NFL fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 8
By Lior Lampert
Fantasy Football RB Waiver Wire Pickups, Week 8
Darrell Henderson Jr., Los Angeles Rams (25 percent rostered)
With Kyren Williams expected to miss at least three more games due to a high-ankle sprain, Darrell Henderson Jr. becomes a must-add in leagues of all formats. After being cut by the Rams last season, head coach Sean McVay brought Henderson back as a familiar face who knows the scheme to fill in Williams’ place and Henderson didn’t miss a beat.
In Week 7, Henderson logged nearly 60 percent of the Rams offensive snaps and earned 19 touches in the process. He turned 19 touches into 63 scrimmage yards, one reception, and a touchdown. While the counting stats leave plenty to be desired, Henderson is going to be on the field often as someone McVay trusts thanks to his ability in pass protection and receiving prowess out of the backfield.
Henderson is officially an RB2 in fantasy football moving forward until Williams returns and will benefit from being on one of the better offenses in the NFL led by quarterback Matthew Stafford.
If Henderson is on your waiver wire, be sure to change that. He is going to have plenty of opportunities in the coming weeks and should fill in admirably for Williams.
Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans (42 percent rostered)
It is remarkable to see that Tyjae Spears is still rostered in under 50 percent of Yahoo Fantasy leagues, but here we are. Not only has Spears been part of a split backfield with Derrick Henry practically all season, but there is now potential for him to have this backfield all to himself.
With the Titans having a 2-4 record and fading quickly, they have started to become sellers leading up to the trade deadline. They just sent Pro Bowl safety Kevin Byard to the Eagles and are expected to play both Malik Willis and Will Levis at quarterback in Week 8 while Ryan Tannehill tends to an ankle injury.
If Henry gets traded before the deadline, it’s wheels up for Spears. He needs to be a priority for fantasy managers if he is on your waiver wire as he could be stepping into a hefty workload for the rest of the season.
Even if Henry remains in Tennessee after the trade deadline, Spears is an important handcuff and/or bench stash for fantasy managers. He is explosive with the ball in his hands and capable of giving managers productive fantasy weeks even with Henry in the mix, as exemplified by his 6.1 yards per touch through seven weeks.