It's been a crazy couple of weeks on the waiver wire for running backs. What we thought was going to happen didn't come to fruition, but we'll try to make sense of it all for Week 8 -- or so we hope.
Let's start with the Rams. When Kyren Williams (ankle) and Ronnie Rivers (knee) got hurt in Week 6, it appeared like Zach Evans would be the best running back until Williams was back. Then Darrell Henderson was signed and Royce Freeman was promoted from the practice squad, and Sean McVay realized Evans wasn't ready for an increased workload.
Against the Steelers in Week 7, Henderson and Freeman were the top duo in the backfield, with Henderson playing 57 percent of the snaps and Freeman at 43 percent. Henderson finished with 18 carries for 61 yards and a touchdown, along with one catch for 5 yards on two targets, and he should be the No. 1 running back added in all leagues this week. Freeman is also worth adding with a lesser priority after he had 12 carries for 66 yards.
For the Cardinals, we thought that Emari Demercado would be the best running back when James Conner (knee) went on injured reserve prior to Week 6. Then Week 6 happened against the Rams, and it was Keaontay Ingram and Damien Williams leading the Arizona backfield in touches, with Demercado in a limited role. It appeared like adding Demercado was a mistake.
Fast forward to Week 7, and now it was Demercado's turn to lead the Cardinals with 13 carries for 58 yards and four catches for 17 yards on five targets. Conner is out for two more games, and we're going to add Demercado once again.
It's convenient when you have a direct replacement for an injured running back like Zack Moss or Jerome Ford, but sometimes we don't always have immediate clarity, especially by Tuesday night when waivers first run. We can only react to what we know, and we have better information for Week 8.
While Henderson and Demercado will be popular running backs to add for this week, there are other players to pick up as well. Thankfully, we don't have any bye-week concerns for Week 8, but injuries and finding players on the rise will make this another busy waiver wire.
For another perspective for Week 8 lineups, check out SportsLine's Week 8 projections from a proven model that out performed the experts.
Editor's note: For this waiver wire column, we are only looking at players rostered in less than 65 percent of CBS Sports leagues.
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Week 8 Waivers
WAIVER WIRE
Quarterbacks
- Injuries: Jalen Hurts (knee), Deshaun Watson (shoulder), Justin Fields (thumb), Jimmy Garoppolo (back), Ryan Tannehill (ankle), Daniel Jones (neck) and Kyler Murray (knee)
- Check to see if available in shallow leagues: Stroud will hopefully stay hot coming off his bye, and he should be considered a borderline No. 1 Fantasy quarterback in all leagues heading into Week 8 at Carolina in a showdown with fellow rookie Bryce Young. Stroud only has two games this season with fewer than 18.2 Fantasy points, and this should be a matchup he's able to exploit.
- Drop candidates: Geno Smith (96 percent rostered), Matthew Stafford (94 percent), Sam Howell (88 percent) and Deshaun Watson (83 percent). Smith has two games this season with multiple passing touchdowns and one game with more than 17.7 Fantasy points. He faces the Browns and Ravens in the next two games as well. ... Stafford has one game this season with multiple passing touchdowns and one game with more than 18.2 Fantasy points. He faces the Cowboys and Packers on the road in the next two games before a bye in Week 10. ... Howell scored 21.6 Fantasy points at the Eagles in Week 4, but it's hard to trust him in the rematch in Week 8 after the way he played at the Giants in Week 7. Howell's been sacked 40 times already in 2023, putting him on pace to set a new NFL record. ... The Browns are hopeful Watson can play in Week 8 at Seattle, but it's hard to trust him even if he's cleared with his injured shoulder. I need to see Watson look right before starting him in any Fantasy leagues.
Add in this order:
Week 8 Waiver Priority List
We might not see Murray play until Week 10 against Atlanta as he continues his comeback from last year's torn ACL, but he's getting close to a return, which is exciting. It's unknown if he'll play like the same quarterback we saw prior to his injury based on how much he'll run, but he still has league-winning upside if he's close to 100 percent. If you can stash Murray on your bench -- he should be 100 percent rostered in all leagues with an IR spot -- then do so for 5 percent of your FAB.
