Week 8 Waiver Wire: Fantasy Projections for Top Pickups and Sleeper Targets

We're at the halfway point of the 2015 NFL season, which, yes, is an odd 17 weeks, but most fantasy owners need not worry about that last slate of games.

So Week 8 is the midway point in pretend football, meaning most fantasy owners have a pretty good idea of where they stand in their leagues. Those at the top will be looking to solidify their status, while everyone fighting in the middle or the bottom will be utilizing their strong waiver-wire priority standings to scrape together whatever talent they can for a playoff push. 

Here's a look at the top pickups and drops from the major fantasy football sites, along with stat projections for the top players and a sleeper to consider.

Adds and drops are based on ESPN and Yahoo Sports fantasy football leagues and do not include kickers or defenses. Players owned in over 50 percent of leagues—except in particularly notable cases related to player performances or depth chart changes—are not included to account for the larger 12- and 14- team fantasy leagues.

Top ESPN Pickups
Top Yahoo Pickups
Player	% Owned	% change last 7 days
Benjamin Watson, TE, New Orleans	45.1	+41.1
Stefon Diggs, WR, Minnesota	43.8	+40.8
James Starks, RB, Green Bay	45.4	+23.1
Ladarius Green, TE, San Diego	36.3	+20.8
Brandon LaFell, WR, New England	37.6	+17.1
Christine Michael, RB, Dallas	47.6	+16.1
Michael Floyd, WR, Arizona	56.5	+14.6
Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, New York Jets	24.4	+13.1
Matt Jones, RB, Washington	52.8	+12.8
Rishard Matthews, WR, Miami	56.9	+11.3
Player	% Owned	No. of Monday Adds
Darren McFadden, RB, Dallas	38	27,577
Alfred Blue, RB, Houston	18	24,711
Eric Ebron, TE, Detroit	24	16,694
Danny Amendonla, WR, New England	14	15,412
Chris Polk, RB, Houston	3	9,580
James Starks, RB, Green Bay	52	8,797
Marvin Jones, WR, Cincinnati	41	7,360
Nate Washington, WR, Houston	5	6,331
Ryan Mathews, RB, Philadelphia	49	5,886
Ladarius Green, TE, San Diego	48	5,194

Top ESPN Drops
Top Yahoo Drops
Player	% Owned	% Change last 7 days
Marcus Mariota, QB, Tennessee	38.8	-20.8
Richard Rodgers, TE, Green Bay	34.6	-18.1
Leonard Hankerson, WR, Atlanta	38.0	-15.4
Owen Daniels, TE, Denver	32.1	-14.9
Thomas Rawls, RB, Seattle	34.4	-14.7
Knile Davis, RB, Kansas City	38.9	-13.2
Javorius Allen, RB, Baltimore	8.1	-13.2
Sam Bradford, QB, Philadelphia	49.4	-10.5
Darren Sproles, RB, Philadelphia	48.8	-9.7
David Johnson, RB, Arizona	43.9	-9.5
Player	% Owned	No. of Monday Drops
Christine Michael, RB, Dallas	45	14,815
Matt Jones, RB, Washington	48	6,271
Knile Davis, RB, Kansas City	26	4,959
Sam Bradford, QB, Philadelphia	63	4,725
Leonard Hankerson, WR, Atlanta	33	4,569
Ladarius Green, TE, San Diego	48	4,130
Josh McCown, QB, Cleveland	16	3,378
Theo Riddick, RB, Detroit	28	3,111
Landry Jones, QB, Pittsburgh	6	3,062

Top Pickup Projections

Darren McFadden, RB, Dallas

Darren McFadden was the latest running back to shine in the ongoing fantasy roulette that is the Dallas Cowboys backfield. McFadden carried the ball 29 times for 152 yards and one touchdown in the 'Boys' 27-20 loss to the rival New York Giants. It was quite the workhorse performance for the veteran back, who had all of 37 carries in his previous five games.

ESPN Stats & Info noted it had been some time since McFadden had put together a game like that: 

It's understandable if fantasy owners don't quite trust McFadden going forward. Prior to his season-ending injury, fantasy owners saw Lance Dunbar siphoning snaps from everyone else as the top back in passing situations. Heading into Sunday's game, reports suggested that Christine Michael might finally get his chance to lead the committee, supplemented by then-nominal starting back Joseph Randle. 

