Many a fantasy football championship has been won with the waiver wire. Following Week 8 action, these are the names that should be on owners' radars going forward. And fear not if your waiver priority is low -- we have some sneaky pickups for you as well.
Ownership percentages are courtesy of Yahoo.
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Quarterbacks
Derek Carr, Raiders (38% Owned): This Derek Carr thing is real. He has averaged 311 yards and four touchdowns in Oakland's last two games, and on Sunday he lit up the Jets, who boast one of the NFL's top secondaries. Carr hasn't been picked off more than once in any game this season, and he's been over 300 yards three times. With six bye weeks coming up, somebody needs to be starting the Carr.
Alex Smith, Chiefs (27% Owned): Smith hasn’t thrown an interception since Week 3, and on Sunday in London he showed that he’s also a threat in any given week to post high rushing totals. 78 rushing yards and a score is unexpected, but Smith’s legs can often help him salvage weeks in which his passing yardage is low. Smith is on bye this week, so he shouldn’t be too difficult to add. He’s a quality backup should anything happen to your starter.
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DEEP OPTION: Geno Smith, Jets (0% Owned): Smith filled in for an injured Ryan Fitzpatrick, who is likely to miss time with torn ligaments in his non-throwing hand. Smith looked generally awful in his relief appearance, but because he’s athletic and willing to throw his body around, Smith will pile up solid rushing numbers. At most, Smith is just a bye week replacement vs. good matchups…such as Week 9 vs. Jacksonville.
Running Backs
Theo Riddick, Lions (24% Owned): Riddick has emerged as the most valuable back in Detroit’s backfield. He drew seven targets in the passing game and five carries vs. the Chiefs in their debacle in London. His production wasn’t impressive, but the usage alone makes him a player you can start since there are almost no dependable RBs in fantasy anymore,
DeAngelo Williams, Steelers (23% Owned): Le’Veon Bell was carted off the field with what looked like a very serious knee injury. Williams is not a special back, but in the Steelers’ high-powered offense, with Ben Roethlisberger back in action, he will be highly productive.
Jeremy Langford, Bears (7% Owned): Matt Forte is going to miss time with what is believed to be an MCL injury. Lnagford hasn’t been impressive at all in limited action this season, but he gets first crack at replacing Forte, so usage alone makes him a must-add.
DEEP OPTION: Dexter McCluster, Titans (13% Owned): McCluster continues to play a Danny Woodhead-type role for the Titans, and he will put up bigger numbers once rookie QB Marcus Mariota comes back. He’s never going to carry the load for Tennessee because of his size, but he’s going to get enough touches to make a big play.
Wide Receivers
Ted Ginn Jr., Panthers (38% Owned): Ginn leads all Panthers wide receivers in targets, and with Cam Newton having an MVP-caliber season, that’s really damn good. Ginn is not a great receiver skills-wise, but he has incredible speed and athleticism. Newton has been smart enough to hit him on simple routes like drags or streaks, and Ginn’s been solid.
Stevie Johnson, Chargers (43% Owned): Johnson didn’t do much last week, but he also missed some time with a shoulder injury in the first half. He came back, and should see buckets of targets if Chargers No. 1 Keenan Allen missed the next game with his injured shoulder. Keep an eye on it.
DEEP OPTION: Kamar Aiken, Ravens (18% Owned): Baltimore Ravens…meet your new No. 1 receiver. Steve Smith Sr. injured his Achilles on Sunday, ending his season. Chris Givens has been helpful so far, but Aiken is going to scoop up most of the targets vacated by Smith.
Tight Ends
Eric Ebron, Lions (48% Owned): Ebron failed to score for the first time in three weeks, but he caught 3-of-5 targets. Ebron is still the second-most explosive option in Detroit’s admittedly broken passing game, and he will continue to get red zone looks. Comfortably start him, except for this week, because he’s on bye.
DEEP OPTION: Crockett Gillmore, Ravens (8% Owned): Gillmore’s targets are less consistent than you’d want, but he is a threat to score a touchdown every single week, and he should see more work with target-hound Steve Smith out for the season.
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