The game of fantasy football doesn't make much sense even when everything is going well because NFL coaches don't care about your matchup needs. Consider some of the absurd Week 7 situations fantasy managers had to deal with, such as Bijan Robinson being active but receiving only one carry due to illness while one of last week's top pickups, Keontay Ingram, didn't touch the ball at all for Arizona.
The good news is that Week 8 has no bye weeks, offering everyone's healthy stars back after a brutal six-bye situation in Week 7, but there are new injury concerns to deal with as well as the looming trade deadline. Here are the top fantasy pickups to make ahead of Week 8, including a stash situation in Tennessee, with all rostered percentages based on Yahoo! leagues.
5. Tyjae Spears, RB, Tennessee Titans
There has been a lot of smoke coming out of Tennessee in regards to trade rumors surrounding star running back Derrick Henry, who may not be of much more use to a Titans team trending towards a rebuild. If Henry does get moved before the Halloween deadline, and a Tennessee loss at home against Atlanta in Week 8 could motivate a sale, it would open a huge opportunity for youngster Tyjae Spears.
The rookie has shown some serious burst when he's gotten opportunities, averaging 5.5 yards per carry on the year, and is a popular handcuff for Henry owners. Spears is rostered in 41 percent of leagues but is well worth a speculative pickup in the event Henry gets moved, which would turn him into at least an RB2 for the rest of the season.
4. Dalton Kincaid, TE, Buffalo Bills
It was National Tight End Day on Sunday and the Buffalo Bills saw their rookie tight end make his biggest mark as a professional. Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo's first-round pick in April's draft, caught all eight of his targets for 75 yards in the Bills' narrow loss in New England on Sunday.
There was potential for even more fantasy goodness out of Kincaid, who had a touchdown grab wiped off the board in the first half due to a penalty. Kincaid did catch a two-point conversion in the game, however, and his strong showing against a talented New England defense should earn him points with Buffalo's coaching staff.
There is some concern with Dawson Knox and Stefon Diggs around as red-zone competition, but the Bills clearly saw a lot out of Kincaid in the pre-draft process to take him in the first round. A strong performance like today's could be just what the Bills need to get Kincaid more involved in the offense, possibly at the expense of the incumbent Knox.
Kincaid has been hanging around benches in a lot of leagues, where he is 42 percent rostered, but given the vast wasteland that is the tight end position he will be a popular pickup this week. The Bills have a short week this week but their matchup is favorable against Tampa Bay, which is a bit shaky in the secondary.
3. Kareem Hunt, RB, Cleveland Browns
For a while, it looked like the Browns' backfield was settled after Nick Chubb's injury with Jerome Ford staking his claim as the team's top ball carrier. Cleveland did bring back Hunt, who was with them for the past few years, to serve as a co-lead for Ford but he may have a bigger opportunity going forward thanks to some injury-related issues.
Ford, who broke off a 69-yard touchdown run early in Cleveland's tight win over the Indianapolis Colts, left the game in the fourth quarter after injuring his right ankle. Media members saw Ford leave the locker room after the game in a walking boot, which could indicate that he is likely to miss at least a week or two going forward.
Hunt is playing through some injuries of his own right now and rushed 10 times for 31 yards in Week 8. The headline for Hunt's day was that he found the end zone twice, including the game-winner with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter.
A majority of fantasy managers are hanging onto Hunt, who is rostered in 64 percent of leagues, but he figures to be in line for a hefty workload for as long as Ford is sidelined. Cleveland has favorable rushing matchups the next two weeks against Seattle and Arizona so anyone in need of immediate help in the backfield should try scooping up Hunt if he's available.
2. Josh Downs, WR, Indianapolis Colts
We've discussed Downs quite a bit in this space throughout the season but fantasy managers have been hesitant to give him much run. Downs entered Week 7 rostered in just 36 percent of leagues, which means plenty of people missed out on a 5-125-1 line on six targets.
A lot of the hesitancy surrounding Downs may have been tied to quarterback Anthony Richardson, who is a work in progress as a passer and didn't have much of a connection with Downs. Richardson is done for the year after undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery, however, which means that Indianapolis is riding Gardner Minshew as their starter for the rest of the year.
While Minshew isn't a world-beater, he is at least serviceable as a starter and threw for 305 yards in the Colts' tough loss to the Cleveland Browns. Downs has shown a good connection with Minshew already and will benefit from the raised floor he provides to the Indianapolis passing game.
Teams in need of receiver help should look at Downs as a solid WR3 option going forward, particularly in PPR leagues. Downs could be heavily involved as a check-down option in Week 8 against the New Orleans Saints.
1. Darrell Henderson, RB, Los Angeles Rams
The backfield in Los Angeles has seen plenty of turnover early in the year. Initial starter Cam Akers was dealt away after losing his job to Kyren Williams, who ran with it before suffering an ankle injury that landed him on IR.
The Rams made a slew of pickups to bolster their backfield ahead of Week 7 but the top ball carrier was old friend Darrell Henderson, who was brought in due to his familiarity with Sean McVay's offensive system. Henderson led a committee with Royce Freeman and looked impressive on the day, carrying 18 times for 61 yards and a touchdown while adding a catch for five yards on two targets.
McVay has shown his willingness to ride the hot hand, which plays to the benefit of Henderson, whose scheme familiarity means he has less of a learning curve than Freeman or fellow free-agent pickup Myles Gaskin. Williams will miss at least three more games with his ankle injury, meaning this appears to be Henderson's backfield for the time being, making him the top pickup of the week.
Henderson entered the week rostered in just three percent of leagues, meaning managers who made a speculative pickup when he joined the team in the middle of the week were handsomely rewarded. The cost of adding Henderson's services likely increased in terms of both waiver position and FAAB bucks but he should provide an immediate jolt to any team's RB2 ranks.
