Week 8 was both a wild and weird one.
We saw some upsets from seemingly moribund teams (Minnesota over Green Bay, Cincinnati over Tennessee), some absolute clunkers for fantasy (Las Vegas-Cleveland, Atlanta-Carolina) and some explosions (hello, Kansas City passing attack).
We also had more injuries as George Kittle looks to be lost for the season and Kenny Golladay looks to miss a few weeks.
With only five weeks left until the fantasy playoffs, every week is a battle, and we can take nothing for granted. Depth matters A LOT this time of year as injuries and bye weeks certainly add up.
In our weekly Waiver Grabs piece, our threshold is players rostered in less than 20 percent of Yahoo! leagues, but let’s quickly take a look at some players that are rostered in 30 percent or less of Yahoo! leagues, which may be more appealing for shallow-league players.
RB Nyheim Hines Indianapolis (29%)
Hines caught two scores and looked terrific in his first week off the bye. He can be used as a FLEX where needed.
RB DeeJay Dallas Seattle (25%)
We recommended him last week in our Waiver Grabs as a player to pickup, and Dallas did not disappoint with 18 rushing attempts, 5 targets and 2 scores. Chris Carson’s situation is still up-in-the-air.
WR Jalen Reagor Philadelphia (24%)
Another player we have recommended in previous waiver wires; a talented first-rounder scored in his first game off IR.
TE Logan Thomas Washington (23%)
Yet another player we have written about in previous waiver wire articles, Thomas may have been cut during the bye, despite showing a relatively strong connection with now-starting quarterback Kyle Allen.
Now onto our look at this week’s potential Waiver Wire adds, as we normally do (20% or less in Yahoo! leagues).
QB Philip Rivers Indianapolis (19%)
Rivers had his best game of the season, passing for almost 400 yards and three touchdowns. If you need QB depth, or a bye week fill-in, Rivers has some easy match-ups coming up.
RB Jordan Wilkins Indianapolis (2%)
Jonathan Taylor is banged-up and as a result, Wilkins had 20 rushing attempts and scored a touchdown and a two point conversion. He also had a big reception.
This was a breakout game for Wilkins, and if Taylor misses time or is limited, Wilkins could be highly productive behind a very talented offensive line in Indianapolis. With just a few weeks left in the year, he is worth a nice bet FAB-wise, and could pay off down the stretch. If you already have Taylor, absolutely add Wilkins as your handcuff.
RB Troymaine Pope LA Chargers (0%)
Pope seemingly came out of nowhere with 95 total yards. It is hard to say whether or not his usage will continue, but running back-needy teams should consider adding Pope to see if this is a thing.
RB Dexter Williams Green Bay (0%)
This is a deep dive:
A.J. Dillon is now dealing with COVID-19 and Jamaal Williams, who has been very good the last two weeks, was potentially exposed as well. Starting runner Aaron Jones’ status is still questionable, and the team plays the early game Thursday. Williams has spent most of the year on the practice squad, but could play a prominent role this week. Tyler Ervin will also see work.
WR Curtis Samuel Carolina (20%)
Samuel had his best game this season, scoring two touchdowns: One through the air and one on the ground. He was featured against Atlanta, and was the only bright spot for Carolina in a disappointing loss. Samuel can be viewed as a bye week fill-in WR or low-end FLEX play this week against Kansas City. He should be rostered for WR depth at the very least.
WR Russell Gage Atlanta (13%)
Calvin Ridley’s status is unknown. Gage could see a lot of work as Atlanta’s no. 2 WR if Ridley were to miss some time. He would have a solid match-up this week against Denver.
WR Denzel Mims New York Jets (9%)
We discussed Mims on our Waiver Grabs last week, as well as our Dumpster Dive this past weekend.
He disappointed with only two catches this past week after four the previous week. I am a believer in his talent, and he could be heavily utilized after the bye week. If you have room on your roster, he is a speculative add.
WR Kendrick Bourne San Francisco (8%)
San Francisco lost stud tight end [George] Kittle for eight weeks, as noted above. Deebo Samuel should also be out. Bourne is a nice attrition dart throw as he should see the field a lot and see some targets in a big Thursday night game against Green Bay.
WR Darnell Mooney Chicago (6%)
Mooney found the end zone and had 5 catches this past weekend against New Orleans. His arrow stays pointing up. He has two good match-ups coming up against Tennessee and Minnesota. He looks to be Chicago’s deep threat and no. 2 option. Yet another talented rookie in this fantastic 2020 group of wideouts.
WR Jakobi Meyers New England (1%)
Meyers was the most heavily targeted Patriot, seeing 10 targets and catching 6 balls for 58 yards. With Julian Edelman and N’Keal Harry out, Meyers should continue to see a large role in a bad passing attack. If you need a WR for this week, Meyers could be a decent floor-play.
TE Jordan Reed San Francisco (3%)
Reed is close to returning off the IR. He should see a sizeable role on a suddenly depleted 49ers team. He is not a sure bet to play this week, but should be added for teams that are weak at TE, even with his injury history in mind.
TE Ross Dwelley San Francisco (0%)
The contrarian play to Reed. If Reed is unable to play Thursday, Dwelley should see a ton of snaps and some targets.
TE Gerald Everett LA Rams (6%)
In the wasteland that is the tight end position, we need to look deep: Everett has been outplaying Tyler Higbee as of late. After the bye week, Everett could see a larger role. Week 10, the Rams have a plus match-up against Seattle — let’s ride.
Best of luck in Week 9!