2022 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Week 8 Picks and Injury Replacements

The Desai Guys continue their Waiver Wire Fantasy Football coverage this week with injury updates and replacements.

Fantasy Football Updates: Week 7 Injuries And Waiver Wire Week 8

Ryan Tannehill, QB – Tennessee Titans

• Injured his ankle in the beginning of the 4th quarter against the Indianapolis Colts
  • Missed one play and then returned to the game with a wrapped ankle
  • Was later seen in a walking boot after the game was over
• Tannehill said the ankle is not feeling great, but is going to try his best to work through it and play against the Texans in Week 8
• If he can’t manage to do that, Malik Willis will get the nod to start at quarterback for the Titans
  • This would be a great streaming start with both Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes on a BYE week this week
• Go get Willis off the waiver wire if Tannehill has to sit this coming week
  • If you miss out on Willis, you could also pick up Taylor Heinicke, Daniel Jones, or Marcus Mariota

Breece Hall, RB – New York Jets

• Hall left the game in the 2nd quarter against the Denver Broncos with a knee injury
  • He had to be helped off the field and all signs are pointing to missing significant time or potentially the rest of the season
• Diagnosis hasn’t been confirmed yet as the Jets await more tests, but most people are fearing an MCL or ACL injury that will force him to miss the rest of the 2022 campaign
• If that’s the case, the Jets have a very capable handcuff option in Michael Carter that can fill in well
  • Just acquired James Robinson from the Jacksonville Jaguars for a conditional 6th-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft
• In the past four weeks, New York has put an emphasis on rushing the ball and Carter will be a great addition to your team if he’s available
• Most fantasy managers are going to be flocking the waiver wire to add him and that means you might miss out
  • If you miss out on Carter, go get Chuba Hubbard, D’Onta Foreman, Tyler Allgeier, Latavius Murray, or Gus Edwards

Russell Gage, WR – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• Left the game in the 4th quarter with a hamstring injury against the Carolina Panthers
  • Having tests done on Monday but hamstring injuries are usually a cautionary injury
• Gage has been dealing with hamstring problems all season but was able to play through it.
  • This could be a re-aggravation of that injury and he could be shut down for a handful of weeks
• The Bucs need all the help they can get as they have been upset in back-to-back weeks when they were double-digit favorites both times
• Obviously, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin will see more work in the receiver position
  • Could see an increase in targets for receiver Scotty Miller and tight end Cade Otton
• Tampa Bay’s offense is non-existent right now so you’re better off grabbing a receiver from another team
  • Look to add Tyler Boyd, Alec Pierce, George Pickens, Josh Reynolds, or Van Jefferson off the waiver wire

Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR – Detroit Lions

• St. Brown left the game against the Cowboys very early after he took a shot to the back of the head
  • He was ruled out of the game after the first quarter with a concussion and is now in protocol
• There’s a good shot that he can play this weekend against the Miami Dolphins, but it’s not guaranteed
• In case he doesn’t end up playing, Josh Reynolds should see an increase in targets at the receiver position
  • T.J. Hockenson will see his fair share of targets at the tight end position as well
• Keep an eye on his status throughout the week and adjust your roster through the waiver wire accordingly

Allen Lazard, WR – Green Bay Packers

• Lazard left the game against the Commanders in the second half with an apparent shoulder injury
  • No indication of the type of injury sustained, but it looks like Lazard may not play this coming weekend against the Buffalo Bills
• Probably the one dependable option in this Packers passing offense is potentially going to be out
• If you need to look at a Green Bay receiver option, maybe consider adding the rookie Romeo Doubs or Sammy Watkins off the waiver wire
  • Overall, you need to avoid the Packers offense in general right now as they try to figure out what’s ailing it. Playing against the Bills defense won’t help them hammer things out.

