Mark Walton, Chase Edmonds, and Ty Johnson are some of the hottest waiver-wire targets in Fantasy right now, and CBS Sports NFL Draft writer Chris Trapasso is looking back into his scouting reports on each to provide a unique perspective as you decide whether to use a Week 8 waiver claim on them or if you should drag any into your starting lineup:
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Johnson can ab-so-lutely fly. And, at 5-10 and 208 pounds, he looks like a cannon ball exploding down the field. He battled injuries at Maryland but finished his four-year career with a huge 7.6 yards-per-carry average on 348 rushes.
Right after the draft, I pegged Johnson as a potential "instant impact" Day 3 rookie and wrote he "was one of the most devastating home run hitters I watched among the running backs in the 2019 class."
Johnson was a combine snub, which is probably why he barely garnered any pre-draft buzz, but was clocked between 4.26 and 4.34. Yes, pro day 40-yard times need to be inflated a bit, but those are blazing times for a 200-plus pound back.
When the Lions picked him in the sixth round, I gave Detroit an instant grade of "B+," and after noting his freakish speed wrote, "He has decent contact balance and adequate agility."
For the Terrapins, Johnson was a one-cut-then-go boulder of back who could, of course, outrun everybody in the open field. In Darrell Bevell's zone-based system, Johnson's a perfect fit. Expect some stinker runs from Johnson, but he has major upside as a back who can hit one or two long runs per game, which is all you may need to get a double-digit Fantasy point day out of him. And, with Kerryon Johnson on IR following knee surgery, Ty Johnson could be the Lions' top option at running back for the rest of the season — and the top priority on waivers in Week 8.
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Edmonds was that dude at Fordham, averaging 6.2 yards per carry on a gargantuan 938 rushes spanning four seasons for the Rams. He also caught 86 passes in those four years for 905 yards (10.5 yards per).
Because Edmonds was not on my Top 150 in the 2018 draft class, I gave the Arizona Cardinals a "C+" immediately following their selection of him in fourth round at No. 132 but wrote: "Slightly early. Runs very hard for being a small RB. Some twitchiness."
Much of Edmonds' production in college was due to him simply being considerably more athletic than basically everyone else in the Patriot League. He was a clear combine winner but was obviously overshadowed by the performance of Saquon Barkley. I wrote this about his impressive workout:
"At a compact 5-foot-9 and 205 pounds, he ran 4.53 40, had a 34-inch vertical and 10-foot-2 broad jump, and dazzled with a 6.79-second time in the vital three-cone drill, the best among running backs in attendance. The shifty back with impressive acceleration helped himself a great deal today."
Edmonds hadn't gotten more than eight carries in a game this season until his 27-attempt, 126-yard, three-score eruption against the New York Giants in Week 7. However, before his breakout effort, Edmonds was averaging a robust 6.7 yards per rush (161 yards on 24 carries) and had a total of five receptions in two games for 57 yards and a receiving score.
It may have taken Edmonds a year to acclimate to the speed of the NFL coming from the small-school ranks, but he seems to be fully comfortable nearly midway through his second pro season. Given David Johnson's ankle injury, Edmonds is probably a starter in your league right now, even with the Alfred Morris signing. He was Jamey Eisenberg's top priority on waivers wherever available — at least before the Kerryon injury.
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Is Walton primed to spend the back half of the 2019 season as the Dolphins' lead back? Sure looks like it.
He was my RB10 and No. 100 overall prospect in the 2018 class after a consistent career as a dynamic weapon at the University of Miami. When he was picked by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth round (at No. 112 overall), I gave them an instant "A" grade for the selection and wrote,"Gio Bernard clone. Small, super-shifty. YAC machine as a receiver."
Pre-draft, I actually compared Walton to Dion Lewis and wrote that while Lewis was twitchier, Walton had better long speed. Buuut, he did run a relatively slow 4.60 at the combine yet measured in at a stocky 202 pounds at just under 5-foot-10. Walton averaged 5.83 yards per carry over his final 265 attempts in college. While not a huge part of the passing game in an injury-riddled final season with the Hurricanes, beyond his inherent, make-you-miss ability, Walton's Fantasy value is multi-layered because he proved to be a reliable receiver in his first two seasons at Miami with a total of 49 receptions for 533 yards (10.8 yards per grab).
This year with the Dolphins, Walton has turned 11 targets into nine catches for 58 yards (6.4 yards per) and has, far and away, been the most effective runner in Miami's backfield, averaging 4.7 yards per rush to Kenyan Drake's 3.7 and Kalen Ballage's 1.7. With Drake on the trade block, Walton could become a must-add (if not must-start) option despite Miami's overall offensive problems, especially with the potential to become the go-to late-game catch-up option when the Dolphins are trying to make up points if they trade Drake.
On a team with a less-than-stellar blocking unit, Walton's nimble footwork and receiving skills will bode well for his sustainability as a useful offensive weapon for the Dolphins and fantasy owners.
