Several key injuries (and players returning from injuries) are shaking up the NFL — and fantasy football lineups — going into Week 8.
At quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa (27%) is expected to return after recovering from his concussion. In Cleveland, the Browns are expected to turn the offense over to Jameis Winston (1%) after losing Deshuan Watson to an Achilles injury. Drake Maye (14%) is also worth a look at QB.
At wide receiver, Jauan Jennings (46%) will be a popular target this week after the 49ers lost Brandon Aiyuk to a torn ACL. Elsewhere at the position, Romeo Doubs (37%) has turned heads with consecutive big games.
At tight end, Hunter Henry (28%) and Taysom Hill (21%) will be among the top targets to consider on the waiver wire ahead of Week 8.
Today, though, we’re focusing on the running back position. We’ve put together a quick list of ten running backs to consider on the fantasy football waiver wire this week.
Fantasy Football Running Back Waiver Wire Targets
1. RB Ray Davis (15%): Even with James Cook back in the lineup, Davis still got five carries and a target, turning those touches into 41 rushing yards and a touchdown and a one-yard reception. He won’t reach the end zone every week, but Davis offers flex value even when Cook is healthy.
2. RB Tyler Goodson (10%): It remains to be seen if Jonathan Taylor (ankle) will be able to return this week. In his absence on Sunday, it was Goodson, not Trey Sermon, who led the Colts’ backfield with 14 carries for 51 yards and a touchdown.
3. RB Alexander Mattison (43%): Mattison dominated the Raiders’ backfield on Sunday with 26 touches that he turned into 123 yards.
4. RB Jaylen Warren (46%): Najee Harris is still the guy in Pittsburgh, but Warren got 12 carries and three targets in Week 7. He’s worth flex consideration in a shared backfield.
5. RB Tyrone Tracy (48%): Even with Devin Singletary back in the lineup, Tracy remained a key part of New York’s offense. Game flow didn’t allow for much rushing from the Giants, but Tracy got one more carry (six to five) and two more targets (three to one) than Singletary on Sunday.
6. RB Sean Tucker (11%): Rachaad White is back and Bucky Irving remains the RB1b, but there’s still a role for Tucker in the backfield. He got five carries and two targets on Monday.
7. RB Kendre Miller (8%): The Saints weren’t able to get anything going against Denver’s defense on TNF, but Miller got six carries (compared to Alvin Kamara’s seven) and three targets (compared to Kamara’s seven). Kamara is obviously still the star in New Orleans, but Miller might have some standalone value going forward.
8. RB D’Ernest Johnson (15%): Tank Bigsby (69%) is dominating right now, but there’s still a role for Johnson. He got nine carries and four targets this week.
9. RB Trey Benson (18%): Benson is a claim-and-stash option in case James Conner is ever unavailable this season.
10. RB Blake Corum (18%): Similar to Benson, Corum is a valuable handcuff behind Kyren Williams.
Bonus RBs: Nick Chubb (83%), Tank Bigsby (69%), Jonathon Brooks (60%), Bucky Irving (66%) and Tyler Allgeier (54%) are already rostered in most leagues, but double check just to make sure they’re not still available in your league.
Roster percentages for players listed in this article were sourced from ESPN. For more fantasy coverage, check out our fantasy football hub.
