Fantasy Football Week 8 Preview

Welcome to the Week 8 Edition of Delbarton’s Fantasy Football Corner! There are a lot of match-ups this weekend, but luckily, if you play fantasy football, you can still be enthralled in the action. This week, I’m going to preview two running backs who I think you should pick up.

WAIVER WIRE ADD: Ty Johnson, Detroit Lions

Johnson’s ownership rating has skyrocketed in ESPN leagues (+62.5%) in the last couple of days. This is because Kerryon Johnson, the Lions’ starting RB, is now on the IR after having knee surgery. So, Ty Johnson will now be the lead back in Detroit, as he unsnapped the other RB, JD McKissic, 64% to 25% and had twice as many carries once Johnson went down. He plays the Giants and Raiders in the next couple of weeks, which is a very favorable schedule.

WAIVER WIRE ADD: Chase Edmonds, Arizona Cardinals

I picked up Edmonds in my league last week when I heard that Johnson was questionable for his game against the New York Giants. Unfortunately, Johnson suited up for the game so I left Edmonds on my bench; he ended up scoring 3 touchdowns. Johnson is a game-time decision against the Saints, but I don’t expect him to play. Even if he does though, Chase Edmonds will still play a huge role in Kliff Kingsbury’s “air raid” offense. In his last 2 games playing with David Johnson, Edmonds got a combined 32.2 points (PPR format). Although he might see a dip in touches and production with the addition of Jay Ajayi, I still expect him to keep his same role. If anything, this signing is just insurance since the Cardinals RB depth is thinning by the second.

On the eye test, Chase Edmonds looks like the best RB on the Cardinals right now, and I think that the Cardinals management and coaching staff is starting to notice this. The only criticism he has gotten is that he “can’t be a workhorse.” However, at Fordham, he averaged 21 carries per game, so he has proven he can handle the workload. The one downside to Edmonds is his schedule. He has to play New Orleans this week and San Francisco twice in the next 3 weeks; both teams have elite run defenses. In fact, New Orleans is ranked ninth in rushing yards allowed, while the Niners rank eighth.