The dog days of the fantasy season are upon us. As the halfway point of the NFL season approaches, working the waiver wire becomes even more vital. We scour the league for the latest news to keep pace with all the developing stories so we can help your fantasy rosters stay viable heading down the stretch.

The good news is there are only two teams on a bye this week, deepening the pool of available IDP talent. The ownership percentages are from CBS fantasy leagues. Keep in mind that Baltimore and Dallas are on their bye weeks.

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Emmanuel Ogbah (DE – KC) – 9% owned (4% FAAB)
Kansas City completely revamped their defense this past offseason. They switched from a 3-4 base to a 4-3 and brought in three new edge rushers. A trade with Seattle brought Frank Clark to town, while Alex Okafor and Ogbah were both signed via free agency. Last week, the trio combined for five sacks, two forced fumbles, and six quarterback hits against the Broncos. Through the first seven games, Ogbah leads the team with 3.5 sacks and has added a forced fumble. He is well on his way to surpassing his career-high in sacks, which is the 5.5 that he put up in 2016. Look for another big game Sunday night against the Packers’ offense.

Jabaal Sheard (DE – IND) – 6% owned (4% FAAB)
There is a great chance that Sheard is available as he did not make his season debut until Week 4 due to a knee issue. It’s time to pull the trigger and pick him up. He appears to be fully healthy and has played more than 70% of the snaps in the past two weeks. Last week, he put up a sack and four solo tackles, with two being for a loss. On the season, he has nine total tackles and 1.5 sacks. The emergence of Justin Houston has taken some offensive line attention away from Sheard. The matchup this week is a sweet one. Last week, the Broncos’ offense allowed nine sacks in their loss to Kansas City.

Dante Fowler (DE – LAR) – 17% owned (5% FAAB)
The veteran defensive end is coming off a monster Week 7 performance. Last week, he put up seven total tackles, three sacks, and a forced fumble. On the season, he has 28 total tackles, five sacks, eight tackles for a loss, and a forced fumble. Those are top-20 defensive linemen totals in most balanced scoring formats. He is benefitting from Aaron Donald finally coming on and has a great Week 8 matchup. Through the first seven games, the Bengals’ offense has allowed 24 sacks with 14.5 being credited to the defensive line position.

Nate Gerry (LB – PHI) – 1% owned (2% FAAB)
With Nigel Bradham sitting out due to an ankle injury, it was Gerry stepping up with a big game on Sunday night. The converted safety played 100% of the snaps and finished the game with 11 total tackles. A closer look reveals that he has quietly been very productive over the last three weeks. In that time, he has put up 19 total tackles and an interception. With Philadelphia releasing Zach Brown last week, there’s a good chance that, even once Bradham returns, he will continue to have a role in the defense. The Bills’ offense is among the top five in allowing fantasy production to opposing linebackers.

Rashaan Evans (LB – TEN) – 15% owned (4% FAAB)
After a rookie season that he spent as a part-time player, Evans has secured a near every-down role on the Titans’ defense. Through the first seven games, he has played 89% of the snaps. By comparison, last season he was on the field for just 50% of the snaps.

He has responded well, racking up 54 total tackles and half a sack in 2019. He has now put up double-digit tackles in three of the past four games. With Jayon Brown (groin) out last week, he put up 10 total tackles. There is a chance that Brown sits again this week, further boosting his value. The Buccaneers’ offense can play fast and loose with the football, leading to big-play opportunities.

Benardrick McKinney (LB – HOU) – 24% owned (5% FAAB)
Through the first seven weeks, McKinney is quietly putting up top-20 linebacker totals in balanced scoring formats. He is actually outperforming teammate Zach Cunningham, who currently sits just outside the top 20. He is getting it done in all facets of the game, having put up 53 total tackles, half a sack, a forced fumble, and two recovered fumbles.

Facing the Raiders’ offense has been a positive matchup for linebackers in 2019. In the last two games, they have allowed 61 totals tackles and three big plays to opposing linebackers. Last week, Packers linebacker Blake Martinez put up 16 total tackles against Oakland.

Marquise Blair (DB – SEA) – 1% owned (1% FAAB)
Look to get the rookie on the cheap and then monitor practice reports out of Seattle. Starting safety Bradley McDougald is dealing with a back issue that forced him to sit out last week. Blair drew the start in his place and had a very solid game. He played 100% of the snaps, finishing with eight total tackles and a pass defended.

Should McDougald be unable to go, Blair has an excellent Week 8 matchup. The Falcons’ offense has been the top unit in allowing production to the defensive back position. Through the first seven weeks, they have allowed 223 total tackles and 14 big plays to opposing defensive backs.

James Bradberry (DB – CAR) – 15% owned (3% FAAB)
Let’s give some love to the cornerback position this week. Heading into the Week 7 bye, there were few defensive backs playing better than Bradberry. He was the top-scoring defensive back in Week 6, having put up 10 solo tackles, four passes defended, and two interceptions against Tampa Bay. He has been extremely durable and played 100% of the snaps this season.

Through seven weeks, he is currently putting up top-15 defensive back totals despite only playing six games. On the season, he has put up 29 total tackles, a sack, three interceptions, and has 10 passes defended. The matchup this week is a solid one. In the last five weeks, the 49ers’ offense has been a top-10 unit in allowing production to opposing defensive backs.

Terrell Edmunds (DB – PIT) – 17% owned (2% FAAB)
This is the short and sweet special of the week. After a big Week 3 in which he had 10 total tackles, Edmunds cooled off considerably. In the three games prior to the bye week, he had a total of just 14 tackles.

He has 42 total tackles on the season, but has yet to register a big play. The matchup this week will be a good one for him to get on the board in that department. In what is shaping up as a lost season, the Dolphins’ offense has been surprisingly generous in allowing defensive backs to put up production. In the last four games, they are allowing an average of 33 tackles per game as well as nine big plays to defensive backs.

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Walton Spurlin is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Walton, check out his archive and follow him @waltonspurlin.