Here are your prime waiver wire targets for Week 8!

By: Rishi Patel

Welcome back to this NFL column where I will be giving my advice about which fantasy players you should pluck off your waiver wire each week during this NFL season. 

During each NFL season, there are usually sleepers that emerge who you should pick up off the waiver wire due to various reasons, such as better performances than expected, injuries, etc. It’s important to make good use of the waiver wire as players from here could sometimes be good depth and even a starter for your team in critical stretches. It’s hard to believe we are nearly at the midpoint of the season. Let’s look at some players you should consider for this week:

Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles RB starter Miles Sanders suffered a low-ankle sprain in Sunday’s loss to the Raiders and could be out for a couple of weeks as a result. This pushes 2021 fifth-round pick Kenneth Gainwell to the top of the depth chart for now. The 22-year-old hasn’t been all that effective in his rookie year but has shown spurts of brilliance. 

This includes a five receptions for 41 yards and a score performance on Sunday against Vegas and even posting 58 receiving yards earlier in the season. Gainwell will now see a lot more of the rushing workload and has receiving prowess, so he’s a solid addition. He will likely fight for carries with Boston Scott, but Gainwell has more upside. 

Michael Carter, RB, New York Jets

Look, the Jets are in shambles (as usual). Things got even worse on Sunday when rookie QB Zach Wilson went down with a PCL injury and now has to miss a few weeks. This means the Jets could lean more on their running game and that is where Carter comes in. The rookie has had modest numbers so far each week but he paces the Jets in rushing yards. 

He also has receiving abilities out of the backfield and just put up eight receptions for 67 yards on nine targets in Week 7. Though this is one of the worst offenses in the league, Carter’s dual-threat ability and expected larger role make him an intriguing addition. 

Byron Pringle, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs may be struggling this year overall, but their offense is still one of the most talented in the league. And despite having players like Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill, other guys have been stepping up this season too, like Byron Pringle. The 27-year-old has quietly put up at least three games with 55 yards this season. In Week 7, he posted five receptions for 73 yards on six targets. 

Pringle is the fourth-leading receiver on Kansas City and has been quite underrated thus far. He’s worth stashing for your team if you need depth.  

Kendrick Bourne, WR, New England Patriots

The Pats may not have a true WR1, but Bourne has certainly done enough to grab the attention of managers this season. The former 49er now has at least 58 yards in four of the past five games despite not seeing a huge number of targets. He had 96 yards in one of those contests. Bourne is showing consistency and decent production, meaning he’s a sneaky good stash right now. 

Rashod Bateman, WR, Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens have always been about the run but Lamar Jackson can make some nice throws (when he decides to). Baltimore has mostly relied on Mark Andrews and Marquise Brown but a third viable pass-catcher may have emerged in the rookie Bateman out of Minnesota. 

The 22-year-old suffered a groin injury back in August and didn’t make his NFL debut until Week 6 in the blowout win over the Chargers, where he posted 29 yards. He flashed a little more of his talent in Week 7 when he posted three receptions for 80 yards on six targets. Bateman has the potential to be the third-best receiving option behind Andrews and Brown, and he’s worth adding. 

C.J. Uzomah, TE, Cincinnati Bengals

Uzomah has been on fire in recent weeks and that continued on Sunday in a win over the arch-rival Ravens. He had three receptions for 91 yards and two scores. Overall, the 28-year-old has had five touchdowns in the last four games. One thing to note with Uzomah is his inconsistency. While he did post 91 and 95 yards in two of the past four games, he managed only 15 and 16 yards in the other two contests.

The TE is a risky option given his up and down weeks but he’s certainly worth taking a chance on if you need TE options. There is room for Uzomah to have a big game, as evidence of a few recent contests.