Fantasy Football Week 8 Waiver Wire: Gus Edwards, Giants connection highlight top options as injuries mount

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The injury report from Week 7 was one of the worst in recent memory, including the season-ending loss for Breece Hall (ACL). We had major injuries to several stars, and it was brutal to watch it all unfold. Now, it’s time to make sense of it so Fantasy managers can react.

Here are the injuries we’re keeping an eye on and the status of each player as of Tuesday morning:

Since we don’t know the full extent of all of these injuries, all we can do is speculate on certain situations to help you as best we can. We’ll go through each position as always for your waiver wire moves, and hopefully you can find some replacement options if needed. And remember, we still have two teams on a bye with the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers.

So, along with all the injuries, we’re also down Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, Austin Ekeler, Isiah Pacheco, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Keenan Allen, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Travis Kelce and Gerald Everett in Week 8. With so many key guys missing, this is going to be a very active week on the waiver wire. 

Editor’s note: For this waiver wire column, we are only looking at players rostered in less than 65 percent of CBS Sports leagues.

Week 8 Waivers

  • On a bye: Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert
  • Injuries: Russell Wilson (hamstring), Ryan Tannehill (ankle), Carson Wentz (finger), Baker Mayfield (ankle) and Sam Darnold (ankle)
  • Check to see if available: Jimmy Garoppolo (82 percent rostered). Garoppolo has three games in a row with at least 20 Fantasy points, and he has attempted 78 passes in the past two outings against the Falcons and Chiefs. He only scored 15 Fantasy points against the Rams in Week 4, but now Garoppolo has an additional weapon in Christian McCaffrey to help in the passing game. He can be considered a low-end starter in all leagues in Week 8 and beyond.
  • Drop candidates: Matt Ryan (79 percent rostered) and Russell Wilson (75 percent). Ryan was benched Monday for Sam Ehlinger, and it’s doubtful Ryan will get back on the field anytime soon. … Wilson might try to play Sunday after being out in Week 7 with a hamstring injury, but he’s clearly not 100 percent. Even when healthy, Wilson has one game with more than 19 Fantasy points on the season, and he’s not trustworthy as a starter in one-quarterback leagues.

Add available players in the following order:  

Week 8 Waiver Priority List

WAIVER WIRE

Running Backs

  • On a bye: Austin Ekeler, Sony Michel, Isiah Pacheco, Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Jerick McKinnon
  • Injuries: Breece Hall (ACL), Ezekiel Elliott (knee), Chuba Hubbard (ankle), D’Andre Swift (shoulder), J.K. Dobbins (knee), James Conner (ribs), Cordarrelle Patterson (knee), Cam Akers (personal), Elijah Mitchell (knee), Joshua Kelley (knee), Kyren Williams (ankle), Darrel Williams (knee) and Damien Williams (ribs)
  • Check to see if available: Antonio Gibson (73 percent rostered) and Isiah Pacheco (70 percent). I was pleased to see Washington use Gibson as the No. 2 running back behind Brian Robinson instead of J.D. McKissic in Week 7 against Green Bay. Robinson played 47 percent of the snaps, Gibson logged 39 percent and McKissic was at 16 percent. Gibson got 10 carries for 59 yards and three catches for 18 yards and a touchdown on four targets. If this continues, Gibson could be a flex option, including in Week 8 at the Colts. … Pacheco played a season-high 30 percent of the snaps in Week 7 at San Francisco as the starter, but that was still behind Jerick McKinnon (44 percent) and just slightly ahead of Clyde Edwards-Helaire. This will remain a three-headed backfield when everyone is healthy, but hopefully Pacheco’s role will increase coming off Kansas City’s bye. He has the most explosiveness of the trio, and Andy Reid should find ways to get the ball in his hands as much as possible. I plan to stash Pacheco in all leagues where available even with the Chiefs off in Week 8.
  • Drop candidates: Melvin Gordon (87 percent rostered), Kenyan Drake (84 percent), Jeff Wilson (83 percent) and Cam Akers (68 percent). Gordon has 14 carries for 41 yards and two catches for 17 yards on four targets in his past two games. Even if he remains the starter, he has minimal Fantasy value in a shared backfield with Latavius Murray. … Drake was replaced by Gus Edwards as the lead running back against the Browns in Week 7, and that should continue to be the rotation as long as Edwards is healthy. Against Cleveland, Drake had 11 carries for 5 yards and no catches on one target. There’s no reason to roster Drake at this point. … Wilson is now the No. 2 running back for the 49ers behind Christian McCaffrey, but that might only continue until Elijah Mitchell (knee) is healthy. You can roster Wilson as a handcuff for McCaffrey if you want, but Wilson has minimal Fantasy value now with McCaffrey in San Francisco. … You can hold Akers if you want through the NFL trade deadline on Nov. 1 to see if he’s dealt from the Rams, but it doesn’t appear like he will be used any time soon coming off Los Angeles’ bye. Hopefully, he will be traded to a new team and get the chance to play in a prominent role, but that isn’t expected to happen with the Rams right now.

