Another week of fantasy football action is in the books, as owners everywhere scour the waiver wire to find the best available running back pickups. Looking around the league shows that players like Jamycal Hasty and Carlos Hyde offer the best chance of positive performance in the coming weeks.
Note that, in order to be eligible for this list, the player needed to be available in at least 50% of fantasy leagues. Obviously, there is some variation from league to league, so make sure to peruse all available players before making your claims. There could be a better option available in your specific league.
Week 8 Waiver Wire Claims: Running Back – Wide Receiver – Quarterback – Defense
Jamycal Hasty, Carlos Hyde Highlight Fantasy Football Week 8 Running Back Waiver Wire Pickups
Jamycal Hasty (or Tevin Coleman)
The San Francisco 49ers simply cannot keep their running backs healthy and upright. After losing Raheem Mostert to injury, the team lost Jeff Wilson to a high-ankle sprain during his fantastic three-touchdown performance. In his absence, Jamycal Hasty usurped Jerick McKinnon as the lead running back in this offense. This is the second week he’s done this, so there is a very real chance that he is the starter next week. Under normal circumstances, Hasty would be the clear top running back waiver wire pickup.
Unfortunately for fantasy football owners, these are not normal circumstances. Running back Tevin Coleman is currently eligible to return from the short-term injured reserve and could throw a wrench into this backfield. As of this posting, it’s unclear whether or not the team will activate Coleman for Week 8. He’s worth a claim either way, but keep an eye on this situation as the week progresses.
Carlos Hyde
Carlos Hyde will only carry fantasy football value if Chris Carson misses time. The former seventh-round pick and clear leader of Seattle’s backfield suffered a foot injury during Sunday Night Football and did not return to action. In his absence, Hyde ran for 68 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Carson suffered a “midfoot sprain” and the team will run tests to see how much time he will miss. If Carson’s gone for an extended period of time, then Hyde is the top running back claim of the week.
J.K. Dobbins (or Gus Edwards)
The Baltimore Ravens have one of the best running attacks in the league, but their three-headed backfield limits the overall fantasy value of any one player. That said, one of those heads might not play in Week 8. Mark Ingram suffered an injury in Week 6 and did not return to the field. Baltimore, of course, had a bye week in Week 7, so there’s no way of knowing whether or not he could’ve suited up.
Running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards are both available in over 50% of leagues and are well worth a claim. If Ingram cannot go, both of these players should have enough work to be a serviceable flex play. You’ll need to monitor the injury report, but both players are worth rostering for the upside alone.
Zack Moss
The Devin Singletary show is officially over in Buffalo. While the second-year running back is still seeing the field, the Bills clearly want to use a two-headed attack in the backfield. Zack Moss and Devin Singletary both saw 10 touches in Buffalo’s 18-10 win over the New York Jets, and this even distribution should continue throughout the season. However, not all touches are created equal.
As mentioned in the offseason, a healthy Moss should handle most of the goal line and receiving work. These touches are far more valuable than Singletary’s, and Buffalo should have plenty of scoring opportunities in Week 8. The Bills face off against a New England Patriots team that simply cannot move the ball and cannot stop the run. Moss is a great season-long stash and has good touchdown upside in a favorable matchup.
Week 8 Waiver Wire Claims: Running Back – Wide Receiver – Quarterback – Defense
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