Week 8 Waiver Wire Wonders

There is a flurry of news to address which affects your fantasy rosters. Both of the undefeated teams have acquired new receivers to bolster their offense. The New England Patriots added some depth by acquiring Mohamed Sanu from the Atlanta Falcons. Not to be outdone, the San Francisco 49ers landed Emmanuel Sanders from the Denver Broncos in hopes of giving Jimmy Garoppolo a veteran option in the passing offense. The last trade of the day saw the Seattle Seahawks adding to their defense by trading for Quandre Diggs from the Detroit Lions. Speaking of the Lions, we learned that Kerryon Johnson will be placed on the IR and will be out till at least week 16.

So with all that news to digest, let’s see what waiver wire options are worth adding to your roster that can help you make that push for the fantasy football postseason. Keep in mind the percentages listed are the percent of owners that have that player rostered in ESPN leagues.

Week 8 Waiver Wire Wonders

Quarterbacks

Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings (Percent Owned – 39%)

Cousins has been tearing it up as of late. We all know about how Dalvin Cook is on his way to his first Pro Bowl bid, but now the Vikings offense is going through Cousins and the passing game as well. In his last three games, Cousins has averaged 25.6 fantasy points per game. Also, he has thrown for at least 300 yards and at least two touchdowns in that same span. This is a dream match-up as well for Cousins, as he faces his former team in a Week 8 game against the Redskins. The bye weeks are affecting more teams every week now and Cousins could be a good streaming option if you have to deal with that.

Others for consideration: Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions (48.9%), Teddy Bridgewater, New Orleans Saints (21.5%), Mason Rudolph, Pittsburgh Steelers (6.4%)

Running Backs

Ty Johnson, Detroit Lions (Percent Owned – 1.6%)

Now the Lions are not a very run-heavy team, but they do it enough to keep the defense honest. Also by setting up the run game just enough, the passing offense led by Stafford can be that much more effective. Now the news just broke that Kerryon Johnson will go on injured reserve and will be out until at least week 16. This means that Ty Johnson will step in and take over the lead role, with some touches going to J.D. McKissic as well. One of the things that will make Ty Johnson worth adding to your roster is that he brings more versatility in the offense compared to Kerryon Johnson. While Kerryon Johnson was just a runner, Ty Johnson can be utilized in the passing game as well. This will keep him on the field more often and give more opportunities for racking up fantasy points. He may be a hot commodity off the wire this week but if you can add him to your bench, it would benefit you in the long run.

Other for consideration: Chase Edmonds, Arizona Cardinals (31.7%), Mark Walton, Miami Dolphins (4.3%), Qadree Ollison, Atlanta Falcons (0.2%)

Wide Receivers

Corey Davis, Tennessee Titans (Percent Owned – 44%)

The switch at quarterback for the Titans has led to more production from the passing offense. Ryan Tannehill has been finding receivers open and this could lead to an increase in production for Davis going forward. Through the first six weeks of the season with Marcus Mariota as the quarterback, Davis averaged 7.62 fantasy points. In one game with Tannehill as the starter, Davis put up 20 fantasy points and was tied with A.J. Brown for the team lead in receptions, for that game. Upcoming games for Davis and the Titans passing attack are favorable as they play teams like the Buccaneers, Chiefs, and Jaguars in the next handful of weeks. This offense may not keep defensive coordinators up at night, but they are going to make you game plan for them now. Tannehill is bringing a more veteran presence under center and that means he is also getting the ball down the field through the air. This means that Davis should be towards the top of your claim list this week.

Others for consideration: Mohamed Sanu, New England Patriots (49.1%), Kenny Stills, Houston Texans (15.4%), A.J. Brown, Tennessee Titans (11.2%)

Tight Ends

Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles (Percent Owned – 21.4%)

For the second year in a row, the fantasy world is having a hard time relying on tight end production every week. The worse thing is that even the Big Three (Travis Kelce, Zach Ertz, and George Kittle) are suffering from similar inconsistencies as well (not to the degree of everyone else, but still worth noting). This is where rostering a guy like Goedert can be a smart move for the rest of the season. With the Eagles passing offense, the injuries and variable play of Carson Wentz and the receivers has led to a group effort approach. Ertz is still the guy leading the team in targets, but those numbers are skewed a bit with a 12 target game coming against the Falcons in week 2. Over the past two games, however, Goedert has been able to keep pace with Ertz in terms of targets with 12 compared to Ertz’s 14. Goedert also has found the endzone more times over the course of the season compared to Ertz. So while opposing defense may start to focus in on Ertz more and more, this could open things up for Goedert and he will be a real under-the-radar addition for your fantasy roster.

Others for consideration: Eric Ebron, Indianapolis Colts (39.2%), Chris Herndon, New York Jets (19.8%), Benjamin Watson, New England Patriots (3.4%)

Defenses/Special Teams

Seattle Seahawks (Percent Owned – 46%)

The Seahawks are not the same defense they were when they had Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, and Richard Sherman forming the Legion of Boom. Those days are clearly gone. They are still a formidable defense and should be a hot waiver wire add this week, with a match-up against the Falcons. As of the posting of this article, the status of Matt Ryan for this week’s game is still up in the air. With the possibility of facing Matt Schaub, this Seattle defense will be foaming at the mouth and possibly could put up the most points among fantasy defenses. After this week, they will face Tampa Bay which should be another good match-up as well. So they may not be a defense to own for more than a few weeks, but if you’re looking for a good streaming option then they would more than suffice.

Others for consideration: Pittsburgh Steelers (34.3%), Denver Broncos (25.5%), Indianapolis Colts (16.6%)