Wide Receiver, Tight End Waiver Wire Essentials for Week 8

With Cobb out, Aaron Rodgers is locked onto Jarrett Boykin

The Fantasy Football Gods are raining down some tough decisions for fantasy owners for Week 8.  Star players are either not performing or getting hurt and six teams (Baltimore, Chicago, Houston, Indy, San Diego & Tennessee) are all on a bye.

Owners without a high waiver priority shouldn’t get their hopes up of acquiring Harry Douglas and Terrance Williams, but all owners with a high waiver priority should grab those guys immediately if they are available.

Fantasy owners who can’t grab Douglas or Williams need to set their eyes on Jarrett Boykin and Jordan Reed as they lead the crop of wide receiver and tight end waiver wire pickups for Week 8.

Jarrett Boykin (WR – GB)

Jarrett Boykin got his first career start on Sunday with teammates Randall Cobb (IR designated to return) and James Jones out with an injury.  Boykin produced like a seasoned vet racking up 103 yards on eight catches and a touchdown. Boykin filled in Cobb’s role very nicely catching a lot of short passes over the middle and led all Packers receivers with 10 targets.

Fellow tight end Jermichael Finley also left the game with a severe neck injury and does not appear to be coming back in the near future. All these injuries are only increasing Boykin’s fantasy value to a high end WR3 or Flex play for the rest of the season. If Aaron Rodgers continues to target Boykin 10 times a game, Boykin will be putting up monster numbers for the rest of the year.

Jordan Reed (TE – WSH)

Robert Griffin III appears to be back to his old self and he has a new favorite tight end, Jordan Reed. Reed had his breakout game in Sunday’s win against the Bears catching nine passes for 134 yards and a touchdown.  The rookie tight end dominated the entire game lining up as a tight end as well as a receiver in the slot and appears to be the real deal.  Reed is already drawing comparisons to Aaron Hernandez and Jimmy Graham which may be premature, but are still worth mentioning.

Reed has an excellent match-up in Week 8 against the Broncos and has a very favorable schedule down the stretch as well. Reed could very easily end up being a top 10 tight for the remainder of the season and may be the answer to a lot of fantasy owners prayers who simply need a dominant tight end to help guide them to the playoffs and beyond.  

All owners without a top five tight end should use their waiver pick on Jordan Reed because all signs point to Reed putting up big numbers for the rest of the season and he can be valuable trade bait with owners in need of a tight end.

 

Wide Receiver, Tight End Waiver Wire Essentials for Week 8

With Cobb out, Aaron Rodgers is locked onto Jarrett Boykin

The Fantasy Football Gods are raining down some tough decisions for fantasy owners for Week 8.  Star players are either not performing or getting hurt and six teams (Baltimore, Chicago, Houston, Indy, San Diego & Tennessee) are all on a bye.

Owners without a high waiver priority shouldn’t get their hopes up of acquiring Harry Douglas and Terrance Williams, but all owners with a high waiver priority should grab those guys immediately if they are available.

Fantasy owners who can’t grab Douglas or Williams need to set their eyes on Jarrett Boykin and Jordan Reed as they lead the crop of wide receiver and tight end waiver wire pickups for Week 8.

Jarrett Boykin (WR – GB)

Jarrett Boykin got his first career start on Sunday with teammates Randall Cobb (IR designated to return) and James Jones out with an injury.  Boykin produced like a seasoned vet racking up 103 yards on eight catches and a touchdown. Boykin filled in Cobb’s role very nicely catching a lot of short passes over the middle and led all Packers receivers with 10 targets.

Fellow tight end Jermichael Finley also left the game with a severe neck injury and does not appear to be coming back in the near future. All these injuries are only increasing Boykin’s fantasy value to a high end WR3 or Flex play for the rest of the season. If Aaron Rodgers continues to target Boykin 10 times a game, Boykin will be putting up monster numbers for the rest of the year.

Jordan Reed (TE – WSH)

Robert Griffin III appears to be back to his old self and he has a new favorite tight end, Jordan Reed. Reed had his breakout game in Sunday’s win against the Bears catching nine passes for 134 yards and a touchdown.  The rookie tight end dominated the entire game lining up as a tight end as well as a receiver in the slot and appears to be the real deal.  Reed is already drawing comparisons to Aaron Hernandez and Jimmy Graham which may be premature, but are still worth mentioning.

