Even though we’re halfway through the fantasy football season, now is not the time to be resting on your laurels if you’re crushing the competition. In contrast, there’s still time to turn things around if you’ve struggled up to this point. This past week was not kind to the fantasy landscape with injuries to Will Fuller and Kerryon Johnson, along with Matt Breida missing a chunk of Sunday’s contest and David Johnson suiting up, but barely sniffing the field.
*Editor’s Note: It was announced Tuesday afternoon that Kerryon Johnson will be placed on Injured Reserve.
Don’t fret though, as those injuries and some surprise performances have led to a somewhat reinvigorated the waiver wire. Whether you need a solid stash for at least the next couple weeks or a player who could contribute immediately, our featured experts have got you covered.
Import your team to My Playbook for instant Waiver Wire advice
Featured Experts:
Michael Hauff – Gridiron Experts
Jon Collins – Fantasy Sports LR
Mike Tagliere – FantasyPros
Bobby Sylvester – FantasyPros
Donald Gibson – FantasyPros
Chris Raybon – The Action Network
Matthew Bowe – Razzball
View These Expert’s Waiver Rankings
Michael Hauff
Jon Collins
Mike Tagliere
Bobby Sylvester
Donald Gibson
Matthew Bowe
Q1. How much are you willing to spend (FAAB %) on your favorite waiver wire target (or two) and why do you like him?
Kenny Stills (WR – HOU)
“With the recent news that Will Fuller will likely miss a couple of games due to a hamstring injury, Stills has shot up my board as a waiver wire target. There is no denying the potential that comes with being a wide receiver in this Houston Texans’ offense. Just this past week when Fuller left the Colts matchup with that hamstring injury, Stills managed to haul in four of five targets for 105 yards. That performance would mark his best outing since Week 1 when Stills had just three receptions for 37 yards and a touchdown. No stranger to injuries himself, Stills has also missed some time this season with a hamstring injury. Regardless of that, this is simply no denying that the number two receiver in this Texans offense holds considerable value and I could see spending 20% of your FAAB on him as being more than reasonable.”
– Michael Hauff (Gridiron Experts)
“It was determined that Will Fuller’s hamstring strain is severe and it will be three to more likely five or six weeks until he’s back. Yes, Keke Coutee has looked fine while Kenny Stills was out, but Stills is the No. 2 now, as evidenced by the 61 snaps he played in Week 7, which was 36% more than Coutee. Any time you can get the WR2 for a superstar quarterback like Deshaun Watson, you ought to make it a priority. Plus, he takes on the same Raiders team this week that just surrendered six touchdowns to Aaron Rodgers and friends. I’d spend 50% of my remaining FAAB budget or the No. 1 waiver priority to acquire Stills this week.”
– Bobby Sylvester (FantasyPros)
DeVante Parker (WR – MIA)
“It’s time to add Parker. I’d be willing to spend up to 10% of my FAAB to do it if I needed help at wide receiver. With Ryan Fitzpatrick re-inserted as the starter, I’m expecting Parker to start to separate from Preston Williams in terms of weekly target share. The reality is, as long as they’re both Dolphins, there should be a sufficient number of balls in the air to keep them both relevant. Parker has been surprisingly consistent this year. Outside of an 0-fer against the Patriots (where he still saw seven targets), Parker has had 50 yards or a score in every game.”
– Jon Collins (Fantasy Sports LR)
Mark Walton (RB – MIA)
“It’s rare to find a starting running back available on the waiver wire, but that’s likely what you have with Walton. The team has openly admitted they’re shopping Kenyan Drake and they preserved him in their loss to the Bills this past weekend because of that. We watched Walton rack up 15 touches against the Bills, and even though he lost a goal-line touch to Kalen Ballage, he looked good. With the bye weeks still hanging around for another month, snagging a starting running back to fill a running back or flex spot makes plenty of sense. I’d be willing to spend 10-15 percent of my FAAB to acquire him.”
– Mike Tagliere (FantasyPros)
Sam Darnold (QB – NYJ)
“We saw what could happen in this Jets passing offense last week when Darnold was once again under center. Following a matchup against the Patriots and a ‘meh’ matchup against the Jaguars, Darnold’s schedule strings together a bunch of opponents susceptible to offensive outbursts. Starting in Week 9, the Dolphins, followed by the Giants and Redskins will face this improved Jets offense that now touts Le’Veon Bell and target monster Jamison Crowder to go along with Robby Anderson. After another four great matchups, Darnold doesn’t face a stingy defense until the Jets play Pittsburgh in Week 16. Darnold is more than just a streamer and if you’re struggling at quarterback, I wouldn’t hesitate to spend 25-40% of my remaining budget if necessary. It would be cheaper to pick Darnold up this upcoming week than it would be next week.”
