Week 7 was a bad week in the fantasy world. Multiple key players suffered season-ending injuries, throwing teams and fantasy owners alike into chaos. At the running back position, the biggest hit came in Tampa Bay. Doug Martin went down with a torn labrum, possibly ending his season. It caps off a disappointing sophomore campaign for Martin, who went high in the first round in most leagues.
Fantasy football waiver wire: 5 RBs to target for Week 8
Six teams are on bye and there were more injuries at running back. Which waiver targets should you look at this week?
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Complicating matters is the sheer amount of bye week teams. The Bears, Titans, Colts, Chargers, Ravens and Texans all have the week off. This will force Matt Forte, Chris Johnson, Ray Rice and Arian Foster owners to look for plug-in options for now. Here are five players owned in less than 50 percent of Yahoo! leagues who might be able to help you.
Zac Stacy, St. Louis Rams (owned in 49 percent of leagues)
Since being named the starter in Week 5, Stacy has recorded 255 total yards on 55 touches in three games. The Rams have shown no indication of going back to Daryl Richardson and should lean on the running game more after losing Sam Bradford to a torn ACL. Stacy is firmly on the RB2 / flex radar for the rest of the season.
Andre Ellington, Arizona Cardinals (owned in 47 percent of leagues)
Ellington ran into a brick wall against Seattle's defense, getting just 13 yards on five touches, but he's still a better back than Rashard Mendenhall and has a chance to bounce back against the Falcons this week. It's only a matter of time before the Cardinals remove his snap count limit. Keep holding on to him.
Chris Ivory, New York Jets (owned in 28 percent of leagues)
So much for the running back committee? Ivory was the big workhorse in New York's win over the Patriots, piling up 34 carries for 104 yards while Bilal Powell saw just three carries. Rex Ryan likes to be unpredictable with his running back usage, so don't expect Ivory to repeat his performance against a tough Bengals defense this week. It's a situation worth watching, though.
Roy Helu Jr., Washington Redskins (owned in 21 percent of leagues)
The Redskins finally unleashed Helu this week, featuring him prominently in hurry-up sets. He responded with three touchdowns from goal-line packages. Alfred Morris remains the main back and a must-start, but Helu is worth picking up as his handcuff.
Mike James, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (owned in seven percent of leagues)
James is the next man up in Tampa after Doug Martin went down. He got 14 carries for 45 yards after replacing Martin, and should continue seeing a high volume of touches with Mike Glennon still on training wheels. Don't insert him into your lineups immediately, but James is someone to watch over the next week or so.
