Week 7 of the 2019 season will be known as the week Chase Edmonds surprised us. Or maybe it was the week David Johnson and the Cardinals hoodwinked us. It probably depends on what side you were on with the Cardinals' backfield.
To recap, Johnson was active for Arizona's matchup at the Giants despite dealing with an ankle injury leading up to Sunday. He started and got one carry for 2 yards, but that was the only time Johnson touched the field.
Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury said Johnson was active only on a "need-based" situation, which allowed Edmonds to be a star. The Fordham product dominated the Giants with 27 carries for 126 yards and three touchdowns, along with two catches for 24 yards on four targets.
And that brings us to Week 8.
Johnson's health is unknown as of Tuesday morning, but reports that the Cardinals were working out running backs Jay Ajayi and Spencer Ware is likely an indication that he's not 100 percent. Along with the ankle injury, Johnson has also dealt with a back problem for the past two weeks — and third-stringer D.J. Foster is also dealing with an injury.
We'll see what happens with Johnson this week as Arizona plays at New Orleans, but you need to make sure Edmonds is added in every league. He's at 71% ownership on CBS Sports leagues, but that needs to be 100 percent.
We've been talking him up in this space since the Cardinals beat the Bengals in Week 5, the game where Johnson first complained about his back. In his past three outings, Edmonds has scored at least 14 PPR points.
I would expect Johnson to regain his job when healthy, but Edmonds has definitely made a case to get work on a weekly basis. And he had 11 total touches against the Bengals in Week 5 and seven total touches against Atlanta in Week 6 before his explosion in Week 7.
If you can still find Edmonds on waivers in your league then make him your No. 1 priority to add. He's worth at least 20% of your FAAB budget, especially if Johnson is out in Week 8 against the Saints.
It won't be an easy matchup for Edmonds, but his total touches would make him a No. 2 Fantasy running back, especially in PPR. Our only hope would be the Cardinals giving us an indication that Johnson could be out in Week 8, as opposed to what happened in Week 7.
Editor's note: For this waiver wire column, we are only looking at players owned in less than 65 percent of CBS Sports leagues.
Week 8 Waivers
WAIVER WIRE
Quarterbacks
- On a bye: Lamar Jackson, Dak Prescott
- Injuries of note: Patrick Mahomes (knee), Matt Ryan (ankle), Drew Brees (thumb), Cam Newton (foot), Nick Foles (clavicle)
- Priority list: Gardner Minshew (61 percent ownership), Cam Newton (48 percent), Ryan Tannehill (10 percent), Teddy Bridgewater (26 percent), Mason Rudolph (24 percent), Sam Darnold (55 percent), Matt Moore (1 percent)
- Check to see if available: Jacoby Brissett (84 percent), Kirk Cousins (79 percent), Matthew Stafford (78 percent). I would take Brissett, Stafford and Cousins, in that order, over every other quarterback on the list if available.
- Drop candidates: Jimmy Garoppolo (87 percent), Daniel Jones (78 percent). Both quarterbacks are not helping Fantasy players right now, and they can be replaced with other quarterbacks with more upside.
Week 8 Priority List
If you don't need a quarterback for this week then stash Newton with the hope that he'll return soon. He's not going to start in Week 8 at San Francisco, and we'll see how long Carolina sticks with Kyle Allen. But if you have an open roster spot then stash Newton, and he could be a difference maker for your Fantasy team to close the season once he regains his starting job. Newton is worth up to 10 percent of your FAAB.
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Tannehill did a nice job in his first start for the Titans in place of Marcus Mariota against the Chargers in Week 7. He passed for 312 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, and he scored 22 Fantasy points. We'll see what he can do for an encore in Week 8, but Tannehill should be considered a solid streaming option against Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers have allowed four quarterbacks in a row to score at least 21 Fantasy points, and they allow an average of 22.7 Fantasy points to quarterbacks for the season. Tannehill is worth up to 5 percent of your FAAB.