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Carr has posted three quality outings in three games in a row against New England, Houston and Jacksonville, and he's worth using as a low-end starter in deeper one-quarterback leagues. He should be added for 1 percent of your FAB heading into Week 8 at Indianapolis. In his past three games, Carr has scored at least 18.3 Fantasy points in all three outings, including two in a row with at least 301 passing yards. He only has one game this season with multiple touchdowns, which has been an issue, but those should come. His schedule is also favorable against the Colts, Bears and Vikings prior to a bye in Week 11.
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Minshew has plenty of flaws as we've seen time and time again, but he's always capable of some surprise outings like we saw in Week 7 against Cleveland when he scored 31.1 Fantasy points. Prior to that, he combined for 26.6 Fantasy points in his two previous starts against Baltimore in Week 3 and Jacksonville in Week 6, so keep that in mind. But if you can live with the lows there could be several highs, and he's someone to consider as a low-end starter in deeper one-quarterback leagues, including Week 8 against New Orleans. He's worth adding for 1 percent of your FAB, and he should be rostered in all Superflex and two-quarterback leagues.
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We'll see when Daniel Jones (neck) is able to return for the Giants, but the team should take their time to make sure he's 100 percent healthy. In the interim, Taylor has done well in helping the Giants nearly pull off an upset in Week 6 at Buffalo and then defeat Washington in Week 7. Against the Commanders, Taylor had 25.7 Fantasy points, and he should be added in all Superflex and two-quarterback leagues for at least 10 percent of your FAB heading into Week 8 against the Jets. I also don't mind him as a low-end starter in deep one-quarterback leagues, and you can add him there if needed for 1 percent. And, if you want to speculate on Jones (36 percent rostered) coming back, he's worth adding in deeper one-quarterback leagues for 1 percent of your FAB. If the Giants offensive line can ever get healthy then Jones still has the potential to be a decent Fantasy quarterback to close out the year.
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Bagent did OK in his first start in place of Justin Fields (thumb) in Week 7 against Las Vegas with 14.9 Fantasy points. Bagent could start again in Week 8 at the Chargers, and he should be added in all Superflex and two-quarterback leagues for at least 5 percent of your FAB. The Chargers allow the most Fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, and Bagent might have to throw more than the 29 times he did against the Raiders if the Bears are chasing points at Los Angeles. Consider Bagent a deep sleeper in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues for Week 8.
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Ryan Tannehill (ankle) is unlikely to play in Week 8 against Atlanta, and we'll see if the Titans turn to Malik Willis or Levis. I hope it's Levis because I want to see what the rookie can offer, and he might end up stealing the job from Tannehill if he plays well. Willis stepped in for Tannehill in Week 6 against the Ravens in London, and he hasn't been impressive any time he's got an extended look. Levis might struggle as well, but there's more upside for him in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues based on his potential. He's worth adding for up to 5 percent of your FAB in those formats.