Add available players in the following order:

Week 8 Waiver Priority List

WAIVER WIRE

Wide Receivers

  • On a bye: Mike Williams, Keenan Allen, Joshua Palmer, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Mecole Hardman.
  • Injuries: Mike Williams (ankle), DK Metcalf (knee), Allen Lazard (shoulder), Amon-Ra St. Brown (concussion), Marquise Brown (foot), Michael Thomas (foot), Corey Davis (knee), Jahan Dotson (hamstring), Nico Collins (groin), Wan’Dale Robinson (undisclosed), Elijah Moore (personal), Julio Jones (knee), Russell Gage (hamstring), Jarvis Landry (ankle), Treylon Burks (toe), Kadarius Toney (hamstring), Christian Watson (hamstring), Randall Cobb (ankle), D.J. Chark (ankle), Kenny Golladay (knee) and Josh Palmer (concussion)
  • Check to see if available: Tyler Boyd (78 percent rostered), George Pickens (78 percent), Rondale Moore (68 percent) and Garrett Wilson (67 percent). Prior to Week 6, Bengals coach Zac Taylor said Boyd needed to be more involved in the offense. And in the past two games, he has 15 targets for 14 catches, 221 yards and a touchdown against the Saints and Falcons. Boyd should be considered a top-30 receiver for the foreseeable future. … In three of four games where Kenny Pickett has played, Pickens has scored at least 14 PPR points in three of them. He just had his best Fantasy outing of the season in Week 7 at Miami with six catches for 61 yards and a touchdown on six targets, and hopefully he continues to improve as a go-to option for Pickett. … Moore had a down game in Week 7 against the Saints with one catch for 31 yards on two targets, which coincided with DeAndre Hopkins making his season debut after his six-game suspension ended. But I’m still confident Moore will be a factor for the Cardinals with Marquise Brown (foot) out, and I want Moore on my roster in all PPR leagues. Prior to Week 7, he had 13 catches on 18 targets. … I would speculate on Wilson with Corey Davis (knee) injured and Elijah Moore in the doghouse. The Jets might have to rely more on the passing game with Breece Hall (ACL) out, and Wilson could soak up targets from Zach Wilson. Garrett Wilson could be a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues if Davis and Moore are out in Week 8 against New England. 
  • Drop candidates: Drake London (91 percent rostered), Romeo Doubs (80 percent), Devin Duvernay (69 percent) and Hunter Renfrow (69 percent). The Falcons seem allergic to throwing the ball, and London has suffered as a result. He has four catches or less in five games in a row, 40 yards or less in four games in a row, and he’s combined for 18 PPR points since Week 3. He also has just five targets in his past two outings. … Doubs just had four targets in Week 7 at Washington and failed to catch a pass. He now has 11 combined PPR points in three games in a row, and Aaron Rodgers appears content with leaving Doubs out of the game plan. There’s no reason to roster him in most seasonal leagues heading into Week 8 at Buffalo. … Rashod Bateman returned from his foot injury in Week 7 against Cleveland, and Duvernay had just two catches for 42 yards on three targets. He’s not going to see enough targets in this offense as the No. 2 receiver, and he hasn’t scored a touchdown since Week 3. … Renfrow just had three catches for 35 yards on three targets in Week 7 against Houston in a game where Darren Waller (hamstring) was out. Renfrow has now scored 10 PPR points or less in every outing this year, and he’s still looking for his first touchdown.

Add available players in the following order:  

Week 8 Waiver Priority List
  • Drop candidates: Mike Gesicki (69 percent rostered). Gesicki had seven targets in Week 7 against Pittsburgh, but he finished with three catches for 27 yards. He’s now had two games with at least 14 PPR points this season and five games with five points or less. As long as Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are healthy, it will be tough to trust Gesicki as a starting Fantasy tight end in most leagues.

Add available players in the following order:  

Week 8 Waiver Priority List

Add available players in the following order:  

Add available players in the following order:  

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