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Bridgewater is probably making his last start with Brees on the way back, likely after the Saints' bye in Week 9. But I expect Bridgewater to go out with a quality performance against the Cardinals. He's scored at least 20 Fantasy points in three of the five starts he's made for Brees, and Arizona has allowed five quarterbacks to score at least 22 Fantasy points in seven games this year. Bridgewater is worth up to 5 percent of your FAAB.
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Rudolph gets the Dolphins this week on Monday night, which is a great setup for him. Every quarterback this season against Miami has scored multiple touchdowns, and the Dolphins allow the most Fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks for the season at 29.0 points per game. Rudolph only has one game with more than 20 Fantasy points since taking over for Ben Roethlisberger (elbow) in Week 2, but this is a great week to trust him as a streamer. He's worth up to 5 percent of your FAAB.
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I originally had Darnold higher on this list, but after his performance against the Patriots on Monday night, it's hard to trust him on the road at Jacksonville. I don't know if he qualifies as a safe streaming option in Week 8 against the Jaguars, who allow an average of just 19.3 Fantasy points per game. But I will add Darnold for his schedule starting in Week 9, when the Jets face Miami twice, the Giants, Washington, Oakland and Cincinnati through Week 14. Darnold is worth 1 percent of your FAAB.
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Moore will start for Mahomes while he's out, and he's worth adding in deeper leagues. The hope is he takes advantage of working under Andy Reid and with stars like Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill. He doesn't have an easy matchup in Week 8 against Green Bay, but Moore has been in this spot before as a replacement quarterback for an extended stretch. In 2016 with Miami, Moore took over for an injured Tannehill, and he averaged 22.7 Fantasy points per game in the final three games of the season. Maybe, Moore can do the same here until Mahomes returns. Moore is worth 1 percent of your FAAB.
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WAIVER WIRE
Running Backs
- On a bye: Ezekiel Elliott, Tony Pollard, Mark Ingram, Gus Edwards
- Injuries of note: Kerryon Johnson (knee), Alvin Kamara (ankle), Ito Smith (concussion), Adrian Peterson (ankle), Malcolm Brown (ankle), James Conner (quadriceps), Chris Thompson (toe), Rex Burkhead (foot), Jaylen Samuels (knee), Darren Sproles (quad), Derrius Guice (knee), Justin Jackson (calf)
- Priority list: Ty Johnson (6 percent ownership), Benny Snell (20 percent), Mark Walton (15 percent), Darrell Henderson (46 percent), Rex Burkhead (41 percent), Wendell Smallwood (1 percent), J.D. McKissic (1 percent), Brian Hill (0 percent)
- Check to see if available: Latavius Murray (84 percent), Royce Freeman (84 percent), Jamaal Williams (82 percent), Chase Edmonds (71 percent), Ronald Jones (71 percent), Kareem Hunt (68 percent). As stated above, Edmonds should be 100 percent owned in all leagues. The same goes for Murray as long as Kamara is out, and Freeman has the chance to be at least a flex option in all leagues moving forward. Williams is working well in tandem with Aaron Jones, and Ronald Jones has the chance to pop if the Buccaneers commit to him as the starter. Hunt is starting to practice for the Browns and will return from his suspension in Week 10.
- Drop candidates: Damien Williams (97 percent), Kenyan Drake (86 percent), Duke Johnson (78 percent), Chris Thompson (64 percent), Rashaad Penny (59 percent). Williams is not playing well, and he's not worth stashing in most leagues, especially 10-team formats. You can stash Drake if you want through the NFL trade deadline on Oct. 29, but he's not going to help you with the Dolphins. Johnson is not producing as a PPR asset, so you can definitely cut bait with him in non-PPR leagues. And with Thompson hurt, he's not worth stashing. As for Penny, it's not a good sign that the Seahawks didn't play him in Week 7 against Baltimore even though he was healthy.
