Last year I made a Colin Kaepernick prediction pick in my waiver wired column (check it out!) and obviously you saw how that ended up. Well this year there are two teams who are desperate for good QB play are the Bills (who just really started Derek Anderson in a game) and the Jaguars who could be a playoff favorite if it weren’t for Blake Bortles. If Kaepernick still isn’t in the NFL, then may I present exhibit A in the NFL vs. Colin Kaepernick your honor. Kaep is still only 30 years old and is probably the healthiest QB on the planet right now. So what do you think? Are you crazy enough to add Kaepernick?
Quarterbacks
Baker Mayfield (@ PIT): Hot off his highest scoring fantasy game of the year (20 points) and keeping his passing TD streak alive at 5 games, Mayfield heads to Pittsburgh in week 8. The Steelers have allowed the 8th most fantasy points to QBs. A lot of those points have come on the ground — they’ve allowed the 4th most rushing yards to QBs. I think Baker is set up to start a new streak in week 8 — games with 20 or more fantasy points.
Brock Osweiler (@ HOU): Osweiler is playing himself into another HUGE pay day! (Probably not though.) Well in week 6, Osweiler was a top-10 fantasy QB finishing with 25 fantasy points on 380 passing yards and 3 TDs. Week 7 he was a top-12 QB with 239 passing yards and 2 TDs for 17 fantasy points. On Thursday night, the Dolphins head to Houston to face the Texans, but seeing as Osweiler was able to drop such big games on the Bears and Lions — I think he is still capable of putting up some points against a tough Texans D.
Running Backs
Jalen Richard (vs IND): With Marshawn Lynch done for the season — Jalen Richard is the guy you want to add out in O-Town, not Doug Martin. Richard had been carving himself a nice role as the receiving threat out of the backfield scoring double digit points in 4 of his 5 games primarily on the strength of his PPR games. He doesn’t have a receiving TD yet, but he is ranked 8th out of all RBs in targets, 7th in receiving yards and 5th in receptions. This should be your #1 waiver claim if you need RB help.
Marcus Murphy/Chris Ivory (vs NE): With LeSean McCoy leaving their week 7 game early, Chris Ivory took on the bulk of the snaps in his absence. McCoy is in the concussion protocol now and is listed as questionable for week 8. Unfortunately, Ivory himself had some injuries in week 7, but he still had a solid 81 yards on 16 rushes. I’m listing Ivory first because I think he’s obviously first up if McCoy can’t go again in week 8, but I’ve been hyping up Murphy as well because he’s shown some flashes this season as well. In week 7 he had 53 yards on only 4 rushes and caught 5 of 6 targets thrown his way for only 17 yards–but the Bills are playing completely without a QB this season.
Raheem Mostert (@ ARI): After he was the 49ers best rusher in week 6, I called it a fluke and that you shouldn’t worry about adding him. Well allow me to eat my words, because now for the second week in a row, Mostert was the 49ers best rusher. Despite having two less attempts than lead dog Alfred Morris, Mostert managed 34 more yards and lead the back field in the passing game as well catching all 4 of his targets for 19 yards. Whatever the deal is with Morris/Matt Breida and Mostert — they’re facing the team that almost seems like they haven’t even been trying to stop the run in 2018. They’ve allowed the most fantasy points to running backs by 25 points.
Wide Receivers
Chris Godwin (@ CIN): Mike Evans is definitely owned in your league. DeSean Jackson is probably owned in your league. But Chris “Da” Godwin? He’s unowned in 54% of ESPN leagues. All Godwin has done is put up double-digit fantasy points in 5 of his 6 matchups this season. Double-digit points is an arbitrary standard for me to uphold as a benchmark, but for me that is the exact least you should be asking for out of your flex spot. There are a lot of quality pass catchers in Tampa Bay, but their week 8 opponent, the Bengals, have allowed the 4th most receiving yards to WRs. I think Godwin will eat again on Sunday.
Donte Moncrief (vs PHI): The Jaguar receiver with the most targets is actually the one who is owned the least. Only 12.4% of leagues. Moncrief has been a bit boom or bust this season which might have to do more with his QB. I’m expecting a boom in week 8. Moncrief faces off against the Eagles who have allowed the second-most receiving yards to WRs this year.
Martavis Bryant/Seth Roberts (vs IND): The obvious answer to the question of “who gets Amari Cooper’s snaps now that he’s in Dallas?” is Martavis Bryant. However, Roberts has played in a slightly higher percentage of snaps than Bryant and in weeks 5 and 6, Roberts was actually Derek Carr’s most targeted WR. Roberts is owned in 0.1% of leagues and I’m thinking he’s the guy to grab this week if you’re desperate for WR help. If you are torn between a few players in your league you should be checking out Razzball’s depth chart where they show you snap percentages, rush percentages and target percentages so you can guess who might be seeing an increase in usage: https://football.razzball.com/nfldepthcharts/oakland-raiders
Tight Ends
C.J. Uzomah (vs TB): Uzomah has scored 20 points in the two weeks since taking over for Tyler Eifert as the Bengals starting TE. He was only targeted twice in week 7, but made one of them count with a TD reception. There doesn’t seem to be another healthy TE in Cincinatti with both Tylers, Eifert and Tyler Kroft injured. Uzomah is going to be on the field a lot against the Bucs who have allowed the most fantasy points to TEs.
Jeff Heuerman (@ KC): Heuerman technically caught a TD in week 7 — but had it called back to a pass interference call on — Jeff Heuerman. I’ll be brief here — Heuerman is a desperation play in week 8 against the Chiefs who have allowed the most receiving yards to TEs.
Defense/Special Teams
Indianapolis Colts (@ OAK): The Raiders have scored the fifth fewest points on the year and just lost their best rushing threat (Marshawn Lynch) and receiving threat (Amari Cooper) for the entire year. You can bet your bottom dollar that I’m grabbing every defense that plays against the Raiders going forward. The Colts defense did just hold one of the worst offenses in the league to 3 points and scored 16 fantasy points because of it. They’ve had INTs in 6 of their 7 games this season and I’m pretty sure you can expect another one (or two or three or four) in week 8.
Kicker
Mason Crosby (@ LAR): People couldn’t have dropped mason Crosby any faster after his 1 for 5 FG, 0 fantasy point game in week 5. If you were one of the people who realized that was a complete and total fluke or were someone who just didn’t check their lineup for a week — you were rewarded with a 4/4 FG, 3 XP, 17 fantasy point game from him. Week 8, the Packers return from their bye in what should be a high-scoring game that could lead to another double-digit game from Crosby.