Michael did get five carries for 18 yards—by far more action than he's seen in any other game—but once McFadden established himself as the hot back against the Giants, there was no reason for Dallas to keep fiddling. 

McFadden again has a chance to be a one-man show rather than part of a committee in Week 8 against Seattle. Michael didn't impress in his few chances, and Randle is day-to-day with an oblique strain, per NFL.com's Jeremy Bergman.

Other than Randle's 87-yard, three-touchdown day against Atlanta in Week 3, McFadden's performance was the most prolific day for any Cowboys back this season. For a team that is floundering without stars Tony Romo and Dez Bryant, it's production that can't be ignored. 

Seattle has been a brutal matchup for running backs this season, allowing just 12.26 fantasy points per game, per Yahoo Sports. Only the New York Jets have been stingier. McFadden won't put up another eye-popping total like he did against the G-men, but he absolutely has a chance to gather up all the fantasy scraps Seattle will allow in Week 8.

Projections: 18 carries, 85 yards; 2 receptions, 20 yards

Alfred Blue, RB, Houston

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

With Arian Foster confirmed as out for the rest of the season by Houston head coach Bill O'Brien, per ESPN.com's Tania Ganguli, fantasy owners are left scrambling without one of the league's better running backs.

Naturally, attention turns to Alfred Blue, Foster's backup and ostensibly the man in line to take over for him in the offense. 

Blue has been unimpressive for the most part this season, save for his 139 rushing yards and one touchdown against Tampa Bay in Week 2. In his past three games, Blue has carried the ball 15 times for 47 yards. He's a nonfactor in the passing game with just three receptions on the year.

LeagueSafe.com's Paul Charchian and numberFire's J.J. Zachariason aren't hot on Blue: 

Houston plays Tennessee in Week 8, not a particularly appealing matchup from a fantasy perspective. The Titans have quietly put together one of the league's better defenses, and are allowing just 16.65 fantasy points per game to running backs this year, per Yahoo Sports. 

There's also the lurking specter of Chris Polk, a hard-nosed runner averaging 3.5 yards per carry this season and popping up a bit in the passing attack with 11 receptions. On this horrid Houston team, Blue should get plenty of work. Whether he has any chance to be effective in the long or shot term on this struggling team is another story entirely. 

Projection: 15 carries, 50 yards, 1 touchdown

Sleeper Target

Brandon LaFell, WR, New England

Darren McCollester/Getty Images

Brandon LaFell's 2015 debut was a game to forget for the veteran wideout. Targeted eight times, LaFell caught just two passes for 25 yards and recorded an unofficial six drops, per NFL.com's Dan Hanzus. The 28-year-old had just come off the PUP list and was a bit rusty.

Dropping six passes in a game seems like the kind of thing that mistake-averse head coach Bill Belichick would cut a guy for before he gets back to the locker room. However, Tom Brady has come to the veteran wide receiver's defense, saying on WEEI's Dennis and Callahan Show (via the Boston Herald's Adam Kurkjian) that he still has faith in his ability: 

"

Everyone has confidence in (LaFell). It was his first game back, and those weren't all easy catches. Some may have hit his hands but they weren't right in the sweet spot. I think for all of us, it's getting back into the football mode and dealing with the game speed and so forth. But I've got a lot of confidence in (LaFell) and what he's been able to do. He's been great here and we're going to keep finding ways to get him the ball.

"

Brady's words could be empty gestures to keep fans and media off LaFell's case, but it's more likely that he's anticipating the LaFell who caught 74 passes for 953 yards and seven touchdowns last season shows up in Week 8. The 28-year-old LaFell is in his athletic prime and adds a different dimension to the passing attack as a tall, rangy wideout on the flank, something Brady doesn't have in Julian Edelman or Danny Amendola.

It also helps that Brady has thrown the ball at least 30 times in five of the Patriots' six games this year, so there are plenty of targets to go around on this dominant New England team.

LaFell was clearly rusty, so look for the Patriots to give him a few more chances Thursday. They'll need all hands on deck to beat a resurgent Miami Dolphins team that is playing with passion and zest under interim head coach Dan Campbell. 

Projection: 8 targets, 6 receptions, 80 yards