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WAIVER WIRE
Running Backs
- Injuries: Bijan Robinson (illness), Saquon Barkley (elbow), Jerome Ford (ankle), David Montgomery (ribs), Zach Charbonnet (hamstring), Kyren Williams (ankle), Ronnie Rivers (knee), Miles Sanders (shoulder), Damien Harris (neck), De'Von Achane (knee), Christopher Brooks (ankle), James Conner (knee), Khalil Herbert (ankle), Roschon Johnson (concussion) and Keaton Mitchell (hamstring)
- Check to see if available in shallow leagues: D'Onta Foreman (79 percent rostered), Tyler Allgeier (75 percent), Jeff Wilson (73 percent), Chuba Hubbard (73 percent), Tyjae Spears (73 percent) and Roschon Johnson (72 percent). Khalil Herbert (ankle) is out for at least two more games, and it's hard to see the Bears going away from Foreman after he just had 120 total yards and three touchdowns in Week 7 against Las Vegas. I still want to stash Johnson in case he has a role for the Bears moving forward, but there's no guarantee he's back from his concussion in Week 8. Foreman looks like a must-start running back at the Chargers right now. ... Bijan Robinson (illness) should play in Week 8 at Tennessee, but if he's out then Allgeier will clearly command a hefty workload, even in a tough matchup. Allgeier stepped up in Week 7 at Tampa Bay with Robinson unwell and had 24 total touches for 112 total yards. Allgeier would be a No. 2 running back in all leagues if Robinson is out. ... Wilson made his 2023 debut in Week 7 at Philadelphia and had one catch for 4 yards on one target with no carries. He played behind Raheem Mostert and Salvon Ahmed, but we'll see what happens moving forward, at least until De'Von Achane (knee) returns. I'd still like to stash Wilson if possible against New England in Week 8. ... Hubbard should be rostered in all leagues with the Panthers coming off a bye and facing the Texans in Week 8. We don't know if Miles Sanders (shoulder) will play, and Hubbard did well in Week 6 at Miami with Sanders out, scoring 16 PPR points. Hubbard would be a No. 2 running back in all leagues if Sanders remains out against Houston. ... I continue to put Spears in this category because he has lottery-ticket upside if Derrick Henry were to miss any time for the Titans. In a limited role, Spears has scored at least 7.3 PPR points in four of his past five games.
- Drop candidates: Jordan Mason (82 percent rostered), Zach Evans (76 percent), Antonio Gibson (47 percent) and Dalvin Cook (45 percent). With Christian McCaffrey able to play Monday night at Minnesota, and Elijah Mitchell now healthy, there's no need to roster the No. 3 running back for the 49ers with Mason. ... Evans is unlikely to make an impact for the Rams with Darrell Henderson and Royce Freeman the top options filling in for Kyren Williams (ankle) and Ronnie Rivers (knee). ... Gibson is now sharing touches with Brian Robinson Jr. and Chris Rodriguez Jr., and Gibson has no more than four touches in each of his past three games. ... With Breece Hall healthy, the Jets will use Cook and Michael Carter in tandem for the No. 2 role. It will likely take Hall missing time for Cook to have any sort of Fantasy impact.
Add in this order:
Week 8 Waiver Priority List
The No. 1 running back for the Rams while Kyren Williams (ankle) and Ronnie Rivers (knee) are out is Henderson, and he did well in his 2023 debut against Pittsburgh with 18 carries for 61 yards and a touchdown and one catch for 5 yards on two targets. He shared playing time with Royce Freeman, who had 12 carries for 66 yards, but Henderson played 57 percent of the snaps compared to 43 percent for Freeman. It's not a bad idea to add Freeman (24 percent rostered) in deeper leagues, but Henderson is someone Sean McVay trusts from his first stint with the Rams. He has three more games until Williams is back, and Henderson has the potential to be a No. 2 running back in all leagues. He's worth adding for 20 percent of your FAB.
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James Conner (knee) is out for two more games, and hopefully Demercado will remain the feature back for the Cardinals over that span. Now, we thought that would be the case in Week 6 at the Rams in the first game Conner was out, but it was Keaontay Ingram and Damien Williams getting more touches than Demercado in that game. However, in Week 7 at Seattle, Demercado took over the backfield with 13 carries for 58 yards and four catches for 17 yards on five targets. He doesn't have an easy schedule over the next two games -- vs. Baltimore in Week 8 and at Cleveland in Week 9 -- but he could still be a flex option in those matchups. As a result, you can add Demercado again for 10 percent of your FAB.
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Jerome Ford (ankle), who left the Week 7 game at Indianapolis in a protective boot, is expected to miss 1-2 games. That means the Browns will lean on Kareem Hunt and Strong in the backfield heading into Week 8 at Seattle. Hunt (83 percent rostered) should be added in all leagues, but Strong is worth a look in deeper formats. He had eight carries for 25 yards against the Colts after Ford went down, and he could be a flex option if needed until Ford returns. Strong is worth adding for up to 5 percent of your FAB.
