Seven weeks of NFL play are officially in the books, which means bye weeks are in full swing. Gone are the days where you could just coast by on a strong draft. Now more than ever, you’ll need to search the waiver wire for all the best available wide receivers. Heading into Week 8, you should set your eyes on Kenny Stills, Alex Erickson, Olabisi Johnson, and DeVante Parker
Note that in order to make this list, the player had to be available in over 50% of fantasy leagues. If you’re in smaller leagues, there may be better players available. Make sure to check your waivers to see if there are any diamonds in the rough before submitting your claims.
Running Back Waiver Wire Claims
Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Claims
Quarterback Waiver Wire Claims
Tight End Waiver Wire Claims
Defense Waiver Wire Claims
Kenny Stills, Alex Erickson Highlight Fantasy Football Week 8 Wide Reciever Waiver Wire Claims
Kenny Stills
Houston Texans wide receiver Will Fuller suffered a hamstring injury in Week 7 and didn’t return to the field. As of this posting, the general public doesn’t know whether or not Fuller will be ready for Week 8. If he’s not, Kenny Stills is a must-start and a high-ceiling play. In Fuller’s absence, Stills went off to the tune of four receptions for 105 yards on five targets. Stills and the Texans face off against an Oakland Raiders unit that just got destroyed by Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. Assuming Fuller can’t suit up, Stills could give you a top-24 performance.
Even if Fuller suits up, Stills can still have some standalone value. While he’s not a target hog by any means, Stills’ elite speed and ability to stretch the field makes him a threat to score every time he touches the ball. It only takes one play for him to be fantasy-relevant, and you could do a lot worse than using Stills as a flex play.
Alex Erickson
Trusting the Cincinnati Bengals offense to do anything in fantasy football is dangerous, but Alex Erickson should be a relatively safe play, considering everything else available on the market. The Cincinnati Bengals don’t have an offensive line, and thus quarterback Andy Dalton has to use quick passes to keep drives alive. Erickson thrives on these shorter routes and has the ability to create yards after the catch.
Erickson currently plays for the Bengals, but nobody would be surprised if he has a new team in the next week or two. The Bengals are going to be sellers at the trade deadline, and several contenders are looking for wide receiver help. Erickson could make his way to the New England Patriots or Green Bay Packers, which would obviously boost his fantasy value. Take a flier on him now and, if you’re lucky, his fantasy value could go through the roof on a high-powered offense.
Olabisi Johnson
Adam Thielen suffered a hamstring injury early in Minnesota’s matchup against the Detroit Lions and didn’t return to the field. Just like Stills, we don’t know if Thielen is going to be ready for Week 8’s matchup. However, seeing as the Vikings play on Thursday Night Football, it’s safe to assume Thielen won’t be ready to go on a short week.
With Thielen sidelined, Olabisi Johnson becomes a viable play in deeper leagues. The former seventh-round pick saw eight targets in Thielen’s absence and ended his night with four receptions for 40 yards and one touchdown. Assuming Thielen’s not on the field, he should have another solid outing against a subpar Washington Redskins defense.
DeVante Parker
Playing DeVante Parker, or really anyone on the Miami Dolphins, is a disgusting thought. The Dolphins are easily the worst team in the league, and their offense or defense cannot consistently do anything right. However, Parker has been remarkably consistent throughout the year. In five of his six games, Parker has recorded at least 50 yards or a touchdown (the other game was against New England).
As of this posting, it looks like Ryan Fitzpatrick is going to be Miami’s starter moving forward. Fitzpatrick is one of the most aggressive quarterbacks in the league and targets wide receivers at a ridiculous rate. As long as he’s under center, Parker should have some fantasy value in deeper leagues.
Running Back Waiver Wire Claims
Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Claims
Quarterback Waiver Wire Claims
Tight End Waiver Wire Claims
Defense Waiver Wire Claims
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