If Jay Ajayi’s last two weeks have proved anything, it’s that midseason waiver-wire pickups can absolutely swing entire fantasy football matchups—and perhaps even seasons.
The Miami Dolphins running back went from superfluous to superlative in the span of two weeks, rushing for a combined 418 yards and three touchdowns against the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers, quickly establishing himself as a fantasy football savior and one of the more exciting young running backs in the NFL.
While you’re not always going to strike platinum every week on the waiver wire, there’s always a chance you can find a player who will turn your fantasy football season around. Every week is a chance to tinker with lineups and maximize your team’s potential.
Here’s a look at the top pickups heading into Week 8 in Yahoo Sports and ESPN fantasy football leagues. To account for the larger leagues, only players owned in less than 50 percent of leagues will be included for either site.
Not all of these popular pickups will turn out to be gems, so let’s take a closer look at some of the more popular targets and sleepers and make some projections for what they might accomplish in Week 8.
Devontae Booker, RB, Denver Broncos
Fantasy owners who believed in the potential of rookie Devontae Booker were rewarded for their patience and/or prudence on Monday night, as Booker carried the ball 17 times for 83 yards and a touchdown in the Denver Broncos’ 27-9 win over the Houston Texans.
Of course, those hoping that this would be the performance that finally moved Booker ahead of C.J. Anderson on the depth chart might be disappointed, as the latter raised his game and rushed for 107 yards and a score of his own against the Texans. It appeared to be what Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak was hoping for, per the Denver Post‘s Nicki Jhabvala:
Anderson’s big game means the Broncos will be unlikely to turn over lead-back duties to Booker, making him a fantasy football cypher for the time being. Booker’s not much of a receiver out of the backfield, so there’s no edge or extra value to be found there.
The Broncos have a favorable matchup at home against the San Diego Chargers in Week 8. The Bolts have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to running backs this season, per Yahoo Sports.
While Booker is worth grabbing and stashing in leagues of any size, he’s far from an automatic start as long as Anderson keeps raising his game and remains in the picture.
Still, with quarterback Trevor Siemian proving competent if underwhelming statistically, the Broncos could try to jam the ball down the Chargers’ throats in Week 8. Booker scored on a goal-line carry against the Texans; he could do the same to San Diego this week.
Projection: 60 rushing yards, 1 TD
Chris Thompson, RB, Washington Redskins
While Booker is no bonanza in points-per-reception leagues, the same cannot be said for Chris Thompson. The Washington Redskins’ third-year back looks to be one of the safer pickups for Week 8 due to his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and his emergence in the running game.
Against the Detroit Lions in Week 7, Thompson carried the ball 12 times for 73 yards while catching seven passes for another 40.
The Redskins have had an ineffective running game all season, which means the team might take Thompson’s flashes of competence (5.1 yards per carry on the year) and see if he can’t make more plays on a regular basis.
Pro Football Focus’ Nathan Jahnke noted Thompson received far more snaps than his counterparts against the Lions:
Washington is in London for Week 8 against the Cincinnati Bengals, which means a tougher venue than the indoor Ford Field and a tougher defense than the Lions’ toothless unit await Thompson.
Still, he should be in line for plenty of touches due to his abilities in both the run and pass game. Thompson is definitely worth rostering, and with six teams on bye in Week 8, he will be worth a start for many of the fantasy owners who are able to pick him up.
Projection: 70 rushing yards; six catches, 50 receiving yards
Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers
Sometimes, it seems like any wide receiver who snags at least one touchdown in a given week becomes the pickup du jour for the following slate of games, such is the desperation to unearth reliable talent in fantasy football.
While touchdowns can prove fickle for many wideouts, Davante Adams is making a habit out of finding the end zone. He has five touchdowns in six games this season, with two of those coming in a Week 7 breakout performance against the Chicago Bears that also saw him amass 13 receptions for 132 yards.
Even though wide receivers Randall Cobb and Ty Montgomery both caught at least 10 passes from Aaron Rodgers in that game, Adams might still be a safe fantasy play and not one caught up in a situation where he might fall in the passing-game pecking order in any given week.
While Cobb is the undisputed No. 1 on Green Bay, Adams might have a chance to cement himself as the No. 2 option with Jordy Nelson (one catch, nine yards against Chicago) struggling. Montgomery is going to be playing some (perhaps plenty) of running back for the Packers, so much so that he is now listed as a running back/wide receiver in ESPN fantasy leagues, per ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky.
Rodgers had his best game of the season from a yardage standpoint on Thursday, and he may be ready to put some of the clunkier performances that have plagued him since last season behind him.
The Packers have a chance for a big shootout in Week 8 against the Atlanta Falcons, who just gave up 371 passing yards to San Diego’s Philip Rivers on Sunday and are allowing 294.3 passing yards per game on the season. Look for Adams to have a solid day and a touchdown against the Falcons.
Projection: six receptions, 65 receiving yards, 1 TD
Sleeper: C.J. Fiedorowicz, TE, Houston Texans
Yes, Houston Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler is looking to be a giant waste of money and is struggling mightily to make big plays this season, but that doesn’t mean tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz has to suffer.
Fiedorowicz has seen at least seven targets in each of his past three games, and he has scored twice in the past four weeks. He only had 35 receiving yards against the Broncos’ suffocating pass defense in Week 7, but he should have much more breathing room in Week 8 against Detroit. Per Yahoo Sports, the Lions have allowed the third-most fantasy points to tight ends this season.
With Osweiler failing to throw the ball downfield with any sort of competency, the Texans might be relying on the mid-to-short passing options and the running game more often. This could mean even more targets for Fiedorowicz as Osweiler looks to build up his confidence and get something going in the passing game.
Plus, Osweiler has managed to put up respectable numbers against teams with weaker pass defenses such as the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans, so the limp display fans saw from him on Monday might not carry over into next week, benefiting Fiedorowicz.
Considering the Lions are giving up 273 passing yards per game this season (23rd in the league), the widely available Fiedorowicz should have a solid day in Week 8, making him a potentially strong spot play for this week.
Projection: six receptions, 80 receiving yards
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