With Week 7 coming to an exciting conclusion with another unexpected doubleheader, fantasy football managers have quickly set their sights on improving their rosters ahead of Week 8. With waivers set to run tonight in most leagues, we will jump right into some of the top waiver wire adds for those of you are lucky enough to play in IDP leagues. You truly don’t know what you are missing until you try it. Let’s dig in.
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Note: Rostered percentages provided via Yahoo! leagues.
Defensive Line
Everson Griffen (DE – DAL): 6% rostered on Yahoo!
Even if Everson Griffen remains a member of the Dallas Cowboys past the trade deadline, he is still worth an add. Demarcus Lawrence finally seems to be rounding into form, something which should allow Griffen to feast with Aldon Smith also being a focus of the offensive line. Griffen recorded three solos, two assists, one sack, one tackle for loss, and two QB hits in Week 7 against Washington. He continues to see less than 60 percent of the snaps for the Cowboys, so the hope is that he is traded as his hurry percentage is at the highest mark of his career. The former Pro Bowler has been too inconsistent to trust outside of plus matchups but will get the plus matchup of plus matchups in Week 8 against a decimated Eagles offensive line surrendering the most fantasy points to the defensive end position. Griffen should be a universal add for Week 8, and we can re-evaluate later.
Yannick Ngakoue (DE – BAL): 15% rostered on Yahoo!
Yannick Ngakoue will reunite with Calais Campbell in Baltimore and wreak havoc on opposing offenses. He was playing at an elite level in Minnesota, with his 2.9 sack percentage equaling his mark from his 12 sack season in 2017. We were excited to see him opposite Danielle Hunter in Minnesota, but that pairing never came to fruition, and the Vikings traded Ngakoue away in a sign they are punting the season. He will be set up for success in Baltimore as he will join an already ferocious front seven highlighted by Campbell, Matthew Judon, Patrick Queen, and now Ngakoue. He was dropped in 40 percent of the leagues he was rostered in over the bye, going from 26 percent rostered to 15 percent. Tied for fourth in the league with five sacks heading into his Week 7 bye, Ngakoue has recorded a sack in four of his last five games. Punish your rival manager for being so shortsighted and add Ngakoue wherever available.
Emmanuel Ogbah (DE – MIA): 4% rostered on Yahoo!
Ogbah saw his roster percentage drop during Miami’s bye week and needs to be added wherever possible. He had two sacks his last time out and is on a three game sack streak. The streak extends to five games if we were to include half sacks. He was tied for fourth in the league with five sacks heading into Week 7, and is a high upside plug and play DL2 as long as he keeps up his scorching play. He should settle into a DL3 role when he calms down but is well on his way to a career year that sees him rack up nine or more sacks. Add him where possible, even if it is just as depth or to block rival managers.
Jerry Hughes (DE – BUF): 0% rostered on Yahoo!
Jerry Hughes went bonkers in Week 7 to the tune of five solos, one assist, two sacks, one tackle for loss, one pass deflection, one forced fumble, and two QB hits. He has been inconsistent this season as these were his first sacks of the season, as such he is more of a depth piece who you will plug in as a matchup play. Week 8 gives him a plus matchup, making him a strong bye week filler who could earn a permanent spot on your squad. Hughes will take on the depleted offensive line of the New England Patriots and a struggling Cam Newton this weekend. The Patriots offense is surrendering the 11th most fantasy points to the defensive end position. Add him with an eye on starting him as a DL3 with DL2 upside this week and figure out the rest later.
Defensive Back
Daniel Sorensen (S – KC): 1% rostered on Yahoo!
Sorensen recorded seven solos, two assists, one interception, one pass defended, and one touchdown in Week 7 against the Denver Broncos. It was his fourth DB2 or better outing in a row, and his second straight game with an interception. He has seen 64 percent or more of the snaps in six of his seven games this season and has played his way into the bye week DB2 conversation. He needs to be added wherever needed, even if it is just for this week as the Chiefs will be taking on a struggling New York Jets offense. Sorensen will likely be one of the hotter IDP adds of the week due to his Week 8 matchup and his two-game interception streak, so bear that in mind when preparing your bids this week.
Adrian Phillips (S – NE): 6% rostered on Yahoo!
Phillips was strong again in Week 7, this time racking up six solos, one assist, and one tackle for loss in a plus matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. His performance marks his second straight DB1 level outing and his third of the season. As echoed here before Phillips is a former All-Pro safety who is no stranger to IDP success. He is still more of a DB3 option, but he has no doubt matchup based DB2 upside. He has seen over 75 percent of the snaps in four of the last five weeks and should be added wherever needed. He is worth a look as a matchup play in Week 8 as the Patriots will be taking on a Bills offense surrendering the third most fantasy points to the safety position.
