Bolster your fantasy football roster with these recommendations from SI Fantasy senior expert Dr. Roto
Quarterbacks
Baker Mayfield, CLE
Mayfield had his best game as a professional in Week 7 against the Bengals, and sadly they have already played twice this season. But I think Mayfield showed that he could produce in big spots and showed that he is not ready to lose playing time to backup Case Keenum just yet. Sadly, Odell Beckham Jr. is out for the year with a knee injury, but in a crazy way, this might benefit Mayfield. It seemed like he was forcing the ball to Beckham and not just throwing to the open receiver. If he can just relax and play like he knows how the schedule is kind to him the rest of the way.
MORE FANTASY: Week 8 Droppables
Tua Tagovailoa, MIA
Ryan Fitzpatrick certainly has reason to be disappointed. He played well and was not deserving of being benched. That said, Tua is the now and the future of the Dolphins, so the team obviously wanted to get him into the lineup to start developing a rapport with his skill players. Tua is deadly accurate as a passer and has an uncanny feel in the pocket. The sky's the limit for him--if he can withstand the pounding, he's going to take under center.
Drew Lock, DEN
Lock clearly struggled against the Chiefs defense, but that game was in inclement weather. TE Noah Fant is still getting healthy, and Lock needs time to gel with his receivers after missing a few games. Looking at Lock's schedule, he has upcoming matchups against the Chargers, Falcons, Raiders, and Dolphins. It’s a favorable schedule if you are desperate for a QB.
Kyle Allen, WAS
I am starting to warm up to Allen as a potential add in the deepest of leagues. Washington has been competitive this year and has a few skill players (Gibson and McLaurin) who have the makings of stars. I am not sure that Allen will air it out 35-40 times a game, but he is a significant improvement from Haskins and understands Scott Turner’s complicated offense.
Running Backs
Chase Edmonds, ARI
With the report that Kenyan Drake will miss a few weeks with a slight ligament tear in his right ankle, Edmonds moves to the top of the charts for the number one waiver wire selection. He is probably not available in most deep leagues, but in shallow leagues, he probably is--and is well worth the selection. Arizona is on bye in Week 8, but when they return, Edmonds will be one of the better RB options on DraftKings, as he is a true three-down back who can turn a dump-off into a big play. If Edmonds available, add him ASAP!
Gus Edwards, BAL
Mark Ingram suffered an ankle injury in the Eagles game, and the Ravens have struggled to run the ball effectively. From my vantage point, the Ravens need to get Edwards more carries, and I really think that will start to happen soon. If you are in a league with a deep roster, stash Edwards now and hope to cash with him later in the season.
DeeJay Dallas, SEA
News out of Seattle is that RB Chris Carson has a mid-foot sprain, which is another term for a Lisfranc injury. As we all know, those do not heal quickly, and although the team is saying 4-6 weeks for the injury to heal, I think it will be longer than that. Dallas is not my first option for Seattle, but he might be the healthiest. Carlos Hyde is the likely starter, but he injured his hamstring against Arizona. Travis Homer has a knee contusion, limiting him, and Rashaad Penny is still at least a week from returning. This could mean that Dallas is the Week 8 starter, which would give him a nice boost. Be careful not to overpay for one week, as I think this will be a true committee when everyone is healthy.
Gio Bernard, CIN
Bernard is probably not available on waivers in most formats, but Joe Mixon is likely to miss another week with the ankle injury he suffered against the Colts. If Bernard is still available, he needs to be picked up now. The worst-case scenario is that you trade him to the Mixon owner once Mixon returns.
Zack Moss, BUF
Take a look and see if Moss is on your league's waiver wire. Sometimes, fantasy managers get impatient when there are injuries and don't want to waste a roster spot on a not producing player. Moss does have a ton of ability, and Devin Singletary has not shown that he can handle the full workload. The Bills need to get their offense going, and Moss might be the one to help. I liked him a lot during my drafts, and just because he's been a disappointment thus far doesn't mean that he can't rectify the situation and improve.
JaMycal Hasty, SF
With Mostert and Jeff Wilson both injured, it looks like Hasty will get some opportunities over the next few weeks. He rushed nine times for 57 yards against the Patriots and showed some juice. Jerick McKinnon will be back in the lineup in Week 8, and Tevin Coleman is expected to be activated off the IR, so look for Hasty to get worked into the games, but the committee limits his upside that he's in.
La’Mical Perine, NYJ
Jets head coach Adam Gase has stated that he wants to get Perine more involved in the Jets' offense. For the first time in his coaching history, Gase was good to his word, giving Perine 13 touches against Buffalo. He is clearly the most talented RB on the roster, so I expect him to see his touches increase to about 16-18 soon.
Wayne Gallman, NYG
Gallman is worth a deep flyer in PPR formats with Devonta Freeman banged up. He has flashed some potential in the past and, if given the opportunity, could be a decent cheap option in DraftKings Monday night showdown contest against Tampa.
