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Waiver Wire Pickups Week 8

With a pair of big name running back injuries, fantasy owners will be looking to add those valuable backups.

San Francisco 49ers v Buffalo Bills Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

Three Redskins crack the list for pickups of the week to go along with the new potential starting running backs of the Bills and Packers. Let’s start with the streaming quarterbacks first.

QB

Houston Texans v Minnesota Vikings Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images

Sam Bradford (17%)

Bradford is coming off a game in which he threw his first interception on the season to go with his teams first loss. But he should be able to bounce back against a Chicago defense that is not nearly as good as Philly’s. If running back Jerick McKinnon is unable to play, or not at full strength come Sunday, it should mean more passing opportunities for Bradford.

Alex Smith (38%)

Smith is a quality streamer for this upcoming week, as he gets the pleasure of facing a poor Colts defense. He took advantage of the New Orleans defense this past week, throwing for two touchdowns and no interceptions.

Ryan Fitzpatrick (19%)

Yeah, he’s only starting because Geno Smith is out for the year now, but look on the bright side, he did help lead the team to a win against Baltimore – and he did it without turning the ball over. He gets a friendly Cleveland Browns defense, which is the main reason why he gets a spot on the pickup list for this week.

RB

Green Bay Packers v Kansas City Chiefs Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Knile Davis (36%)

The Packers used him lightly in his debut, as Mike McCarthy would rather use him when he is up to speed on the offense. It’s not clear if he will get a significant bump in usage this week – say a 50/50 split with Ty Montgomery, but he should at the very least be stashed with both Eddie Lacy and James Starks out.

Chris Thompson (12%)

Matt Jones continued to struggle holding onto the pigskin on Sunday, and Thompson took full advantage, rushing for 70 yards on 12 attempts while also collecting 40 yards on seven receptions. Thompson is especially worth the add in a PPR league, where he could be considered a flex consideration for the week. Other than that, it would be tough to start him without knowing if the Redskins will continue to punish Jones.

Mike Gillislee (51%)

At 51% ownership, Gillislee doesn’t qualify for this list, but he should be the most added running back this week. LeSean McCoy aggravated his hamstring injury and is looking questionable for week eight. Even if he does suit up, he wont be used as heavily as the Bills would like to use him. Gillislee will get the best opportunity to replace him, with Reggie Bush and Jonathan Williams behind him.

WR

Houston Texans v Indianapolis Colts Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images

Donte Moncrief (60%) suffered a shoulder injury in week two and has been out since. He could see the field as soon as week nine, so it’s worth to pick him up and stash him now if you have the bench space.

Davante Adams (19%)

With Jordy Nelson covered up, Aaron Rodgers passed the rock to Randall Cobb and Adams. The loss of Lacy and the slow inclusion of Davis into the offense means that other guys will be getting looks, with Montgomery and Adams being the two primary beneficiaries. The Packers use the tight end sparingly, so the third wide receiver in an Aaron Rodgers led offense holds a good chunk of value – even if you wasted a high draft pick on him last season.

Jamison Crowder (37%)

It’s time to declare Crowder as the most valuable receiver in the Redskins offense. He has the most receiving yards and touchdowns on the team, which includes the heavily used tight end, Jordan Reed. While Reed does lead the team in targets, he has missed two straight games with a concussion, and is likely to miss their upcoming game in London. Crowder is a good-to-go PPR option.

Deeper Add:

Cordarrelle Patterson (2%)

The former first round pick has been an NFL bust up to this point in his young career, but he has actually been contributing consistently on offense over his past three games. He has seen at least six targets in each game and has actually caught a touchdown pass in each of the last two games. The Vikings offense could use more playmakers, and Patterson seems to fit the bill.

TE

Indianapolis Colts v Denver Broncos Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

Jack Doyle (31%)

As long as Dwayne Allen is out, Doyle is a clear cut TE1. He was heavily involved in the Colts offense in their last game with Phillip Dorsett and Moncrief both out as well. Doyle hauled in a team leading nine receptions, one of them being a touchdown. If you need a TE to start, there is no one better out there right now.

Vernon Davis (23%)

As long as Reed remains out, Davis is one of the better streaming options to consider at the TE position. He gets a solid matchup in week eight against the Bengals.

DEF

New York Jets (20%) at Cleveland

Detroit (6%) at Houston

Oakland (46%) at Tampa Bay