Last week’s article featured Latavius Murray and Adrian Peterson, who both proved to be good pickups. This week actually happens to be one of my favorite waiver wire groups of the season though, as we have more players than any other article so far this year. That’s awesome with monstrous bye weeks right around the corner, so let’s get into our Week 8 waiver wire picks.
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If your league uses a FAAB system for free agents you’ll also want to check out Scott Engel’s Week 8 FAAB Guide.
Week 8 Waiver Wire Running Backs
Chase Edmonds (ARI)
I really don’t want to get trapped by this performance but it’s hard to overlook such a stellar line. In a Week 7 victory over the Giants, Edmond led the Cardinals with 27 rushes for 126 yards and three TDs. That was obviously a career performance and it’s led to speculation regarding David Johnson. The star running back continues to deal with an ankle issue and his one carry would make one believe he aggravated it or is too unhealthy to play right now. If Johnson is to miss any time, we can’t overlook Edmonds getting the bulk of the carries in what’s become a pretty solid offense. They clearly trust Edmonds too, giving him 61 of the teams 65 snaps in Week 7.
Mark Walton (MIA)
Picking up Dolphins is always dangerous but it appears they may have finally found their top RB after weeks of despair. Walton led the way with 14 carries for 66 yards in their Week 7 loss to the Bills and those tempting numbers happened to come against a stingy Bills defense. That should garner him more work for the rest of the season, as Kalen Ballage and Kenyan Drake certainly have not persuaded the coaches in their favor. Those 14 carries actually marked a season-high for any RB on this roster and Walton’s six receptions last week shows us that they’re comfortable making him a three-down back if needed. The next three matchups are far from scary too, facing league-average defenses like the Steelers, Jets, and Colts.
Week 8 Waiver Wire Wide Receivers
D.K. Metcalf (SEA)
Metcalf appeared in this article near the beginning of the season but a recent slump has made him available on too many waiver wires. The physical attributes from this guy are simply amazing, as he set records at the combine in terms of speed and strength. You can see a lot of that ability on the field, with Metcalf providing at least 44 receiving yards in six of his first seven games. More importantly, he was targeted a season-high nine times in Week 7, which is no surprise with Will Dissly now out for the year. The snap counts back up the target share, with Metcalf playing 76 percent of the snaps this season despite being a rookie. Talent is one thing but pairing it with monster usage makes Metcalf a candidate for a second-half breakout.
Preston Williams/DeVante Parker (MIA)
These guys have actually been in my article a couple of times this season but another successful week has gone by and they still remain widely available. It’s not going to be pretty fantasy points but the simple fact is, these guys will produce. The one I really like is Preston Williams, as his six-catch, 82-yard performance in Week 7 extended a streak in which he’s seen at least five targets in every game this season. There are only a handful of players in the league who can say that and this Week 6 line actually marked a season-best performance.
Parker finished with five catches for 55 yards and a TD in that loss, as he’s now scored a touchdown in three-straight games. He also leads the team in targets and snap share, which should be beneficial on a team that’s going to be trailing in nearly every single game. These guys play a lot too, with Parker leading the Dolphins by playing 88 percent of the snaps and Williams playing over 90 percent of the snaps across the last four weeks.
A.J. Brown/Corey Davis (TEN)
I’d be lying to you if I said I was excited about these guys but any time you can land the top WR on an offense, you have to keep them in consideration. That’s just what Corey Davis has been throughout his career and he’s always shown the talent that makes him a great prospect. His six catches for 80 yards and a TD in Week 7 are hopefully a sign of things to come and we have to be hopeful that Ryan Tannehill realizes that this is his go-to guy. His usage is big too, playing 82 percent of the team’s snaps for the season while leading the club in total targets.
While Davis is the more reliable option, Brown has proven to be a great downfield threat. The speedy WR actually had two games with at least 94 receiving yards in his first four career games and his six catches on eight targets in Week 7 actually marked career-highs as well. If he continues to see this expanded role with Tannehill, Brown could be a sneaky pickup in deeper leagues.
Week 8 Waiver Wire D/ST Streamer of the Week
Pittsburgh D/ST (vs. MIA)
Pittsburgh is easily my favorite streamer this week, as they’re less than 50-percent owned in most leagues. That’s incredible considering this matchup, with the Steelers playing host to the Dolphins in Week 8. Playing in Heinz Field is always tough but it’s going to be very difficult for Miami. Not only does this offense rank dead-last in scoring, but they also surrender the most fantasy points to opposing D/STs this season.
That’s scary against a defense who ranks Top-10 over their last three games, allowing just 55 rushing yards per game while recording 14 sacks and forcing six turnovers in that span. Not to mention, Pittsburgh enters this matchup as a 14.5-point favorite with the Dolphins projected for only 14 points. Playing on Monday Night is always fun too and there’s nothing like having your D/ST lead you to a Monday Night comeback.
Week 8 Waiver Wire Adds to Consider
Jacoby Brissett (IND): Brissett is coming off a 326-yard, 4-TD game on Sunday and now has at least two TDs in five of his six games this season.
Alex Erickson (CIN): Erickson just had the best game of his career on Sunday, collecting eight receptions for 137 yards on a team-high 14 targets. Anyone receiving 14 targets is worth considering.
Kenny Stills (HOU): Aside from the game where he got injured, Stills now has eight catches for 194 receiving yards over his last two outings. If Will Fuller (hamstring) is expected to miss any time, Stills should be the number two WR in this offense.
Ty Johnson (DET): Detroit leaned on Ty Johnson once Kerryon Johnson (knee) went down and he’s definitely a speculative add if Kerryon misses any time,
Benny Snell Jr. (PIT): If James Conner is out, Snell will be a top-15 RB against the Dolphins this week.
Got some Week 8 waiver wire pickups of your own? Drop them in the comments below. Don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone else in your league.
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