Fantasy Football 2017 - Week 8 Waivers & QB Streamers, Chocolate Grasshoppers

But I would be putting $0 bids in on all of these guys or not using my waiver priority and then picking them up off of, you know, when it's open. Running backs are different. Running backs, you've got to take the shot on those and get them. Here's a guy that I want to trust more and more. He's got a great matchup coming up. It's Dionne Lewis. But again, you've got the problem of the New England backfield. Everybody is involved. Dionne Lewis. He's been involved more and more every week.

Last week, 13 for 76. He's involved around the goal line. He has obviously the talent in fantasy. He was a top seven back. I think it was in 2015 when he was the guy. He is their best running back. Absolutely. I mean, you watch the film and it's hard to deny that. It's going up at home, the Los Angeles Chargers, not a great run defense. I think Dionne Lewis could be a worthy pickup and a decent start.

I mean, I think his baseline, even though it's going to be spread around and he might not be the predominant back there, I expect every week he's going to have at least over 50 total yards. Now, do you want to take the shot on Dionne Lewis or do you want to go with the one week rental from Oakland and either grab Jalen Richard or DeAndre Washington? See, I think I would lean Dionne Lewis because you're still getting a split with Richard and Washington.

You know, I say the baseline of Dionne Lewis is 50 total all-purpose yards. I think that's about the same as it is on Washington and Richard, is that each guy has kind of that base around 50 yards. And all three Dionne Lewis, Richard, and Washington, I think have about the same opportunity for a touchdown. But after Marshaun Lynch is back, you know, I just see the lay of the land about the same this week for.

for all three and then one of them could be the same rest of season. Yeah, the Raiders take on the Buffalo Bills on the road. Andy, do you have a preference Jalen Richard or DeAndre Washington? We talked about this on yesterday's show. It's a coin flip for me. I lean Jalen Richard. It's because of the past catching. Honestly, it's just because I believe he's a more talented running back than DeAndre Washington. So.

I lean, Richard, and it is a lean. It's a 50149. Where do you stand on the... Is this like a smooth criminal lean? Yeah. I mean, you're about to fall over? This is like I'm standing on the line between the two guys, and I'm just barely leaning my body. A gentle breeze has swayed you. Richard than Dionne Lewis or Dionne Lewis over Richard? I like what I've seen from Dionne Lewis last few weeks. I did have the question of James White versus Dionne Lewis rest of season, and I think I...

definitely be on the white side of that equation. You know the carved out role for White is the one thing that hasn't changed in the backfield for New England. So, I mean, White is second in receiving targets. He's second in receptions at both of those for the running back position. But Lewis looks great. I mean, I'm happy for the guy. He was so outstanding for them before the injury. Gillisley seems to have been completely thrown to the side because Lewis can catch the ball.

I know that the perception, you know, look, Rob Kelly caught the ball a couple times. None of us think Rob Kelly is a receiving back. Gillisley doesn't have that type of role in the offense. At least Lewis can come in there and do a little James White stuff. Do a little Mike Gillisie stuff. You know, do some goal line stuff. Dion Lewis. He's got all those skills. Yeah, like I said, he's the best running back on that team. And despite my offseason love for Mike Gillisley,

I mean, that was founded in projecting a role for Gillisley. And clearly the Patriots felt like they couldn't count on Dionne Lewis. They had the entire last season essentially lost two injury. Last season and a half for Lewis, he came back for the Super Bowl. It got hurt in the Super Bowl. So that the team made moves to ensure themselves. But now that Dionne Lewis is proving to be healthy, why would you not use him?

Yeah, and they're very smart in the way they use them. And it's one of the reasons why, look, you could, if you don't want to mess around with running backs in New England, more power to you. You get to ignore these parts of our conversations each and every week because we have them every week. I would say there's two guys veteran, you know, older, unsexy names that might be better than any of the running backs we just talked about right now. Did you just call Matt Forte hideous?