Corey Davis, WR – New York Jets

• Left the game in the 2nd quarter against the Denver Broncos with a knee injury
  • He was held out of the game as a precaution and is now considered day-to-day
• There’s a chance that Davis could be healthy enough to play this coming week against the New England Patriots
  • Signs are pointing towards him missing a week to make sure his knee is fully healthy
    • Suffered a sprained MCL
• If Davis has to sit, Garrett Wilson would obviously see an increase in targets and also could see more targets going towards tight end Tyler Conklin

D.K. Metcalf, WR – Seattle Seahawks

• Metcalf landed awkwardly on his knee which led to him being carted to the locker room
  • Turns out it was an injury to his patellar tendon but it won’t require surgery
• There’s currently no timetable for Metcalf’s return, but it’s pretty safe to say he’ll at least miss the next game against the Giants
• This is a big blow for the Seahawks with Tyler Lockett also dealing with an injury.
  • Stay away from this passing offense if both of receivers miss time, which includes avoiding Geno Smith on waiver wires
• Marquise Goodwin did have a great game last week in Metcalf’s absence, but that likely won’t continue if he’s the planned starter against the Giants

Mike Williams, WR – Los Angeles Chargers

• The Chargers lost Williams in the 4th quarter with an ankle injury that kept him out of the rest of the game
  • Even with the Chargers on a BYE week this week, Williams is expected to miss multiple weeks with a high-ankle sprain
• Los Angeles has been underperforming this season and part of that relates to all the injuries they’ve been suffering
  • Keenan Allen is still dealing with a hamstring injury and Justin Herbert seems like he’s still dealing with soreness in his ribs
• Herbert is pretty good at making something out of nothing, so without Allen and Williams they might be fine still
  • Gerald Everett will be a great pick up off waiver wires after the BYE week and Josh Palmer might be a great addition as well

David Njoku, TE – Cleveland Browns

• Against the Baltimore Ravens, Njoku suffered an ankle injury in the 3rd quarter and missed the rest of the game
  • Turns out he’s dealing with a high-ankle sprain and will be out for a couple of weeks
• Njoku was having a promising season as he’s currently tied for the team lead in receptions and is tied for second in targets
• This passing offense may not take that big of a hit as backup tight end, but Harrison Bryant should fill in nicely
  • Also, look for Donovan Peoples-Jones to see more targets in the offense
• Bryant is a great sneaky pick-up off waiver wires for your fantasy roster

Just in case other managers have the same idea to go get him, you can also look at Hayden Hurst, Irv Smith Jr., Daniel Bellinger, and Greg Dulcich

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Week 8 Picks

Waiver Wire Quarterbacks

Daniel Jones, New York Giants vs. SEA (ESPN Roster Percentage – 28.9%)

• It’s official, I’m in on Daniel Jones as a capable starting QB both on the real field and the fantasy one
• Believe it or not, he’s currently ranked as a top-ten QB in fantasy
• What makes him especially valuable is the fact that a lot of his points come from his rushing stats
• Brian Daboll is basically turning him into a poor man’s Josh Allen
• Not to mention he’s playing a Seattle defense that has been gashed by competent QBs all season

Taylor Heinicke, Washington Commanders vs. IND (ESPN Roster Percentage – 7.3%)

• This offense looked to click a little more with Heinicke under center compared to the now-injured Carson Wentz
  • The Commanders ran the ball well and Heinicke found his opportunities to air it out
    • Including a sensation deep pass to Terry McLaurin for a touchdown
• While Heinicke only scored 15 fantasy points, he gets a good match-up against the Indianapolis Colts this week
  • The Colts are clearly packing it in with the recent news of Matt Ryan being benched for the rest of the season
• While Indianapolis boasts a good pass defense, they are tied for 8th in the highest completion percentage allowed

Waiver Wire Running Backs

Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers vs. ATL (ESPN Roster Percentage – 25.8%)

• If you listened to our live episode last week, I called this from the second I saw the news of the Christian McCaffrey trade
• While D’Onta Foreman’s involvement was surprisingly heavier than I expected, I think Hubbard is the more talented back who will end up as the primary runner
• Don’t worry about the ankle injury that forced him out because reports are saying he should be good to go and could’ve kept playing had the game not been a blowout
• This is a back that has the potential to get 15+ carries a game and could be part of the receiving game as well
• This type of volume potential this late in the season is extremely rare so even if this is a swing-and-miss, it’s well worth the risk to pick him up off of the waiver wire

Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons vs. CAR (ESPN Roster Percentage – 29.9%)

• Against the Cincinnati Bengals, Allgeier scored his first rushing touchdown
  • He also paired that with 50 rushing yards
• Cordarrelle Patterson is still going to be out until Week 9 when he can finally be activated off the IR
• The big thing that favors Allgeier is his large share of the carries in the Falcons backfield
  • Last week he split the load with Caleb Huntley but against the Bengals, Allgeier had 10 more carries than Huntley
• Playing against the Carolina Panthers this week, the Falcons can utilize Allgeier to his fullest as the Panthers have allowed the 11th most rushing yards in the league so far

Waiver Wire Wide Receivers

Van Jefferson, Los Angeles Rams vs. SF (ESPN Roster Percentage – 7.2%)

• The Rams need more help in their passing offense besides Cooper Kupp
• Allen Robinson has not filled the part at all, but Los Angeles gets Jefferson back to their roster this coming week
• Jefferson has been healing up from offseason knee injuries and is now off the IR and ready to see action
• Jefferson should bring a deep threat dimension to this offense and add another credible threat in this passing game for the Rams

George Pickens, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. PHI (ESPN Roster Percentage – 55.5%)

• He has scored 10+ points in 3 of his last 4 games in which Kenny Pickett has played.
• Receivers are notoriously slow to adapt to the NFL talent leap but it seems like he’s making that jump a little earlier than most
• While he doesn’t have WR2 promise quite yet, there is a lot to like in the coming weeks
• Chase Claypool trade rumors are rampant and it’s likely the wideout is going to be moved which opens up more possibilities for Pickens to succeed
• He’s a solid FLEX play with the upside to reach high-end WR2 by the end of the season

Waiver Wire Tight Ends

Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. BAL (ESPN Roster Percentage – 7.8%)

• As long as Cameron Brate is out, Otton is solidly in TE1 territory.
• We all know how much Tom Brady loves his tight ends and the rookie is the next one in line
• He finished Week 7 with more routes run than Mike Evans and Chris Godwin which means plenty of opportunities
• He’s playing a horrific Baltimore secondary in a game that will likely be a shootout

Austin Hooper, Tennessee Titans vs. HOU (ESPN Roster Percentage – 6%)

• This choice is really dependent on whether Ryan Tannehill plays this coming week
• If Malik Willis plays this week, expect Willis to rely on the safety net of his tight end
• With Tannehill, Hooper is an afterthought in the offense but monitor the situation because Hooper might be a steal off waiver wires if Willis does step into the starting lineup in Week 8

Waiver Wire Defenses/Special Teams

Tennessee Titans vs. HOU (ESPN Roster Percentage – 13.6%)

• The Titans just dropped 18 fantasy points against the Indianapolis Colts last week

This coming week they face another AFC South division rival and you can expect the defense to prevent Houston from doing anything on offense

Arizona Cardinals vs. MIN (ESPN Roster Percentage – 9.7%)

• While the Vikings matchup isn’t enticing on paper, it’s important to look ahead at their future schedule
• Coming off an impressive 17-point performance against the Saints, they play some inconsistent-at-best offenses moving forward
• After the Vikings game, Arizona plays the Rams, Seahawks, 49ers, and Chargers
• All big names but underperforming nonetheless
• Pick them up off the waiver wire, hope for the best against the Vikings and you have a top-option defense for the next few weeks

Waiver Wire Kickers

Robbie Gould, San Francisco 49ers vs. LAR (ESPN Roster Percentage – 7.8%)

• Despite the 49ers struggles last week, Gould was still able to put up 14 points
• The team simply had a bad week and once they hit their stride, Gould is going to be one of the biggest and most consistent benefactors
• He may even be worth holding onto during the bye week

Jason Myers, Seattle Seahawks vs. NYG (ESPN Roster Percentage – 35.1%)

• The Giants are not a doormat anymore and look to be one of the top teams in the league
• This matchup might result in a lot of offense or could be a low-scoring defensive battle
  • Either way, expect Myers to get lots of chances to score points for his team