Week 8 Waiver Wire: David Nelson and 5 Players Destined To Get More Touches

One of the biggest factors when deciding who to pick up in fantasy sports is how many times are they going to touch the ball.

It holds true in basketball, baseball, hockey and especially football.

The amount of touches a player gets in football is everything when it comes to deciding between players to pick up.

With all of the injuries and bye weeks, odds are you are shopping at the waiver wire on a weekly basis, looking for that unknown back/receiver to launch your team to the next level.

The pickings are beginning to get slim, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t unknown players who’ll be getting more touches by the week as they prove themselves to the coaching staff. 

Here are five unproven guys who have a big green arrow pointing upwards to more touches and more production as they turn into proven fantasy commodities.

1. Jackie Battle, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

In the past two games, Battle has been given 35 carries in the past two games and has turned that into 216 yards.

I was concerned that Thomas Jones and Dexter McCluster would take enough carries away from Battle to kill his value, but clearly that’s not the case.

Battle is now the man in KC, a team that relies heavily on the run. He is a must-start for the foreseeable future.

2. David Nelson, WR, Buffalo Bills

He is a great flex option during the bye weeks thanks in large part to Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Harvard QB has thrown the ball in his direction 38 times this season, which is the second-most targets behind Steve Johnson.

He has an extraordinary 71 percent catch rate, meaning Nelson is going to be producing every single week.

Already sporting 319 yards and two TDs, there is a good shot Nelson ends up with 1,000 yards and seven to 10 TDs by the end of the season.

3. Michael Jenkins, WR, Minnesota Vikings

It looks like rookie Christian Ponder has found his favorite target. Jenkins had a team-high eight targets on Sunday, racking up 111 yards and a touchdown.

With Percy Harvin continuing to deal with multiple injuries, Jenkins is the main man and worth picking up now that he’s got a QB capable of throwing the ball farther than 15 yards.

4. Roy Williams, WR, Chicago Bears

After getting off to a horrific start, finally Williams is doing something in the fantasy world.

Williams amassed 50 yards two weeks ago, then registered 59 yards and his first TD of the season last week against a solid Buccaneers secondary.

Matt Forte is obviously Jay Cutler’s target of choice, but Williams is emerging as No. 2.

He still is the tallest option for Cutler and, quite frankly, the only other receiver with any sort of success in the NFL. Johnny Knox and Devin Hester continue to prove why they are better in the return game, and the tight ends are an afterthought.

As the chemistry between Cutler and Williams continues to grow, the targets will as well.

5. Keiland Williams, RB, Detroit Lions

The second-year back looked stronger and faster than Maurice Morris in their first audition without Jahvid Best.

Expect Williams to receive twice the amount of touches (nine) that he received last week, yet will still be surrendering a handful of carries to Morris.

Despite the limited attempts on Sunday, he was still able to rack up 44 yards. As the status of Best’s health continues to be a huge mystery, Williams is worth a flex spot for at least the next two weeks.

Remember, this is a high-powered offense that offers an abundance of scoring options on a weekly basis.