Waiver Favors™: 2020 Week 8 Fantasy Football Pickups

November 1, 2020

By Ha Kung Wong Week 8 Fantasy Football Pickups

As I do every year over the last 8 years, I’m here to help with waiver wire adds via my weekly Waiver Favors article! And I’m assuming if you’re a returning reader, you won your fantasy football championship last year, so congratulations!

But it’s a new year, so I’ll make a couple suggestions for after Week 6 of the 2020 fantasy football season. You’re welcome. Again.

As usual, all pickups are available in at least 50% of Yahoo standard fantasy football leagues (with some minor exceptions) as of Sunday evening.

Damien Harris

RB – New England Patriots – 46% Owned

I mentioned him as a pickup weeks ago, but I’m going to reiterate it this week because this might be your last chance to scoop him up. Ever since coming off IR in Week 4, Damien Harris has been the most impressive backfield option for the slowly sinking Patriots. In Week 8, ha had 16 carries for 102 yards and a TD, his second 100-yard game in his last 4. He doesn’t catch passes, so he probably won’t help as much in PPR, but he’s averaging close to 5 yards per carry and has double digit carries in 3 of 4 games. And if you’re looking for immediate help, look no further than the Patriots “get right” game in Week 9 against the Jets. I like him in all 12-team leagues or deeper.

DeeJay Dallas

RB – Seattle Seahawks – 24% Owned

When Chris Carson was injured, I noted you should pick up Carlos Hyde. But then Hyde was injured, so I mentioned DeeJay Dallas later in the week. But if you missed it, both Carson and Hyde were inactive in Week 8 leading to Dallas rushing 18 times for 41 yards and a TD adding 5 receptions for 17 receiving yards and a receiving TD against the 49ers. He had some serious efficiency issues averaging only 2.3 yards per carry, but he did enough to make himself useful. He’s worth stashing in all 12-team leagues in case Carson and Hyde remain out.

Jordan Wilkins

RB – Indianapolis Colts – 1% Owned

I mentioned Nyheim Hines (29% Owned) a while back, and he should also be on your radar in PPR leagues based on his performance in Week 8, but Jordan Wilkins surprisingly stole the show with 20 carries for 89 yards and a TD, almost doubling the carries that presumed lead back Jonathan Taylor had. Wilkins even added a reception for 24 more yards. I’m assuming the Colts were just riding the hot hand in Week 8 and Taylor will regain the lion’s share of backfield touches, but Wilkins definitely earned a longer look and is worth a look in 14-team leagues or deeper in case he continues this production.

Corey Davis

WR – Tennessee Titans – 47% Owned

Trying to find a consistent target on the Titans offense outside of Derrick Henry, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. In Week 8, the winner was Corey Davis, who caught 8 of 10 targets for 128 yards and a TD in a surprise loss to the Bengals. It his best outing of his career, and perhaps it wasn’t completely random, as Adam Humphries went out with a concussion in the 2^nd quarter. So, perhaps depending on Humphries availability, he could be worth a shot as your WR4/Flex later in the season or over a bye week. Keep in mind he’s facing the Bears in Week 9, but that shouldn’t keep you for buying in 12-team leagues or deeper.

Corey Davis Receiving Stats
	Game	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece
Year	G	Tgt	Rec	Yds	TD	Ctch%
2017	11	65	34	375	0	52.3%
2018	16	112	65	891	4	58.0%
2019	15	69	43	601	2	62.3%
2020	4	29	21	241	2	72.4%
Care	46	275	163	2108	8	59.3%

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table

Allen Lazard

WR- Green Bay Packers – 34% Owned

Aaron Rodgers looked fine throwing to Davante Adams and Robert Tonyan (which by the way, is pronounced like “onion”), but the Packers did lose in Week 8 to the one-win Vikings. So he could probably use more help to offset his lackluster defense. Allen Lazard could be back soon from core muscle surgery as he started practicing last week. He was decent when he was healthy, and he was 6 of 8 for 146 yards and a TD in the last game he played in Week 3. He’s still on IR, so if you have an IR spot, you could even stash him there for free. Take a look in all 12-team leagues or deeper.

Mecole Hardman

WR – Kansas City Chiefs – 30% Owned

I’m not saying that he’s consistent, but Mecole Hardman does flash tons of upside. I liked him as a pick up weeks ago as well, but he was particularly impressive in Week 8 catching 7 of 9 targets for 96 yards and a TD without Sammy Watkins present, which is career high in targets and receptions. Of course, you’re going to have almost zero floor with Hardman, as Demarcus Robinson seems to normally get the most consistent target share outside of Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce, and Watkins will eventually return. But if you need some upside in 14-team leagues or deeper, he’s worth a stash to see if he can keep this up.

Curtis Samuel

WR – Carolina Panthers – 20% Owned

It’s unclear when Christian McCaffrey is returning at 100%, but it’s probably close. That being said, Curtis Samuel has been getting a healthy share of touches in the backfield and through the of late, most recently catching 4 of 5 targets for 31 yards and a TD and adding three carries for 12 rush yards and another TD. That’s back-to-back rushing TDs for Samuel. Maybe CMC’s return dampens his opportunity, but Samuel has looked good since returning from a knee injury, so he’s worth a stash in all 12-team leagues or deeper as we wait to see how this sorts out, and is a decent short term flex play if CMC remains out.

Kendrick Bourne

WR – San Francisco 49ers – 8% Owned

Deebo Samuel was out in Week 8 and Kendrick Bourne stepped up to catch 8 of 10 targets for 81 yards against the Seahawks. The Seahawks’ pass defense is historically bad right now, so it’s unclear how this translates moving forward, and Bourne got only 1 target in Week 7, but he’s averaged about 5 targets per game over his first 6, Samuel is likely to remain out in Week 9, and George Kittle looks in danger of also missing Week 9 on a short week to Thursday Night Football. If nothing else, Bourne could make a savvy bye week fill-in for Week 9, with potential for the remainder of the year. Check him out in all 12-team leagues or deeper.

Jakobi Meyers

WR – New England Patriots – 1% Owned

After a catastrophic fumble, who knows if Cam Newton will remain the New England Patriots QB. But if he does, he did seem to favor Jakobi Meyers in Week 8, who caught 6 of 10 targets for 58 yards. That’s two weeks in a row in which he led the Patriots in targets. Who knows what will happen once the Pats are completely healthy and N’Keal Harry and Julian Edelman return, but in the meantime, feel free to take a look in 14-team or deeper leagues, and particularly in PPR.

UPDATE 11/3/20

With Jamaal Williams and AJ Dillion now out due to COVID and the Packers pessimistic on Aaron Jones getting cleared from him calf injury on a short week, we’re likely to see some combination of Tyler Ervin (1% Owned) and Dexter Williams (0% Owned). Both are worth a speculative pick up for those hurting for a RB in Week 9.
Myles Gaskins is out for at least 3 weeks with an MCL sprain, meaning Matt Breida (19% Owned) and Jordan Howard (18% Owned) should get more looks and are worth grabbing in most leagues.