Josh Jones (S – JAC): 14% rostered on Yahoo!
DB1 alert. Josh Jones continues to produce at a DB1 level, but remains rostered in just 14 percent of Yahoo! leagues. He was rock solid once again in Week 7, this time racking up six solos and two assists. With Jacksonville’s bye week upon us, you may not need to be as aggressive as you would otherwise need to with your waiver bid. It will also pay to monitor league transactions as we will undoubtedly see him dropped in some leagues as the uninitiated look to stream during the byes. Jones needs to be viewed as a DB1 and will be in this column until he hits 18 percent rostered or higher. Tired of reading about him? Go add him now, and make sure the 84 percent available Taylor Rapp isn’t available while you’re at it.
Jabrill Peppers (S – NYG): 3% rostered on Yahoo!
Jabrill Peppers had a strong Week 7 that saw him rack up four solos, two assists, one sack, one tackle for loss, and one QB hit. He should be kept busy in Week 8 against the Buccaneers running game as is a solid DB2 level option. Peppers has recorded at least four solos in three straight weeks and needs to be rostered in more than just three percent of Yahoo leagues. The Giants offense should continue to keep him busy against the run, adding to his weekly tackle upside. Add him where needed.
Linebacker
Neville Hewitt (LB – PHI): 5% rostered on Yahoo!
Hewitt was excellent in Week 7, putting a cap on a string of four strong games with a 10 solo, three assist performance against the Buffalo Bills. Hewitt has recorded at least four solo tackles in each of the last four weeks and flashed some of his IDP ceiling this week. Hewitt has played 100 percent of the snaps in all but one week when he saw ‘just’ 95 percent. He has racked up at least six combined tackles in every week this season and needs to be taken seriously as an upside option during the byes. He can be counted as an LB3 with LB2 upside for a plus matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8. Available in 95 percent of Yahoo leagues, Hewitt should be added in all competitive leagues.
Alexander Johnson (LB – DEN): 9% rostered on Yahoo!
Alexander Johnson has bounced back after a disappointing Week 3 and 4 to post at least four solo tackles in two straight contests. He has four or more solos in four of his six contests, and six or more solos in three of six. Johnson recorded seven solos, two assists, one QB hit, and one forced fumble in Week 7, and has LB2 upside against the Chargers in Week 8. He should be rostered in more than just nine percent of Yahoo leagues, especially during the byes. Add him where needed as a bye week filler who could become your LB3 going forward. Johnson will have LB2 upside most weeks.
Robert Spillane (LB – PIT): 2% rostered on Yahoo!
Spillane played 75 percent of the snaps in Week 7, racking up two solos and one assist, but made himself a household name in the process. He is going to be a matchup based play as he is coming off the field on obvious passing downs, but with the Ravens on tap for Week 8, Spillane will be a suggested start for the second straight week. Add him where available as Spillane has an immediate plus matchup and should only get more comfortable as the season wears on. Spillane is a solid LB4 with burgeoning LB3 upside.
Robert Spillane hit on Derrick Henry zoomed and slo-motion 💥 #Steelers pic.twitter.com/dY15Wp6qEJ
— Steelers Depot 🎃🦇👻🧙♀️ (@Steelersdepot) October 27, 2020
Willie Gay Jr. (LB – KC): 0% rostered on Yahoo!
His playing time has become truly unpredictable, but Willie Gay Jr. is worth an add where available. He was featured in this column for Week 6 but saw his snap share drop from 47 percent to five percent for no apparent reason. How did Chiefs coaches utilize him in Week 7? They gave him a season-high 51 percentage. Gay responded with three solos, one assist, one tackle for loss, and perhaps most importantly for future playing time, two passes defended. While his hard-hitting sideline to sideline ability is what jumps off the tape, he was made a second round pick due to his ability to combine that with being a plus defender in pass coverage. Gay’s time is coming, and it just might be now. Add Gay wherever he is available.
Micah Kiser (LB – LAR): 16% rostered on Yahoo!
Micah Kiser is finally creeping towards the cut-off for this column and I couldn’t be happier. We have been touting him since Week 2 as an LB1 level option on a weekly basis. He had a ho-hum Week 7 with three solos and five assists on Monday night but should be back to producing at an LB1 level against the Miami Dolphins. Tua Tagovailoa will be making his first start. Kiser will be dropped in a prohibitive number of leagues prior to his Week 9 bye, so expect to see him featured here again for the Week 10 waiver period. Add Kiser in every single competitive league.
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Raju Byfield is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Raju, check out his archive and follow him @FantasyContext.
