Waiver Wire Targets 2018 Week 8

By Armando Marsal
Armando Marsal The waiver wire is key to surviving this long season filled with injuries and other factors that could change a player’s role on their offense. Each week I will provide you with a list of players you should be looking to add off of waivers. Let’s take a look at some of those players below.

Teams on bye this week: Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles Chargers, Tennessee

Quarterback

C.J. Beathard – 49ers: For the second consecutive week Beathard makes an appearance on this article and it is because he remains unowned in over 90 percent of ESPN leagues. He is coming off of a poor performance against the Rams, but faces off against a Cardinals defense this week that he threw for 349 yards and two touchdowns against several weeks ago, which was good for over 20 fantasy points. There are a couple of notable quarterbacks on bye this week, making Beathard a strong streaming option.

Others to consider: Baker Mayfield – Browns

Running Back

Raheem Mostert – 49ers: Matt Breida is battling an ankle injury and could miss time or be limited because of it, which should really open the door for Mostert to receive more opportunities. In the last two games, Mostert has been very solid for the 49ers, averaging over seven yards per carry and showing good hands out of the backfield. San Francisco has multiple good matchups in the upcoming weeks, so I am fully expecting Mostert to be a reliable option for fantasy owners dealing with injuries and bye weeks. He is someone I am prioritizing.

Doug Martin/Jalen Richard – Raiders: Marshawn Lynch was placed on the injured reserve which should move Martin into the early down work for the Raiders with Jalen Richard manning the passing down duties. If I am choosing between the two, I give Martin a slight because of the potential opportunity he should have in the early downs. That said, he has not been good the few times he has stepped on the field this season and in the last couple of years, so there is some concern. On the other hand, Richard could be a reliable option in PPR formats with Lynch out and Amari Cooper no longer on the team. Either way, they both should be added this week.

Others to consider: Kenjon Barner – Patriots, Ronald Jones – Buccaneers, Kapri Bibbs – Redskins, Chris Ivory - Bills

Wide Receiver

Tre'quan Smith – Saints: Smith did not do so well this past week if you are looking at the game log, but that is ok. He had a tough matchup against the Ravens and it was an all-around below average day for the Saints passing game. That said, there are a couple of things that stood out to me, making me optimistic for Smith moving forward. First, he played in 73 percent of the snaps in Week 7, which was 48 percent more than Cameron Meredith played in. Secondly, he received six targets, which was tied for second most for New Orleans on Sunday. This young wide out displayed some nice upside in the preseason and should step into the No. 2 receiver duties in this high-powered offense with Ted Ginn out.

Christian Kirk – Cardinals: Kirk has made an appearance on this article before, but remains unowned in over 80 percent of ESPN leagues. He has been targeted on nearly 20 percent of Josh Rosen’s throws and should continue to be a big part of this offense moving forward. This week he faces off against a 49ers defense that struggles against wide outs, a matchup that he took complete advantage of a couple week ago. Then he faces off against the Chiefs after their bye, putting Kirk in some favorable matchups and potential flex consideration in the upcoming weeks.

Others to consider: Chris Godwin – Buccaneers, Randal Cobb/Geronimo Allison – Packers, Martavis Bryant – Raiders, Danny Amendola – Dolphins

Tight End

C.J. Uzomah - Bengals: Uzomah is owned in 40 percent of ESPN leagues, but considering the production of this position this season, that seems a bit low. Not to mention, this week he draws the best matchup a tight end can ask for against the Bucs defense that is yielding the most fantasy points per game to tight ends this season. In addition, they have given up 40 receptions (4th most), 538 yards (2nd most), and four touchdowns (2nd most) to the position. He can be considered a TE1 for Week 8 and makes for a borderline elite streaming option.

Others to consider: Vance McDonald - Steelers


For any questions, feel free to reach out to me on the Twitter machine @Armando_Marsal. Best of luck to all.