I have won four fantasy football championships in my 10-year playing career, and I have some words of wisdom for those of you who have yet to reach the promised land. The first lesson is to stay focused and don’t start slipping just because it is a long season. Every week counts and every waiver target that can help your team is important and crucial to your team.
Another advantage I typically use is to set my alarm for early wednesday morning just after the waivers clear so I can get first crack at the free agents who are still available who may have been unclaimed on waivers. There are usually 1 or 2 players that can make an impact who slipped through the cracks that are there for the taking.
Lastly, always go with your gut. I know it can be difficult to pick who you should listen to from fantasy experts to your co-workers who think they know it all, but only you can make the decision that is best for your team so tune out all the noise and go with your natural instincts. Now for the list…
Week 8 Start ’em
Jordan Howard – Chi RB
Howard is coming off a subpar game against a tough Carolina run defense that held him to just 65 yards rushing on 21 carries. The powerback will have a bounceback game in Week 8 against a Saints defense that is allowing 4.9 yards per carry to opposing running backs.
I expect John Fox and the Bears to control the time of possession and give Howard every opportunity to run the ball with authority. He should get all the carries he can handle in the Big Easy.
Jordan Howard Week 8 Projection: 34 carries, 156 yards, 2 TD’s
QBs to Start
Carson Wentz
Philip Rivers
Jameis Winston
Andy Dalton
Matt Moore
RBs to Start
Melvin Gordon
Joe Mixon
Mark Ingram
Alvin Kamara
Latavius Murray
Jerick McKinnon
James White
Christian McCaffrey
LeGarrette Blount
Marlon Mack
Duke Johnson Jr.
WRs to Start
Jarvis Landry
Doug Baldwin
Keenan Allen
Amari Cooper
Chris Hogan
Will Fuller
Pierre Garcon
Kelvin Benjamin
Demaryius Thomas
Nelson Agholor
Marvin Jones Jr.
DeSean Jackson
Devin Funchess
Ted Ginn Jr.
Jermaine Kearse
Josh Doctson
TEs to Start
Kyle Rudolph
Cameron Brate
Hunter Henry
Jordan Reed
Jason Witten
Jack Doyle
Week 8 Sit ’em
C.J. Anderson – Den RB
Anderson has been losing carries every week to Jamaal Charles who faces his old team in the Chiefs in Week 8. If the revenge game plot unfolds, I predict Anderson will receive even less touches this week as he has become a touchdown-dependent RB2 who hasn’t topped 50 yards rushing since Week 4.
Shop him around your leagues and see what you can get for this once promising RB1, you might be surprised what value you can get in return based off of his perceived workhorse value.
C.J. Anderson Week 8 Projection: 11 carries, 56 yards, 0 TD’s
QBs to Sit
Alex Smith
Ben Roethlisberger
Mitchell Trubisky
C.J. Beathard
Joe Flacco
Jacoby Brissett
RBs to Sit
Mike Gillislee
Ameer Abdullah
Tevin Coleman
Tarik Cohen
Frank Gore
Rob Kelley
Dion Lewis
Rex Burkhead
Semaje Perine
Elijah McGuire
Matt Breida
WRs to Sit
Martavis Bryant
Jordan Matthews
Jamison Crowder
Terrelle Pryor
Danny Amendola
Bennie Fowler
Mike Wallace
Tyler Lockett
Tyrelle Williams
Donte Moncrief
Taylor Gabriel
Mike Williams
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Marquise Goodwin
TEs to Sit
Jared Cook
Ed Dickson
Austin Hooper
Coby Fleener
David Njoku
Antonio Gates
To show Mike Mital your appreciation, or kindly express your disagreements, hit him up on Twitter @MikeMital and tell him how you really feel!
There are still free agents available in a lot of leagues that deserve to be picked up. Huseyin The Brain ranks the top waiver wire pickups and free agent adds by position in his Week 8 waiver video.
