October 24, 2018
As the football calendar turns its focus to Week 8 of the NFL season, there are likely plenty of holes on your fantasy roster that need to be filled. As we do each week, let's examine at least one player at each position who would be worth targeting on the waiver wire in your fantasy league this week.
QB Alex Smith, Washington R-words
If you're a Matt Ryan or Philip Rivers owner and don't have a backup quarterback on your bench, you're going to need a streaming option for Week 8. Baker Mayfield, currently owned in just 42 percent of Yahoo! leagues could be an option for you. But if he's already taken, take a flier on Alex Smith this week. Facing a Giants team that has officially thrown in the towel on the 2018 season and has been trading away players — including two defensive starters in DT Damon Harrison and CB Eli Apple. Smith, owned in 44 percent of Yahoo! leagues, hasn't been great lately from a fantasy perspective, but this one is just as much about the opponent as it is about the player. And if Smith is also taken, maybe give Case Keenum (at KC) a shot.
I can't believe I just said that.
RBs Doug Martin & Jalen Richard, Oakland Raiders
If you want either of these two backs, who will take over in Oakland after Marshawn Lynch (groin) was placed on IR, you better act fast. Martin, the former Bucs back, will presumably take over the starting role and is already owned in 40 percent of leagues, up 15 percent from last week. But the real steal here could be change-of-pace back Jalen Richard, who had already started to prove his fantasy value before Lynch went down.
If you play in a PPR league, Richard is going to be your guy, as he's caught 31 passes in six games this season and could see what was a very limited role in the ground game increase. He's owned in 48 percent of Yahoo! leagues, up 28 percent from a week ago.
BONUS RB: Raheem Mostert, San Francisco 49ers (at ARI)
WR Randall Cobb, Green Bay Packers
There are several big-name wideouts (Julio Jones, Amari Cooper, Keenan Allen, and Corey Davis just to name a few) with byes this week — not to mention the ones sidelined by injury — so you won't be alone in trying to pick up a receiver for Week 8. When I checked the waiver wire on Tuesday, I was shocked to see that Packers WR Randall Cobb was still available in the 12-person PhillyVoice league. Naturally, I picked him up. And you should too.
Now back from the bay and presumably healthy after a string of injuries, the most recent a hammy, kept him sidelined the last few weeks. Aaron Rodgers has a ton of targets, but Cobb has been one of his favorites when healthy. Even after the waiver deadline passed, Cobb is still owned in just 56% of Yahoo! leagues. And while his value might not be great this week against a tough Rams defense, he should provide some depth to your WR corps for the remainder of the season.
BONUS WR: Danny Amendola, Miami Dolphins (at HOU)
TE Vance McDonald, Pittsburgh Steelers
Like Cobb, McDonald is also coming off a Week 7 bye. But he'll have a much friendlier matchup in the Browns. Sure, Ben Roethlisberger has two qualified tight ends in Jesse James and McDonald, but the latter has been the much better fantasy option this season and has been targeted at least five times in four of his five games this season and has also eclipsed 10 PPR points in three of his last four games despite finding the end zone just once.
BONUS TE: Chris Herndon, New York Jets (at CHI)
K Mason Crosby, Green Bay Packers
There's only possible reason Crosby is available in more than half of leagues and it has to be that outlier game in which it felt like he missed a dozen kicks. OK, it wasn't that many, but it's easy to see why many of his fantasy owners decided to get rid of him, especially with his bye week looming. It now seems like that was just a temporary hiccup and with Crosby emerging from the week off it's safe to add him again. He's still owned in less than 50 percent of leagues, which is surprising consider how good of an offense his team has.
Washington R-words D/ST
We're going to finish this post right where we started, by dismissing the New York Giants. They've officially reached dumpster fire status, and it's hard to see them turning it around this week for a divisional game against Washington. They're owned in just 33 percent of leagues, which is twice as many as a week ago, and have scored at least five points in every game but one this season.
BONUS D/ST: Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. CLE)
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