With ten minutes left in the first half of the Chiefs and Broncos game, Mahomes kept the ball on a QB sneak and gained two yards for the first down. Unfortunately, Mahomes was unable to get off the turf and Chiefs fans and fantasy football players feared the worst. Luckily for everyone, Mahomes got away with only a dislocated knee cap and could miss as few as three games.
In addition to replacing injured players like Mahomes, fantasy owners will need to find replacements for the players on a bye in Week 8. After back-to-back weeks with four teams on bye, fantasy owners get a bit of a break, with only the Baltimore Ravens and the Dallas Cowboys on bye this week.
Here are some of my favorite adds for Week 8
To be considered as a possible “add,” they need to be owned in less than 60 percent of ESPN leagues. The drops on this list are by no means must-drop, but rather they are droppable.
QB/RB Adds
Kirk Cousins, QB, Minnesota Vikings (38.8%)
Cousins has thrown for over 300 yards and at least two touchdowns in three straight games. The Giants, Eagles and Lions are not the most challenging defenses for QBs this season, but neither are the Redskins or the Chiefs, who the Vikings play over the next two weeks.
Matthew Stafford,QB, Detroit Lions (48.9%)
Through seven weeks, Stafford ranks seventh in QB air yards and is top-10 in quarterback rating. In Week 8, the Lions face the Giants, who have given up at least 300 passing yards in 4-of-7 games. After the Giants, Stafford and the Lions play the Raiders, who have not been the most difficult matchup for opposing QBs.
Jamaal Williams, RB, Green Bay Packers (55.7%)
Prior to losing Jamaal Williams at the start of the Week 4 game, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said that he wanted a more balanced share of touches in the backfield. Since returning in Week 6, the share has been almost equal for Jones and Williams. Williams has 25 touches for 167 yards compared to 31 touches for 143 yards for Aaron Jones. Williams has become a favorite of Rodgers in the pass game, catching a receiving touchdown in back-to-back games. Williams offers fantasy owners more than just a handcuff and can be a flex option each week.
Chase Edmonds, RB, Arizona Cardinals (31.5%)
Week 7 will most likely be the best fantasy game of the season for Chase Edmonds. However, most fantasy owners did not have him in their lineup due to the fact that David Johnson was active. On Monday, the Cardinals brought in multiple RBs for workouts. This could indicate that Johnson is more injured than originally thought, or it could be a depth play since third string RB D.J. Foster was placed on IR. In either instance, Edmonds has been fairly productive this season, even with Johnson in the lineup, and offers obvious upside if Johnson is to miss time. If Edmonds is available, make sure to add him.
Ty Johnson, RB, Detroit Lions (1.2%)
With Kerryon Johnson expected to miss at least Week 8, Ty Johnson should see an increase in touches. Through the first six weeks of the season, Ty Johnson only had 17 touches for 61 yards. With his 14 touches and 57 yards in Week 7, Johnson nearly matched his season total. With Johnson expected to be the lead back, his usage in both the run and pass game could reward the fantasy owners who are able to add him off waivers.
Kareem Hunt, RB, Cleveland Browns (55.4%)
Even though Hunt only played 11 games in 2018, he had over 1,200 scrimmage yards. Hunt averaged nearly 75 rushing yards per game and 4.55 yards per carry. Kareem Hunt is not eligible to play until Week 10, but now is the time that you need to consider adding him if you have any roster flexibility.
Pass Catcher Adds
Corey Davis, WR, Tennessee Titans (43.9%)
When Mariota was the starter for the Titans, starting Corey Davis was a risky play and almost unstartable. But that appears to have changed with Tannehill under center. Since Tannehill has taken over, Davis has nine receptions for 126 yards and a touchdown. When Davis was targeted in Weeks 1 through 5, the quarterback had a rating of 104.5, and when Davis was targeted in Weeks 6 and 7, the quarterback had a rating of 132.6.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR, Green Bay Packers (55.2%)
After a somewhat disappointing start to the 2019 season for Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense, things seemed to have turned around. In Week 7, Rodgers had five touchdown passes to five different pass catchers, one being Valdes-Scantling. In Week 7, MVS led the Packers in receiving yards on only three targets. Through seven weeks, MVS ranks 26th in air yards at the wide receiver position. Valdes-Scantling is a boom or bust play, but until Davante Adams is back in the lineup, it will be difficult to sit him.
DaVante Parker, WR, Miami Dolphins (8.6%)
Since being drafted highly in the 2015 Draft, DaVante Parker has been a fairly disappointing player. Over his past three games, he has put together a pretty decent stat line, though. He has been able to catch 12-of-18 targets for 153 yards and three touchdowns. This touchdown streak will most likely end soon, but if he continues to be targeted like he is now, he should continue to be a flex consideration during bye weeks.
Mohamed Sanu, WR, New England Patriots (49.1%)
Since his days back at Rutgers, there have always been rumors connecting Mohamed Sanu and the New England Patriots. Following their Week 7 victory over the Jets, the Patriots traded a second-round pick for Sanu. The Patriots trading such a high pick indicates that not only do they like Sanu, but they plan on using him. With a depleted set of receivers, Sanu could be a very useful addition to the offense. If Sanu and Brady can build chemistry quickly, Sanu may have a fantasy-relevant role and should be added if you have any roster flexibility.
Preston Williams, WR, Miami Dolphins (7.5%)
Parker may be having the touchdown streak, but Preston Williams has also been fairly impressive over the past three games. In that span, Williams has caught 12-of-21 targets for 159 yards. Williams has seen pretty steady usage every week this season and leads the team in targets, receptions and receiving yards and is also worthy of flex consideration during bye weeks.
Eric Ebron, TE, Indianapolis Colts (39.2%)
Ebron is on this list due to his athletic touchdown reception in the third quarter of their game against the Houston Texans. This catch reminded us why he was a first-round draft pick in 2014. His 2019 season has been up and down, but his usage has been fairly consistent. Ebron has been targeted at least four times in all games aside from one, and he has scored a touchdown in half of his games. With so many inconsistent options at TE, at least Ebron offers the upside of a touchdown every once in a while.
Kyle Rudolph,TE, Minnesota Vikings (17.9%)
In Week 7, Rudolph caught five of his six targets for 58 yards and a touchdown in his best performance of the year. With Thielen potentially missing Week 8 against the Redskins, Rudolph should see more targets. The Redskins are not the best matchup for TEs, but if Rudolph sees an increase in usage, he could have a very good fantasy day.
Drops
QB: Marcus Mariota
RB: Giovani Bernard, Ito Smith
WR: Antonio Brown, Randall Cobb
TE: Noah Fant, Trey Burton
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