Week 8 was an apocalypse across the fantasy football landscape. Severe injuries to multiple high-profile names will have fantasy owners scrambling over the next few weeks as we round the halfway point of the season.
Fantasy football waiver wire: 5 running backs to target for Week 9
Six bye teams and a rash of running back injuries leave the waiver wire perilously thin for Week 9.
To make matters worse, Week 9 will have six teams on bye, instead of the usual four -- the Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks are all off. So that means no Marshawn Lynch, no Chris Johnson, no Justin Forsett. Not even waiver gems like Charcandrick West are available this week.
So there’s a lot to sort out on the waiver wire, and we’re here to help you out. Here are five potential options at running back owned in less than 50 percent of Yahoo! leagues.
Charles Sims, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (35 percent)
Despite Doug Martin chugging along, Sims continues to see steady work as the change-of-pace back. He didn’t see much playing time in Week 8, though, getting just 46 total yards on nine touches. Sims is an unpredictable fantasy player week-to-week and his workload is more dependent on game flow than anything else, but he’s still a recommended handcuff stash for Martin owners.
DeAngelo Williams, Pittsburgh Steelers (24 percent)
Le’Veon Bell is done for the year with a torn MCL and Williams is playing well, rushing for 310 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 4.9 yards per carry. This is the biggest no-brainer pickup of the week.
Orleans Darkwa, New York Giants (24 percent)
Before getting injured, Darkwa was operating as the Giants’ lead back last Sunday. But a back injury forced him out of the game and New York had to turn back to the committee of Rashad Jennings, Shane Vereen and Andre Williams. Darkwa’s injury status is something to watch this week, but early signs suggest he’ll be ready to play in Week 9. He remains a touchdown-dependent RB3 in standard leagues, but is a decent dart throw if you’re reduced to dumpster-diving.
David Cobb, Tennessee Titans (23 percent)
The Titans’ running game remains stuck in neutral and nobody from the three-headed committee (Antonio Andrews, Dexter McCluster, Bishop Sankey) has done anything to stand out. That could open a door for Cobb, who is set to come off the injury reserve/designated to return list this week. The rookie showed some promise in the preseason and could get a chance to jump-start the offense. You’re not starting him in fantasy leagues yet, but he’s worth a stash.
Jeremy Langford, Chicago Bears (eight percent)
Matt Forte suffered an MCL injury that will reportedly keep him out for a couple weeks, so Langford is the next man up. He took over as the lead back when Forte left last Sunday’s game, rushing for 46 yards on 12 carries. Langford will have RB2 value this week, going up against a San Diego Chargers defense that is allowing 124.6 rushing yards per game.
