Here are some players to consider picking up this week, if available, to get ahead of the other managers in your league. These players include potential bye-week fill-ins, players who are returning from injury, and defenses to look at in advance.
Week 8 Byes: None
Beat the Waiver Wire: No-Brainers
In most leagues, these guys aren't available. But if you're fortunate enough to see them on the waiver wire, grab them.
RB Zach Charbonnet, Seattle (59% rostered on Sleeper)
Charbonnet is a handcuff you want on your roster heading into the deeper portion of the season. In the two games that Ken Walker III missed this year, Charbonnet was a top-15 running back in both weeks. Walker has been on and off injury reports lately, so a world exists where the team might start to limit his carries, opening the door for more Charbonnet.
RB Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh (46% rostered on Sleeper)
Pittsburgh is 4-2 and looks not too shabby. Warren is a must-stash if you are looking for running back depth and who isn’t in this economy. He has stand-alone value, but if Najee Harris goes down to injury, he would be a plug-and-play starter. Warren hasn’t been extremely efficient when he has been playing, but the Steelers play the Giants in Week 8 and the Commanders in Week 10, which are both plus matchups for running backs. The 50/50 split seems to have returned to Pittsburgh, and Warren loves to catch a pass.
Beat the Waiver Wire: Quarterbacks
Bo Nix, Denver (29% rostered on Sleeper)
Bo knows football? Maybe at least enough to help your fantasy team. Nix has been serviceable the last few weeks, thanks to his tendency to run - he has over 60 yards rushing in the previous two games. Denver plays Carolina this week, which gave up almost 20 fantasy points to Marcus Mariota. If you look further down the road, they play Baltimore, which has given up the third most passing touchdowns to opposing quarterbacks. Nix also gets Atlanta and Las Vegas in Week 11 and 12.
Beat the Waiver Wire: Running Backs
Blake Corum, LA Rams (22% rostered on Sleeper)
We have entered fantasy football's “preemptively pick up backup running back” era. Welcome in Blake Corum. Before the season started, we anticipated more use of Corum by Sean McVay and the Rams, but it didn't happen, with Kyren Williams averaging 82% of all the running back carries. Corum’s snap percentage has increased over the last two games for the Rams, and for a team boasting only two wins, we could see an offensive attack looking toward the future sooner rather than later. When you want a running back the most, Los Angeles plays the Niners, the Jets, and the Cardinals in the fantasy playoffs.
Keaton Mitchell, Baltimore (10% rostered on Sleeper)
You might only know this deep cut if you are a dynasty player. Mitchell was a rookie last year and finished the season with almost 400 yards rushing and two touchdowns through eight games. He looked explosive and had the potential to be the next great Baltimore running back until he tore his ACL last December. The Ravens opened the 21-day practice window for Mitchell this week, and although he probably won’t see the field immediately, he is a fantastic hold.
As incredible as Derrick Henry has been, the man will get tired. Henry has averaged 84% of the team's rushing attempts, including the two longest rushing plays this year. The Ravens will continue to run the ball no matter what, and Justice Hill has been decent, but if Mitchell could return with the same aggression as he had last season, he would not just be a valuable handcuff for Henry; he could become part of an impressive 1-2 punch.
Beat the Waiver Wire: Wide Receivers
Jalen McMillan, Tampa Bay (51% rostered on Sleeper)
This is less of a beat-the-wavewire suggestion since everyone saw the horrible Chris Godwin injury on Monday night. The only thing with McMillan is that you might get slightly fewer managers picking him up immediately simply because he is a rookie, so you might get an advantage grabbing him now. McMillan spent most of his time working out of the slot in college, playing alongside Rome Odunze and Ja’Lynn Polk at Washington, and he is a talented player, managing over 500 yards and five touchdowns during his final season. Mike Evans will be out until after their Week 11 bye, and Godwin looks to be gone for the season; the opportunity is there for the taking.
Jacob Cowing, San Francisco (3% rostered on Sleeper) and Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco (49% rostered on Sleeper)
Managers will be flocking to pick up Jauan Jennings (71% rostered on Sleeper) after Brandon Aiyuk went down for the season with an ACL injury, but there are a couple of deeper grabs to look at in Pearsall and Cowing. Pearsall made his debut on Sunday after recovering from a gunshot wound and had five targets. After Jennings, I think most managers will target Pearsall, but rookie Cowing might be the more affordable and overall better option. Cowing has been an active participant all season, and I see a world where Shanahan trusts him more to execute his offense. Obviously, check for Jennings on your wire first.
Beat the Waiver Wire: Tight Ends
Taysom Hill, New Orleans (21% rostered on Sleeper)
Hill should return to practice this week for the Saints, and they need him. He probably hit several waiver wires because he missed a few weeks due to injury, so he might have been forgotten by some managers. Even if he does not play this week against the Chargers, if you can stash him, you know you could hit on a sky-high week in the future, especially with their issues at quarterback. Even when Derek Carr returns, we might see more packages for Hill.
Noah Fant, Seattle (23% rostered on Sleeper)
The tight end market continues to be volatile. Fant has had over 60 yards receiving in the last two games and hit a 28% target rate on Sunday. It was reported that D.K. Metcalf has a minor MCL injury that could sideline him for this week, maybe more. If Metcalf misses, Jaxon Smith-Njigba will no doubt get a bump in targets, but Fant should also be a beneficiary. The Seahawks have a decent matchup this week against the Bills, but in Week 9, they get the Rams, who have given up 2.5 more fantasy points over expectation to the tight end. If Metcalf is at all beat up, I see a world where Seattle rests him through their bye week in Week 10.
Beat the Waiver Wire: Defense/Special Teams
Los Angeles Chargers (50% rostered on Sleeper)
I mentioned the Chargers in the last two weeks, and they remain a plus matchup option. They play New Orleans and Spencer Rattler this week, followed by the Browns with newly promoted Jameis Winston, who loves to throw an interception.
Washington Commanders (24% rostered on Sleeper)
A defense we first thought would let us down has proven itself lately and might have to do so if Jayden Daniels misses a game or two. They have had at least two sacks in the last five games and had two interceptions, with one returned for a score last week against Carolina. They have the Bears and then the Giants coming up. They have a fantastic fantasy playoff schedule, playing the Saints, Eagles, and Falcons.
Cincinnati Bengals (33% rostered on Sleeper)
If you have room to roster two defenses, the Bengals are who you should target. In Weeks 14 - 17, their opponents are Dallas, Tennessee, Cleveland, and Denver. We still have a fair amount of season left, but as of right now, those matchups look delightful.
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