Week 8 Waiver Wire: Fantasy Football's Top Pickups and Breakout Candidates

We're coming up on the halfway point of the 2016 fantasy season, which means the fantasy playoffs are either looking like a solid possibility or a distant dream for your squad. 

But never fear! It's not too late to whip your team into shape with some savvy pickups. Drafted tight end Jordan Reed in Round 2 and waiting for him to get back healthy? Lamenting the loss of running back Thomas Rawls and his projected production from your weekly points total?

We have alternative targets at tight end, running back and more for you to target on waivers ahead of Week 8. And because they're all owned in a maximum of 60 percent of fantasy leagues, you have a good shot of claiming them in time for kickoff.

Player	Team	Week 8 Opponent	Percent Owned (as of Sunday)
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
Alex Smith	KC	@ IND	38%
Sam Bradford	MIN	@ CHI	17%
Chris Thompson	WAS	@ CIN	11%
Matt Asiata	MIN	@ CHI	20%
Davante Adams	GB	@ ATL	18%
Jamison Crowder	WAS	@ CIN	36%
Jack Doyle	IND	vs. KC	30%
Jacob Tamme	ATL	vs. GB	27%

Players to Watch

Chris Thompson, RB, Washington

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

This fantasy writer realized late Saturday night that all her running backs were either out with injuries or on bye weeks in Week 7 and frantically submitted a waiver claim for Washington running back Chris Thompson.

It worked out pretty well.

Thompson scored more fantasy points than many fantasy backs owned in most leagues, posting 18.30 in Yahoo PPR scoring. He carried the ball 12 times for 73 yards and added another 40 yards on seven receptions, making him an excellent pickup in PPR leagues.

Thompson received the lion's share of available snaps among Washington's backfield, as Pro Football Focus' Nathan Jahnke pointed out:

He also averaged six yards per carry against the Detroit Lions' front seven on Sunday, a solid indication that his rushing style is something you can rely on from week to week and that this performance was not a fluke. 

Thompson may not always get as many opportunities as he did in Week 7, given his use was correlated with Matt Jones' benching after fumbling the football. But we're heading into the part of the fantasy season when running backs are invaluable; between bye weeks and injuries, you need to stock your bench. Thompson is one of the best pickups out there.

Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers

You have probably had Davante Adams on your roster at some point. Maybe you drafted him before the 2015 season, when he was supposed to receive the targets that became available when top Green Bay Packers wideout Jordy Nelson tore his ACL during a preseason game.

That didn't work out great for fantasy owners, most of whom shied away from picking up Adams in this summer's drafts. After all, Nelson is healthy again, and the Packers have so many weapons for Aaron Rodgers.

But on Thursday night, against the Chicago Bears, Adams finally looked like the player we were told he could be. He was Green Bay's top receiver, connecting with Rodgers on 13 receptions for 132 yards and two touchdowns.

It's clear that the trust and chemistry between Rodgers and Adams is developing rapidly. Moreover, something seems to be off with Nelson, who had just one reception against Chicago. 

Green Bay's pass-catchers can be a frustrating group to have in fantasy; Randall Cobb, Nelson, Adams and Ty Montgomery all share targets, and only one or two of them find the end zone in a given week. But Adams scored an incredible 38.20 points in Yahoo PPR leagues in Week 7. That's worth a spot on your bench at the least. 

Jack Doyle, TE, Indianapolis Colts

"

Indianapolis scores! Andrew Luck with a touchdown pass to Jack Doyle, and Colts lead Titans 27-23 https://t.co/QSWMHW2fVu

— SI NFL (@si_nfl) October 23, 2016"

We last previewed Jack Doyle in the Week 4 waiver-wire pickups article, and at that time, the breakout Indianapolis Colts tight end was owned in just 10 percent of leagues. 

He's now owned in 30 percent of leagues, so some of you took that advice, but some are still waiting for a good reason to pick Doyle up. 

How does 22.80 points in Week 7 sound? That's better than the Kansas City Chiefs' Travis Kelce (4.40), Tennessee Titans' Delanie Walker (21.40) and Cleveland Browns' Gary Barnidge (12.60), all of whom are owned in at least 70 percent of fantasy leagues. 

Doyle had nine receptions for 78 yards and a touchdown in a big day against the Titans on Sunday.

He has a tricky matchup against the Chiefs defense in Week 8, but given bye weeks or injuries that have made starting tight ends unavailable to owners, Doyle is a solid insurance policy. 

Scoring stats and ownership stats via Yahoo Sports and current as of Oct. 23.