Fantasy Football 2022 Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickup Advice
Is your fantasy team in need of new blood? Each week I’ll bring to you the best pickups to make ahead of the waiver deadline. All the players I list will be owned in fewer than 50 percent of leagues, with the roster percentages coming from Yahoo.com.
Quarterbacks
Daniel Jones, Giants (41% Rostered): I promise I am not overreacting to the Giants’ stellar record here, I am simply acknowledging that they’ve built an offense that helps Jones do two things: first, it helps him limit turnovers. Second, it capitalizes on his rushing prowess, which for years made him an intriguing lottery ticket. The passing numbers still aren’t there for him, which really limits his upside, but he has logged double-digit rushing attempts in two of his last three games, and scored three rushing TDs on the year. If that keeps up, it establishes a safe floor, and his upcoming slate could mean an uptick in the passing game. No promises here, but at this point he’s probably worth a look over the glossy veteran pocket passer names that are far more widely rostered.
Jameis Winston, Saints (21% Rostered): Winston is someone to add on the cheap and simply drop if the Saints decide to stick with Andy Dalton, but Dalton’s Thursday night turnover-fest probably did him no favors. Winston is simply a more talented player than Dalton is, and with Chris Olave emerging as a legitimate WR1 for this team, Winston suddenly has playmakers around him here. Upcoming dates vs. the Raiders and Ravens are juicy as well.
Running Backs
Gus Edwards, Ravens (44% Rostered): Edwards’s roster percentage is shocking given his past production and the team he plays for, but perhaps fantasy managers feared a repeat of J.K. Dobbins’ failed season. Well, Edwards played the long game, and returned to an immediately fantasy relevant workload scoring twice and posting 66 yards on 16 carries. Edwards instantly became the top add of the week, as he appears to have this backfield to himself. He likely won’t be on the field in obvious passing situations, but when he is on the field, expect him to get the ball. This is a potential league-winner like Kenneth Walker III.
D’Onta Foreman, Panthers (50% Rostered): Foreman should’ve been grabbed the second news of Christian McCaffery’s trade hit the media, but now there will be a vicious FAAB battle for his services. Foreman does have to share his workload, but he’s done nothing but perform the last two seasons as Derrick Henry’s backup, and he gave Carolina 118 yards on 15 carries this week in a win over the Bucs while adding two catches. Foreman is a back who absolutely can be a three-down beast; maybe Carolina won’t give him so much work, but even if he shares, his efficiency is a plus.
Chuba Hubbard, Panthers (37% Rostered): Hubbard played well for Carolina too, turning nine carries into 63 yards and a touchdown. Foreman is more built for a beating, and Foreman has also been a better back the past few seasons, but Hubbard clearly has a role in this offense and can assume control in any given game if he’s hot early. Foreman is the preferred add because his bigger frame suits him for goal line work, and it’s important to remember this is a bad offense, but Hubbard moving forward is a fairly safe bet to not goose his managers.
Tyler Allgeier, Falcons (40% Rostered): Allgeier has become mightily important to an offense that spent extremely high draft capital on TE Kyle Pitts and WR Drake London. It doesn’t make sense to anyone but Atlanta’s coaching staff, but the facts on the ground are that he has seen double-digit carries in five of the six games for which he’s been active. Allgeier even scored a touchdown this week vs. the Bengals. Even when Atlanta is down big, they refuse to do anything but run the rock and create clouds of dust they presumably believe will eventually confuse opposing defenses. I don’t know. I just see a lot of work for Allgeier until Cordarrelle Patterson is ready to play again.
Latavius Murray, Broncos (39% Rostered): Murray may or may not be Denver’s preferred guy. The offense is poor enough that it doesn’t really matter. But Murray will see work each week, and he’s likely to be the preferred goal line option due to Melvin Gordon’s frequent fumbles. This makes Murray a low-ceiling, TD-dependent play, but a RB you can play in a pinch.
Wide Receivers
Mecole Hardman, Chiefs (24% Rostered): Hardman has scored four touchdowns in the last two games. That’s not going to continue, so do not add him with those kinds of expectations. Outside of Travis Kelce, there’s not a single Chiefs skill player you can count on every single week. Juju Smith-Schuster figures to lead the WRs in targets most weeks, but Hardman is a player that will see a few designed plays in every game. Those plays could easily amount to nothing, but unlike Juju or Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who rely on regular old passing game targets, Hardman is basically guaranteed a few touches per game. With his speed, and with Patrick Mahomes delivering the ball, that has some value. Hardman is a high-risk emergency FLEX.
Garrett Wilson, Jets (49% Rostered): Wilson’s production has completely cratered since Zach Wilson’s return under center, but that doesn’t mean his talent has gone anywhere. The Jets found a winning formula with limiting the passes and riding rookie RB Breece Hall, but that’s over now. They’ll still try to establish the run as much as possible, but James Robinson and Michael Carter cannot replace what Hall brought to the table. More will have to be places on Zach Wilson’s shoulders, and his top option is Garrett Wilson. Expect his target share to rise and for him to do a lot more moving forward.
Marquise Goodwin, Seahawks (2% Rostered): Goodwin is about to see a lot of opportunity with D.K. Metcalf sidelined. While we don’t know the extent of Metcalf’s injury, and the initial reports are that he avoided a serious issue, he is probably going to miss some time. Goodwin is the logical downfield replacement in an offense that has always featured two pass catchers. Goodwin’s no Metcalf, but he does have blazing speed and Geno Smith has been among the NFL’s most precise passers in 2022. This is definitely a high-risk play, but it really could pay off in a fun way.
Elijah Moore, Jets (42% Rostered): Moore, like Wilson, has shown zero chemistry with Zach Wilson, to the point he asked for a trade and was deactivated for Week 7. Well, Hall’s gone and Corey Davis is hurt, so Moore should have a chance to make an impact. I wouldn’t play him right away, but he’s a very talented receiver who can put up numbers if he’s given the chance.
Tight Ends
Greg Dulcich, Broncos (13% Rostered): Rarely do you find a rookie TE worth adding mid season, but Dulcich is a third round pick in the 2022 draft who scored a touchdown in his debut and then drew nine targets against the Jets in his second game. At a position where high volume guarantees a player’s value, Dulcich might be able to provide that. He’s worth a pickup, especially while Russell Wilson is injured and people are in no rush to add Brett Rypien’s weapons.
Mike Gesicki, Dolphins (41% Rostered): Gesicki is a more known commodity, with a very high weekly ceiling, but he’s also a severe goose threat. Gesicki has drawn seven targets in back-to-back games, so it’s possible his role is expanding to a place befitting his talent, but we’ve seen this movie before. He’s absolutely playable, but be aware of the pain he can cause.