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Eight fantasy weeks are officially in the books. Owners sitting on the outskirts of playoff contention need to rev up their team’s for one last push. While fantasy owners looking behind them at team’s one or two game’s out need to extend their lead in the standings. This is a crucial stretch to get yourself in position. Lets take a look at some viable names that did well in week eight that can give you an added boost.

Teddy Bridgewater
Bridgewater is going to have his bumps and bruises for the rest of this season. While people are clamoring on adding Mike Vick, I’d rather grab Bridgewater. He has better talent on offense and his scrambling ability is not going to get him crushed. Add to the fact that he has super talented speedsters in Jerrick McKinnon and Patterson. Simple catches can turn into big gainers and inflate Bridgewater’s overall numbers.

Colt McCoy
McCoy proved myself and a lot of doubters wrong Monday night. It looks like it’s his team for the immediate future as RG3 looks to strengthen his ankle. I could easily see McCoy getting the next two to three weeks of starts as the Redskins halt rushing RG3 back too early.

Jonas Gray
I was not a believer in Patriots running back Bolden, and it looks like the Patriots staff wasn’t either. Jonas Gray had a stout performance against a shaky Bears team. The platoon system likely will relegate the amount of carries Gray gets on a week to week basis. But he is their number one threat currently carrying the football and Vereen the pass catching back.

Christine Michael
The Seahawks may not win the division title but they sure plan on being a wild card team. I don’t see their current plan of allowing Russ Wilson to scramble countless times working long term. Sooner or later they’ll need to bolster the amount of carries Lynch and Michael are receiving. If Michael can get 10-12 carries a game he should be a fantasy threat, especially with Lynch unhappy as a Seahawk.

Mike Evans
People are growing tired of Evans as they watch Sammy Watkins and Kelvin Benjamin light up opposing NFL defenses. What Watkins and Benjamin are doing aren’t the norm for rookies. Be patient with Evans as the Buccaneers as a whole are a mess. With nine games still remaining on the season, Evans should have a solid three to four games to offer for fantasy owners.

John Brown
It’s not often a third wide receiver gets solid fantasy value. With the injuries Arizona had at quarterback some leagues may have left Brown out of waiver consideration. Brown was thought to be better with Drew Stanton because of extra practice reps together. Brown’s proving that notion wrong by putting up strong performances with Carson Palmer. Brown has caught several game winning touchdowns in the fourth quarter this year, including last week’s against the Eagles and earlier against the 49ers.

Mychal Rivera
Oakland may not have a winning product on the football field but that is leading to some strong underrated fantasy value this season. Owners of wideouts James Jones and Andre Holmes have been happy with the output of production they have received. Rivera is the latest to string up some success. Add him as the Raiders being down to division opponents in the Chiefs, Broncos, Chargers, and rest of the NFL will continue.

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Carson Palmer

Carson’s played in two games now and appears to be healthy. I had big concerns over his lingering shoulder issue that caused him to miss a length of time. But treatments seem to have hi in order. The offense has not been as explosive as people would think. Yet, Palmer is putting up solid numbers without his costly interceptions. This offense should spike up as more momentum builds with Carson on the field

Tre Mason

Those that didn’t take the advice on scooping Mason up last week have found themselves in the mix of every other owner in league. Depending on your bid system you’ll certainly have to risk a heavy amount on Mason. St. Louis has done a fine job over the years on plugging in backs and Mason looks like the next in line.

Bryce Brown

I’m not a big fan of Brown’s but he does have a prime opportunity with CJ Spiller out for eight weeks and Fred Jackson out for at least a month with a groin injury. The Bills offense is not a wide open attack like the Eagles had for him last year. I believe he’ll struggle a bit and don’t be surprised if Anthony Dixon steals some of his thunder.

Bishop Sankey

There are some fantasy owners that drew impatient with Sankey’s lack of carries early on in the season. But at the midway point of the season now the Titans need to see what type of back they drafted in Sankey. His sixteen carries last week didn’t spark a fantasy outbreak but the high load should warrant solid attention.