Reed has an excellent match-up in Week 8 against the Broncos and has a very favorable schedule down the stretch as well. Reed could very easily end up being a top 10 tight for the remainder of the season and may be the answer to a lot of fantasy owners prayers who simply need a dominant tight end to help guide them to the playoffs and beyond.  

All owners without a top five tight end should use their waiver pick on Jordan Reed because all signs point to Reed putting up big numbers for the rest of the season and he can be valuable trade bait with owners in need of a tight end.

 

Tight End Jermichael Finley Likely Done for 2013

Finley’s season may be over, but he should be able to play again

Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley suffered a bruised spinal cord and is likely out for the rest of the season. Finley has been seen walking around and should be released from the hospital some time on Wednesday.

As of late Monday, Finley tweeted that he had been officially moved out of the ICU, and proclaimed, “I have full feeling in my arms and legs.”

Packers head coach, Mike McCarthy, announced that attempting to provide a time table for Finley’s return would be “premature”.

The Packers have endured terrible losses to their receiving core this season. During Week 7, it took the combined effort of rookie running back Eddie Lacy and the emergence of wide receiver Jarrett Boykin to help the Packers secure the pivotal win.

Boykin will be available in most fantasy leagues and should be picked up as a third receiver or flex. James Jones remains questionable for this week’s matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, but is expected to play and receive a large number of targets.

 

Jonathan Stewart Could Return for Week 8

Carolina Panthers’ running back Jonathan Stewart could make his season debut this week against division rival Tampa Bay this week. Rumors say he will continue to practice this Tuesday after Ron Rivera said he is having a “really good week.” Stewart has been recovering from offseason surgery on both ankles.

If he does play Thursday, it will be in a very limited role, considering he hasn’t seen any action yet. He’s more likely to start or back up DeAngelo Williams next week when they take on the Atlanta Falcons. Expect Williams to continue to carry the bulk of the carries until Stewart is up to speed.

Jonathan Stewart Could Return for Week 8

Carolina Panthers’ running back Jonathan Stewart could make his season debut this week against division rival Tampa Bay this week. Rumors say he will continue to practice this Tuesday after Ron Rivera said he is having a “really good week.” Stewart has been recovering from offseason surgery on both ankles.

If he does play Thursday, it will be in a very limited role, considering he hasn’t seen any action yet. He’s more likely to start or back up DeAngelo Williams next week when they take on the Atlanta Falcons. Expect Williams to continue to carry the bulk of the carries until Stewart is up to speed.

Hard Times for Steven Jackson Fantasy Owners

Falcons have a brutal schedule coming up during the next 4 weeks

Falcons running back Steven Jackson is expected to practice Wednesday, but his status for Week 8 remains unknown. The headaches for Jackson’s fantasy owners continue, as he is yet to live up to his high expectations.

Jackson suffered a setback last week while working to come back from a hamstring injury that has kept him sidelined since Week 3. Jackson’s injury issue has lasted much longer than expected and he has not been able to provide Falcons with the strong running game they envisioned when signing him prior to this season.

Jackson has just 77 yards on the ground, all of which came in their season opener against the New Orleans Saints. Jackson sustained the hamstring injury in his second game and Atlanta has been forced to rely on Jason Snelling and Jacquizz Rodgers. Without Jackson, the Falcons are running a one-dimensional pass-heavy offense, and defenses have adjusted accordingly.

The Falcons are struggling to win games due to the lack of a strong running game, leaving them 2-4 and in third place in the NFC South Division behind both the Saints and Panthers.

It is still yet to be determined whether or not Jackson will play in Week 8, which will depend on how practice goes in the days leading up to the contest. If healthy enough to get the start, Jackson should be seen as a RB2 until he proves he is healthy enough to put up substantial numbers.

Hard Times for Steven Jackson Fantasy Owners

Falcons have a brutal schedule coming up during the next 4 weeks

Falcons running back Steven Jackson is expected to practice Wednesday, but his status for Week 8 remains unknown. The headaches for Jackson’s fantasy owners continue, as he is yet to live up to his high expectations.

Jackson suffered a setback last week while working to come back from a hamstring injury that has kept him sidelined since Week 3. Jackson’s injury issue has lasted much longer than expected and he has not been able to provide Falcons with the strong running game they envisioned when signing him prior to this season.

