four starts filling in for LeSean McCoy; all he did was rush for over 150 yards with two touchdowns in each of his first two career starts. He also managed to go over 100 yards as a backup in one game last year. This is his third season, but he is just 23 years old, and with injuries to C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson, Brown will finally be able to contribute to the Bills offense. Brown has actually been inactive all season, and Anthony "Boobie" Dixon filled in yesterday for 66 yards on 16 touches. The general consensus is that Brown will get plenty of work, despite previous inactive status. Dixon is not a feature back, but Brown could be, and so he's worth the pickup. The negative here is that they face the tough Jets in Week 8, and then go on bye, at which point they're hopeful Fred Jackson will return. Brown needs to impress against the Jets, because there is certainly room for two backs in Buffalo.

3. Denard Robinson (JAX) vs Dolphins - 6% Owned on Fleaflicker

When I heard Robinson was starting against the Browns, I dismissed it. He'd shown nothing to make me think he could go over 100 yards with a touchdown. Yet that is exactly what happened-- Robinson was really fantastic. I'm still skeptical of his ability to keep up that performance going forward, though.  The Dolphins are a much tougher defense. I doubt I'll consider Robinson a must-start this coming week, but he is worth the pickup, just in case I'm wrong.

Other Week 8 Running Backs to Consider

Other RBs to consider: Jerick McKinnon (48%) topped my list last week, and he backed it up with a 100-yard game here. He is still out there in plenty of leagues, and he should be more widely owned. It would need to be a really deep league, but Stepfan Taylor (6%) is the goal line back for Arizona, and he earned two touchdowns in Week 7 after Andre Ellington did all the work. This offense is good enough that Taylor should have his fair share of opportunities.

 

Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Pickup Options

1. Andrew Hawkins (CLE) vs Raiders - 39% Owned on Fleaflicker

After two quiet games, Hawkins bounced back in a big way. In fact, he was the sole impressive performance for the Browns this week. I was expecting this, as Hawkins' targets were there and he was still (in my opinion) the best WR on this Browns team. The Browns schedule is pretty soft over the next five weeks, and it starts with the Raiders in Week 8. I like him more in PPR, but Hawkins is a solid WR3 in all formats.

2. Doug Baldwin (SEA) @ Panthers - 25% Owned on Fleaflicker

I'm actually kicking myself for not going with Baldwin purely as a speculative add this week. We all figured Baldwin *might* see a big increase in targets, but no one knew for sure. I still think the Seahawks like to spread the ball out too much to totally trust Baldwin, but against the Panthers in Week 8? There is no reason he can't have a big day. I still think Jermaine Kearse could end up being the #1 guy here, too, and he got seven targets to Baldwin's nine-- for now, though, Baldwin is the one to own.

3. Allen Robinson (JAX) vs Dolphins - 14% Owned on Fleaflicker

Robinson was actually second in targets to Cecil Shorts once again, but he has now gone for at least 50 yards in five of the past six games, and he finally earned his first career touchdown. Robinson is actually putting up an extremely respectable rookie season that is being overshadowed by the likes of Sammy Watkins and Kelvin Benjamin. For the moment, Robinson is a WR with a high floor and room to grow.

Other Week 8 Wide Receivers to Consider

A couple of bye-week players I really like: Odell Beckham (40%) had two touchdowns this week. He actually profiles more as a possession receiver, but only managed four receptions this week. With his two touchdowns, I'm guessing he's actually going to be a bit overvalued, but still a solid pickup in PPR formats. Similarly, Stevie Johnson (48%) doesn't get a ton of snaps, but he has been extremely productive when on the field. He's building chemistry with Kaepernick, and he could see an increase in value in the second half.

 

Tight End Waiver Wire Pickup Options

1. Owen Daniels (BAL) @ Bengals - 46% Owned on Fleaflicker

Much like any tight end owned in fewer than 50% of leagues, Daniels is no sure thing, but the Bengals have been terrible against tight ends.  That poor performance continued this week, as Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener combined for over 100 yards and a score. Owen Daniels should be able to continue the trend with a decent performance here.

2. Austin Seferian-Jenkins (ATL) vs Vikings - 10% Owned on Fleaflicker

As you might guess, there isn't much available to those streaming tight ends, but I do actually like Seferian-Jenkins quite a bit. He had his best game of the year in Week 6, and now coming off the bye, I'm expecting another decent game. He's very talented, and moving Tim Wright helped clear his path to targets. I'm guessing the bye week was a big help for the rookie's development with Mike Glennon, and we'll see if they can work together here.

3. Clay Harbor (JAX) vs Dolphins - 10% Owned on Fleaflicker

This one is more for PPR leagues, as Clay Harbor does get a fair share of targets, resulting in six Week 7 catches. Even if it was just a mere 34 yards, that's still a decent day in PPR leagues. Harbor has recorded at least 9.0 fantasy points in three of the last four weeks in the PPR format, and he should have a great chance to match that again, as long as Marcedes Lewis is out.