Is it Bye-mageddon or Bye-pocalypse? I don’t want to offend anyone. No matter how you celebrate, 19% of the NFL is off this week, and that is going to make for tricky roster decisions. Below, you will find my Top 5 adds for the week, but who to drop is just as important. I would encourage you to check out our YouTube show later today to discuss this, but I’ll also give some advice. If you won’t feel comfortable starting them the week they come back, feel free to drop them—every win counts. Get the players who will help you in Week 8.
A few quick notes: I use ESPN as my baseline, so players must be available in at least 50% of ESPN leagues to be included on the list. I’m also a proponent of streaming QB, TE, K, and DEF, so you’ll rarely see those positions on my list; they’re easily available for free after the waiver period. Save your FAAB! Now, let’s hit the Top 5.
Bye Week Notes: As mentioned, SIX teams are on bye this week: the Detroit Lions, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, and Jacksonville Jaguars. Watch your league’s drops this week for players from these teams who were cut out of desperation.
Week 8 Fantasy Football Waivers
Oronde Gadsden (98% Available on ESPN, 94% on Sleeper)
I rarely mention in this article that I am a big Syracuse Orange fan, so I had high hopes for Gadsden. I did think it would take some time, and I was right. It took six weeks, lol! Despite zero fantasy points in the first games of the season, Gadsden is the TE18 in fantasy and the TE9 in points-per-game. Recently, he caught seven balls in each of the last two games. He is becoming a relevant part of this Chargers offense, and it is paying fantasy dividends. In Week 7, his 164-yard performance was the most yards by any tight end this season. I only list TEs in this article if I think they can get you out of the streaming game. Gadsden appears worthy of a weekly start until the Chargers’ Week 12 bye.
Xavier Legette (76% Available on ESPN, 87% on Sleeper)
No, I do not trust this Panthers offense. No, I don’t care if it’s Bryce Young or Andy Dalton. But, with all these WRs on bye, desperate times call for desperate measures, and I also do not ignore volume. With Dave Canales calling the offense, the goal in PPR is to find who will run the “Chris Godwin role.” It appears that might finally be Legette. In Week 7, on 11 targets, Legette finished with nine catches for 92 yards and a TD. That was good for a top-10 finish in fantasy. No matter who the QB is, the Panthers should be throwing a lot against Buffalo in Week 8. If you are in bye week hell, Legette is worth a Flex.
If you want more than a Top 5, join us live today at 11 am EST on YouTube for WireTapped!
Kyle Monangai (96% Available on ESPN, 89% on Sleeper)
Who? Yes, the Bears’ backup running back is a bit of an unknown after the season’s first two months, but Week 7 might have been a revelation. Yes, the game was affected by the weather. Yes, D’Andre Swift also had a great game. But Monangai finally saw volume and maybe earned more playing time moving forward. Against New Orleans, Monangai finished with 13 carries for 81 yards and a TD. He has 34 fantasy points this season and scored half of them in this game. As we enter the mid-point of the season, the Bears may want to lessen the load carried by Swift, and the rookie may have proven he is ready to contribute. Monangai is a bit of a lottery ticket, but you want RB depth as the fantasy playoffs approach.
Zonovan “Bam” Knight (76% Available on ESPN, 65% on Sleeper)
Who? Bam Knight has not made a big impression in his time in the NFL, but for the next 1-2 games, he is the short-yardage back for Arizona, and that deserves a fantasy roster spot. He followed up his 12-point Week 6 with nine more fantasy points in Week 7. No, he’s not setting the world on fire, but at this point in the year, you just need solid points from your RB2 or Flex. The Cardinals are off in Week 8, but play Dallas in Week 9. If you’re needy at RB, I would hold Knight through the bye. Trey Benson should be back in Week 10, but if he’s not, Knight will still have Flex appeal.
Chimere Dike (99% Available on ESPN, 98% on Sleeper)
Who? Yes, we have quite a few lesser-known players on the list this week. That is what happens when the player pool shrinks due to bye weeks. When a coach gets fired, it’s always a good idea to see who steps up in the next game. Dike led the team in receiving and scored his first career TD. With Calvin Ridley sidelined due to a hamstring injury, Dike stepped up. While the fantasy world, including me, fell in love with Elic Ayomanor, it is worth noting that Titans drafted Dike 33 picks earlier. He may fall back to Special Teams when Ridley returns, but what if he doesn’t? The team just released Tyler Lockett and might be ready to test out their youth instead of forcing veterans on the field.
Be sure you’re following Ryan on Twitter! If you’re looking for more, you can also find more great fantasy football content from Club Fantasy here!
You can also find Club Fantasy’s Week 8 rankings here!
Discover more from CLUB FANTASY FFL
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.