Week 8 Waiver Wire: Tim Tebow and Other Players Owners Must Avoid

Despite some positive buzz surrounding the following players after Week 7, you should most definitely avoid adding them to your fantasy team for Week 8.

Don't pay attention to what others are saying—these guys are to be ignored at all costs. They face bad matchups this week, and the hype-machine is building them up to be more than they actually are.

Tim Tebow

While Tim Tebow led the Denver Broncos to an impressive 18-15 overtime win against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, fantasy football owners shouldn't exactly be excited about his future as a points-scoring quarterback. 

Tebowmania may be at a fever pitch, but he is still a guy you should avoid in all fantasy formats. The comeback win on Sunday has made many forget how bad the Florida product was for the first 55 minutes of that game. 

Tebow finished the game completing 13 of 27 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 65 yards on eight carries.

Those numbers may seem okay, but when you consider that he did it against a horrible Dolphins team, he doesn't project so well. Tebow was also sacked seven times, and will be facing a much better Detroit Lions defense this weekend. 

Against the Lions, don't expect the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner to accomplish much. There is no reason you should pick him up yet. 

Alfonso Smith

Alfonso Smith is expected to start at running back for the Arizona Cardinals in Week 8, should starter Beanie Wells sit it out with a knee injury. However, while Smith might seem like a good option as a pickup, he'll be facing the always stout Baltimore Ravens run defense.

The 2010 undrafted free agent out of Kentucky shouldn't be expected to post a big game.

With Wells sidelined in Week 3, Smith rushed 17 times for 54 yards and caught three for 21 more against the Seattle Seahawks. Expecting anything more than that in Baltimore, against the Ravens, would be ludicrous. If there is one thing the Ravens do well, it's stuff the run. They are currently third in the NFL in rushing defense, allowing just 85.8 yards per game.

While Smith has been a popular suggestion for players starved for production from the running back spot, picking him up this week would be a mistake. 

Blaine Gabbert

Like Tebow, Blaine Gabbert led his team to an improbable win in Week 7, when his Jacksonville Jaguars knocked off the Ravens in one of the ugliest games that the NFL has produced all season.

While it was a great win for the Jaguars and something for Gabbert to build on, he actually turned in an awful statistical performance. 

Gabbert finished Monday night's game having completed nine of 20 passes for just 93 yards. He had a 59.0 quarterback rating. His first NFL victory was memorable for the fact that his squad beat a very good Ravens team, but not for the first-round pick's performance. He showed almost no pocket presence and was completely out of sync with his receivers.

This weekend, Gabbert will lead the Jags against a very good Houston Texans team and no one should expect him to perform well. He shouldn't even be considered as a No. 2 quarterback on any roster. 

Avoid Gabbert at all costs until he proves himself to be a points producer. It may take all season until we actually see something positive from the Missouri product.