Week 8 Waiver Wire: Fantasy Football's Top Pickups and Breakout Candidates
This NFL season continues to be an odd one. Scoring remains down—in fact, through Week 6 teams had scored the fewest points per game (20.5) since 2010—and major injuries have wreaked havoc throughout the league.
In fantasy, too, it's been a difficult season to parse. A handful of rookies have had breakout games, making them tempting waiver additions, but on the whole, that group of players runs hot and cold. And even veteran players have proven difficult to get a handle on, posting double-digit points while they're available on rosters but then disappearing when they're in managers' starting lineup.
Though there is no such thing as a sure thing in fantasy, the following players are your best bets as you navigate waivers ahead of Week 8.
Players were considered breakout candidates if they were rostered in 40 percent of leagues or fewer heading into Week 7.
Josh Downs, WR, Indianapolis Colts
1 of 3
Rostered: 35 percent
Week 7 stats: 5 rec, 125 rec yds, 1 rec TD, 23.50 pts
One week after he caught his first career touchdown, Josh Downs was at it again, racking up 23.50 fantasy points in the Indianapolis Colts' narrow loss to the Cleveland Browns 39-38.
The one-point defeat may have been heartbreaking, but Downs has been a bright spot this season. The rookie has seen six or more targets in his last three games and he bounced back, to say the least, in Week 7 with 125 yards on five receptions after totaling just 21 yards on the same number of receptions last week.
By the conclusion of Sunday's afternoon slate, Downs was the highest-scoring fantasy receiver. He should be a priority pickup ahead of Week 8.
Kendrick Bourne, WR, New England Patriots
2 of 3
Rostered: 24 percent
Week 7 stats: 6 rec, 63 rec yds, 1 rec TD, 1 fum, 19.3 pts
If you can accept the age-old fact that trying to predict the breakout player in the New England Patriots offense from week to week is an exercise in frustration, wideout Kendrick Bourne is becoming harder and harder to ignore on the waiver wire each week.
After Bourne posted 24.4 points (points-per-reception scoring) in Week 1 thanks largely to his two touchdowns, fantasy managers scrambled to submit waiver claims for him. As he failed to top 10 points in any game after that, his rostered percentage slowly decreased. And then, of course, in Week 7 he tied his season-high in targets (11) and hit a season-high in receptions (10).
Bourne still hasn't found the end zone since Week 1, but if you're in a PPR league, you should absolutely plan to have him on your bench, if not in your lineup, so that he doesn't end up on an opponent's.
Joshua Kelley, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
3 of 3
Rostered: 21 percent
Week 7 stats: 7 att, 75 rush yds, 1 rush TD, 13.50 pts
You just have to shake your head and laugh.
When Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler was out with a high ankle sprain, fantasy managers turned to backup Joshua Kelley. The move didn't pan out; Kelley scored 3.9, 1.7 and 6.5 yards respectively in the three weeks Ekeler was out. When Ekeler returned in Week 6 following the Chargers' Week 5 bye, Kelley got just one carry.
Naturally, Kelley went off against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7, totaling more yards than Ekeler with half the carries and being the team's only rusher to find the end zone. What can you do?
For most people, Kelley is not a priority pickup heading into Week 8. But if you already roster Ekeler, it seems like you may have to handcuff him with Kelley, or miss out on double-digit outings. But good luck deciding who to start in any given week.
Scoring and rostered percentage via FantasyPros.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