Week 8 Priority List
Kerryon Johnson is likely out for at least the Fantasy season with a knee injury after being hurt Sunday against Minnesota. That means Detroit's backfield will now be led by Ty Johnson and McKissic, but Ty Johnson is the priority add here. He finished the game against the Vikings with 10 carries for 29 yards, along with four catches for 28 yards on four targets, and he should be considered at least a flex option moving forward, and could be a prominent Fantasy option in most leagues. He's worth at least 15 percent of your FAAB budget. McKissic will likely stay in his role on passing downs, and he had a season-high 60 total yards against Minnesota (five carries for 29 yards and two catches for 31 yards on three targets). He has two catches in each of his past two games. McKissic is worth up to 5 percent of your FAAB in PPR.
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If we find out that Conner is out for Week 8 against Miami with the quad injury he sustained in Week 6 against the Chargers then Snell would be the top player to add in all leagues. But even with Conner likely to play against the Dolphins, it's still in your best interest to add Snell since Samuels is still out for the Steelers. In the first game without Samuels in Week 6, Snell had 17 carries for 75 yards, as well as one catch for 14 yards. He should continue to get a quality workload in tandem with Conner until Samuels returns, and he's worth using as a flex against Miami. Snell is worth at least 10 percent of your FAAB.
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As we said last week with Walton, there are two reasons to add him. One, he's already looking like the lead running back in Miami after his performance in Week 7 at Buffalo. And two, the Dolphins could trade Kenyan Drake. Walton had a season-high 14 carries for 66 yards, as well as one catch for minus-8 yards, against the Bills. He's still playing for a terrible team, and Drake (for now) and Kalen Ballage are also getting touches, with Ballage working at the goal line. But Walton looks like the No. 1 running back in Miami now, which makes him a flex play in all leagues in Week 8 at the Steelers. And he could stay in this role for the rest of the season, especially if the Dolphins trade Drake. Walton is worth 5-10 percent of your FAAB.
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I'm still going to keep adding Henderson where available just in case something happens to Todd Gurley, especially while Malcolm Brown is still hurt. Henderson had a season-high 11 carries at Atlanta in Week 7 for 31 yards, as well as one catch for 8 yards. The Rams face the Bengals in Week 8 in London, and Cincinnati allows the second-most Fantasy points to opposing running backs. Henderson can be used as a flex option in that matchup, even as the backup to Gurley. Henderson is worth up to 5 percent of your FAAB.
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Burkhead was again out in Week 7 at the Jets with a foot injury, but he's getting close to a return based on his limited practice sessions last week. When healthy, we'll see where he fits with Sony Michel and James White, and prior to going down in Week 4 at Buffalo, he seemed headed for a prominent role. I would stash Burkhead where available in all leagues, and he scored at least 13 PPR points in two of his first three games when healthy. He's worth up to 5 percent of your FAAB.
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Smallwood is worth adding in deeper leagues with Thompson and now Peterson banged up in advance of Thursday's game at Minnesota. In the first game without Thompson in Week 7 against San Francisco, Smallwood had five carries for 23 yards, as well as one catch for 18 yards. He should work in tandem with Peterson again if he plays as expected against the Vikings, but if Peterson is out then Smallwood is looking at a big workload. It's a bad matchup against Minnesota, but Smallwood would be a flex option if he starts Thursday night. Even as Thompson's replacement, Smallwood should be considered a low-end flex in PPR. He's worth up to 5 percent of your FAAB.
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With Ito Smith out for Week 7 against Seattle, Hill will take over as the No. 2 running back in Atlanta behind Devonta Freeman. We expect Freeman to handle the majority of touches, but Hill is worth a look in deeper leagues. He had a big role in Week 7 against the Rams after Smith went down and Freeman was ejected for throwing a punch, and he finished with five carries for 11 yards, as well as two catches for 14 yards on two targets. It will be tough for the Falcons against the Seahawks if Matt Ryan (ankle) is out and Matt Schaub starts, but Hill could be a desperation flex play in deeper leagues, even as the backup to Freeman. And we don't know how long Smith is out, which could give Hill a bigger role moving forward, especially if something were to happen to Freeman. He's worth 1 percent of your FAAB.
