With the injury to Jerome Ford, fantasy football managers are left with a potential void on their roster. Let’s check out the extent of the injury and players you can target on your waiver wire this week. And here’s all of our fantasy football waiver wire advice for Week 8.

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Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Injury Replacement Pickups

Injury Outlook

Jerome Ford scores TD, injures ankle in Week 7

Jerome Ford carried the ball 11 times for 74 yards and a touchdown while adding two receptions for 20 yards in a 39-38 win over the Colts in Week 7.

Fantasy Impact

Ford found the end zone on a 69-yard run in the first quarter but was mostly quiet after that. He also injured his ankle in the second half and was seen in a walking boot after the contest, which is not a great sign for his availability in Week 8 against Seattle. If Ford is unable to play, it would be Kareem Hunt and Pierre Strong Jr. leading the backfield for the Browns.

Matthew Terelle

Waiver Wire Replacements to Target

RUNNING BACKS

Written by Bo McBrayer

Darrell Henderson (LAR): 24% rostered

• Next Opponents: @DAL, @GB, BYE
• True value: $22
• Desperate need: $33
• Budget-minded: $12

Analysis: The Rams’ former starting RB was back in his familiar role in Week 7 against the Steelers. He carried the ball 18 times for 61 yards and found the end zone in his first game of the season. Fellow newcomer Royce Freeman was second fiddle with 12 carries, while rookie FAAB burglar Zach Evans was not a factor. With at least three more weeks without Kyren Williams, Henderson will be one of the hottest waiver pickups this week. Don’t go crazy, but wager aggressively if you have a pressing RB need.

Ezekiel Elliott (NE): 46% rostered

• Next Opponents: @MIA, WAS, IND
• True value: $15
• Desperate need: $26
• Budget-minded: $9

Analysis: Zeke is certainly not the key cog in the passing game like Rhamondre Stevenson, but he is still a really difficult player to stop at the goal line. Elliott scored yet another rushing touchdown in Week 7, despite only scratching out 31 yards on 11 attempts. Double-digit touches for an NFL RB is still considered at least “co-starter” volume, so Zeke needs to be rostered in more than 46% of leagues.

Royce Freeman (LAR): 29% rostered

• Next Opponents: @DAL, @GB, BYE
• True value: $14
• Desperate need: $25
• Budget-minded: $8

Analysis: Although I prefer Henderson this waiver run, he has been far from a picture of health over the years. The Rams need the running game to make their passing game work behind sunken linebackers. Freeman averaged 5.5 yards on his 12 carries in Week 7 against Pittsburgh and has considerably more burst than his veteran colleague. Perhaps the more savvy waiver addition is the former Oregon star.

Elijah Mitchell (SF): 37% rostered

• Next Opponents: CIN, BYE, @JAX
• True value: $11
• Desperate need: $19
• Budget-minded: $5

Analysis: Between Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason, I prefer the one who didn’t need to be a special teams ace to make the roster. Mitchell is on the mend from a knee injury and figures to see his snaps increase. Christian McCaffrey‘s oblique injury is thankfully not believed to be serious, but a case can be made to stash Mason on a deeper bench just in case.

Tyjae Spears (TEN): 41% rostered

• Next Opponents: ATL, @PIT, @TB
• True value: $11
• Desperate need: $19
• Budget-minded: $5

Analysis: Spears is different from a lot of “swing” RBs in that his role so far this season has been very steady. He is spelling Derrick Henry and also catching passes in long-yardage scenarios. The upcoming schedule following Tennessee’s bye looks pretty rugged for Henry, but it could be profitable for Spears’ managers.

Justice Hill (BAL): 41% rostered

• Next Opponents: @ARI, SEA, CLE
• True value: $10
• Desperate need: $17
• Budget-minded: $4

Analysis: Hill only garnered four rushing attempts and one reception in Baltimore’s Week 7 drubbing of Detroit. It was a tough matchup that got out of hand quickly, leaving Hill managers wanting. The next two games should line up much more favorably for the speedy back from Oklahoma State. Arizona and Seattle have each struggled to corral RBs, especially those with Hill’s versatility.

Latavius Murray (BUF): 22% rostered

• Next Opponents: TB, @CIN, DEN
• True value: $9
• Desperate need: $14
• Budget-minded: $3

Analysis: Most people assumed that Buffalo would run New England off the field in Week 7. Apparently that’s why they play the games, because the Bills were clearly flat in the loss. It crushed our prospects of four-minute offense with big Lat Murray chewing up yards down the stretch. Don’t be deterred from adding Murray for a bargain price this week. Buffalo will have better games, and the grizzled vet will thrive in positive game flows ahead.

Emari Demercado (ARI): 14% rostered

• Next Opponents: BAL, @CLE, ATL
• True value: $7
• Desperate need: $12
• Budget-minded: $3

Analysis: Please don’t chase last week’s production. Demercado was the overhyped waiver addition entering Week 6 and worked in a three-headed committee with Damien Williams and Keaontay Ingram. Most managers dropped him to waivers in disgust, only to see him log a 94% snap share in Week 7 and score 11.4 PPR points. This is a stern warning that you are very likely to be outbid on Demercado in Week 8, but it’s a blessing in disguise. The next three matchups for the Cardinals are brutal. Let them blow their FAAB on a swing player twice.

Pierre Strong (CLE): 1% rostered

• Next Opponents: @SEA, ARI, @BAL
• True value: $6
• Desperate need: $10
• Budget-minded: $3

Analysis: Jerome Ford sustained an ankle injury during the Browns’ victory over the Colts on Sunday. Strong played 17 of the Browns’ 28 fourth-quarter snaps, according to PFF snap guru Nathan Jahnke. Although Strong had more fourth-quarter snaps and touches than Kareem Hunt, it would be unwise to conclude that Strong has leapfrogged Hunt. There was some doubt about Hunt’s Week 7 availability due to a thigh injury, so the Browns were probably just being judicious about managing his work. Still, with Ford likely to miss time, Strong could be a candidate for double-digit touches the next couple of weeks.

Stash Candidates:

• Zach Charbonnet
• Rico Dowdle
• Keaton Mitchell

Seattle rookie Zach Charbonnet was just getting into a groove when he incurred a hamstring injury that knocked him out of Week 7. The UCLA product is extremely versatile and talented, so keeping him on the bench for a couple of weeks is a move that will pay dividends in the second half of the season.

Tony Pollard continues into uncharted territory when it comes to workload. As great as he is, there is genuine concern about him holding up for the entire season. Should he go down, Rico Dowdle is the next man up. He has rotated in every third or fourth series for Pollard in 2023, with more than decent results. Dowdle would break the FAAB bank in the event of a Pollard injury, so keeping him safe at the end of a deep bench is a sage move.

The Ravens love Keaton Mitchell. I won’t lie: He had some of the most scintillating college highlights I’ve ever seen. Though undersized like teammate Justice Hill, Mitchell possesses game-breaking speed and agility. Hill has struggled with injuries over the years (which Ravens RB hasn’t?), so keeping an exciting player stashed might make for a fun stretch of games.