Taking a look at the best low-owned fantasy football WR options to play in Week 8, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Tez Johnson.
As we move on to Week 8 of the NFL season, now is when the postseason race starts to get interesting. With six teams on bye this week, there will be many teams that need to pick up a receiver or two off waivers. With slim picking this week, it’s important that the receiver you choose shows up to play in a big way.
These are three low-owned fantasy football WR options that you can stream for Week 8, if you are unsure about that final WR spot in your starting lineup! Also, make sure to check out our Week 8 fantasy football rankings!
Note: Players must be owned in less than 60% of ESPN leagues to be included in the best fantasy football streamers column.
Low-Owned Fantasy Football WR Streaming Options Week 8
Tez Johnson at New Orleans Saints (26% Owned)
For the second straight week, Tez Johnson caught a touchdown and finished with double-digit fantasy points. He was one of the few bright spots in a disappointing game for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offense against the Detroit Lions. While he only hauled in four receptions, he did see nine targets and made a few really nice catches. The biggest takeaway from that game, though, wasn’t so much about Johnson as it was about the other Tampa Bay receivers. Chris Godwin is yet to return, and Mike Evans will now be out for an extended period of time due to a broken collarbone suffered in the game.
This week, Johnson and the Buccaneers go up against the New Orleans Saints, who were just dismantled by the Chicago Bears. The Saints have a middle-of-the-pack defense against fantasy receivers overall, but they have given up the eighth-most touchdowns to receivers this year. While Emeka Egbuka and Sterling Shepard will certainly play a role as well, there’s no reason Tez Johnson can’t have another solid performance with quarterback Baker Mayfield looking to get back on track.
More Fantasy Football Streamers Week 8
Alec Pierce vs Tennessee Titans (7% Owned)
Alec Pierce has been a hard player to figure out for fantasy this year. In his first four games, Pierce averaged just over four targets a game and was a fairly consistent deep threat. In those four games, he even totaled double-digit fantasy points twice. Then, last week came around, and Pierce’s target share exploded, per our Opportunity Index. While he only hauled in five, Pierce drew 10 targets in the Indianapolis Colts’ decimation of the Los Angeles Chargers. While owners can’t count on anything near that target share consistently, it does show he can have some big games in the future from time to time.
This week, the Colts have the pleasure of playing the lowly Tennessee Titans. Their defense ranks 21st against the fantasy football WR position and lacks much of a secondary or a pass rush, especially with the recent injury of star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. Employed mostly as a deep threat, Pierce should be able to find plenty of space behind Tennessee’s defense this week. While he likely won’t see a 10-target day again, he provides major upside in the fact that one or two catches alone can give him a solid floor in deeper leagues. Feel confident starting Pierce as a flex play in a deep league and have fun cheering for the deep ball.
Sterling Shepard at New Orleans Saints (24.2% Owned)
No, your eyes do not deceive you; there are two Tampa Bay Buccaneers receivers on this list in Week 8. To be quite honest, there aren’t a lot of “sure things” in fantasy when it comes to receivers this week. One thing that is for sure though, is that the Buccaneers like to throw the ball, and they are also without Mike Evans and likely Chris Godwin for this game. While Emeka Egbuka and the aforementioned Tez Johnson will certainly feast, Sterling Shepard has a solid role in the current offense as well.
In Week 8, Shepard caught all seven of his targets and tied tight end Cade Otton for first on the team in receptions. Although Egbuka and Johnson received most of the glory for some good plays made on Monday night, Shepard was quietly just as good. While the receiving yards weren’t there, they should be much easier to find against a bad New Orleans Saints team. Targets are the key to production in fantasy, and Sterling Shepard has as solid of a floor based on recent games as anybody you’ll find on waivers or free agency.
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