Welcome to the Fantasy Football Week 8 Waiver Wire: Start, Stash, Stream, where we break down the fantasy football free-agent landscape and give you the best picks for the short and long haul.
Let’s look back at Week 7 and see our future prospects for the fantasy football Week 8 waiver wire.
Note: Roster % based on Yahoo and should hover around 50% or less
WEEK 8 WAIVER WIRE PICKUPS
START
- Kenneth Gainwell, RB Philadelphia Eagles (22% rostered)
- CJ Uzomah, TE Cincinnati Bengals (19%)
The lone star of the Week 8 Waiver Wire, Kenneth Gainwell, is looking at a true RB1 opportunity after Miles Sanders got carted off with an ankle injury. We don’t know the extent of Sanders’ injury yet, but it appears he will miss some time. The rookie out of Memphis had already been eating into Sanders’ snap count — primarily on passing downs — and his eight targets were the second-highest on the team last week. He should continue to own passing downs and will only compete with Boston Scott for carries.
Despite a low target share, tight end CJ Uzomah is making the most of his limited opportunities. It’s tough playing behind Jamar Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd, but Uzomah is showing he can get open and be a factor in the red zone. He’s found paydirt five times over the last four games. The Bengals are a pass-heavy offense, so there’s ample opportunity to spread it around.
STASH
- Samaje Perine, RB Cincinnati Bengals (7% rostered)
- Rashod Bateman, WR Baltimore Ravens (32%)
- Hunter Renfrow, WR Las Vegas Raiders (49%)
- Michael Gallup, WR Dallas Cowboys (41%)
- Van Jefferson, WR Los Angeles Rams (9%)
- Russell Gage, WR Atlanta Falcons (10%)
- Devonta Freeman, RB Baltimore Ravens (42%)
- Kalif Raymond, WR Detroit Lions (3%)
Likely to keep Joe Mixon fresh, Samaje Perine only played four fewer snaps and had one less carry than Mixon in Week 7. Surprisingly, Perine hasn’t been terrible either, sporting similar numbers to Mixon while also working in the passing game. We know Mixon has an extensive injury history, so Perine could be a solid RB2 if something were to happen to the veteran. Hell, he might even be a flex option for those in a pinch.
Rashod Bateman is slowly working his way into the Ravens offense. He had the third-most targets (six) on the team in Week 7 behind only Hollywood Brown and Mark Andrews, and it seems as though Lamar Jackson trusts him to move the chains. The explosive playmaker has tons of upside to offer in a prolific offense.
Mr. Consistent Hunter Renfrow had another productive day going for 58 yards on seven catches. His targets (eight) and receptions were team highs as the Raiders were without Darren Waller. Renfrow has a high floor when it comes to PPR leagues, but his ceiling can be capped as he’s not very explosive after the catch.
Michael Gallup landed on IR with a calf injury after his seven target performance in Week 1 versus the Buccaneers. While he’ll always be the WR3 in the Cowboys’ high-octane offense, he’s one Amari Cooper or CeeDee Lamb injury from becoming a legitimate fantasy WR2 option. Gallup is designated to return from IR and now has a 21-day window for the team to activate him to the roster.
The Rams WR3 Van Jefferson has proven to have some real chemistry with Matthew Stafford. The signal-caller targeted the young wideout seven times, with one resulting in a score during the team’s win over the Lions. Sure, Stafford locks onto Cooper Kupp more often than not, but this offense scores in bunches and Jefferson is out there consistently.
The return of Russell Gage this week labeled him as the WR2 in the offense. The misleading info behind that is both Kyle Pitts and Cordarrelle Patterson play more significant pass-catching roles in the offense. Still, Gage went for 4-67-1 on six targets this week. This is year is different in Atlanta where Calvin Ridley isn’t eating up yardage at a ferocious pace and Ryan tends to spread the ball around more.
The Ravens’ backfield has been a mess. But, Devonta Freeman has done enough with his limited touches to be fantasy relevant in back-to-back weeks — scoring touchdowns in both. Latavius Murray has been dealing with an injury and Baltimore is on a bye next week, but if this ends up being a long-term thing, Freeman would have a lead role in a run-heavy offense.
Last week it looked like Amon-Ra St. Brown was the receiver to add off the waiver wire. Now, it looks like Kalif Raymond, who went for 115 yards on six receptions (eight targets) in a tough matchup against the Rams, could be Jared Goff’s go-to wideout. D’Andre Swift and TJ Hockenson have been the only two consistent pass-catchers, but Raymond could be the consistent outside presence that Goff has lacked during his short time in Detroit.
STREAM
- Robert Tonyan, TE Green Bay Packers (51% rostered)
- Boston Scott, RB Philadelphia Eagles (2%)
- Darius Slayton, WR New York Giants (15%)
- Allen Lazard, WR Green Bay Packers (5%)
- Brandon Bolden, RB New England Patriots (6%)
- Randall Cobb, WR Green Bay Packers (9%)
- Carson Wentz, QB Indianapolis Colts (37%)
- Cincinnati Bengals D/ST (18%)
In a Monday afternoon shocker, the Packers placed Davante Adams on the COVID-19 list and he will likely sit out Thursday night’s matchup against the Cardinals. This leaves both Robert Tonyan and Allen Lazard with a massive chunk of aerial pie to split on Thursday Night Football. Tonyan had a three-touchdown night with Adams out of the lineup last season and Lazard has been reliable in place of Marquez Valdes-Scantling over the last two weeks. Also, don’t count out Aaron Rodgers’ old friend, Randall Cobb, who has had some big fantasy days this season after returning to Green Bay.
While Kenneth Gainwell finds himself at the top of the list, Boston Scott for sure still has his value in Philly’s backfield. Gainwell only out-snapped Scott 34 to 23, but Scott actually out-carried Gainwell seven to five. Scott has proven to be a dependable runner in these situations and he should have value as long as Sanders is sidelined.
The injuries to Giants receivers have gotten out of hand. This week it was Darius Slayton who benefited from the carnage after Sterling Shepard, Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney all missed Sunday’s action. As a result, Slayton led the team with five receptions for 63 yards on nine targets. Monitor the Giants’ injuries throughout the week and go from there.
Special teams scab Brandon Bolden somehow made some serious fantasy noise against the Jets, catching six of seven targets for 79 yards and a score. Bill Belichick does not feel comfortable with Rhamondre Stevenson, so the rookie was put back into the dog house after a solid performance against the Cowboys. Who the hell knows what’s happening behind Damien Harris, but it looks like it could be Bolden for the next few weeks until the young pups earn the coach’s trust.
Carson Wentz and the Colts’ offense are starting to get hot. The offense is looking much better and he gets a plus matchup with the Titans on deck next week in what could be a shootout.
The Bengals DST put out an absolute statement beating the brakes off the Ravens in Baltimore this past week. Somehow, they kept Lamar Jackson and the rest of the team’s offense in check. Now, they get the Jets who just lost Zach Wilson and could be starting either Mike White or Joe Flacco next week. Gross.
