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We are approaching the midway point of the fantasy football season. If your team has struggled over the last few weeks, there is still time to turn things around, but it may be time to take some chances.
One quick note on this week’s waiver wire pickups. I have Eagles running back Wendell Smallwood near the top of the list. Smallwood does not play until Monday night. According to ESPN, Smallwood is available in nearly 60 percent of leagues. If you have a player on a bye sitting at the end of your bench, you could go ahead and pickup Smallwood now (assuming he is available) since he has not played yet. This would give you a head start on the waiver wire process.
Smallwood is listed as questionable for Monday’s game, but is expected to play. He’s missed the last two games, but his best fantasy days are ahead of him. The Eagles are using him in the Darren Sproles role, making him especially valuable in PPR leagues.
Aside from Smallwood, we also still have Darren McFadden on our list. His ownership percentage dropped nearly six percent, but Ezekiel Elliott’s future is as shaky as ever. Elliott is likely to play next week, but could end up having his suspension upheld in his October 30th hearing. This means McFadden and even Alfred Morris still have value.
With Marshawn Lynch suspended for a game, there is an opportunity for a young Raiders running back to emerge as at least a bye week replacement. The challenge is it is difficult to choose between Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington. Oakland split the workload evenly between the two backs during Thursday’s contest. We slightly favor Richard in PPR leagues, but you’ll want to monitor the Raiders beat reporters during the week to see who is expected to be the lead back this week.
Finally, we have the Rams DST listed. Be aware they are on a bye this upcoming week, but that also means teams could be dropping them in your league. They are still available in nearly half of leagues, and are worth a stash as they are putting up double-digit fantasy points most weeks.
As always, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @JonDAdams with specific waiver wire or fantasy questions.
Here’s a look at our waiver wire rankings for this week. Ownership percentages are based on ESPN leagues, but applicable across platforms. This list will continue to be updated as more games go final.
Waiver Wire Rankings Week 8
| RANK | PLAYER | OWNERSHIP % |
| 1 | RB Wendell Smallwood, Eagles | 39.6 |
| 2 | RB Darren McFadden, Cowboys | 43.2 |
| 3 | RB Jalen Richard, Raiders | 5 |
| 4 | WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, Steelers | 7.8 |
| 5 | Rams DST | 56.4 |
| 6 | O.J. Howard, Bucs | 7.3 |
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