Waiver Wire Watch: Week 8 Targets

Oct 21, 2019

Photo by Michael Hickey / Contributor / Getty

Injuries pile up as the season drags on, which makes loading up a diverse and talented fantasy bench critical to midseason success. Those who thought ahead and used the advice in this column to stash players like Chase Edmonds are likely celebrating this evening. Not every handcuff is mentioned below (that’d take up way too much time for us all), but know that now is the time of year where it’s a good idea to grab one or two if you have the space on your bench. In addition, several other players are starting to show more consistent workloads, giving them even more appeal off the wire. I dive into all of this and more below.

Before we get into the meat of the article, there are a few house-keeping items to clear up. Recommendations are based on a PPR-scoring, four-point passing touchdown, 12-team league, with ownership percentages coming from Yahoo. I try to mention when a player is a better streaming play (short-term/one-week starter) versus a long-term addition. Free-agent acquisition budget (FAAB) suggestions are based on a $100 season-long budget. Lastly, the great John Paulsen will edit this article every week and adjust rankings and prices if necessary. Essentially, you’re getting two minds collaborating on this piece instead of one, so lucky you.

Now, with that out of the way, here are some players to target heading into Week 8.

BYE WEEKS: Cowboys, Ravens

Quarterbacks

2. Sam Darnold

5. Cam Newton

Jacoby Brissett, Indianapolis Colts, 48% owned ($10)

It seems a bunch of people cut bait on Brissett following his disappointing fantasy performance (10.94 points in Week 5 against the Chiefs) before entering the Colts’ bye. Well, Brissett sure came back with a bang, throwing four touchdowns in an upset win over the Texans. Brissett has now crossed 20-plus fantasy points in three of his last four games, with multiple touchdown passes in every game this season save one. Brissett takes on the Denver Broncos next a week, a team we got to watch basically fold for the season on Thursday Night Football last week.

Sam Darnold, New York Jets, 33% owned ($5)

Darnold returned from his bout with mononucleosis in fantastic form, carving up the Dallas secondary for over 300 yards and two touchdowns. But then ... he played the Patriots. Darnold was brutal on Monday night, completing 13-of-32 passes for 86 yards with no touchdowns and four interceptions. All that being said, he’s a solid add this week based on his upcoming schedule. Darnold faces the Jaguars next week, but then gets the Dolphins (twice), the Giants, the Redskins, the Raiders and the Bengals over his next six games. That’s an extremely favorable stretch where Darnold could graduate from a streaming quarterback to a weekly starter. If you are worried about Matt Ryan’s ankle injury, Darnold should be among your main targets this week.

Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans, 5% owned ($1)

Tannehill acquitted himself well in his first game taking over for Marcus Mariota. The former Dolphin completed 23-of-29 passes for 312 yards, two touchdowns and one interception to help the Titans narrowly beat the Chargers. That performance should give Tannehill more rope as the starter, and puts him on the streaming radar for Week 8. The Titans host the Buccaneers next week, who are coming off their bye after giving up 227 yards and two touchdowns to Kyle Allen in London. If you’re looking for a one-week fill-in and don’t want to burn a high waiver priority, Tannehill could be a serviceable streamer in a pinch.

Daniel Jones, New York Giants, 35% owned ($1)

After an electric first start as a professional (34.2 fantasy points), Danny Dimes has suffered a massive fall from grace in the eyes of fantasy fans. Yes, he lost some key players to injury (Saquon Barkley, Evan Engram, Sterling Shepard), but failing to score more than 13 points in any of his past four games is pretty brutal. Those in need at quarterback this week could stream Jones and hope he gets back to form against a Lions secondary that could be without its top cornerback (Darius Slay, hamstring) next week, while Shepard (concussion) might return. With no Slay for much of Sunday’s game against the Vikings, Kirk Cousins had his way with the Detroit secondary, completing 24-of-34 passes for 337 yards and four touchdowns.

Worth keeping an eye on: Cam Newton (44% owned - cleared for practice, could reclaim starting job soon). Mason Rudolph (5% owned – should return from his concussion and will be in a juicy matchup against the Dolphins in Week 8).