NFL Week 8: Top 3 Fantasy Waiver Wire Pick-Ups

- By Rene Ramirez

Eight weeks into the NFL season, the standings and fantasy football sit in a weird landscape. Many ol’ reliables such as Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Russell Wilson have drastically underperformed and the veterans’ future outlook, at least this season, doesn’t look bright. Regardless of how upside-down the season may seem, there will always be plausible points on the waiver wire and this week is no different.

1.) Daniel Jones (QB | New York Giants) Most of the time, a team that is 6-1 should have a quarterback that is guaranteed a roster spot on fantasy teams, bench or not. However, Daniel “Dimes” Jones has broken that mold for almost half a season. (Courtney Culbreath/Getty Images)

Up until this season, a Jones spotting on a fantasy team wasn’t the rarest sighting, as his legs always had the potential of sneaking in more points than the average dual-threat quarterback. His hands have always been the issue, with 29 interceptions and 34 fumbles accumulated in just three seasons. The New York Giants' first-year head coach Brian Daboll, who previously ran the historically great offense of the Buffalo Bills, is certainly familiar with coaching tall, hefty quarterbacks, as just last year he a quarterback room of Mitchell Trubisky and this season’s MVP favorite Josh Allen. Additionally, the resurgence of Saquon Barkley as a top-3 RB has alleviated the ever-mounting pressure put on Jones. In return, Jones is currently on pace for only 8 turnovers, a 43% drop from last season. Evidently, the risk in playing Jones has exponentially decreased, and his status as a top-10 QB should be all you need to snag him from the waiver wire.

2.) Gus Edwards (RB | Baltimore Ravens) The name Gus Edwards may not be familiar to most NFL watchers, however, for fantasy team owners he’s become a top perennial free agent target. Any running back for a run-heavy scheme team in the (Rob Carr/Getty Images)

Baltimore Ravens is bound to draw attention, but Edwards stands out from the others with his maintained consistency. In his first three seasons, “The Bus” racked up 700 yards per year. A torn ACL knocked out a season and a half of play for the back, albeit the long rest has paid off, as Edwards’ legs look fresher than ever, scoring two touchdowns against the Cleveland Browns. The two-touchdown season debut may be impressive, although don’t expect it to be a weekly occurrence as the Browns rank 31st in rushing touchdowns. The Ravens’ next opponent in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have given up 150+ rushing yards in three of their last four games and given that their star safety Antoine Winfield Jr. has been ruled out, a bounce-back game for the previously dominant defense is less likely. A flex to RB2 label should be most appropriate for Edwards prior to J.K Dobbin’s possible return in the latter half of the season.

3.) Parris Campbell (WR | Indianapolis Colts)

The Indianapolis Colts’ season has been a rollercoaster consisting of putting up a donut to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2 to beating a Super Bowl favorite in the Kansas City Chiefs just a week later. Most recently, the Colts (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

have reached arguably their lowest point of the season by benching former MVP quarterback, Matt Ryan, who looks to have completely fallen off a cliff thanks to the combination of an underwhelming offensive line and his complete inability to protect himself in the pocket. Thankfully for Ryan’s replacement, Sam Ehlinger, the receiving corps hasn’t been a complete trainwreck. The receivers have put up yards as a committee with leading receiver Michael Pittman Jr. only holding a 160-yard lead on rookie Alec Pierce. Third in line for the Colts in terms of receiving yardage, has been the team’s longest tenured receiver, Parris Campbell. In the two most recent weeks, Campbell has seen the endzone twice, compared to none in the first five weeks. The upward trend in addition to the lack of expectations for Ehlinger certainly creates intrigue in picking up the wideout as a flex option.