The point of this article is to provide you with likely waiver wire options for your week 8 line up, hopefully lessening the blows of injuries or the week 8 bye. Like the majority of articles, this one is relative. Assess the depth of your fantasy league and act accordingly. Good luck!
Shaun Hill – DET QB
I would bet my life (err… 5 bucks) that Stafford plays this week. An MRI showed that Stafford avoided both a break and the dreaded high ankle sprain leaving him questionable on the week. Based on the severity of the injury and the fact that the Lions lost two straight, I see Stafford playing this week and securing a win against a porous Broncos pass defense before the Lion’s bye week. However, the Lions may want to play it safe with Stafford with next week’s bye, giving him two weeks to recover. If this is the case, pick up Shaun Hill! Denver’s pass defense allows the most fantasy points against opposing quarterbacks, and Megatron and company will make up for any shortcomings that Shawn Hill has as a quarterback. Hill is a very solid pickup for week 8 if Stafford sits.
A.J. Feeley – STL QB
There is rumor that Bradford may need another week for his high ankle sprain to heal, giving Feeley his second straight start. I know what you’re thinking, but he’s not THAT bad. He completed 61% of his throws, just missed the 200 yd. passing mark and was only dropped once by a Cowboy’s defense that is around the top 10 in sacks. With a game now under his belt he is playing a much easier Saints defense that has allowed the 5th most fantasy points against opposing quarterbacks. It’s not that I love him this week (if he plays); it’s just that I don’t hate him either. If you’re in a deep league and need a QB, take a chance.
DeMarco Murray – DAL HB
Chances are you now know who Murray is. If you don’t, he’s just the guy who broke the Dallas Cowboy’s single game rushing record rushing for 253 yards and a score on 25 carries during the Cowboy’s week 7 romping of the Rams.  While I fully expect Murray’s stock to rise, this statistic is for all the Murray haters. Before last week, the Eagles were one of two teams who allowed more fantasy points to opposing running backs than the St. Louis Rams. The Cowboys play the Eagles this week. Will Murray run for back to back 250 yd. games? Probably not. But do count on him having a solid game against the Eagles especially now that Choice blew any chance of a split backfield after last week’s abysmal performance.
Roy Helu – WAS HB
The name Mike Shanahan brings both terror and hatred to fantasy football owners. The guy is about as unpredictable as they get. Now with Hightower out for the season with a torn ACL, you have a 50/50 shot at guessing who the Redskins will feature in the running game for any given week. Good luck figuring it out; I tried and only managed to get a headache.  Ryan Torain is the bigger name and is more likely to be owned in your fantasy league, but Roy Helu has just as much of a chance of gaining the reigns. Helu is averaging around 5 yards a carry and with the Redskins playing a below average run defense in the Buffalo Bills, he is worth a look. Either one of these running backs is capable of making a splash in any given week. Just hope Shanahan is in a Helu kind of mood come game day.
Alfonso Smith – ARI HB
I hope your fantasy team isn’t this desperate. The Cardinals average under 100 yards rushing per game and face off against a great Baltimore Ravens defense. However, if you really are this desperate, take this as a small form of consolation – it looks likes Smith will be the featured back on Sunday. Alfonso Smith was the only running back to receive carries after Wells exited the game with a knee injury, so it seems he is the favored back among the Cardinals coaching staff. Regardless, LaRod Stephens – Howling and Chester Taylor can’t be too far behind. I’m afraid that the slightest mistake will rid Smith of his edge, and this week he faces off against a Baltimore defense that can’t help but create mistakes. Add Smith if you’re desperate, but do it at your own risk.
Demaryius Thomas – DEN WR
Like any wide receiver, Demaryius Thomas’s success is based on his quarterback and whether you should add him or not is dependent upon which Tim Tebow you believe in. Did you look at the first three quarters of the Broncos/Dolphins game and lose all faith in him, or did you keep watching through his resilient fourth quarter comeback and eventual overtime win and salvaged some of that faith? Personally, his first three quarters scared me enough that I wouldn’t add Demaryius Thomas or Tim Tebow until after seeing how Tebow fares against a much tougher (See: Ndamukong Suh) Lions defense. However, if you are a believer in Tebow, note that Demaryius Thomas was targeted 10 times last week, meaning he could be a prominent fixture in a Broncos offense going forward.
Jabar Gaffney – WAS WR
Maybe I just have a man crush, but I’ve always liked Jabar Gaffney. Weird crush right? When Santana Moss left with a broken hand, I saw this as a great opportunity for him. The Bills pass defense is on a lower tier than last week’s Panthers and now that Beck has a game under his belt, I feel a good week coming from Gaffney. Not to mention that last week he was tied with Fred Davis for the team high in targets with 8. Gaffney has had at least 50 yards in every games he’s played in, so while I certainly expect a big game, he shouldn’t hurt you with a goose egg on Sunday if I’m wrong either.
Michael Jenkins – MIN WR
Ponder looked pretty good against the Green Bay Packers last week and one of the biggest beneficiaries of his success was Michael Jenkins. Now that Percy Harvin is questionable for week 8 with a rib injury, one should look to add Michael Jenkins for a desperate WR2 , flex option. In week 7, Jenkins tied for the team lead in targets with 8. While some of that can be contributed to Harvin’s absence, Jenkins connected on a 72 yd. touchdown with Harvin still playing. I’m not saying Jenkins is a definite buy since he is playing a difficult Panthers passing defense, but his new rapport with Ponder could be just what he needed to be a serviceable fantasy option. Harvin’s week 8 questionability doesn’t hurt either.
Jake Ballard – NYG TE
New York Giant’s Jake Ballard has been quietly producing a solid line the last three weeks. With 186 yards and 2 touchdowns in his last three games he sets off to face a Dolphins defense that has allowed the 3rd most fantasy points to opposing tight ends. It seems like Ballard and Manning are meshing well together as of late, and there is no reason to think it won’t continue again this week.
Daniel Fells – DEN TE
Tebow and company are playing the Detroit Lions this week. There is nothing in this world that Ndamukong Suh would rather do than to hit Tebow… hard. I’m looking for Tebow to get nothing but pressure from the Lions blitz packages and one of the best front lines in football, and as a result, I am expecting a lot of dump-offs and short passes from the Broncos offense. Fells was targeted 4 times last week, but I expect that to increase significantly against the Lions. Don’t count on the Broncos seeing a lot of red zone on Sunday, but Fells could quietly be a good source of catches and yards. Add in 12 team leagues or leagues featuring two TE’s.
Check out these dudes. Some are owned already, but all have upside due to injuries, suspensions, or getting betterness.
Quarterbacks
Tim Tebow
John Beck
Running Backs
Michael Bush
Mike Tolbert
Knowshon Moreno
Ryan Torain
Delone Carter
Bernard Scott
Brian Leonard
LaRod Stephens-Howling
Chad Spann
Kregg Lumpkin
Taiwan Jones
Javon Ringer
Chris Ivory
Leon Washington
Wide Receivers
Antonio Brown
Roy Williams
Greg Salas
Plaxico Burress
Tight Ends
Visanthe Shiancoe
Evan Moore
Jeremy Shockey