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WAIVER WIRE
Wide Receivers
- On a bye: Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, Marquise Brown
- Injuries of note: Adam Thielen (hamstring), Will Fuller (hamstring), Josh Gordon (knee), Marquise Goodwin (concussion), Sammy Watkins (hamstring), Tyrell Williams (foot), Deebo Samuel (groin), Sterling Shepard (concussion), Davante Adams (toe), Christian Kirk (ankle), DeSean Jackson (groin), A.J. Green (ankle), Jarvis Landry (ankle)
- Priority list: Kenny Stills (37 percent ownership), Corey Davis (38 percent), A.J. Brown (25 percent), Phillip Dorsett (50 percent), Zach Pascal (0 percent), Alex Erickson (0 percent), Bisi Johnson (0 percent), Cole Beasley (42 percent), DeVante Parker (17 percent), Preston Williams (8 percent), Antonio Brown (43 percent), DaeSean Hamilton (6 percent)
- Check to see if available: Marvin Jones (79 percent), Mohamed Sanu (74 percent), Curtis Samuel (73 percent), Marquez Valdes-Scantling (71 percent), Dede Westbrook (71 percent). Jones just scored four touchdowns against Minnesota, which was a surprise, and he should be owned in all leagues. Samuel should continue to be productive for the Panthers coming off his bye. Valdes-Scantling showed off his big-play ability in Week 7 against Oakland. And Westbrook is pushing D.J. Chark to be the No. 1 receiver in Jacksonville. As for Sanu, we'll get into him below following his trade to New England.
- Drop candidates: Sammy Watkins (91 percent), Marquise Brown (83 percent), Tyrell Williams (83 percent), DeSean Jackson (79 percent). Watkins' injury, along with Mahomes being hurt, puts him on this list, mostly for 10-team leagues. The same goes for the injured Brown on his bye. Williams could miss extended time with his foot injury, and we're not sure when Jackson will return.
Week 8 Priority List
Stills benefits with Fuller out, especially if he's going to miss several weeks. He's coming off his best game of the season at Indianapolis in the outing where Fuller was hurt with four catches for 105 yards on five targets, and he played 61 of a possible 65 snaps. He could be great in Week 8 against Oakland since the Raiders allow the second-most Fantasy points to receivers, and Stills is now the No. 2 receiver opposite DeAndre Hopkins with Fuller hurt. You can also look at Coutee in deeper leagues, but he's combined for just seven catches for 64 yards on 11 targets in the past two games. Spend 10-15 percent of your FAAB budget on Stills and up to 5 percent on Coutee.
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I'll bite on the Titans guys in Davis and Brown after their first game with Tannehill in Week 7 against the Chargers. Davis had six catches for 80 yards and a touchdown on seven targets, and Brown had six catches for 64 yards on eight targets. Tennessee plays Tampa Bay this week, and the Buccaneers allow the third-most Fantasy points to opposing receivers. I'll give Davis the slight nod over Brown, but both are worth using as at least No. 3 receivers this week based on the matchup. I'd spend between 10-15 percent of my FAAB budget on each guy. You can also look at Adam Humphries (6 percent ownership) in deeper leagues with the revenge game factor of facing his former team this week.
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I'm still keeping Dorsett as a receiver to add this week, even with Sanu now coming to New England via trade from Atlanta for a second-round pick. I think this move is more of an indication of what's going on with Josh Gordon and his injury, and Sanu is more of a slot receiver than someone who plays on the outside. Dorsett has done well this season when given at least four targets, which has happened four times. In three of those games, he's scored at least 13 PPR points, so hopefully that continues, even with Sanu now in New England. Dorsett is worth 10 percent of your FAAB.