Jackson has just 77 yards on the ground, all of which came in their season opener against the New Orleans Saints. Jackson sustained the hamstring injury in his second game and Atlanta has been forced to rely on Jason Snelling and Jacquizz Rodgers. Without Jackson, the Falcons are running a one-dimensional pass-heavy offense, and defenses have adjusted accordingly.

The Falcons are struggling to win games due to the lack of a strong running game, leaving them 2-4 and in third place in the NFC South Division behind both the Saints and Panthers.

It is still yet to be determined whether or not Jackson will play in Week 8, which will depend on how practice goes in the days leading up to the contest. If healthy enough to get the start, Jackson should be seen as a RB2 until he proves he is healthy enough to put up substantial numbers.

3 Wide Receivers to Bench for NFL Week 7

Dwayne Bowe should be nowhere near your starting lineup against the Texans

Fantasy owners who may be on the brink of the playoffs as the fantasy season closes in on its midway point probably have some questions regarding who to start at the wide receiver position this week. If any of these three wideouts are in your starting lineup, take them out to avoid a fantasy-induced headache on Sunday.

Benching of the Week – Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City

Dwayne Bowe has only 229 receiving yards for all of 2013 so far – A yardage total which is only 11 more than the 218 yards Alshon Jeffery had in one game earlier this season. Bowe is clearly not producing this year in an ultra-conservative Chiefs offense which has seen quarterback Alex Smith spread the ball around to a multitude of receivers. With the Houston Texans bringing their top-ranked pass defense to Kansas City this week, Bowe should be nowhere near your starting lineups.

Steve Johnson, Buffalo

When looking at Johnson’s upcoming matchup with the Miami Dolphins this week, the deck clearly seems stacked against the Bills most talented receiver. Johnson is still dealing with back issues that kept him out of action last week and an ineffective Thad Lewis is once again under center for the Bills.

Add in the fact that the Dolphins are the only team which has yet to allow a touchdown to an opposing wide receiver, and it’s easy to see why Johnson should be riding the pine this week.

Jordy Nelson, Green Bay

In any other week, Nelson is someone you keep in your lineup no matter what, but this week’s circumstances are troubling. With Randall Cobb out and James Jones struggling with a PCL sprain, Nelson will likely see double teams from the Browns for most of the game on Sunday.

Even when not facing double teams, Nelson will be lined up against Browns cornerback, Joe Haden, who has kept star receivers in check all year long. Packers running back, Eddie Lacy, has also been effective since recovering from his concussion and could see a heavy workload against the Browns, limiting Nelson’s opportunities.

 

Jake Locker Back in Action for Week 7

Titans quarterback Jake Locker is back in action this week against the San Francisco 49ers. Locker has been out since Week 4 with a hip injury and baring any setbacks,  he should be able to play. Locker was actually having a good season until he got injured. Now during his first week back, he has to go up against a tough 49ers pass defense.

The 49ers defense is ranked 6th best against quarterbacks and that’s not going to bode well for Locker. They are also very good at stopping the run and with Chris Johnson playing terribly, he will not be able to help. To make matters worse the 49ers defense is ranked 10th against opposing wide receivers and the Titans do not exactly have outstanding wide outs.

This matchup is not a good one for Locker and the Titans offense. The only hope Locker has at having a productive fantasy day is by picking up some garbage points if they are down in the game. The running game has been terrible with Chris Johnson and Locker is coming off of an injury. Fantasy owners should look elsewhere because you can do better than Jake Locker against the 49ers during Week 7.

Jake Locker Back in Action for Week 7

Titans quarterback Jake Locker is back in action this week against the San Francisco 49ers. Locker has been out since Week 4 with a hip injury and baring any setbacks,  he should be able to play. Locker was actually having a good season until he got injured. Now during his first week back, he has to go up against a tough 49ers pass defense.

The 49ers defense is ranked 6th best against quarterbacks and that’s not going to bode well for Locker. They are also very good at stopping the run and with Chris Johnson playing terribly, he will not be able to help. To make matters worse the 49ers defense is ranked 10th against opposing wide receivers and the Titans do not exactly have outstanding wide outs.

This matchup is not a good one for Locker and the Titans offense. The only hope Locker has at having a productive fantasy day is by picking up some garbage points if they are down in the game. The running game has been terrible with Chris Johnson and Locker is coming off of an injury. Fantasy owners should look elsewhere because you can do better than Jake Locker against the 49ers during Week 7.