Kirk Cousins, Chase Edmonds among top fantasy football free-agent finds for Week 8
Field Yates and Matthew Berry look at Kirk Cousins’ recent impressive play and upcoming favorable schedule as good reasons to give him a look in fantasy. (1:26)
This. Season. Is. Flying. By.
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We’re at just about the halfway point of the fantasy football season, which is hard to imagine except for the fact that, well, every season seems to move at rapid speed.
Our hope is that at this point of the season, you have a good sense of the quality of your roster and how you stack up against the rest of the league. For a little more info on how you’re trending, this useful tool from our pals at TD Ameritrade comes in handy:
No matter which way your team is trending, you can always do a little bit of research on the waiver wire to help your roster get right.
With that in mind, here are the Week 8 ESPN Fantasy waiver-wire adds of note.
Note: Players must be available in more than 50% of leagues on ESPN.com in order to be eligible for this column.
Teams on a bye this week: Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens
Following Patrick Mahomes‘ injury on Thursday night (the incomparable Adam Schefter reports Mahomes could return in three weeks) and Matt Ryan leaving the Falcons’ game due to an ankle injury, we present a quarterback section to begin the column this week.
Kirk Cousins, QB, Minnesota Vikings (37.4%): Over his past three games, Cousins has thrown 10 touchdowns compared to just one interception, piling up 300-plus passing yards in every game as well. He’s been red-hot and has a favorable upcoming schedule: vs. Washington and then at Kansas City. He’s a top quarterback add.
Jacoby Brissett, QB, Indianapolis Colts (48.5%): Brissett has just been rock-solid all season, with multiple passing touchdowns and at least 16 fantasy points in all but one game. His confidence is exceptional and while Indy may not yet have its defined No. 2 pass-catcher next to T.Y. Hilton, there’s a collection from which a reliable option seems to arise each week. I’m in on Brissett.
Sam Darnold, QB, New York Jets (17.6%): What’s most important is his promise — he’s going to become a very good quarterback, with so many natural and unique traits — and schedule. From Weeks 9-14, Darnold draws the Dolphins twice, the Giants, Bengals, Redskins and Raiders. That gives him a chance to feast.
Matt Moore, QB, Kansas City Chiefs (0.1%): He’s no Patrick Mahomes. Obviously. Clearly. But Andy Reid is one of the best offensive minds of his generation, there are elite skill players and Moore showed favorably this past Thursday night. He’s another option to consider.
Chase Edmonds, RB, Arizona Cardinals (28.9%): While David Johnson was active in Week 7, he was held to just one touch. The reason? He was essentially active on a just-in-case basis, information we got after the game. Well, if we receive any indication that such will be the case again in Week 8, Edmonds is a borderline must-start, even in a very difficult matchup with the Saints. He had three rushing touchdowns of at least 20 yards this past Sunday.
Mark Walton, RB, Miami Dolphins (3.7%): The Dolphins may not have a changing of the guard at running back, but Walton did handle 14 carries in Week 7 and has the natural receiving skills to add to his value. With scuttlebutt that Kenyan Drake could be a trade chip in advance of the Oct. 29 deadline, Walton is a wise speculative add.
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Corey Davis, WR, Tennessee Titans (44.0%): Davis was a recent name in this column under the premise that he is simply too talented to be available in enough leagues to qualify for the waiver wire, but we can throw another log onto that fire after he tallied six catches for 80 yards and a score in the debut of Ryan Tannehill as the starter. The eye test suggested a far more impressive passing offense overall in Tennessee.
Ty Johnson, RB, Detroit Lions (1.3%): A knee injury forced Kerryon Johnson out of action early on Sunday, leading to Ty Johnson handling 10 carries. While it’s too soon to know if Kerryon will be available in Week 8, Ty would be a presumptive top ball carrier for Detroit. He’s an exciting rookie who figures to get first crack at extensive work if Kerryon can’t play next week.
DeVante Parker, WR, Miami Dolphins (8.5%): Seasoned fantasy football managers have likely had a go-around on the DeVante Parker experience, as the first-round pick from 2015 has never fully realized his potential in Miami. But he is now riding a three-game streak of scoring a touchdown and the Dolphins are going to be in a “gotta throw it” situation most every week (if not all of them) as they go through a rebuilding season. There have been some positive signs.
Dallas Goedert, TE, Philadelphia Eagles (14.3%): Tight ends can be really difficult to size up week to week, as we had several flash-in-the-pan performances from Week 7 that seem unlikely to repeat. Goedert has back-to-back games with at least four catches and is a really talented dude (he could have easily been a 2018 first-round pick). Zach Ertz is not seeing nearly the target share he did last season, as Goedert has become an important part of Philly’s passing game.
Indianapolis Colts D/ST (18.9%): We keep it simple when it comes to reasoning behind defenses, as a talented Colts group has a favorable upcoming schedule: vs. Denver, at Pittsburgh, vs. Miami, vs. Jacksonville. That’s a four-game slate you’ll take.