I sure did. He called him unsexy. Along with Latavius Murray. Matt Forte, Latavius Murray. These are two guys right now that are coming off good weeks. Murray's on the buy, though. That's true. So obviously not the weekly start, but Murray did have that monster. Two great runs, a really good fantasy game last week. So let's touch on those two guys. Latavis Murray running back for the Vikings, 18 for 113 and a touchdown. Not targeted.

Still favor McKinnon in that backfield. Yes, I do as well. They do have the buy week coming up. I would love to grab Matt Forte as a spot start this week. His role, you know, one of the preseason kind of narratives was that Forte was going to kind of be the workhorse. And he is. He's the workhorse. He's still talented. He can catch the ball and he gets Atlanta this week. And he's only 30% owned right now. So seven for 41 on the grounds, five for 41 in the air.

I'd love to go pick up Forte. Would you rather have Forte or Wendell Smallwood, who has San Francisco next week? Wendell Smallwood, Philadelphia Eagles. He does get San Francisco, but he's in that, he's not the leader of the timeshare. And they're doing all kinds of things. You saw Corey Clement catch that wheel touchdown from Carson Wentz. I would rather have Matt Forte. I would rather have Matt Forte as well. And I was waiting for Wendell Smallwood's name to get brought up because.

So you could shut it down? No, because I want it known. I think there might have been some reaggravation of the knee, and I want to see the practice. Because if you watch that game last night, Windows Smallwood was involved super early. He was the starter. He came right in. He looked good. He looked great. He even had a couple of big plays called Back on Penalty, and he was absolutely terrific first half. Second half got one touch.

And then Corey Clement was brought in. And I'm just wondering, is there a reason that is not yet known for that? Because if there is, and it was like, okay, he had a setback, then I trust Wendell Smallwood a little bit more. If it was just, hey, well, you know, hot hand approach, then, okay, you're dealing with a true three-headed backfield. And I lean that it's not really a three-headed backfield. I think Wendell Smallwood will be more involved. He's a guy I would definitely pick up right now.

Yeah, it's definitely interesting. Alex Collins, Baltimore Ravens. He gets to take on Miami, then Tennessee. I think he is, he's still out there. I mean, he's the name that's on like every waiver show because you can pick him up and and play and people are just not buying it. Do you guys have any interest in Alex Collins, Andy? That's a collective sigh from the entire fantasy football community. Yeah, I mean, it is.

I just, I can't get behind anything in that offense right now. I don't blame it. They're taking on the dolphins. Yeah, I mean. You're the foreign. No. No. Look, I, look, you got to do what you got to do, but I try to do something else. Yeah, you've got three weeks in a row with Alex Collins where he's got double digit carries 12, 15, 10. That's good. But last week, turn those.

10 carries into 30 yards. Granted, it was against Minnesota, which is a great run defense. We said, you know, not to start him. I think he's, if you've got major buy problems and you need someone who is on the waivers to pick up and do a spot start, it's really rare to be able to do that for most running backs. At least you have the opportunity with Alex Collins to say he's probably going to get the ball 10 plus times against a somewhat beatable Miami defense.

Let's talk tight-ins. If you are a Evan Angram owner, if you are a Delaney Walker owner, both those guys are on buy this week. And there are a lot of waiver-wire pickups. I found an interesting stat. Receptions per touchdown, okay, at the tight-in position this year. An example of that would be someone is crazy like Mercedes-Lewis, who, by the way, is on by this week. But seven receptions on the year for touchdown. Okay. So do we know who the next...

Highest percentage of touchdowns the receptions are at the tight-in position, if you had to guess? If I had to guess, I would say Logan Thomas. I don't think he qualified. Oh, okay. I doubt he qualified, but you're probably right for one for one. He actually had one other reception, so he is at 50%. So example being Rob Grankowski's fifth on this metric, 7.9 receptions per touchdown for the tight-in position, you know, 29 receptions. Oh, I got another guess. Go for it.