– Matthew Bowe (Razzball)
RB Handcuffs
“I’d be willing to spend upwards of 10% on any of Ty Johnson (12-15%), Benny Snell (12-15%), Alexander Mattison (10-12%), or Darrell Henderson (10-12%). Johnson is at the top of my list because he’s got the best chance to have something akin to a feature-back workload, but I think you’ll do fine with Mattison or Snell, whose teams are each going up against bottom-tier opponents in Washington and Miami, respectively. Those are the types of opponents you tend to see No. 2 backs get a few extra looks against. Mattison is averaging double-digit carries over his last two games and Snell saw 18 touches against the Chargers. Henderson is more of a low-floor, high-upside get, but remember, he was a top-40 running back pick in most drafts and could be working his way into a steady role, and you want as many backs as you can possibly have at this time of year.”
– Chris Raybon (The Action Network)
“I’m genuinely shocked that Alexander Mattison is owned in roughly 20% of leagues. Dalvin Cook has been an absolute stud this season and Mattison has shown promise when he’s been involved. Beyond that, Cook has had his share of injury trouble in the past and he’s just a ticking time bomb as far as I’m concerned. Cook owners should be looking to spend 10-15% of FAAB and non-Cook owners should be looking at a speculative 5-10% to land Mattison.”
– Donald Gibson (FantasyPros)
Q2. For owners renting a D/ST in Week 8, what readily available option (under 50%) should they target and why?
“The Dolphins gave the Bills a scare this week and are starting to look at least competent on the offensive side of the ball, but I still like the 47% owned Steelers coming off a bye to be the top readily available option this week. They’re averaging more than three sacks and 2.5 turnovers a game and draw a Dolphins team that keeps finding ways to give opposing defenses points. They even allowed a touchdown on an onside kick this past week.”
– Jon Collins (Fantasy Sports LR)
“If you’re not picking the Steelers’ defense against the Dolphins, you’re doing it wrong. They’ve allowed at least three sacks in all but one of their games to this point, and they’ve also turned the ball over 13 times, with two of those going for touchdowns the other way. Prior to the Chargers game, the Steelers had 13 sacks the previous two weeks. Coming off their bye week, expect them to be the top streaming option.”
– Mike Tagliere (FantasyPros)
“I have my eyes on the Colts’ defense against the Broncos in Week 8. The Broncos score the fourth-least points per game in the NFL and accumulate the eighth-least yards per game. The Colts’ defense is generally average from a statistical perspective, but the Colts have held the Chiefs and Texans to a combined 36 points over the past two weeks. They have the momentum and they shouldn’t have any problem feasting on the Broncos at home.”
– Donald Gibson (FantasyPros)
“The Colts shut down Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson, and Matt Ryan so if you think they’ll have any trouble with Joe Flacco in Indy this week, I don’t know what to tell you. Not only that, but they have at least three sacks in four games this season and will almost certainly have a useful game script in place to force Flacco to drop back and throw.”
– Bobby Sylvester (FantasyPros)
“There are several D/ST options for Week 8 and I’m going to take the road less traveled this week and suggest that the Seattle Seahawks might be a better D/ST option than you think. Following a tough loss at home, the Seahawks will head to Atlanta to take on a Falcons team that is reeling. On top of five straight losses, the Falcons are awaiting test results on Matt Ryan and his ankle, as of this writing. The Seahawks’ 11 sacks on the season are not the impressive number and their secondary is far from the ‘Legion of Boom’ days. That being said, the Falcons’ offense could be ripe for the picking, no matter if it is a limited Matt Ryan or Matt Schaub under center.”
– Michael Hauff (Gridiron Experts)
“The Seahawks are worth a speculative add pending the health of Matt Ryan (ankle). If Ryan is out, the Matt Schaub pick-six time bomb starts ticking. If Ryan is cleared, the Eagles are also worth a look. Philly’s strength is stopping the run, which could lead to more chances for the turnover-prone Josh Allen to commit fantasy-friendly miscues.”
– Chris Raybon (The Action Network)
“If Pittsburgh isn’t available, you could do worse than the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers do face the undefeated 49ers, but they have forced multiple turnovers for four weeks in a row and are tied for second in forced turnovers for the season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Panthers are also coming off of a bye and haven’t given up 30 points in any game since Week 1. Even if the Panthers probably won’t win you the week, they shouldn’t lose you the week either.”
– Matthew Bowe (Razzball)
More Advice
Ty Johnson Waiver Wire Pickup
Mark Walton Waiver Wire Pickup
Devante Parker Waiver Wire Pickup
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