More injuries?!?!
Between a tight end fracturing his eye socket, a rookie superstar tearing their ACL, and two of the greatest quarterbacks of all time disappointing this season, the NFL has been nothing short of chaos. I’m going to help you find the light in this seemingly everlasting storm, and give you the waiver recommendations that could turn your season around. After all, time is running out. Here are my Week 8 Waiver Wire picks:
Note: Teams on bye include Chiefs, Chargers
*Owned % are in terms of the Yahoo platform at the time of writing
Week 8 Waiver Wire: Worth a Look (over 50% owned)
George Pickens, PIT- WR (57%)
George Pickens looks like he has returned to his role of being a regular target of rookie QB Kenny Pickett. In games where Pickett was healthy, Pickens has put up 146 yards on 22 targets with a TD, and it looks like Pickens’ performance will escalate as his chemistry with Pickett improves. Pickens is a strong waiver pick and a potential starter depending on your WR situation moving forward.
Week 8 Waiver Wire
Gus Edwards, BAL- RB (43%)
J.K. Dobbins is expected to be out 4-6 weeks with an injury which led many to rush and pick up Kenyan Drake. However, Gus Edwards was the clear workhorse this week in the Baltimore backfield as he made his debut returning from an ACL tear which sidelined him for all of 2021. While the bulk of his points came on a rare 2 TD day, he should still be startable in fantasy leagues due to his clear RB1 status and redzone usage.
Jason Myers, SEA- K (33%)
It’s not very often that you see a kicker on your waiver wire recommendations, but the fact that Jason Myers is 3rd in points among kickers and still only 33% owned is disappointing. Myers has only missed 1 kick this season and will face a Giants team that has mastered the art of “bend but don’t break” by holding opposing offenses to field goals. Especially considering that Myers will not be on a bye until Week 11, he should be a safe starter in rosters for the next few weeks while posting well above-average numbers.
D’Onta Foreman, CAR- RB (49%)
Despite Chuba Hubbard being named starter, Foreman still held his ground as a prominent player in the Panthers offense. When Hubbard went down, this obviously helped Foreman’s numbers even more, but even with Hubbard in, Foreman was still effective. Foreman finished with 118 yards, averaging 7.9 yards per attempt, to demonstrate his efficiency on the ground. Foreman’s usage should not decrease anytime soon.
Wan’Dale Robinson, NYG- WR (29%)
Just as expected, Wan’Dale Robinson’s volume doubled to 8 targets, which he turned into 6 catches for 50 yards. While nothing impressive, it is still worth noting that his volume has increased and the talent is most certainly there. We are approaching the point in the season where he should be rostered in most leagues.
Chuba Hubbard, CAR- RB (36%)
Following Christian McCaffrey’s trade to the 49ers, Chuba Hubbard was named as the starting running back in Carolina. Hubbard did get hurt at one point in the game, but we now know that it was a very minor injury and he should be good to go for Sunday. He still put up solid numbers due to his touchdown and PPR value. Hubbard will probably take the bulk of the receiving plays in Carolina while getting some usage on the ground as well.
Sam Ehlinger, IND- QB (0%)
Never before have I recommended a player who was owned in 0% of fantasy football leagues. If you are not interested in picking up a quarterback who has never thrown a pass in the NFL, I don’t blame you. On Monday, it was announced that Matt Ryan would no longer be starting games for the season, and that Sam Ehlinger would be the starter for the remainder of the year. Picking up Ehlinger is extremely risky, but the upside is certainly there.
Ehlinger was a standout for the Texas Longhorns in college and was eventually drafted by the Colts in the 6th round of the 2021 NFL draft. Ehlinger certainly has the mindset to win, as he led the Colts to a comeback victory in his first preseason game, but the big hitter with his upside is because of his ability to be a dual threat on the ground. Ehlinger rushed for almost 2,000 yards in college and the lone 3 snaps he has taken in the NFL have all been rush attempts. Ehlinger has a floor so low it could hit the Earth’s core, but his upside is higher than the moon.
