Week 8 Waiver Picking

We're halfway to the playoffs. It's time to let some formerly good players go. Here's a list of widely-owned players I think can be dropped/traded in all standard 10-team leagues if you need space: Cordarrelle Patterson, Zac Stacy, Toby Gerhart, Steven Jackson, Doug Martin, Jason Witten, Chris Johnson, Montee Ball, Darren McFadden, Shonn Greene, Riley Cooper, Hakeem Nicks, and Larry Fitzgerald. Commence the riots. 

Here's my waiver recommendations for this week.

QUARTERBACKS

Kyle Orton @ NYJ

I think Kyle Orton has figured out this offense – but frankly that doesn’t matter. He’s playing the Jets, who have a terrible, awful, no good, very bad secondary. They won’t have an answer for the Orton-to-Watkins formula… and that spells success.

Teddy Bridgewater @ Tampa Bay

Remember that preseason Vikings offense that everyone thought would be feared? The one that had AP, Rudolph, and soon-to-be phenom Cordarrelle Patterson? Well… that dream is dead. However, Teddy Bridgewater will show a shadow of that against the Bucs. Start him.

Jake Locker vs. Houston

Jake Locker is coming back! Jake Locker is coming back! We think. But if he plays this week, I like him better than either of the two above-mentioned QBs. He’s got talent to throw to (Justin Hunter, Kendall Wright, and Delanie Walker) and he can run (18 for 107 yards and a touchdown this season). So grab him and go. I like him as a high-end QB2 in 10 team leagues for the rest of the year.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Davonta Adams @ New Orleans

An offense that has Aaron Rodgers throwing the rock can usually support about 3 WRs, and Davonta Adams has taken over that 3^rd WR role. With two touchdowns over the last three games, Adams is a great waiver add this week against a terrible New Orleans defense.

Doug Baldwin @ Carolina

In case you’ve lived under a rock for the past week, Percy Harvin is now over with the Jets. This opens the door for Doug Baldwin to do nothing but produce, produce, produce. Seattle will have to move the ball, and to do so Baldwin will have to catch a few. So grab him – he’s a weekly WR2/Flex play from here on out.

Jarius Wright @ Tampa Bay

See Teddy Bridgewater above. Bridgewater is going to have a big week, and a rising tide lifts all boats (or something like that… I suck at established metaphors). He’s produced pretty regularly since his breakout week 4, so you can start him this week with a good degree of confidence.

RUNNING BACKS (aka Slim Pickin’s)

Note: I’m not listing matchups here. The running backs I list below need to be owned in all 12-team leagues. Some of them need to even be owned in all 10-team leagues. Yes, I mean for the rest of the season.

Tre Mason (St. Louis Rams)

Zac Stacy played 1 snap. ONE. SNAP. Tre Mason is the clear leader of a platoon that includes Benny Cunningham and Stacy (but not really Stacy – ONE SNAP). The Rams have a good O-Line for Mason to run behind, and Mason could emerge as the official starter if he keeps this up. It’s true that he doesn’t play in third-down passing situations, but that very likely will change as the Rams fall in love with this kid. Add him in all 10-team leagues. (Drop Zac Stacy.)

Denard Robinson (Jacksonville Jaguars)

No, the Jaguars are not suddenly going to be good. However, Denard Robinson has the chance to solve fantasy woes for those of you who have Toby Gerhart. Robinson is going to be the starter going forward, and he’s got explosive ability and soft hands. I don’t like his apparent lack of ability to make defenders miss, but if you get him in open space or outside the tackles he will take it to the house. I expect the Jags to be down a lot (duh) but because he operates as a receiver too then he will stay on the field. (Note: in Yahoo leagues he has dual RB/WR eligibility, which is cool.)

Bryce Brown (Buffalo Bills)

Sure, he hasn’t played a snap this year. In fact, he hasn’t been active for a single game this year. But he’s a young, explosive talent that will take over for the Bills now that Spiller is out for the season and FJax is out for a month. There are platoon concerns with Anthony Dixon, but I think Brown is the guy in Buffalo. Add in 10-team leagues. (Bonus: You can also add Anthony Dixon in 12-team leagues.)

TIGHT ENDS

Charles Clay @ Jacksonville

I like Charles Clay as a TE2. I like matchups against Jacksonville. I like Charles Clay against Jacksonville as a borderline TE1. Math.

Scott Chandler @ NYJ

The Jets defense is bad against tight ends… really the Jets defense is bad against anything through the air. Chandler is in a position to produce this week, and he’s received at least 5 targets in all but 1 game he’s played in this year. I say he finally finds the endzone this week with some decent yardage to go with it.

Lance Kendricks @ Kansas City

3 touchdowns in his last 4 games – they like to look for him in the endzone. You can make an argument to start any tight end in the league this year, but this is a pretty convincing one. If you’re desperate, grab him.


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