A few costly injuries at running back and wide receiver have fantasy football owners scrambling for answers heading into Week 8 of the NFL schedule. On top of that the star power on bye is substantial as the Cardinals, Texans, Jaguars and Washington all take a seat.
I really like my top five waiver-wire pickups owned in 50 per cent or less in most leagues. So take a look below and get that claim in!
As always, ask me any fantasy questions on Twitter @AndyMc81 using #AskAndy
Nelson Agholor, WR, Raiders
Yahoo! League Ownership: 4%
After being a tease for much of his career in Philadelphia, it looks like Nelson Agholor has finally earned fantasy relevance with the Raiders. The 27-year old’s scored a touchdown in three straight games for a minimum of 14.40 fantasy points in PPR in each of them, and produced 107 receiving yards on Sunday. He’s emerged as the WR-1 in Las Vegas and has a plus matchup in Cleveland coming up.
The Browns average the third-most passing yards allowed so far in 2020, and their secondary struggles against quick receivers that run crisp routes like Agholor. In a bye week that sees several high profile wideouts missing, adding the six-foot former first-round draft pick makes a lot of sense.
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Carlos Hyde, RB, Seahawks
Yahoo! League Ownership: 11%
Time to dust off good ol’ Carlos Hyde with the news that Seattle starting running back Chris Carson is considered week-to-week due to a mid-foot sprain. The journeyman looked good in relief duty after Carson went down, averaging 4.5 yards per carry on 15 touches and a TD. The ball distribution should see Hyde handle first- and second-down duties with Travis Homer taking care of obvious passing situations on third down.
Consider the Ohio State alum a mid-tier RB-2 versus San Francisco.
Trey Burton, TE, Colts
Yahoo! League Ownership: 21%
Coming off their bye, the Colts present an interesting dilemma at tight end. Since returning from injury, Trey Burton’s grown into the tight end of choice for head coach Frank Reich. This was especially true in Week 6 when Burton caught a touchdown and ran in a score out of the wildcat. He’s out-targeted incumbent starter Jack Doyle 16-to-6 during his three active games, while Mo Alie-Cox has tumbled down the depth chart after getting hurt. The fact that T.Y. Hilton remains ineffective with Philip Rivers as quarterback leaves the door open for Burton’s role in the offence to expand further.
JaMycal Hasty, RB, 49ers
Yahoo! League Ownership: 21%
The wounded carousel of 49ers continues to spin. Jeff Wilson Jr. limps off to the injured reserve, joining Raheem Mostert, but Tevin Coleman could return as soon as Sunday afternoon. Track this head-spinning RB situation as the weekend approaches.
In the meantime, go grab JaMycal Hasty as an explosive streaming option who will face an average Seahawks run defence. What I’ve liked about Hasty is his quick feet and push after contact that makes him an ideal candidate for early-down work in Kyle Shanahan’s wide-zone scheme. The undrafted rookie could turn some heads if given the chance.
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Rashard Higgins, WR, Browns
Yahoo! League Ownership: 2%
The unfortunate season-ending ACL tear for Browns star Odell Beckham Jr. created an opportunity for the seldom-used Rashard Higgins. Nicknamed ‘Hollywood,’ the fifth-year pro balled out to the tune of 110 yards and caught all six targets in the wild shootout victory in Cincinnati.
This is not a one-off for Higgins, who’s built a strong connection with Baker Mayfield since the QB’s rookie campaign in 2018. However, despite being Mayfield’s security blanket receiver, ‘Hollywood’ landed in the proverbial dog house of the previous regime and rarely saw the field in 2019. Kevin Stefanski is now in charge and needs the savvy possession WR to be the No. 2 to Jarvis Landry.
Higgins’ deceptive speed, jump-ball skills, and knack to get open matches up well against a Raiders defence giving up the 14th most FPTs to wide receivers.
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