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The last time we saw Singletary he played more snaps (54 percent) than Dameon Pierce (33 percent) in Week 6 against New Orleans. In that game against the Saints, Pierce had 13 carries for 34 yards and no catches, and Singletary had 12 carries for 58 yards and one catch for 4 yards on two targets. I don't expect the Texans to make a switch at running back, but it's not a bad idea to stash Singletary just in case. And Houston has a great matchup in Week 8 at Carolina, so Singletary might be worth using as a flex option in that matchup. He's worth adding for up to 5 percent of your FAB.
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Austin Ekeler seemed to re-injure his ankle in Week 7 at Kansas City, although he finished the game. However, he was clearly not himself and only had 14 carries for 45 yards and one catch for 1 yard on two targets. Kelley was bad in place of Ekeler for the three games he missed, but that was also against Tennessee, Minnesota and Las Vegas, with his best game coming against the Raiders with 17 carries for 65 yards. Keep an eye on Ekeler's status, and Kelley could be a flex option if Ekeler is out, starting in Week 8 against the Bears. Kelley, who had seven carries for 75 yards and a touchdown against the Chiefs, is worth adding for up to 5 percent of your FAB.
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Rodriguez is still behind Brian Robinson Jr. and Antonio Gibson on the depth chart, but his role has increased in each of the past two games. The Commanders are giving Rodriguez a chance at playing time, and he led the team in rushing in Week 7 at the Giants with seven carries for 31 yards. In deeper leagues, you might want to stash Rodriguez to see what happens over the next few weeks for 1 percent of your FAB.
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WAIVER WIRE
Wide Receivers
- Injuries: DK Metcalf (ribs), Deebo Samuel (shoulder), Christian Watson (knee), Justin Jefferson (hamstring), Nathaniel Dell (concussion), JuJu Smith-Schuster (concussion), Zay Jones (knee) and Treylon Burks (knee)
- Check to see if available in shallow leagues: Rashee Rice (79 percent rostered), Josh Palmer (75 percent) and Nathaniel Dell (72 percent). Rice has emerged as the No. 1 receiver for the Chiefs, and he has at least 13.3 PPR points in two of his past three games. He played a season-high 59 percent of the snaps in Week 7 against the Chargers, and he should be considered a solid No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues moving forward. ... I didn't expect Palmer to play well in Week 7 at Kansas City, but he had his best game of the year with five catches for 133 yards on seven targets. He now has at least seven targets in four games in a row, and he scored at least 14.6 PPR points in two of those outings. He's locked into being a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues moving forward. ... Dell is expected to play in Week 8 at Carolina after missing Week 6 with a concussion. The Texans had a bye in Week 7, and Dell returned to practice Monday. He has two games in five outings this season with at least 20.2 PPR points, and he has the potential to be a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues for the rest of the season.
- Drop candidates: Jameson Williams (80 percent rostered), Tutu Atwell (64 percent) and Jahan Dotson (52 percent). Williams had six targets in Week 7 at Baltimore but failed to record a catch. He has four catches on 12 targets in three games since his suspension ended, and it's hard to trust him with his inconsistent production. Hopefully, things will click for Williams as the season goes on, but you can drop him heading into Week 8 against Las Vegas. ... Atwell caught a 31-yard touchdown against the Steelers in Week 7, but that was his lone catch on two targets. In three games since Cooper Kupp is back with the Rams, Atwell has four catches for 70 yards on just eight targets, although he has scored twice. ... I like that Dotson had eight targets in Week 7 at the Giants, but he only caught five for 43 yards. He only has one game this season with more than 9.3 PPR points, and there's little reason to roster Dotson in the majority of leagues right now.
Add in this order:
Week 8 Waiver Priority List
DK Metcalf (hip) missed Week 7 against Arizona, and Smith-Njigba stepped up with four catches for 63 yards and the first touchdown of his career on seven targets. He now has 12 targets since Seattle's bye in Week 5, and he's played at least 63 percent of the snaps in each outing over that span. We'll see if Metcalf is able to return in Week 8 against Cleveland, but Smith-Njigba might be on the verge of great things to close the season. He should be added in all leagues, and he's worth starting in three-receiver leagues against the Browns if Metcalf is out. Add Smith-Njigba where available for at least 15 percent of your FAB.
