Here's a look at our waiver wire rankings, along with feedback from our experts, Dan Harris, Kyle Yates, Joe Pisapia, and Pat Fitzmaurice.
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Week 8 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Rankings
Q1. Who is your top waiver wire option of the week, and why?
It looks like Miles Sanders is going to be week-to-week and unlikely to play Week 8. If that's the case, Kenneth Gainwell gets to take on the Detroit Lions defense as the lead option. We'll see Boston Scott operate in here or there, but Gainwell should see the majority of the work in a favorable matchup. We might need to adjust once we get word about the severity of Sanders' injury, but for the time being Gainwell should be the top pickup. - Kyle Yates (@KyleYNFL)
Despite Boston Scott splitting carries with Kenneth Gainwell when Miles Sanders left the game Sunday, Gainwell is still my #1 add. His pass-catching ability makes him a more appealing pick-up over Scott, and we've learned the hard way that you can never have enough RB's on your roster. - Joe Pisapia (@JoePisapia17)
Kenneth Gainwell figures to get most of the backfield touches for the Eagles if Miles Sanders misses time with an ankle injury. Boston Scott also got into the mix after Sanders was carted off in Week 7, but Gainwell has outranked Scott all season and gets those valuable RB targets. Gainwell tied a season-high eight targets in Week 7 and turned them into 4-41-1. A timeshare arrangement with Scott makes a hyper-aggressive for Gainwell imprudent, but he's still the most appealing of the widely available assets in a drab waiver week. - Pat Fitzmaurice (@Fitz_FF)
Q2. Which high-end waiver wire option for Week 8 was the most difficult to rank?
Robert Tonyan's season has been an absolute rollercoaster. He has finished with two or fewer fantasy points five times so far this season and has only popped off for big performances when he's been able to find the end zone. He's in a dynamic offense that gives him the opportunity to score and put up big numbers any given week, but he comes with very low lows. Tonyan's worth picking up going into next week just due to the TE landscape and how desperate fantasy managers are for a player who's producing, but we shouldn't be expecting this type of performance each week moving forward just yet. - Kyle Yates (@KyleYNFL)
C.J. Uzomah has had 2 massive games in the last month. He's also had two single-digit .5 PPR games. Uzomah has shown the aptitude for TE1 overall performances, but he's also finished outside the top 25 TEs 4 out of 7 weeks. His weekly value is a complete roll of the dice. - Joe Pisapia (@JoePisapia17)
Laviska Shenault has largely been a disappointment this season, but his target outlook is bright with D.J. Chark out for the season, rookie QB Trevor Lawrence is showing encouraging signs of growth, and the Jaguars get a Week 8 date with a Seattle defense that has major problems with pass coverage. Viska truthers keep waiting for the breakout that never comes. There's still reason to believe it's eventually coming. - Pat Fitzmaurice (@Fitz_FF)
Q3. For managers renting a D/ST in Week 8, what readily available option (under 40%) should they target?
There are plenty of good options available this week for fantasy managers that like to stream the position, but the Cincinnati Bengals have to be at the top of the list. They get to take on the Jets offense that will - most likely - be led by Mike White with Zach Wilson dealing with an injury. This Cincinnati team just held Lamar Jackson and the Ravens to 17 points and the Jets might not even be able to move the ball all that much. - Kyle Yates (@KyleYNFL)
The Bengals D/ST is coming off back-to-back strong performances and they'll get the Jets offense in Week 8 with a backup QB under center. This is a no-brainer. - Joe Pisapia (@JoePisapia17)
The Bengals are no longer a secret. Their offense is getting most of the publicity, but their defense is playing well too, and Cincinnati has a Week 8 matchup against the feeble Jets and backup QB Mike White, who'll be subbing for the injured Zach Wilson. Cincinnati will be a top-5 defense in Week 8. - Pat Fitzmaurice (@Fitz_FF)
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Notable Week 8 Waiver Wire FAB Recommendations (in %)
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Q4. Which Week 8 waiver wire option carries the biggest risk of being a waste of FAB dollars?
As mentioned earlier, Robert Tonyan comes with a ton of risk. Fantasy managers likely aren't going to go out and drop a ton of FAB for him, but there's the potential that he goes right back to scoring fewer than three fantasy points as early as next week. Invest at your own risk!
- Kyle Yates (@KyleYNFL)
Any Patriots running back. Brandon Bolden caught 6 of his 7 targets for 79 yards and a TD. J.J. Taylor had 2 TDs of his own. All of this came with Rhamondre Stevenson inactive last week. Stevenson will be dropped in many leagues, while folks chase Boldin and Taylor. It's possible Stevenson is active versus the Chargers and outscores both Boldin and Taylor in Week 8. Meanwhile, Damien Harris is still the only reliable fantasy RB on the roster as of now.
- Joe Pisapia (@JoePisapia17)
Seahawks RB Rashaad Penny is drawing interest again. There are so many variables to consider here. How soon might Chris Carson return? How is Penny going to split work with Alex Collins and the other Seattle RBs? And perhaps most important of all: Is Penny any good? He entered the league in 2018, but we still don't have a good handle on his talent level.
- Pat Fitzmaurice (@Fitz_FF)
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