DeNard Robinson
Robinson will be a classic one week wonder but I’ll profile him anyways for deeper leagues. Robinson ran up against a Cleveland Browns defense that had key injuries along it’s defensive line. Robinson took advantage of that but only carries the football in one primary way. Just like in college he can hit the hole in between the tackles. Defenses will catch up to this and see if he can run to the edge and show he is more than a north and south runner.

Doug Baldwin

It’s no shock that Baldwin is flourishing with Percy Harvin traded. Golden Tate was Russ Wilson’s other big target but he signed with Detroit. That left Baldwin to fill the primary role for Seattle and he should perform like he has in the past. The problem for owners that pick him up now is waiting for his next big game. They usually come one every three to four games.

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Injuries, injuries, and more injuries have riddled fantasy teams. If you can’t pull off a trade you’re in dire need to pluck away on the waiver wire to finalize an option. Here are some best pickups to grab before you’re waiver wire deadline.

Joseph Randle

Sure he is in the news for the wrong reasons today, but he was a catalyst for the Cowboys Sunday. His shoplifting incident will fade away and be an after thought in a few weeks. What won’t be is his role in the Cowboys offense. The Cowboys are running it well with Murray but will try to not wear Murray out fully by using Randle more.

Patriots RB’s

With Stevan Ridley likely out for the season the Patriots will truly have a running back by committee with James White and Bolden. I’m not sold on either but the opportunity for carries is one fantasy owners in need of help at running back can’t ignore.

Storm Johnson

He may not have had a great game in his first start for the Jaguars, but he will get plenty more opportunities. The Jaguars progression with a rookie tailback and rookie quarterback will take some time, but results indicate that rookies tend to excel around the same time as fantasy playoffs.

Tre Mason

On Monday night Mason looked to be the best option on the Rams offense against the 49ers. It was kind of surprising that they didn’t use the young tailback more as a threat to open up the offense more. In his limited carries he did well with forty yards on five carries.

Mohammed Sanu

Sanu was supposed to be the receiver that ran away with the wide receiver two position a few years ago. Setbacks with dropped balls caused him to get buried on the Bengals depth chart a bit. Now with AJ Green’s toe injury and Marvin Jones on IR, Sanu is forced into a starting spot.

Louis Murphy

Murphy is surprisingly becoming Mike Glennon’s favorite target at wide receiver. Shocking, considering the freak athletes and tall targets that Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans are. But one thing Murphy has going for him is his health. We can’t be exactly sure how healthy both Jackson or Evans are at this point.

Andre Holmes

Oakland has actually been a bit of a surprise for fantasy owners in the receiver department. James Jones has been a big catalyst for those that drafted him as their fourth or fifth fantasy wide receiver. Can Derek Carr and new head coach Tony Sporano keep things revved up for the Raiders offense? San Diego’s defense may not be the best indicator of future play for the Raiders. But Holmes numbers Sunday are too good to ignore.

Branden LaFell

Two weeks ago LaFell and the Patriots offense were left for dead. Buried by the media and fans across the globe based on one poor game against the Chiefs. Two games later and the Patriots have racked up 30 plus points and are a fantasy haven with multiple players once again.

Jace Amaro

The Jets had Vegas shaking a bit as it looked like the Jets would get the cover against the Broncos. In a span of a Geno Smith pick-six in the waning seconds, the Jets failed to beat the number. But there was a positive to the Jets play and it was led by a defense that harassed Peyton Manning and Jace Amaro having a big game with ten catches and a touchdown. Can Amaro’s stats transfer over to Mike Vick?

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Five NFL and fantasy weeks are in the books. How many auction dollars do you have left to bid on this week’s waiver wire adds? There are some good ones to secure. Take a look at who to pickup post week five at the quarterback, running back, and wide receiver position.

Brian Hoyer
The Browns nearly came back from a large deficit week one to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers. This past week they got behind again but this time were able to erase the deficit completely. Hoyer is getting the job done with Josh Gordon on suspension and a backfield that leaves a lot to be desired. Oh, and he is dealing with the media speculation of Johnny Manziel. Hoyer is getting the job done and barring health should be a solid fantasy backup quarterback.