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Downs continues to have a breakout rookie campaign, and he's been awesome for most of the past five games. He's scored at least 13.1 PPR points in four games over that span, and he has four outings with at least six targets and five catches. He's scored a touchdown in each of the past two games against the Jaguars and Browns, and he was a star against Cleveland with five catches for 125 yards and a touchdown on six targets. Gardner Minshew is leaning on Downs quite a bit, and the production has been consistent with Minshew under center. Downs is worth starting in all three-receiver leagues, and he should be added where still available for at least 15 percent of your FAB.
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Bourne had another big game in Week 7 against Buffalo, and maybe he can be considered a reliable Fantasy option moving forward. He's now scored at least 16.3 PPR points in each of the past two games against the Raiders and Bills, and he has 18 targets for 16 catches, 152 yards and a touchdown over that span. Now, JuJu Smith-Schuster (concussion) has missed the past two games, for what that's worth, although I'm not sure it matters. This is now four games on the season where Bourne has at least seven targets, and he's scored at least 16.3 PPR points in three of them. It's time to consider adding him in all three-receiver leagues since he's clearly the No. 1 receiver for the Patriots.
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It feels like Hyatt is the next rookie receiver on the verge of breaking out, and I'm excited to see what he can do with more targets. In his past two games with Tyrod Taylor under center for the Giants, Hyatt has five catches for 96 yards on nine targets. His big-play ability was on display against Washington in Week 7 with two catches for 75 yards, and we'll see how Hyatt does once Daniel Jones (neck) is healthy. Hyatt has played at least 71 percent of the snaps in each of the past two games, and hopefully bigger stat lines will start to happen. He's worth stashing in all leagues for up to 5 percent of your FAB.
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Prior to the Cowboys' bye in Week 7, Cooks showed some signs of life in Week 6 at the Chargers with four catches for 36 yards and a touchdown on four targets, and he had one carry for 14 yards. Michael Gallup still had more targets than Cooks against the Chargers, and clearly CeeDee Lamb and Jake Ferguson are a big part of the passing game. But it appeared like Cooks was moving better after dealing with a knee injury earlier this season, and Dak Prescott was looking for Cooks on plays out of the pocket. He might go back to being a non-factor after the bye, but I'd like to see what Cooks does against the Rams in Week 8. He's worth adding for 1 percent of your FAB.
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The Patriots need more playmakers in the passing game, and Douglas has the potential to help this struggling offense. That was evident in Week 7 against Buffalo when Douglas had four catches for 54 yards on six targets, along with 20 rush yards. He played a season-high 62 percent of the snaps, and I hope he remains heavily involved even when JuJu Smith-Schuster (concussion) is healthy. In deeper leagues, it's worth adding Douglas for 1 percent of your FAB.
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WAIVER WIRE
Tight Ends
- Injuries: Dawson Knox (wrist), Luke Musgrave (ankle), Pat Freiermuth (hamstring), Gerald Everett (quadriceps), Juwan Johnson (calf) and Greg Dulcich (hamstring)
- Check to see if available in shallow leagues: I said this last week, but I wanted to carry Schultz while he's on bye since he's come alive over the past three games with at least 13.2 PPR points in each outing. He has three touchdowns in each game over that span, but he also has 17 targets, 11 catches and 126 yards in his past two contests against Atlanta and New Orleans. Schultz has become a must-start Fantasy tight end right now heading into Week 8 at Carolina, and hopefully he stays hot after the bye in Week 7.