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Pascal is emerging as the No. 2 receiver for the Colts behind T.Y. Hilton, and he's worth adding in all leagues. In three of his past four games, he's scored at least 11 PPR points, including two outings over that span with seven targets. He just had his best game of the season in Week 7 against Houston with six catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns on seven targets, and he should be considered a low-end No. 3 PPR receiver in Week 8 against the Broncos. Pascal is worth up to 5 percent of your FAAB.
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Erickson might not be worth your time if Green plays this week, but if Green remains out then Erickson is someone to consider in PPR leagues. He has 20 targets in his past two games against Baltimore and Jacksonville, and he has 12 catches for 184 yards over that span. He's operating as the third receiver behind Tyler Boyd and Auden Tate, and the Bengals can't run the ball now, which is the reason for his spike in targets. He's someone to consider as a low-end No. 3 PPR receiver in Week 8 against the Rams in London. He's worth 1 percent of your FAAB.
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Johnson has the chance to be a one-week sleeper in Week 8 with Thielen banged up. Johnson just had four catches for 40 yards and a touchdown on eight targets at Detroit in Week 7, and he would be the No. 2 receiver opposite Stefon Diggs against Washington on Thursday night if Thielen is out as expected. We don't expect Thielen to miss extended time, so Johnson is only worth 1 percent of your FAAB.
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Beasley's receptions have tailed off of late with just six in his past two games against Miami and Tennessee, although he did score against the Dolphins. I'm still expecting Beasley to play well moving forward in PPR leagues, and he was on pace for 96 receptions after his first four games this year. He has a favorable matchup in Week 8 against the Eagles, and he's worth using as a No. 3 PPR receiver. Beasley is worth 1 percent of your FAAB.
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Parker and Williams don't have an easy matchup in Week 8 at Pittsburgh, but they also had a tough matchup at Buffalo in Week 7 and played well. Parker had five catches for 55 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets, and he's now scored in three games in a row. And Williams had six catches for 82 yards on eight targets. Both receivers are low-end No. 3 options in most leagues, with Parker having a slight advantage given his ability to find the end zone on a more consistent basis. But one reason I'd be stashing Parker now is the chance he could get traded. A change of scenery, especially with a more productive offense, could improve his outlook in a big way. Both receivers are worth just 1 percent of your FAAB.
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Our CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora reported Sunday that teams could be interested in Antonio Brown after the NFL trade deadline passes on Oct. 29. There's no guarantee for Brown signing with a team, or if he faces a suspension from the NFL while the league continues to investigate a sexual assault allegation levied against him, as well as two failed stints with Oakland and New England. Still, the potential of Brown playing again (San Francisco and Seattle are two potential landing spots) make him worth consideration for your Fantasy team if you have a roster spot to play with. He's worth 1 percent of your FAAB.
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Hamilton is worth stashing now in case the Broncos trade Emmanuel Sanders. As we saw last season when Sanders was hurt for the final four games with an Achilles injury, Hamilton thrived, averaging 13.3 PPR points per game over that span. Keep an eye on what happens with Sanders, and Hamilton is worth 1 percent of your FAAB.
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WAIVER WIRE
TIGHT ENDS
- On a bye: Mark Andrews, Jason Witten
- Injuries of note: Delanie Walker (ankle), Jared Cook (ankle), Chris Herndon (hamstring), Vernon Davis (concussion)
- Priority list: Josh Hill (1 percent ownership), Jonnu Smith (0 percent), Chris Herndon (40 percent), Kyle Rudolph (15 percent), Irv Smith (3 percent), Darren Fells (49 percent), Vance McDonald (43 percent), Dallas Goedert (12 percent), Foster Moreau (1 percent)
- Check to see if available: Jimmy Graham (83 percent), T.J. Hockenson (74 percent), Eric Ebron (70 percent), Gerald Everett (68 percent). All of these tight ends are worth starting this week, with Everett as my favorite one. His playing time and production is up over the past month, and he's scored at least 15 PPR points in three of the past four games. Hockenson has a good matchup this week against the Giants, and Ebron and Graham each found the end zone in Week 7. They are touchdown dependent, but they both should be considered starting options in Week 8 if needed.
