Week 8 was a weird one in the fantasy football universe as injuries wiped out a lot of key contributors at quarterback, including the potential season-ending injury to Kirk Cousins at Lambeau Field. Kenny Pickett, Desmond Ridder and Tyrod Taylor also went down, which could leave some owners scrambling for quarterback help in fantasy leagues.
Fortunately for them, two potential fill-in options emerged as part of the week's top fantasy football pickups. Check out the top five below, with all rostered percentages based on Yahoo! leagues.
5. Emeri Demercado, RB, Arizona Cardinals
It has been a bit of a roller coaster ride for Demercado, who was the top fantasy pickup out of the Arizona backfield after James Conner went on injured reserve only to get mothballed for a game in favor of Keontay Ingram. Demercado was dropped en masse after that game but has since reclaimed top-dog status in the Cardinals' backfield, rushing 13 times in Week 7 and 20 more times in a Week 8 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
The results were solid for Demercado, who racked up 78 yards on the ground, which led to a solid 3.9 yards per carry average against a stout Baltimore defense. With the potential of Kyler Murray returning for Arizona next week, Demercado could have fewer bodies in the box to stop him, which could lead to some positive results.
Demeraco is rostered in just 36 percent of leagues and should be the lead dog for one more week as Conner must miss one more game before being eligible for a return. Teams in need of help at running back for Week 9, when a slew of star running backs are on bye, should take a flier on Demercado as a volume-based RB2.
4. Trey McBride, TE, Arizona Cardinals
We'll stay in the desert for this next pickup with a look at Trey McBride, the second-year tight end for the Cardinals. McBride has been largely serving as the backup to veteran Zach Ertz but has gotten opportunities to shine when Ertz is absent, including a big finish to the 2022 campaign.
Ertz is on the shelf again, having landed on IR this week, which enabled McBride to return to TE1 status against Baltimore. McBride had a massive week as a result, catching 10 passes for 95 yards and a touchdown in Arizona's loss to the Ravens.
That workload came on a season-high 14 targets, which should raise eyebrows considering how tough it has been to find production at the tight end position this season. Arizona has also been working McBride into the offense more over the past few weeks as he averaged 5.5 targets over his previous two games, a positive sign going forward.
When you weigh in the potential that Murray would offer a quarterback upgrade it makes a ton of sense to pursue McBride, who is rostered in 19 percent of leagues. George Kittle and T.J. Hockenson owners could certainly do worse for a bye-week filler while people in need of help at the position should happily use a waiver to add McBride.
3. Jahan Dotson, WR, Washington Commanders
Investing in the Washington passing game isn't the most exciting idea but the unit has shown some surprising juice early in the season. Week 8 also served as a new launching point for Jahan Dotson, who put himself back on the map after a quiet stretch over the past month.
Dotson was heavily featured in Washington's shootout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, turning 8-of-10 targets into 108 yards and a touchdown. The yardage was easily a season-high for Dotson and the spike marked the first time he has reached pay dirt since Week 4.
Quarterback Sam Howell has routinely made Dotson a point of emphasis in his progressions, peppering him with at least five targets in six of Washington's first eight games this season. Terry McLaurin is still around as the No. 1 in Washington as well, which will make it easier for Dotson to avoid double teams down the stretch.
There is still a window to buy in on Dotson, who is rostered in 51 percent of leagues, with the Commanders set to take on the New England Patriots in Week 9. Washington's defense has issues, which could lead to plenty of shootouts down the stretch, and that would equal the potential for more big games out of Dotson going forward.
2. Sam Howell, QB, Washington Commanders
The quarterback market should be heating up after all of the Week 8 injuries and Sam Howell is again in the spotlight. The season has been a bit of a roller coaster for Howell, who has mixed in some blowup games alongside stink bombs, but Week 8 fell firmly in the former category for him.
Howell diced up the Philadelphia Eagles' vaunted secondary for the second time in a month, completing 39-of-52 passes for 397 yards and four touchdowns, which were season-highs in both categories. The Eagles did record one interception against Howell, who has thrown eight of them this season, but his passing prowess is a positive development for the Commanders.
Game flow should also be a positive for Howell, who plays on a team that has a shaky defense that could see pieces subtracted ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline. The potential for shootouts or garbage time production is high with Howell, who has a nice arsenal of pass catchers to work with in Washington.
Demand for Howell's services should significantly increase this week, especially in light of Cousins' injury. Howell is rostered in 45 percent of leagues and could be a preferred fill-in for Cousins owners thanks to his demonstrated potential for big games.
1. Will Levis, QB, Tennessee Titans
An injury to Ryan Tannehill in Tennessee created an opportunity for Will Levis, the team's second-round pick in April's draft, to make his NFL debut. Despite rumors he would be splitting time with second-year man Malik Willis, Levis was the only player to throw a pass for the Titans and he made an impressive first impression.
Levis shredded the Atlanta Falcons' top-10 defense through the air, completing 19-of-29 passes for 238 yards and four touchdowns in Tennessee's 28-23 win over the NFC South leaders. The Titans also weren't afraid to let Levis take deep shots as he connected on touchdowns of 47 and 61 yards to DeAndre Hopkins.
The explosive play potential is exciting to see for a Tennessee offense that has been run-centric behind Derrick Henry for the past few years. One game is certainly an incredibly small sample size but Tannehill's injury may have opened the door for Levis to claim this job and secure his spot as Tennessee's quarterback of the future.
Fantasy owners definitely didn't have Levis on the radar this week as he was rostered in just four percent of leagues. While there is every chance this game was a flash in the pan, it is worth putting a claim in on Levis in case he follows C.J. Stroud's path to become a playable fantasy option down the stretch.
