Week 8 is in the books and the fantasy season has reached its midpoint. There will be increasingly more byes for teams, so you’ll need plenty of subs on your fantasy roster. Luckily, there are a few options out there that can be claimed or picked up. Plus, with the trade deadline looming, more players will find new homes. These trades will definitely shake up the fantasy production of many players. Week 9’s list features the standouts from Week 8; but, Week 10’s list will feature the players who were traded and Week 9’s standouts. Here are some waiver wire targets before Week 9 begins.
Note that to qualify for this list, these players need to be available in around 50% of leagues or more. These leagues are generally around the size of 10-12 teams.
Donovan Peoples-Jones Featured Waiver Wire Target for Week 9
Running Backs
Caleb Huntley, Atlanta Falcons
Huntley is getting an about-equal share of touches with Tyler Allgeier but the latter is technically the starter. This week, Huntley had 16 carries and turned it into 91 yards, for an average of 5.7 yards. Allgeier had 14 carries but only turned it into 39 yards. Allgeier did make up for his lackluster rushing game through the air. While Allgeier is technically the starter, Huntley will start to get more touches if it means a more productive running game for the Falcons. He is currently available in over 94% of leagues.
Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers
Warren is the RB2 for the Steelers behind a clear-cut number one in Najee Harris. But Harris has gotten off to a very slow, unproductive start to 2022. While Warren’s usage has been limited, he’s made the most of his time. He broke out several 10+ yard plays in Week 8 and that has certainly caught the eye of coaches. Warren’s 50 rushing yards were put up on six carries and he paired that with three catches for 25 yards. Harris has continually been battling an injury and seems out of place. If a major injury happens to occur to Harris or if Warren’s value skyrises, he’ll be a valuable asset to have. Warren is available in over 97% of leagues at the moment.
Wide Receivers
Donovan Peoples-Jones, Cleveland Browns
Peoples-Jones has slowly but surely become a good fantasy option at receiver. In eight games this year, DPJ has about 12 fantasy points or more in five of those games. He has received a steady look of targets, getting four or more in every game except in Weeks 2 and 3. He is currently WR48 but is being held back substantially by those two poor weeks. Without those, he would skyrocket to WR33, which is equal to a WR2 or flex start every week. As Jacoby Brissett settles into the offense and Deshaun Watson’s return nears, Peoples-Jones and Amari Cooper will get more looks in the Browns’ growing passing game. He is currently available in over 85% of leagues, making him an easy option to pick up and have stored on your roster.
Rondale Moore, Arizona Cardinals
Moore has been on-and-off all year, posting what seems to be a good week every other week. In the five games that Moore has played in, he had eight or more targets in three of them. In those games, Moore has 20 catches for a grand total of 209 yards. He may not be the number one or two options on the time, but he at least possesses upside. With the Cardinals frequently dealing with issues like injuries and what not, they could always use a good weapon at receiver. With DeAndre Hopkins excelling, Moore’s ceiling can only be so high. That’s why it’s important to buy low on Moore now in the event that he turns into a fantasy stud later in the year.
Tight End
Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars
Engram has put together a few solid weeks and has found himself on the “fantasy-worthy” list for the first time. His start to the season was dreadful but he has built several consecutive good weeks. In the past four games, Engram has six or more targets in each. Most recently, Engram compiled 55 yards on four catches, including a touchdown, in Week 8. In that aforementioned four game span, Engram has 231 yards on 19 catches. He is averaging 12.1 yards per catch in that span, which is really helpful to a developing but struggling Jags offense. Look for Engram’s usage and production to continue to increase as the season goes on.
