Notable Injuries from week 8:
- Cam Skattebo (Ankle)
- Saquon Barkley (Groin)
- Quinshon Judkins (Shoulder)
- AJ Brown (Hamstring)
- Luther Burden III (Concussion)
- Nico Collins (Concussion)
- Mac Jones (Knee Contusion)
- Carson Wentz (Shoulder)
Teams on a BYE week:
- Cleveland Browns
- New York Jets
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Waiver Wire Targets:
Tyrone Tracy (Rostered in 41.9% of ESPN leagues)
This one is pretty obvious. After Cam Skattebo suffered a season ending ankle injury in Sunday’s loss to the Eagles, Tracy is back to being the RB1 in New York. Tracy has shown the ability to provide fantasy production in the past. Worth rostering if he is available.
Trey Benson (Rostered in 47.5% of ESPN leagues)
If you had the patience to hold onto Benson through his stint on IR and the Cardinals BYE week, good for you. For those leagues where he is available, Benson should be a priority add as the Cardinals have been hapless in the run game without him or James Connor. Benson should provide as a clear cut RB1 in Arizona. It looks like he won’t return until week 10 at the earliest but now would be the time to get ahead of the curve if he is available.
Tyjae Spears (Rostered in 36.4% of ESPN leagues)
Yeah the Titans are bad. Yeah it’s hard to roster anyone on this team. Yeah Tony Pollard is still around. BUT… the running back position is riddled with injuries and waivers feel tougher than ever. Spears has also quietly outperformed Pollard recently. I’ve always kind of liked Spears because he has flashes of electric running and can catch passes fairly well. The pass catching is the appealing bit since the Titans will likely be playing from behind often. On top of that, I think the Titans are trying anything and everything to find some positives out of their season. Spears could be a sneaky BYE week fill in for those brave enough to play a Titan.
Chimere Dike (Rostered in 5.3% of ESPN leagues)
Have I mentioned the Titans are bad yet? Well let me tell you again. They stink! That doesn’t mean there isn’t fantasy value though. Enter Chimere Dike. Ever since Brian Callahan was fired and Calvin Ridley got injured, Dike has been a solid target for Cam Ward. In week 8 he saw 8 targets which he turned into 93 yards. The Titans will be throwing often which benefits Dike. From here on out he could be used as a flex play.
Jayden Higgins (Rostered in 21.7% of ESPN leagues)
Nico Collins missed Sunday’s game due to a concussion and Higgins saw a direct increase in fantasy production. He saw 8 targets and was able to turn that into 4 catches for 34 yards and a touchdown. Should Collins continue to miss time, as well as Christian Kirk, Higgins could be a smash play in week 9 against the Broncos who just lost CB Pat Surtain to a pec injury.
Tez Johnson (Rostered in 42.6% of ESPN leagues)
On a BYE week in week 9 but still a valuable option moving forward due to injuries.
Mason Taylor (Rostered in 19.9% of ESPN leagues)
Friendly reminder that I think Taylor should be on rosters. At least as your reserve tight end if you believe in that sort of thing. Against the Bengals, Justin Fields looked Taylor’s way 8 times. He also caught his first touchdown of the year from Breece Hall oddly enough. Exiting their BYE week, the Jets matchup against the Browns and Patriots who are both in the top half of points allowed to a tight end. Taylor is a sneaky addition if you can spare waiting a week without playing him.
Cade Otton (Rostered in 48.9% of ESPN leagues)
Just like Tez Johnson, Otton and the Bucs are on their BYE week in week 9. Looking ahead to week 10, Otton is a great option against the Patriots who are soft against tight ends so far this year.
Sam Darnold (Rostered in 20.9% of ESPN leagues) Genius Pick of the Week
Darnold has had an alright season so far and has largely been slept on. I think part of that stems from some early season struggles but he’s in on a new team and in a new system. Prior to their BYE week, Darnold had a rough game against the Texans that may scare away fantasy managers this week. However, I think Darnold is starting to settle in and the Commanders provide a much softer matchup. I watched last night’s game against the Chiefs and it seemed like the Commanders just had a lack of effort defensively. I can’t tell you how many times I saw Mahomes exploit open zones. Give Sam Darnold a try this week if you are looking for a fill in.
J.J. McCarthy (Rostered in 25.6% of ESPN leagues)
So we all saw Carson Wentz get bodied by the Chargers defense on Thursday night. In all honesty, it was kind of crazy to see Wentz put his body on the line to try and get the offense going while clearly hurting. With that, he will be out for the remainder of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery. That means it’s J.J. McCarthy time again in Minnesota. He should be healthy after suffering an ankle injury earlier in the year. After all, he was able to hurdle a player on the sideline. For fantasy a lot is still unknown and it is hard to gauge how productive he an be for fantasy managers. Through 2 games he has scored 22.22 and 2.82 so it’s really a coin flip. I’m choosing to look at the better point total and assume that with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and TJ Hockenson he should be able to thrive. Especially with BYE weeks and injuries piling up. This weeks matchup against the Lions will likely be a high scoring affair as both offenses field some of the best weapons in the NFL.
*Point totals mentioned assume full point PPR scoring
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