- Drop candidates: Cole Kmet (83 percent rostered), Luke Musgrave (62 percent) and Tyler Higbee (61 percent). I'll go back to Kmet when Justin Fields (thumb) is healthy, but it wasn't pretty for Kmet in Week 7 against Las Vegas with Tyson Bagent under center since Kmet did not have a target. Kmet now has two catches for 9 yards on three targets since Fields got hurt in Week 6. ... Musgrave was in a walking boot after the loss to Denver, and we'll see how long he's out. When healthy, Musgrave has done well as a low-end No. 1 Fantasy tight end, and he had four catches for 30 yards on five targets before getting hurt against the Broncos. But if he's out against Minnesota in Week 8 then you can drop Musgrave in most formats. ... Higbee again struggled with Cooper Kupp back on the field, and it's hard to trust Higbee in most formats moving forward. In three games since Kupp returned, Higbee has five catches for 45 yards on nine targets, and it's hard to expect anything to change as long as Matthew Stafford is leaning on Kupp and Puka Nacua.
Add in this order:
Week 8 Waiver Priority List
Kincaid picked a great time to have his best game of the season in Week 7 at New England. He had eight catches for 75 yards on eight targets against the Patriots, and then we found out Monday that Dawson Knox (wrist) needs surgery and is out indefinitely. That makes Kincaid a must-add and must-start player moving forward in all leagues, and he's worth at least 15 percent of your FAB. We've been waiting all season for Kincaid to have a game like he did against the Patriots, and now he should continue to get featured in Buffalo's offense with Knox out.
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Hill has actually emerged into a quality tight end for the Saints over the past two games, and he's worth buying into as long as Juwan Johnson (calf) remains out. In his past two outings against Houston and Jacksonville, Hill has 11 catches for 99 yards on 13 targets, and he also has six carries for 20 yards and a touchdown. He's scored at least 12.3 PPR points in each game, and you can start him as a low-end No. 1 option in Week 8 at the Colts. We'll see if he stays in this role when Johnson is healthy, but Hill has looked good as a receiving threat, along with his chances to work at the goal line. Add him for 5-10 percent of your FAB.
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I'm hopeful that Ferguson will get back on track after the Dallas bye in Week 7, and he's worth adding in all leagues as a low-end No. 1 Fantasy option for 5 percent of your FAB. Ferguson opened the season with at least 9.8 PPR points in three of his first four games before struggling in his past two outings prior to the bye against San Francisco and the Chargers, combining for just 8.3 PPR points. I still believe in Ferguson and his role with the Cowboys, and big games should be coming to close the season.
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Thomas bounced back in Week 7 at the Giants with four catches for 51 yards on six targets following a dud at Atlanta in Week 6 when he had just one catch for 2 yards on one target. He now has at least 9.1 PPR points in three of his past five games, and hopefully he can start to be more consistent for the rest of the season. Heading into Week 8 against Philadelphia, Thomas is worth using as a low-end No. 1 Fantasy tight end in all leagues, and he should be added for up to 5 percent of your FAB.
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Njoku has picked up his play of late, mostly without Deshaun Watson (shoulder), so we'll see what happens when Watson is healthy. In two of Njoku's past two games, he's scored at least 10.4 PPR points in Week 4 against Baltimore and Week 7 at Indianapolis. In both of those games, he had at least seven targets and five catches, and hopefully he continues to get that much attention from Watson when he's healthy. Njoku is worth adding in all leagues for up to 5 percent of your FAB.
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With Gerald Everett (quadriceps) hurt in Week 7 at Kansas City, we could see a bigger role for Donald Parham coming up in Week 8 against the Bears and possibly longer. We don't know how long Everett will be out, but Parham could emerge as a quality Fantasy option with more targets. Parham has been touchdown dependent this season when he scored three touchdowns in his first three games, but he doesn't have more than three catches or 22 yards in any game this year. Keep an eye on Everett's status, and Parham could be worth an add in deeper leagues for 1 percent of your FAB.
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WAIVER WIRE
DST
- Lions (vs. LV) 58 percent rostered
- Texans (at CAR) 18 percent rostered
- Jets (vs. NYG) 64 percent rostered
- Falcons (at TEN) 13 percent rostered
WAIVER WIRE
KICKERS
- Ka'imi Fairbairn (at CAR) 24 percent rostered
- Brandon Aubrey (vs. LAR) 46 percent rostered
- Younghoe Koo (at TEN) 63 percent rostered
- Blake Grupe (at IND) 11 percent rostered
