Week 8 of the 2017 regular season is just about coming to a close with the Monday Night Football game remaining. Most fantasy football leagues will run their waiver wires late Tuesday or early Wednesday, but we are here to help you get a jump on the best options to consider.
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We will be ranking the top five players likely to be available in your league at each of the four major positions. Some weeks there might not be five good options available, but we’ll scour for the best we can find. Additionally, throughout the week, we will update each of these articles as ownership percentages change and news arrives. The following ownership percentages come via CBS Sportsline entering Week 8.
Marshawn Lynch makes his return this week, but I think we have our official handcuff after Sunday’s loss to the Bills. Washington was the player on the field in the fourth quarter as the Raiders tried to make their comeback, and he finished by catching eight of 10 targets for 62 yards and a touchdown. It’s still a bit of an RBBC with Jalen Richard, but if something else happens with Lynch, it looks like Washington is the favored guy to replace him.
Alex Collins, Baltimore Ravens (49)
Javorius Allen isn’t going anywhere, but Collins has really carved out a space for himself in the offense, rushing 18 times for 113 yards on Thursday in the rout of the Dolphins while catching two passes for 30 yards. Collins has four straight games with double-digit carries and led team with 18 on Thursday. He’s a legit RB2/flex the rest of the season.
Breida remains one of the best handcuff options in the league, and you have to wonder if there will be a point when Breida gets an expanded role to see what he’s capable of as the season lurches toward 0-16. Breida caught four of six targets for 39 yards and a well-executed touchdown Sunday, so he has some value going forward as an emergency fill-in.
Burkhead was a preseason hero for the Patriots and appeared to have a role early in the season before missing significant time with an injury. He appears to be back in the mix now after catching all seven of his targets against the Chargers for 68 yards. Dion Lewis is also a factor out of the backfield, but if Chris Hogan misses time with his shoulder injury, Burkhead could be utilized to soak up those targets.
Rod Smith, Dallas Cowboys (2)
Ezekiel Elliott has his big hearing on Monday. If his suspension gets upheld and he misses the next six weeks, don’t sleep on Smith, who was the preseason star of the backfield and looked pretty good two weeks ago against the 49ers, carrying eight times for 61 yards. Everyone assumes it’s’ Darren McFadden and/or Alfred Morris who would replace Elliott, but Smith might wind up being the guy.
