RADIO
Dez Bryant is back! But while the veteran receiver did return to an NFL roster this week, his complete lack of involvement means you won't find his name on this week's waiver wire pickup list.
You will find some other names, though, if you're looking for non-Dez names!
Not all options are the same. Some players may be better in PPR or deeper leagues, so it’s not a one-size-fits-all comparison. Use your best judgment when deciding which of these players is the right fit for your roster. Check out our Waiver Wire Adds for Week 8 for help at all the skill positions. All players on this list here are around 30% rostered or below.
Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers won two writing awards and received 12 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. A big congrats to our very own Byron Lindeque (Golf) and Jordan McAbee (NASCAR) for both winning Writer Of The Year awards! Be sure to follow RotoBaller's analysis and advice all year long, and win more. Win More With RotoBaller!
Curtis Samuel, Carolina Panthers
29% rostered
Oh, was Samuel's role supposed to dissipate with Christian McCaffrey back? Oops. Instead, Samuel was targeted nine times, catching all of them for 105 yards and a touchdown. He also had three carries for 13 yards. The Panthers very clearly want to keep getting Samuel the ball, so it's time to get Samuel onto your fantasy rosters.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Green Bay Packers
15% rostered
MVS caught two passes for two touchdowns this week. The volume is worrisome, since there...wasn't really much volume, and the fact that Allen Lazard should be back soon is worrisome too. But Valdes-Scantling remains someone you can throw in a flex spot when you're in a bind, and that's enough to make him rosterable in deeper leagues.
Darnell Mooney, Chicago Bears
14% rostered
Obviously, this offense is not one that you can trust on a weekly basis, but we can't ignore the 11 targets for Mooney, even if they only resulted in five catches for 43 yards. Mooney continues to see his role increase in Chicago, and he has value as a flex play in deeper leagues right now. Plus, a looming matchup with the banged up Vikings secondary is on the horizon.
Jakobi Meyers, New England Patriots
13% rostered
Look, this Patriots offense has its issues, but it looks like it's going to be able to sustain at least one player going forward: wide receiver Jakobi Meyers. Targeted 14 times this week against the Jets, Meyers finished with 12 catches for 169 yards. It's his second game in a row with double-digit targets and while an upcoming meeting with the Ravens is worrisome, his target share right now is such that Meyers is a upside WR3 play right now. He should be one of the biggest waiver priorities this week.
David Moore, Seattle Seahawks
3% rostered
Hey, this defense is bad, which means the Seahawks are going to keep having to throw their way into games. Moore was targeted six times in this one, catching four passes for 71 and a score. He's not the safest play, but touchdowns in consecutive weeks has to get your attention in 14-team leagues, right?
K.J. Hamler, Denver Broncos
2% rostered
Where did this come from? Hamler was targeted a career-high 10 times, catching six passes for 75 yards. He had a 15-yard carry too. Denver got down big early to Atlanta and was forced to throw a ton, which led to Hamler's increased usage. The argument for picking up Hamler is pretty simple: if you think this team continues to struggle on defense and has to play catch-up, he's worth a roster spot in deep leagues. If you think the defense can get back on track after three disappointing games in a row, you leave him on the wire.
Richie James Jr., San Francisco 49ers
2% rostered
The 49ers are just decimated by injuries right now, with virtually every reliable pass catcher out. That opened up a big chance on Thursday night for Richie James, who was targeted 13 times, catching nine passes for 184 yards and a touchdown. Considering James had zero receptions heading into that game, we can't just assume this continues going forward, but if the Niners aren't healthy for the Saints game next week, James could again see an uptick in usage. Don't go out and blow your whole FAB on him, though, as his expanded role is temporary.
Danny Amendola, Detroit Lions
2% rostered
Amendola has been extremely frustrating this season, but he was targeted 10 times on Sunday, catching seven passes for 77 yards. With Kenny Golladay (hip) sidelined, Amendola did a good job of stepping up. His value seems tied to Golladay's status right now, so if Golladay is unable to play against Washington next week, Amendola has deep league appeal.
Steven Sims Jr., Washington Football Team
2% rostered
Teammate Cam Sims had three catches for 110 yards, while Steven Sims had one for four. So, why am I recommending the latter? Because Steven Sims has a track record of being a productive receiver for this team, and his role in the slot should be favorable as the Football Team moves to Alex Smith under center. A solid deep league add at this point, even if he was a nonfactor in his first game back.
Chris Conley, Jacksonville Jaguars
1% rostered
When a new quarterback takes over, it's always good to note who they do and don't target. In Jacksonville, rookie Jake Luton got his first NFL start, and Chris Conley was targeted eight times, catching seven passes for 52 yards. He and D.J. Chark Jr. combined for 20 targets, while Collin Johnson, Keelan Cole, and Laviska Shenault Jr. combined for five. Conley's an interesting speculative add in deep leagues, as I get the feeling we can expect Luton to hang onto this job.
Gabriel Davis, Buffalo Bills
1% rostered
Oh, the Bills run game has been disappointing? I guess they could just run 11 rushing plays for running backs and transform into a passing team, like they did in a 44-34 win over the Seahawks. Josh Allen threw 38 passes, with five of them heading towards Davis, who caught four for 71 and a score. This offense probably doesn't do this every week and on a healthy Bills team, Davis is the fourth option, but he's shown upside that could become very useful if there are any injuries in this receiving corps.
Olamide Zaccheaus, Atlanta Falcons
0% rostered
Really just wanted to talk about that cool-as-hell touchdown, which was cool-as-hell, right? Anyway, Zaccheaus had four catches for 103 yards and a score. That won't happen most weeks, but if Calvin Ridley's availability is in question again next time out, Zaccheaus is interesting.
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!
Win More With RotoBaller
Be sure to also check out all of our other daily fantasy football articles and analysis to help you set those winning lineups, including this new RotoBaller YouTube video:More Waiver Wire Pickups and Advice