Wide Receivers
KJ Hamler, DEN
With Tim Patrick dealing with an injured hamstring, Hamler moves high up on the list for waiver-wire options. Hamler has incredible speed and gives the Broncos another wide receiver (along with Jerry Jeudy) to challenge CBs downfield. The bigger question is whether QB Drew Lock is consistent enough to get him the ball.
Rashard Higgins, CLE
Now that Odell Beckham Jr. has been ruled out for the season with a knee injury, Higgins will get the first opportunity to replace him in the Browns' starting lineup. Higgins is not the biggest or fastest receiver around, but he is a solid route runner who has shown decent chemistry with Baker Mayfield. Someone in your league is bound to overpay for him based on his potential opportunity, but remember that the Browns are a run-first offense, and Higgins' upside is limited.
Donovan Peoples-Jones, CLE
Peoples-Jones is the team’s sixth-round pick in this year’s draft. He’s got good size and speed but still needs to learn the entire route tree. There is upside here as he will be involved in all three-wide sets. Peoples-Jones will benefit from the team’s bye in Week 9 as it will give him more time to work with the first-team offense and take reps with Baker Mayfield. He makes for a solid stash and cash play who might help towards the end of the season.
Sterling Shepard, NYG
Be careful spending a ton of FAAB on Shepard as he is very talented but always seems to find his way to the trainer's table. That said, he will immediately be a large part of the Giants passing attack and should be a solid source of fantasy production in PPR formats.
Denzel Mims, NYJ
I was very excited when the Jets drafted Mims, thinking that he would pair nicely with Perriman and Crowder to give the Jets a good young trio to work with QB Sam Darnold. Mims got off to a rough start, injuring himself in training camp and not playing in his first game until last week against Buffalo. The Jets have two brutal matchups against Kansas City and New England, followed by a bye in Week 10. Mims is nothing more than a stash play in the deepest of leagues at this point.
Danny Amendola, DET
No one ever feels good about rostering Amendola, but he always seems to get about 4-5 targets per game. The Lions have a tougher part of their schedule coming up, so I can see Amendola giving solid PPR production for those who desperately need it.
Devin Duvernay, BAL
The Ravens are in desperate need of playmakers, and they have started integrating Duvernay into their offense. With the Ravens coming off their bye week, look for Duvernay's fantasy production to increase quickly.
Mecole Hardman, KC
Hardman is a streaky player who might do nothing on some weeks and put up two TDs on others. While that is incredibly frustrating, there is considerable fantasy value to be had if you are willing to hold him on your roster.
Jalen Guyton, LAC
I listed Guyton for a few reasons. First, he seems to be the Chargers big-play receiver. Second, Mike Williams and Keenan Allen have a checkered injury history. And third, Justin Herbert has a knack for throwing to the most unexpected people (Virgil Green!) Guyton feels very much like the Chargers version of Mecole Hardman.
Nelson Agholor, LV
Admittedly, I have never been a big fan of Agholor, but right now, he is etched into the Raiders' lineup, and Derek Carr seems to use him more than any other wide receiver. Agholor has limited value (especially when Bryan Edwards returns), but the Raiders have a great matchup against Cleveland in Week 8, which could be a nice spot to use Agholor.
Tight Ends
Logan Thomas, WAS
Thomas is a freakish athlete who stands 6'6" and has a huge wingspan. He is continually on the field for most of the team's snaps and seems to be growing more confident each week. QB Kyle Allen feels comfortable throwing to Thomas, who could be a huge boost for his fantasy production. Thomas is averaging about six targets per game, tied for 10th-most at the position.
Trey Burton, IND
Indianapolis uses multiple tight ends, but the one who seems to be emerging is Burton. He is very athletic and will be on the field when the Colts are trailing. Don’t forget that QB Philip Rivers loves throwing to his tight ends. Burton has been a bargain on DraftKings, but I do see his value beginning to increase shortly.
Richard Rodgers, PHI
With Zach Ertz out for the next 4-6 weeks and Dallas Goedert not activated off IR, Rodgers will be the team's starting TE. He's got a prime matchup against the Cowboys next Sunday night, so if he's the starter, you will certainly want to add him.
Harrison Bryant, CLE
Who needs Austin Hooper when you have Harrison Bryant?! All kidding aside, the Browns coaching staff has been enamored with Bryant since training camp, so it was not surprising to see him thrive in his first game as a starter. Hooper will most likely be out in Week 8, and the team has a bye in Week 9, so be careful not to overspend on Bryant as he might have only one more week in the starting limelight.
Tyler Kroft, BUF
Kroft got the start against the Jets due to the entire tight end group being unavailable with COVID. He is still No. 1 on the depth chart and the playing time for Dawson Knox and the others is still uncertain. I would probably leave Kroft on waivers for now, but be ready to add him later in the week when more news comes out from Buffalo.
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