Bye week season is in full swing with a couple of strong offenses in the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers off in Week 8, but there appear to be more promising waiver wire targets than last week.
Week 7 not only saw several strong offenses on bye, but there were also several key injuries. Rookie running back Breece Hall suffered a season-ending knee injury, which resulted in veteran running back James Robinson being traded to the Jets.
Luckily, there are names on most waiver wires that could help make up for the loss of Hall or Mike Williams, and I’ve identified the top options at each position as well as a few other options that could bolster your roster.
Players must be rostered in less than 30% of ESPN leagues to make the list
TOP QUARTERBACK
Daniel Jones, Giants (28.9% rostered)
Jones hasn’t been great fantasy even though the Giants are winning in real life, but he’s improved as the season’s gone as a mobile quarterback in first-year head coach Brian Daboll’s system. Jones ran for over 100 yards last week, so he’s capable of producing fantasy points even if the passing numbers aren’t all that special, and he gets a plus matchup this week against the Seahawks.
TOP RUNNING BACK
Gus Edwards, Ravens (16.1%)
The Gus Bus made a surprising return to action after many had penciled in Kenyan Drake as the Ravens starting running back last week, and it was Edwards who led the way in carries and goal line looks. Edwards should continue to see the lion’s share of the backfield work with J.K. Dobbins on IR and is a must-add considering how explosive the Ravens offense can be with Lamar Jackson.
TOP WIDE RECEIVER
Donovan Peoples-Jones, Browns (9.5%)
The Browns have been quietly productive through the air this season with their defense not living up to expectations, and Peoples-Jones has stepped and become a reliable receiving option as opposed to a sporadic producer that he had been throughout his career. Peoples-Jones could see even more targets come his way with emerging tight end David Njoku out for the foreseeable future.
TOP TIGHT END
Greg Dulcich, Broncos (7.8%)
The Broncos haven’t had much go right on offense this season, but Dulcich has been one of their few bright spots since he made his NFL debut two weeks ago. Dulcich has seen plenty of targets and has distanced himself as the primary receiving tight end, making him worth an add in all formats considering how thin the tight end position is.
ALSO CONSIDER
Wan’Dale Robinson, Giants WR (13.8%)
Robinson cracks the list for the second week in a row, as the Giants have continued to get him more involved in the offense with Kadarius Toney and Kenny Golladay out indefinitely. Robinson should still be a go-to option even if those two can return, making him worth a strong bench stash with flex upside considering how dangerous he is with the football.
D’Onta Foreman, Panthers RB (35.2%)
Foreman’s technically ineligible being that he’s over the 30 percent threshold, but I felt obligated to include him since he almost made the cut and is a must-add if available in your league. The Panthers were committed to the run last week even without Christian McCaffrey and they’ll likely remain that way for the rest of the season considering how bad their quarterback situation is.
DEEP LEAGUE DIVE
Sammy Watkins, Packers WR (3.9%)
The Packers offense is a mess right now, but they should have opportunities to generate points through the air this week while trying to keep up with the Bills, and Watkins will be the primary target with Allen Lazard likely out. It’s tough to trust Watkins given his injury history, but he might be extra motivated while facing the team that drafted him.
Spencer ‘the Guru’ Urquhart (@spencertheguru) has been a fantasy football analyst since 2014, founding a community of over 6,000 followers on Instagram
