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Andy's must-have fantasy football bench stashes and waiver wire sleepers ahead of Week 8 (2024). He picks high-upside NFL players to stash on your fantasy teams.
Mastering the waiver wire is a crucial skill that can lead you to a fantasy football championship. It's not just about strategically placing your FAAB budget on specific players but also about knowing when to stash players. This dual strategy keeps you engaged and focused on your ultimate goal of winning a fantasy championship.
As the season progresses, injuries occur or rookies begin to break out. Many of these NFL players are often drafted but dropped after the first handful of weeks due to impatient league managers. This article will pinpoint which players we’d want to stash on our bench as fantasy football waiver-wire pickups to power us down the stretch.
Earlier in the season, we examined some must-have handcuffs and upside players who already showcased their upside in the opening weeks, such as Braelon Allen, Jalen Tolbert, and Ricky Pearsall. This week, we will discuss some more rookies and a few veteran players who could eventually grow into starting roles and who you should consider stashing before Week 8 kicks off. All players will be below a 25% Yahoo! roster percentage.
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Blake Corum, RB, Los Angeles Rams
14% rostered
Over the past two weeks, Blake Corum has carried the ball only seven times for 20 yards. However, he has continued to be deployed as the No. 2 option out of the backfield as Ronnie Rivers did not see an offensive snap in the past two games.
This Rams welcomed back Cooper Kupp (ankle) and Puka Nacua (knee) on Thursday and scored 30 points for the first time this season. Given how impressive this offense looked on Thursday, stashing the bona fide No. 2 option out of the backfield could provide your team a significant boost down the stretch.
He should be valued as a high-upside stash as he is just one injury away from being a potential league-winner.
Trey Benson, RB, Arizona Cardinals
17% rostered
After seeing at least five carries in Weeks 4 and 6 (DNP play in Week 5), Benson did not earn an attempt in their Week 7 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, as James Conner saw the vast majority of attempts and snaps.
However, given how often Conner touches the ball, Benson could be a league-winner if he were to take the top spot in the depth chart.
The rookie has no standalone value now but is worth holding on to in deeper formats.
Kendre Miller, RB, New Orleans Saints
5% rostered
Kendre Miller had a modest 2024 debut, carrying the ball six times for 36 yards. He also caught two of his three targets for one yard.
The sophomore running back has been on injured reserve all season due to a hamstring injury he suffered during training camp.
However, it was a great sign to see that the TCU product had already seen more attempts than Jamaal Williams, who had been the No.2 option behind Alvin Kamara through the first six games.
While Kamara will continue to be the lead runner in this offense, Miller could eventually become a valuable handcuff to stash if he continues to claim the backup role on the depth chart.
Other RB stashes (Kimani Vidal LAC, Audric Estime DEN, Jaylen Wright MIA, Keaton Mitchell BAL)
Jacob Cowing, WR, San Francisco 49ers
1% rostered
If you missed out on Jauan Jennings and rookie Ricky Pearsall on waivers this week, take a flier on Jacob Cowing.
With Brandon Aiyuk (knee) out for the season and Deebo Samuel Sr. (illness) leaving last week’s game early, there are many open targets.
Jennings and Pearsall will likely benefit the most from these injuries; however, Cowing brought in two of his three targets for 50 yards in Week 7.
Jacob Cowing with some nasty start-stop on the vertical route. Fourth-round pick out of Arizona was an excellent route runner in college and so explosive pic.twitter.com/TgUVD0dfIG
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) October 20, 2024
In addition, Pearsall may be the long-term play, given his draft capital, but he just made his season debut and may need time to ease into action.
Cowing could be a viable flex option over the next few weeks and emerge as a consistent deep-threat option in this air attack.
Troy Franklin, WR, Denver Broncos
8% rostered
The Oregon product has begun to emerge as Bo Nix’s go-to option in the passing attack. Over the past two games, Franklin has caught seven of his nine targets for 81 yards and a score.
Bo Nix to Troy Franklin for the TD! pic.twitter.com/xpAEH8Melo
— Oregon Updates (@oregon__updates) October 13, 2024
In Week 7, Franklin led all Denver pass catchers in yards and receptions while logging only the third-highest snap count (Lil'Jordan Humphrey and Courtland Sutton had more).
While his box score is not eye-catching and has minor standalone value today, it is impressive that he draws a quality target share based on the number of routes he runs compared to other Denver receivers.
Franklin could continue building his connection with Nix, as they were college teammates. Do not be surprised if Franklin is the top wideout in Denver the rest of the way.
Mike Williams, WR, New York Jets
11% rostered
The 30-year-old saw his fantasy stock plummet when the Jets traded for Davante Adams. However, stashing Williams for the next few weeks could pan out.
Last week, the Jets acknowledged that they are attempting to trade Williams, which would provide him with a much better situation for fantasy purposes.
He has no standalone value today, but that could change in a matter of weeks. Depending on his new situation, Williams could even enter flex territory weekly. He is a high-upside stash that could pan out down the stretch.
Other WR stashes (Tre Tucker LV)
Ja'Tavion Sanders, TE, Carolina Panthers
1% rostered
The rookie tight end made my column last week, had another impressive showing on Sunday, and is quickly surpassing “stash” territory.
Against the Commanders, Sanders caught all six of his targets for a season-high 61 yards. Over the past two weeks, the Texas product has scored at least 9.0 PPR points and has been deployed as the clear TE1 in Carolina.
Ja'Tavion Sanders among TEs in Week 7:
🔹 82.4 PFF grade (8th)
🔹 6 targets (9th)
🔹 6 receptions (8th)
🔹 61 receiving yards (11th)
🔹 3.59 yards per route run (5th) pic.twitter.com/avmuZ7qLLT— PFF CAR Panthers (@PFF_Panthers) October 22, 2024
In addition, veteran wideout Diontae Johnson may eventually be traded at the deadline if the Panthers continue to fall out of the playoff picture.
If you lack production at a tight end and need a replacement with upside, you may not find anyone with a better fit than Sanders.
Drew Lock, QB, New York Giants
1% rostered
Lock replaced Daniel Jones late in last week’s game after Jones went just 14-for-21 with 99 yards and now scores.
While Lock did not impress by any stretch (3-for-8 with just six passing yards), he could eventually become a starting quarterback, which would make him a must-roster in Superflex formats.
If Jones continues to struggle, he could find himself on the bench very soon. A Week 8 tilt against the Pittsburgh Steelers could end Jones’s time as QB1.
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