Top fantasy football waiver wire adds for Week 8

Welcome to the Week 8 waiver wire!

Can you believe we’re basically at the halfway point of the NFL season? It feels like just yesterday I was looking over my fantasy roster with so much hope and joy. Now when I look at it, I only see pain, misery, and Odell Beckham’s blank stare looking back at me, wondering if he should have waited it out in New York for Danny Dimes SZN. Fingers crossed this bye week cures all the Browns’ ailments. Wouldn’t that be grand?

Anyways, that’s not why you’re here reading this. You’re here to better your fantasy team; to prepare it to take on and slay any challenger it faces. With that in mind, here are eight players you should be targeting and working hard to get onto your fantasy team this week (percent owned in Yahoo leagues).

RB Chase Edmonds, Arizona Cardinals (48% owned)

I shouldn’t need to tell you that you should be adding a running back who ran for 126 yards and three touchdowns but I’m going to anyways. Despite being active, David Johnson saw only one touch compared to Edmonds’ 29. This performance wasn’t a fluke either as this is now three weeks that Edmonds has been a strong fantasy option. He and the Cardinals face some tough defenses moving forward—most notably the Saints and 49ers twice—but it’s impossible to ignore what Edmonds has done the last few weeks and he increasing role in the Cardinals’ offense.

RB Mark Walton, Miami Dolphins (21% owned)

I guess Mark Walton is the Dolphins new starting running back. After getting his first career start last week against Washington, Walton led the Dolphins backfield in carries (14) and yards (66). Kenyan Drake and Kalen Ballage had a combined nine carries between the two of them. Even if the Dolphins don’t end up moving Drake at the deadline (though fingers crossed that happens since Drake is actually a pretty good running back) it seems Walton has a clear and large role in Miami.

RB Ty Johnson, Detroit Lions (1% owned)

Out goes Kerryon Johnson—he left the Sunday with an injury—and in comes Ty Johnson. While Johnson, Ty Johnson that is, didn’t post impressive numbers against the Vikings spelling Kerryon, he led the backfield in touches with 14. In fact, he saw more targets and caught more balls than J.D. McKissic which is surprising given that the pass game has been his role in Detroit. With the Giants on deck (the team that just gave up three touchdowns to Chase Edmonds), Ty Johnson is worth adding and starting if you’ve been hit with injuries and byes.

WR Corey Davis & A.J. Brown, Tennessee Titans (41%, 17% owned)

It’s amazing what a quarterback change can do for a couple of wide receivers. With Ryan Tannehill under center, both Davis and Brown had the most targets and catches they’ve had all year. Both receivers ended up with six catches, with Brown leading the team in targets with eight—Davis saw seven. With the Buccaneers next on the schedule, I wouldn’t be opposed to firing up the Titans’ passing attack once more to see what they can do for an encore. If you’re picking between the two, I’d break in favor of Davis. He’s still clearly the Titans number one receiver.

WR DeVante Parker, Miami Dolphins (13% owned)

Don’t look now but Parker has scored a touchdown in each of his last three games, including a big performance Sunday against a tough Bills’ secondary. With Ryan Fitzpatrick taking over the starting spot again, Parker saw 10 targets, catching five for 55 yards and the score against the Bills. In Week 8, he’ll be heading to Pittsburgh to be taking on a secondary that’s allowing the sixth most touchdowns to wide receivers so far this year. If you’re wide receiver needy, Parker is well worth the flier.

WR Zach Pascal, Indianapolis Colts (1% owned)

It was a career week for Pascal who caught six balls on seven targets for 106 yards and touchdowns as the Colts took down the Texans Sunday. Even with a healthy T.Y Hilton—who caught six balls on 11 targets—Pascal saw a heavy workload, which is a great sign of Jacoby Brissett and Frank Reich’s confidence in the second year receiver. Pascal now has either gone over 70 yards or caught a touchdown in three of his last four games. He’s certainly a name worth monitoring.

WR Olabisi Johnson, Minnesota Vikings (0% owned)

Adam Thielen left Sunday’s game in the first quarter after tweaking his hamstring on a beautiful touchdown catch. Johnson came in and filled his spot, catching four balls on eight targets for 40 yards and a touchdown. Johnson has gotten some playing time leading up to Sunday, but with Thielen out, he was thrust into the WR2 role against the Lions. Obviously, adding Johnson hinges on if Thielen will miss time or not. With the Vikings turning around on a short week to play Washington Thursday night, there’s a chance he could be out, keeping Johnson in the WR2 slot.