Top fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 8

Yahoo: 21% owned | ESPN: 26% owned

It finally looked like this was the week that things were looking up for Miles Sanders — thus why I had predicted him to be my Week 7 stealthy start — and the game started out looking good. He ran for three yards, then five, then nine, then seven on a touchdown drive. Unfortunately, he was carted off the field with an ankle injury in the subsequent drive and is expected to miss some time.

It was Kenneth Gainwell who finished off that first drive with a touchdown, showing he was already involved prior to the injury, and he should have some nice volume while Sanders is out, especially in Week 8 against an abysmal Lions team. Boston Scott could be worth a look as well, though he's not as exciting as Gainwell for fantasy prospects. Gainwell was a recommendation of mine back in Week 2, and he's returned for more here ahead of Week 8.

Yahoo: 17% owned | ESPN: 6% owned

There should be an asterisk next to Indianapolis Colts up there, because this waiver wire pick is contingent on the potential that Mack is not a Colt by the time the trade deadline has come and gone on November 2. The two sides have reportedly already mutually agreed to search for a deal — which makes sense, seeing as Jonathan Taylor has emerged as a top back in the league and Mack could be much more useful elsewhere — and there are some landing spots that seem logical.

The Ravens have dealt with running back injury woes. The Chiefs need some sort of spark plug for their offense. Perhaps the 49ers would like some more insurance behind Elijah Mitchell and Trey Sermon. Whatever the case, Mack is a recent 1,000-yard RB and it's a smart preemptive move to pick him up if you have some room on your bench.

Lazard | Yahoo: 4% owned | ESPN: 5% owned
MVS | Yahoo: 5% owned | ESPN: 2% owned

Davante Adams landed on the COVID-19 list and may not be back in time for the Packers' quick turnaround on Thursday Night football against the Arizona Cardinals. With shootout potential, this becomes a great opportunity for Lazard and MVS. The former just had a great week, going for 60 yards and a touchdown, while the latter could make his return off IR in time for the date with Arizona.

If MVS can't go, Lazard becomes a must-add commodity. Also look for Robert Tonyan, who has been dropped in many a fantasy league after he has failed to live up to lofty expectations.

Yahoo: 40% owned | ESPN: 51% owned

You'll have to get a little bit lucky if you want Gallup, as he's owned in a relatively large portion of leagues at this point. One of Dak Prescott's favorite targets the past two seasons, Gallup was targeted well over 200 times in that span and should pick up where he left off as soon as he's plugged back into the offense. He played a big role before going down to injury in Week 1, earning seven targets from Prescott in less than a full game of action.

Keep an eye on him as the week goes on. Though he's expected to return to practice, there's no guarantee that he'll suit up for the game in Week 8.

Yahoo: 17% owned | ESPN: 13% owned

Alie-Cox may be better as just a "streaming" option, but looking at his recent production and his schedule going forward makes you wonder whether or not he's worth a fuller look. He's the TE6 over the past four weeks, which is partially due to the fact that he's scored four touchdowns and partially due to the scarcity of tight end production across the league.

In Week 8, the Colts have a date with the putrid Tennessee Titans defense — though it didn't look so putrid in Week 8 against the faltering Chiefs. In Weeks 9 and 10, Indy takes on the Jets and Jaguars at home. Those are some dreamy matchups for a tight end who could become more of a fixture in lineups over the next few weeks as opposed to a pure streaming option.