Cam Newton has been busy making Youtube videos during his injury absence from the Panthers, but he has to make time this week to headline our Week 8 waiver wire watch list. As we've been doing each week, we take a look at players who could prove popular claims next week, so it might behoove you to pick them up now. Newton is atop the list, but he's not the only name that could go from Week 7 afterthought to Week 8 fantasy sleeper.
Hopefully you listened to this list last week and picked up Josh Allen ahead of his matchup with the Dolphins. His ownership has risen almost 20 percent since Sunday. We also touted Benny Snell Jr. ahead of his big game in relief of James Conner. Jamison Crowder, Mohamed Sanu and Duke Williams are all more popular than they were a week ago. And, hey: Hunter Henry did what we expected and had a big return with two touchdowns.
WEEK 7 NON-PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
This week's list looks ahead to a lot of promising Week 8 matchups. The Steelers get to play the Dolphins, so hello Snell again, along with some of his teammates. The Vikings play the Redskins, another one-sided matchup, and the Saints against the Cardinals should be high-scoring, too.
Wide receiver is our deepest spot on the watch list this week, but in general it's a deep week. If you h ave a player you're considering dropping or don't want anymore, don't just pick up someone aimlessly. Snag someone from this week's watch list.
WEEK 7 PPR RANKINGS: Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end
Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Watch List
Reminder: This list was put together in the lead-in to Week 7, looking forward to the players that could be waiver-wire targets in Week 8. If you have a roster spot to play with, these are options you could pick up early to beat the waiver buzz.
All these players are below 50-percent ownership on Yahoo unless otherwise specified.
Week 8 Waiver Wire Watch List: Quarterback
Notable quarterbacks on a Week 8 bye: Lamar Jackson, Dak Prescott
Cam Newton, Panthers (46 percent ownership)
Adam Schefter reported that Newton (foot) would return to Panthers' practice after their Week 7 bye, although Carolina head coach Ron Rivera wouldn't confirm that. Newton wouldn't have a great matchup in Week 8 if he were to start, as the Panthers face the pass-rush happy 49ers. With Kyle Allen having led the Panthers to four straight wins, adding Newton would be more speculative in the idea that he'll be fully healthy and able to scramble again upon his return.
Mitchell Trubisky, Bears (25)
Trubisky has thrown at Bears' practice this week, but considering his left shoulder is the one injured, that doesn't mean a ton. Chicago won't say whether Trubisky will be good to go for this Sunday against New Orleans. He was drafted in the majority of fantasy leagues in the preseason, so his ownership probably deserves to rise if he looks healthy. The Bears play a Chargers team in Week 8 that struggled to stop a Devlin Hodges-led offense in Week 6.
Sam Darnold, Jets (24)
Darnold looked good in his return from mono, and while he should get shut down in Week 7 by the Patriots, it gets better with the Jaguars in Week 8 and then a fantastic matchup with the Dolphins in Week 9.
Mason Rudolph, Steelers (6)
Assuming Rudolph is healthy, a Monday Night Football matchup with the Dolphins in Week 8 sounds ugly but also like a good opportunity for fantasy points. If you have Dak Prescott or Lamar Jackson, maybe Rudolph is your bye-week fill-in.
WEEK 7: Waiver pickups | FAAB planner | Trade values | Snap counts
Week 8 Waiver Wire Watch List: RB
Notable running backs on a Week 8 bye: Mark Ingram, Ezekiel Elliott
Latavius Murray, Saints (49)
Alvin Kamara is dealing with a "high-ankle-type issue", and although it looks like he'll be fine, you never know. A matchup with the Cardinals in Week 8 should spell a lot of points for New Orleans, too.
Darrell Henderson, Rams (27)
Todd Gurley might return to health, and Malcolm Brown is still the backup. Just watch the run below, and you'll understand why you should keep your eyes on Henderson.
Watch Darrell Henderson’s acceleration once he dips around Robert Woods pic.twitter.com/rCS3eEU0bb
— Matt Waldman (@MattWaldman) October 14, 2019
Alexander Mattison, Vikings (24)
If Dalvin Cook were to get dinged up in Week 7, it's a quick turnaround to a Week 8 Thursday-night matchup with the Redskins. Mattison could see a heavy workload on the short week regardless, and he should see garbage time carries anyway.
Mark Walton, Dolphins (13)
Walton saw 32 snaps to Kenyan Drake's 46 in Week 6. He's the obvious player to start if Drake gets traded, and so even though this isn't an appealing backfield, you have to know who he is.
Jay Ajayi, FA (4)
Ajayi is supposed to start working out for teams this week. He's still just 26, although his knees probably exist in a much older state. Just be ready to pounce if he signs because it will probably be an RB-needy team that goes out and gets him.
Benny Snell Jr., Steelers (4)
Snell was here last week, then he went and ran 17 times for 75 yards, mostly coming after James Conner injured his quad. The Steelers have a Week 7 bye, so we won't know about Conner (or Jaylen Samuels, who's also injured) until next week. Snell would be a great option against the Dolphins, and even a solid one for check downs and garbage-time production if Conner is healthy.