Darren Fells. I'm not sure he qualifies either. He's not on this list. John O. Smith. My guesses are just too underground. Although Mercedes-Lews qualified with seven receptions, so I think you're just wrong on both of yours. Hey, Andy. Yes, sir. How about O.J. Howard? No. No, no, no. Oh, Bruce. Cameron Brate. Cameron Brate is fourth, one touchdown per every 6.8 receptions. I'm bringing this up because when you're on a streaming tight-in situation.

A lot of times you're just taking a touchdown shot. David Injoku has a touchdown every 5.3 receptions. That's second best in the league, 16 receptions, three touchdowns. Tyler Croft, 18 receptions, three touchdowns. You know, guys like Kittle, Kittle only has one touchdown on the year. Hooper only has one touchdown on the year, which, by the way, was that one play that everybody freaked out about in the first week. Jared Cook, only one touchdown on the year.

Who are you looking for as a streaming option at the tight-in position this week? Are you really willing to go and grab a guy like Austin Hooper just because he plays the Jets when he only had one reception on one target last week? No, no, I don't think you are. You know, Austin Hooper has been good when Muhammad Sunu has not been there. Muhammad Sunu was back and he went right back into the role we saw prior to the Sunu injury. So no, Austin Hooper is out for me. Tyler Croft is actually, I think, one of the best pickups this week. You've got a great.

matchup at home against Indianapolis. Yeah. You know, as vomitous as it is, Andy Dalton, we'll talk about him in a little bit. So, yeah, Tyler Croft would probably be at the top of my list. Mike, do you like Kittle? Yeah. Jack Doyle's been getting PPR action. If you're in a PPR league, baby hands Doyle, getting it done. I mean, they were putrid on offense last week.

mostly because of the offensive line. He was still six for 44 on seven targets. The week before, I think he had seven receptions in a touchdown. Jack Doyle's my target as a streaming option this week. Played Cincinnati. I'd be going after the PPR number. You know, let's just get some receptions on this roster. I mean, Ben Watson is another option because they don't have any wide receivers. Ben Watson would give you the ability as a fantasy owner. This is one of those underutilized things. But if you're going to stream a tight end,

And it's all the same to you between a couple guys. Ben Watson plays on Thursday. You're going to know his production level on Thursday, which might make your flex decision easier. Maybe you're deciding between, you know, Deshawn Jackson or Marvin Jones because essentially you're looking at boom bust situation. I like having the more knowledge as possible. So Ben Watson, five for 38 last week on five targets. I side with Jason, though. I would take the Tomb Raider.

Tyler Croft. He's the replacement Tyler Eifford. Yeah, he's not as good, but that's a really important role and a great matchup. Jared Cook's still only 40% own. Yeah, Jared. Six receptions for 107 last week. Jared Cook is absolutely a worthy pickup playing against Buffalo. Same game. Another guy that I would be targeting if you're in a bad situation is, again, Mr. Very necessary. Nick O'Leary, the, the,

Charles Clay replacement for the Buffalo Bills. Last week he had 58 yards and Logan Thomas did catch a touchdown from the tight end position there. Tyra Taylor relies on the tight end. I figured out why O'Leary's been so successful. It's the reflection of how white his arms. Oh, yes. Have you seen him out there? Yeah, the complete lack of definition. No definition in those arms whatsoever. Those aren't.

Those aren't like the Alan Iverson white sleeves. No, no, no. Those aren't the sleeves. Those were his actual arms. Incredible, Nick. Oh, pasty people making fun of pasty people. That's right. I am one. We don't go in the sun in Arizona. We will just char. Also, do it. You got to do the check of your waiver wires. Make sure that Hunter Henry, ASJ, Austin Safarian Jenkins, New York Jets, and Jason Whitten from the Dallas Cowboys. Just make sure they're not there because.

Crazy your things have happened. Yeah, definitely check. Evan Ingraham, guys like that. We are going to give you our quarterback streamers real quick. We'll touch on some defensive starts. The Saints, it looks real good. You know, Chicago, four completions by Mitch Tabisky last week. Would you say that they're marching in? Oh, yeah, yeah. To the Super Bowl, Mike. To the Super Bowl. We did it. The Bengals take on the. You did it. We're going into week eight.