- Drop candidates: Delanie Walker (81 percent), Jason Witten (75 percent). Walker has been bad all season and is not worth stashing while he's hurt. I'm also not saving a roster spot for Witten while he's on a bye.
Week 8 Priority List
Finding tight end replacements this week is tough, so we'll lean toward the matchups here as much as possible. And the tight end with the best matchup is Hill if he starts again for the injured Cook. The Cardinals allow the most Fantasy points to opposing tight ends, and Hill just had three catches for 43 yards and a touchdown on three targets against the Bears. I don't love relying on Hill, but he's a plug-and-play option in all leagues with his matchup against Arizona if Cook remains out. Hill is worth up to 5 percent of your FAAB.
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Jonnu Smith is similar to Hill this week as a plug-and-play option given the matchup for the Titans against the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay allows the second-most Fantasy points to opposing tight ends, and Smith could be useful if Walker remains out. Smith just had three catches for 64 yards on three targets against the Chargers in Week 7 after Walker got hurt. Smith is worth up to 5 percent of your FAAB.
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I'm not expecting Herndon to play this week against the Jaguars, but he is worth stashing in all leagues. Hopefully he's back for Week 9 when the Jets play Miami, and their schedule gets favorable from that point forward. Herndon can be a starting tight end in all leagues, and hopefully he's healthy sooner rather than later. He's worth up to 5 percent of your FAAB.
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The Vikings tight end combo of Rudolph and Irv Smith might be needed this week with Adam Thielen (hamstring) hurt. In Week 7 at Detroit in the game where Thielen went down, Rudolph had five catches for 58 yards and a touchdown on six targets, while Smith had five catches for 60 yards on six targets. Both are low-end starting options in all leagues in Week 8 against Washington, with Rudolph getting the slight nod over the rookie. Both are worth up 1 percent of your FAAB.
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Fells let us down in Week 7 against the Colts with just two catches for 27 yards on two targets, but I'll stick with him this week against the Raiders. Oakland allows the third-most Fantasy points to opposing tight ends, and Fells could see some additional targets with Will Fuller (hamstring) hurt. Prior to Week 7, Fells had nine targets for eight catches, 89 yards and two touchdowns in his previous two games. He's worth 1 percent of your FAAB.
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McDonald has one good game this season, which was Week 2 against Seattle when he had 22 PPR points. Since then, he's combined for nine PPR points in three outings, although he missed Week 4 with a shoulder injury. I can see Mason Rudolph leaning on McDonald this week with a conservative game plan against the Dolphins, and he's worth a look in deeper leagues. McDonald is worth 1 percent of your FAAB.
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Goedert has picked up his play of late with the Eagles searching for help in the passing game. He has 12 targets in his past two outings against Minnesota and Dallas, and he has nine catches for 117 yards and a touchdown over that span. He has a tough matchup this week against the Bills, but Goedert can be used in a desperate situation in deeper leagues, especially if he continues to see an average of six targets. He's worth 1 percent of your FAAB.
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WAIVER WIRE
KICKERS
Priority list: Chris Boswell (19%) vs. MIA; Joey Slye (47%) at SF; Adam Vinatieri (19%) vs. DEN
WAIVER WIRE
DST
Priority list: Steelers (62%) vs. MIA; Colts (23%) vs. DEN; Lions (31%) vs. NYG
So which players should you target on the waiver wire before Week 8? And which shocking running back could lead your team to Fantasy glory? Visit SportsLine now to see the best league-winning free agents entering Week 8, all from the Fantasy expert named one of the most accurate in the nation.
