Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Christian Ponder and 5 Must-Have Picks Ups

It's going to be another tough week for fantasy football owners, as several superstars have byes in Week 8. The most notable absences will be Aaron Rodgers, Matt Forte and Roddy White, sending owners to the waiver wire to find replacements.

Correctly utilizing the free agent market can lead a team to fantasy glory. It's all about adding players who are being put in the best position to succeed. Whether it be a running back who is getting extra touches or a wide receiver who is still attempting to capitalize on more targets, there is value to be had.

Without further ado, here are this week's most intriguing waiver wire players.

QB: Christian Ponder

Christian Ponder scored 15 points in his first start for the Minnesota Vikings and kept his team close against the high-powered Green Bay Packers. That performance should be enough to secure the starting job for awhile.

He's going to endure peaks and valleys like every young quarterback, so he'll have to monitor his matchups closely. But, as Cam Newton and Andy Dalton have proven, it's not impossible for a rookie to put up good numbers.

Considering an owner's alternatives are guys like Curtis Painter and Matt Moore, it would be much smarter to take a chance on Ponder than those guys. At least he has the potential to break out, whereas the other free agents have shown they aren't fantasy worthy.

Week 8 Projection: 14 fantasy points

RB: DeMarco Murray

DeMarco Murray rushed for 253 yards and a touchdown with Felix Jones sidelined and made a strong case to remain atop the depth chart even when the injury-prone starter returns. He'll definitely get a chance to back up his eye-popping numbers next week against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Eagles are giving up more than 120 yards per game on the ground and have struggled bringing down powerful runners like Murray. Unless Dallas falls behind early and has to abandon the run, it's hard to imagine Murray not putting up big numbers in Week 8.

He's only owned in one-third of ESPN leagues, so if your league utilizes a waiver system, immediately place a claim on Murray. Otherwise, you'll probably miss out because a performance like that sends owners running to their computers hoping to add him.

Week 8 Projection: 16 fantasy points

RB: Delone Carter

The fragile Joseph Addai returned to the Indianapolis Colts lineup on Sunday night only to leave the field after a few touches and not return. Delone Carter stepped up, running for 89 yards and a touchdown on just 10 carries.

Carter is inching closer to taking over the starting spot, regardless of Addai's status, and that would make him a hot fantasy commodity. Knowing that, it's important you beat your fellow owners to the punch and add him this week.

The Colts have made it a habit to play from behind, so he'll throw in the occasional clunker, but over the remaining weeks, he'll be a great flex play. He's worth a bench spot to cover holes left by injuries and bye weeks at the very least.

Week 8 Projection: 12 fantasy points

WR: Davone Bess

Davone Bess's value has been relegated to point-per-reception leagues in the past, but his stock is on the rise with Matt Moore under center for the Miami Dolphins. Moore likes to throw to the underneath routes, which are Bess' specialty.

He tied for the league lead in targets on Sunday with 12, catching seven of them for 52 yards. There's no reason those numbers can't be replicated and even improved against a New York Giants defense that is still battling injuries.

Bess is owned in less than a quarter of leagues, and you shouldn't have to battle too many other owners for him because his 52-yard outing won't catch the attention of most fantasy players. Pick him up now before his value goes up any further.

Week 8 Projection: Eight fantasy points

TE: Dustin Keller

Tight end is a weak position, and that makes scoring totals which would be considered bad at the other skill spots survivable. Dustin Keller is a perfect example of that. The New York Jets red zone target is averaging seven points per week, which ranks in the top 10 at the position.

They have the bye in Week 8, so owners might be willing to give up on him. If they do and you are in need of a TE, he would be a good addition. He scored 36 in the first three weeks and is still getting a good number of targets, it's just a matter of finding the end zone.

The bye week should allow the Jets to reset their offense and come out after the bye in a better state than they've been in recent weeks. It wouldn't be surprising to see Keller become an even bigger part of the offense moving forward.