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

Once again, the NFL season confounded fans, as a few head-scratching results took place on Sunday.

The Buffalo Bills, which had allowed just 60 points in their last four games, lost 37-5 to the Indianapolis Colts.

The Philadelphia Eagles blew a 17-0 home lead to the Carolina Panthers, who scored 21 points in the last 11 minutes.

The Chicago Bears, which had allowed just over 16 points per game in September, gave up 38 points (including two special teams touchdowns) at home to the New England Patriots after losing 31-28 to the Miami Dolphins the week before.

This has been one of the more fun NFL regular seasons in recent memory, and the same goes for the fantasy landscape, as massive individual scores and shocking waiver-wire surprises have become the norm.

Here's a look ahead at some potential Week 8 waiver-wire pickups. A note that players currently available in 50 percent or more of Yahoo leagues were not included.

Week 8 Top Breakout Candidates and Pickups

Arizona Cardinals WR Christian Kirk (26 percent) vs. San Francisco 49ers

Jacksonville Jaguars QB Cody Kessler (0 percent) vs. Philadelphia Eagles at Wembley Stadium, London

Jacksonville Jaguars WR Donte Moncrief (11 percent) vs. Philadelphia Eagles at Wembley Stadium, London

Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin (49 percent) at Cincinnati Bengals

New York Jets RB Trenton Cannon (0 percent) at Chicago Bears

New York Jets TE Chris Herndon (1 percent) at Chicago Bears

Miami Dolphins WR Danny Amendola (10 percent) at Houston Texans

Buffalo Bills RB Chris Ivory (7 percent) vs. New England Patriots

New England Patriots RB Kenjon Barner (1 percent) at Buffalo Bills

New Orleans Saints WR Tre'Quan Smith (17 percent) at Minnesota Vikings

Potential Options Because of Injuries

Unfortunately, a few skill-position players suffered injuries on Sunday.

Patriots running back Sony Michel suffered what looked like a serious knee injury versus the Bears. Per Mike Reiss of ESPN, Michel was carted off the field and did not return.

Bills running back LeSean McCoy hit his head on the turf after being tackled in the first quarter of his game with the Colts. The team reported that McCoy suffered a head injury and would not return. Thankfully, he did walk off on his own power.

New York Jets running back Bilal Powell suffered a neck injury following a three-yard run against the Minnesota Vikings, per Rich Cimini of ESPN. He did walk off the field, per Ralph Vacchiano of SportsNet New York, but he did not return.

The long-term statuses of Michel, McCoy and Powell are unknown at this time. If any of them miss games, then the replacement options are clear.

Kenjon Barner stepped in for Michel and rushed for 36 yards on 10 carries. Pats running back James White will likely assume most of the touches (he had 19 for 97 yards and two scores), but Barner should be getting snaps as his backup.

Chris Ivory replaced McCoy and gained 106 yards from scrimmage on 19 touches. He also took over for McCoy in the lineup against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3, gaining 126 yards from scrimmage.

Rookie Trenton Cannon replaced Powell and caught four passes for 69 yards, as the Jets more or less abandoned the run and went to the pass to try to get back into a game they eventually lost 37-17.

Ivory is the most intriguing option of these three. He will be the Bills' No. 1 option against the Patriots next Monday should McCoy sit if previous games are any indication. While Buffalo has had trouble scoring all year, it's hard to ignore Ivory's volume of work when McCoy is out. If he gets 20-plus touches again, Ivory is worth a flier if you're looking to fill a spot at running back or the flex.

Cannon is a solid option too. As Cimini noted, Jets running back Isaiah Crowell is battling an ankle injury that is clearly bothering him: He's rushed for just 69 yards on 24 carries in his last two weeks after going off for 219 yards versus the Denver Broncos. Cannon could see a lot of work against the Bears.

Barner is the least intriguing of the three because it's clear he's the second option in his team's backfield if Michel is out. He also may not see much in the way of pass-catching duties, as that is White's forte (45 receptions, 380 yards, six receiving touchdowns).

Still, if you lose out on some other options and Barner is sitting on the waiver wire, he's worth a shot against a Bills team that just gave up 220 rushing yards versus the Colts.

Pick Them Up Before They Become More Popular

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Christian Kirk and Tampa Bay Buccaneers wideout Chris Godwin are somehow free agents in more than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues, so take advantage if that's the case for your league.

Kirk has 23 catches (on 32 targets) for 337 receiving yards and a touchdown in his last five games. He's first on the team in receptions this year and second in targets behind only Larry Fitzgerald.

Of note, Kirk's best work has come with rookie quarterback Josh Rosen calling signals. The ex-UCLA star took over in Week 3. On Sunday, Kirk faces the San Francisco 49ers, whom he beat for a 75-yard touchdown catch in Week 5.

All Godwin does is produce. Aside from a two-catch, 22-yard performance in a 48-10 Week 4 loss to the Bears where nearly everyone on his team had bad games, the ex-Penn State star has amassed 59 receiving yards or scored a touchdown in each of his remaining five contests. For the season, he has 26 catches for 308 yards and four scores.

On Sunday, Godwin goes against the Cincinnati Bengals, who have given up a bottom-10 league mark in points allowed per game (26.3). Another productive outing could be in the works.