Week 8 Waiver Wire: Top Adds, Drops and Long-Term Fantasy Sleeper Targets

There is no way to make up for an injured superstar on a fantasy football roster, but you can find replacements who can lessen the blow going forward.

Arian Foster was the latest big name to suffer a season-ending injury after reportedly tearing his Achilles Sunday. If you had him and Jamaal Charles on your roster, things are not going your way. Of course, these are real people suffering real injuries, so maybe consider that before crying about how it affects your team—especially because in your situation, you can do something about it.

Make sure you look toward the waiver wire for some potentially useful additions for your fantasy team.

Note: All players available in over 50 percent of ESPN leagues.

Pos.	Player	Team	Percent Owned*
QB	Derek Carr	Oakland Raiders	33.1
QB	Teddy Bridgewater	Minnesota Vikings	27.6
RB	Darren McFadden	Dallas Cowboys	42.6
RB	James Starks	Green Bay Packers	45.3
RB	Alfred Blue	Houston Texans	18.8
WR	Stefon Diggs	Minnesota Vikings	43.8
WR	Danny Amendola	New England Patriots	16.1
WR	Nate Washington	Houston Texans	5.7
TE	Jordan Reed	Washington Redskins	41.7

Derek Carr, QB, Oakland Raiders

Denis Poroy/Associated Press

It wasn't just that Derek Carr threw three touchdown passes against a solid San Diego Chargers secondary, it was how good the Oakland Raiders offense looked in all phases. His touchdown pass to Clive Walford was simply perfect:

Having a player like Amari Cooper can also seriously improve a quarterback's stats when he can do this after the catch:

Carr has the arm talent and weapons around him to continue posting big numbers for the rest of the year, depending on the matchup. This last part is where you have to be careful, because he has a tough one against the New York Jets this week. Still, he is worth adding if you are patient enough to save him.

If he plays to his ability, the quarterback can be a legitimate top-10 option at the position for the rest of the year. 

Alfred Blue, RB, Houston Texans

Bob Levey/Getty Images

The running back position is so shallow in fantasy football that any starter is a must-own player, which makes Alfred Blue a worthwhile claim on the waiver wire. He will get the first crack at replacing Foster as he did earlier in the season, when he rushed for 187 yards and a touchdown over the first three weeks.

This doesn't come without major concerns, however. Blue has lacked consistency (139 rushing yards in one game this year, six in another) and has only averaged 3.3 yards per carry over his career. He also hasn't proved to be much of a receiver out of the backfield.

It wouldn't be a major surprise to see Chris Polk take away some of the touches as well, which makes him a decent add as well if you have an extra roster spot.

Darren McFadden and James Starks are both involved in messy backfield situations, but have clear upside if they are able to earn their starting jobs. If you need a potential difference-maker, grab one of those players despite the obvious risk that they will do nothing.

If you simply need a bye-week fill-in with a starting running back, Blue should be able to get you some points and hopefully a few scores.

Stefon Diggs, WR, Minnesota Vikings

Rick Osentoski/Associated Press

It is amazing that Stefon Diggs is still available in so many leagues, but you can be certain this won't be the case going forward. While the other targets at receiver are simply the best of a bad week and can't be trusted on a consistent basis, Diggs is a potential star at the position.

After catching seven passes for 129 yards in Week 6, the rookie followed that up with six catches for 108 yards and beautiful touchdown grab:

Pro Football Talk was certainly impressed:

Diggs doesn't have elite speed, but he is an excellent route-runner who knows how to get open with strong enough hands to bring down everything in his area. He has also earned the trust of quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, which means more targets will be on the way.

If he is still available in your league, make sure to grab him immediately.

Jordan Reed, TE, Washington Redskins

Matt Hazlett/Getty Images

It's understandable if fantasy owners are sick of waiting for Jordan Reed to get healthy. In his third season in the league, the tight end has already missed 14 games due to injury.

When he is in the lineup, though, Reed has shown he can be an elite tight end at this level. He finished Week 7 with 11 catches for 72 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner in the final seconds. Kirk Cousins knows where to look, and Reed simply does the rest.

Grant Paulsen of 106.7 The Fan explained how important the tight end is to the squad:

The big question is whether or not he can stay healthy. When active, he has become a must-start regardless of the matchup. This means Reed should at least be on a fantasy roster in every league.

Pos.	Player	Team	Percent Owned*
QB	Kirk Cousins	Washington Redskins	6.4
QB	Jameis Winston	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	16.0
RB	Orleans Darkwa	New York Giants	0.0
RB	Khiry Robinson	New Orleans Saints	8.4
RB	Antonio Andrews	Tennessee Titans	31.0
RB	Chris Polk	Houston Texans	1.2
RB	Zac Stacy	New York Jets	2.7
WR	Robert Woods	Buffalo Bills	5.4
WR	Chris Conley	Kansas City Chiefs	0.4
WR	Brice Butler	Dallas Cowboys	0.1
TE	Eric Ebron	Detroit Lions	27.3

Eric Ebron might be the safest player on this list after getting his third touchdown in five games played. Like Reed, he could be a quality option if he can stay healthy, but it is understandable if you want to see a little more production before picking him up.

The most interesting player to watch is Orleans Darkwa, who looked impressive with his first carries for the New York Giants. The running back finished with 48 rushing yards and a touchdown on just eight carries, which is more than we have seen from the others in the same backfield this year.

Head coach Tom Coughlin planned to give him an opportunity going in, according to the Record's Art Stapleton:

After seeing Darkwa running hard and fighting for extra yards, there could be more chances in the future.

Coaching staffs are also fans of Khiry Robinson (New Orleans Saints) and Antonio Andrews (Tennessee Titans) with both players reaching double-digit carries Sunday. Neither can really be trusted in a fantasy lineup just yet, but their workload should be monitored going forward.

Finally, Robert Woods could be a useful player with the Buffalo Bills if Sammy Watkins and Percy Harvin remain out for an extended period of time. If either or both return to the lineup, Woods will likely fall back into fantasy obscurity.

Pos.	Player	Team
QB	Colin Kaepernick	San Francisco 49ers
QB	Sam Bradford	Philadelphia Eagles
RB	Tre Mason	St. Louis Rams
RB	Bishop Sankey	Tennessee Titans
RB	Knile Davis	Kansas City Chiefs
RB	Andre Williams	New York Giants
WR	Marques Colston	New Orleans Saints
WR	Charles Johnson	Minnesota Vikings
WR	Malcom Floyd	San Diego Chargers

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