WEEK 7 DFS LINEUPS:
Y! cash | Y! GPP | DK cash | DK GPP | FD cash | FD GPP
Week 8 Waiver Wire Watch List: WR
Notable wide receivers on a Week 8 bye: Marquise Brown, Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup
Jamison Crowder, Jets (49)
Crowder received nine targets in Darnold's first game back after getting 17 in Week 1 from Darnold. The Week 7 Patriots' matchup will depress his ownership, but as we said with Darnold, the Jags and Dolphins are up next.
Auden Tate, Bengals (27)
If you guys haven't picked up Tate by now, I guess it's not happening. He had 12 targets and 91 yards receiving in Week 6. He's the No. 2 receiver in a team that's forced to play catch up a lot. He's a big red-zone target. I'm not sure what else to say at this point.
Diontae Johnson, Steelers (20)
If Devlin Hodges is still QB, I'd pass on Johnson against the Dolphins. But if it's Mason Rudolph, there should be a deep connection to be made for a touchdown in a dream matchup for the Steelers' No. 2 WR.
Allen Lazard, Packers (18)
His Monday Night Football fourth-quarter performance was almost certainly an aberration. But once in a while, a no-name wideout earning a future Hall of Famer's trust can be good for a receiver, even one as unknown as Lazard. If Davante Adams (toe) and Geronimo Allison (head, chest) are both out against the Raiders this week, he should have some value.
Dante Pettis, 49ers (17)
Pettis had a ton of preseason hype before he was shoved down San Francisco's wide receiver depth chart. But it looks like he's back in the No. 1 WR role for an undefeated team and a highly paid quarterback. Pick him up.
N'Keal Harry, Patriots (11)
Harry is back at practice this week, and he can return to the Patriots' active roster in Week 9. The first-round draft pick might not have a spot to play much upon his return, but with the Pats' WR corps eternally injured, maybe he will after all.
Zay Jones, Raiders (4)
I'm curious as to what Jones' role will be in Oakland after being traded from Buffalo. He could be the No. 2 WR behind Tyrell Williams, but that would still make him the fourth option in the offense, at best. Oakland acquired him for a reason -- let's see what that reason is.
Duke Williams, Bills (3)
Williams might be extra popular if he lights up the Dolphins in Week 7, but maybe people will just assume it's because it was the Dolphins. The former CFL star gets to face the brutal Eagles' secondary in Week 8, though. There could be a good game coming there, too. Remember, he played just two fewer snaps than John Brown and had a touchdown in Week 5.
Jakobi Meyers, Patriots (2)
In the injured Pats' WR corps, preseason sleeper Meyers could sneak his way into a prominent role, at least for a week or two. The undrafted rookie earned Tom Brady's trust before the season, so if he gets on the field, he might get the chance to produce.
Week 8 Waiver Wire Watch List: TE
Notable tight ends on a Week 8 bye: Mark Andrews, Jason Witten
Chris Herndon, Jets (30)
His return from suspension was marred by a hamstring injury that held him out. We still think he'll be a solid TE option once he's on the field, and as we've been pointing to, the Jets get the Dolphins in Week 9.
Darren Fells, Texans (17)
Fells is 33 and he's fantasy relevant? Yeah, a bit. Houston passes a lot, Fells is on the field a lot and he's a great red-zone target. There are worse options at tight end.
Dawson Knox, Bills (14)
Knox remains a fantasy relevant tight end even after the matchup with the Dolphins because the Eagles should get thrown on in Week 8.
Luke Willson, Seahawks (6)
We're not expecting Willson to fill the full Will Dissly role, but it will be worth watching to see if he surprises us and does just that.
Ricky Seals-Jones, Browns (3)
Seals-Jones was a tease for a couple weeks, showing flashes but not playing many snaps. In Week 6, he led Browns' TEs in snaps, for the first time, by a wide margin. If that continues, this is a good pass-catcher who should have space to operate because of the attention other Browns' wideouts get. In full disclosure, a Week 8 matchup with the Patriots probably won't go well for Cleveland.
Patriots' TEs
Benjamin Watson is back. Matt LaCosse got big snaps in Week 6, but then it was Ryan Izzo in Week 7. If one of these guys becomes the main TE for Brady week after week, I think that's a player worth owning. We've got to figure out who that is first.
MORE WEEK 7 DFS: Stacks | Values | Lineup Builder
Week 8 defense streamers and sleepers
Defenses with a Week 8 bye: Ravens, Cowboys
Houston Texans (42) | Week 8 opponent: vs. Raiders
Pittsburgh Steelers (36) | Week 8 opponent: vs. Dolphins
Indianapolis Colts (11) | Week 8 opponent: vs. Broncos
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5) | Week 8 opponent: @ Titans
Pick up the Steelers' D/ST if they're unowned ASAP because the Dolphins' buzz will catch them full throttle at the beginning of next week. The Texans should also be higher owned in general, as should the Colts. The Bucs are a sneaky play against a floundering Titans offense.