The Only Wavier Article You Need for Week 8 (2021)

Heading into Week 8 already, crazy how fast the season goes. GoingFor2, as always, has you covered for your Week 8 waiver wire pickups. Good luck….

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QB Deshaun Watson (HOU) 30% Rostered

If you don’t want to roster him, I totally understand. The things he is accused of are disgusting and there is absolutely no place in this world, regardless of what his job is. However, if you can separate your fantasy team and the accusations, this is the time to add Deshaun. I don’t know if he gets traded. I don’t know if he plays even if he does get traded. But the fact is that Watson is a top 5 QB in the NFL when he is playing.

Reports about whether he will be placed on the exempt list are conflicting but this is the one I believe. “Watson can be placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt list if he is charged with a felony or violent crime”, per Ian Rapoport. As of this writing, this has not happened and it doesn’t look like anything is imminent on that front. Even if you have Mahomes or Josh Allen, I would look to claim Watson this week. If he ends up on a team as a starting QB, you will have a great trade chip to upgrade at another position. Kyle Bazin @KyleTheCommish

TE Ricky Seals-Jones (WFT) 54% Rostered

I’m sure Taylor Heinicke wishes he could throw the football to Terry McLaurin every pass attempt, but he can’t. And it seems that his new second-favorite target has become Ricky Seals-Jones. Since Logan Thomas went on the IR in Week Four, Seals-Jones has seen at least six targets per game. He also has the second-most yards on the season among WFT pass catchers. Denver is coming off a game where they surrendered 75 yards to the tight end position and the week after this, Seals-Jones will face the Bucs, who rank in the top ten in fantasy points allowed to tight ends. Cecily Riddell @MrsTeamRiddell

 WR Allen Lazard (GB) 11% Rostered

Allen Lazard is back on the fantasy radar. Over the last two weeks, Lazard has 8 receptions on 11 targets for 87 yards and two touchdowns. In addition, his usage totals have been impressive. Lazard is averaging an 88% snap share. Those usage numbers should hold steady in Week 8 given the Davante Adams news. 

On Monday Adams was placed on the NFL’s reserve/Covid-19 List and the Green Bay Packers play the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday night football this week. Given the Covid protocol and the quick turnaround, Adams’ availability for the game is unlikely. In the event Adams misses the game, Lazard becomes a very interesting play. He has a great chance at an increase in target share and red zone looks. Overall, he is a solid waiver addition for fantasy managers looking for a wide receiver to stream in Week 8. Jay Christensen @JayC_DFF

RB Kenneth Gainwell (PHI) 38% Rostered

Gainwell finished with 61 total yards and a touchdown in Sunday’s loss to the Las Vegas Raiders as he continues to be an excellent threat as a pass-catcher out of the backfield this season. Miles Sanders was carted off the field early on after turning his ankle so If he were to miss Week 8 Gainwell would become the go-to option for the Eagles backfield with Boston Scott mixing in as well.

Miles Sanders’ health status will be key to how aggressive fantasy managers should be with Gainwell but even with a healthy Sanders, the rookie carries flex appeal against the upcoming soft defense of the Detroit Lions. Gainwell’s roster percentage should be much higher than it is currently and he will be my top waiver wire recommendation for Week 8. Evan Ritter @ev_ritt3

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RB Brandon Bolden (NEP) 10% Rostered

Bolden has 22 targets since James White went down at the beginning of Week 3 with a season-ending injury. That’s 11th among RBs in that timespan. He’s not seeing a ton of snaps (46, 32, 38, 20, and 28 percent), but he’s being targeted when he’s on the field. Those targets paid off for fantasy managers in Week 7 to the tune of 19.9 PPR points.

The Patriots are playing a really good Los Angeles Chargers team in Week 8 which means they could be playing from behind and utilizing the pass-catching skill set of Bolden quite a bit. We are in the thick of injury and bye season, so pick up Bolden for a little insurance for your bench or as a starter in a pinch. Erik Johnson @FantasyBBQ

TE C.J. Uzomah (CIN) 15% Rostered

Tied for the most tight end touchdowns this season, C.J Uzomah is still oddly under the radar. Maybe people are still thinking there are too many mouths to feed in Cincinnati to keep up his production. While Uzomah trails the trio of Bengals’ wide receivers in receptions, he leads them in catch percentage (89.5%).

With Joe Burrow favoring the deep ball, that kind of trust is valuable. Burrow leads the league in pass yards per attempt with an average of 9.2, and though Ja’Marr Chase is the receiver helping fluff that stat, Uzomah’s average yards per reception is 15.1! That ranks 20th in the entire league of receivers. Of his next three opponents, the Jets and the Raiders rank in the top ten in fantasy points surrendered to the tight end position over the last three weeks. Cecily Riddell @MrsTeamRiddell

WR Randall Cobb (GB) 19% Rostered

Devante Adam’s is on the Covid-19 list and will need 2 negative tests before Thursday, if he’s out I think we can plug and play these Green Bay WRs. Don’t forget this game still has a 51 point total. Jared Good @TheYetiExpress 

Russell Gage (ATL) 29% Rostered

It was easy to forget about Russell Gage. Kyle Pitts and Calvin Ridley were all the rage. And then Cordarelle Patterson showed up and stole the thunder. No one cared when Gage got hurt. But now that he’s back, let’s give him a second look. Although the Falcons receivers line up all over the place, Gage takes most of his snaps out of the slot.

Matt Ryan has thrown for more than 300 yards in his last two games and has thrown for at least two touchdowns in each of his last five games. Gage could very well become Ryan’s ace in the hole threat. It was quite promising that he scored a touchdown in his first game back. Cecily Riddell @MrsTeamRiddell

Other to Consider

RB Boston Scott (PHI)

RB Kenyan Drake (LV)

WR Kalif Raymond (DET)

WR Dante Pettis (NYG)

WR Amari Rodgers (GB)

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