Mike Vick
We all know a change is coming for a Jets starting quarterback, and Vick will be the guy. His reps Sunday came with the Jets already in a huge hole on the road. I won’t look much into that. I always said the Jets wanted to limit Vick’s starts to protect his health. Putting him in for a solid ten games seems to be a proper solution from New York management. Vick should be an asset and run the Jets offense appropriately.

Bishop Sankey
As bad as the Titans have looked it is probably going to get worse. As the season wanes rookie running back Bishop Sankey will surpass veteran Shonn Greene in carries per game. A few weeks ago against the Bengals Sankey showed some flashes. For some reason the Titans just don’t want to bring him on board as the feature back just yet. Pull him in as a waiver wire add before the big game comes from Sankey.

Branden Oliver
Before the flurry of owners rush to get Oliver, rest assured he will be only a short term lease. Using Oliver to snare an extra win or two can pay dividends but don’t expect him to overtake the Chargers starting job. San Diego is buried with injuries but none are expected to be the entire season. That means Danny Woodhead, Ryan Matthews, and Donald Brown will all be back in the fold sooner than later.

Ronnie Hillman
It seems like Hillman has been in Denver forever. He had a brief stretch as a starter a few seasons back that just didn’t work out. As a complimentary back he seems to have found a home. With Montee Ball out, maybe Hillman will show the maturation to explode and garner fantasy excitement.

Brandon Lloyd
How Lloyd continues to pop up as a fantasy threat is something else. Teams passed up on him and he rose to a Pro Bowl level in Denver. He bounced around after not finding a home. Now he is in San Francisco and seems to be Colin Kaepernick’s new favorite target. With Vernon Davis’s health status still in doubt, San Francisco will continue to incorporate four wide receivers sets with Lloyd, Stevie Johnson, Boldin, and Crabtree.

Odell Beckham Jr
Based on the pattern of the New York Giants finding receivers out of nowhere and bringing them to fantasy gold, Beckham should be one of the top adds in all fantasy leagues. Manning has brought fantasy worth to Larry Donnell and Beckham in a span of just five weeks. We’ll see if Beckham is the latest Giant receiver to rise to the top.

Andre Roberts
As long as Kirk Cousins is the starter it looks like he will lean more towards Roberts and DeSean Jackson. Owners of Pierre Garcon have no clue what to do with him. At this point he has to ride the pine until he has another breakout game. With as poor as the Redskins defense has looked, the Redskins will be throwing it quite often.

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Week four featured six teams on bye week to trouble fantasy owners around the country. Week five there are just two teams on bye. Plan ahead the next bulk of bye weeks this waiver wire period, and grab yourself one of the following options.

Quarterbacks

Joe Flacco
At home Baltimore is showing once again they are a force. With the running game on the uptrend, Joe Flacco has once again regained the form we witnessed in his elite playoff run two seasons ago. The resurgence has been done with veteran Steve Smith, who has caught fire with Flacco. Joe nearly had one of his oh-no interceptions against Carolina, but linebacker Luke Kuechly dropped the ball. Flacco is one of those spot starters that shouldn’t be on the waiver wire.

Mike Vick
I was one that believed whole heartedly that the Jets had planned to use Geno to neutralize Michael Vick’s health. A Mike Vick that plays 3/4ths of a season instead of a full might last the entirety. The rumblings with the fans have started and now the coaching staff awaits to pull the trigger. It may be two weeks away, but if you’re searching for a quarterback go nab Vick this week.

Mike Glennon
After a woeful first half, Glennon seemed shook that off for a phenomenal second half capped off by a game-winning touchdown throw. Sorry McCown but there is no getting your job back after that finish. Glennon has an arm to hit tall receivers Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson. Tampa Bay just needs to tone down their offensive penalties to keep offensive momentum going.

Running Backs

Justin Forsett
One week with a big game from Lorenzo Taliaferro and Justin Forsett was tossed aside in fantasy owners minds. Forsett might not be a high carry back but he has a definite roll for the Ravens. Sunday he made several key plays including a great run after the catch on a third and long to extend a drive. I wouldn’t pick him up expecting touchdowns from Forsett, but he can get you sneaky yardage and PPR points.

Branden Oliver
The Chargers must find something out of their running game soon. Philip Rivers is just carrying too much on his shoulders right now to continue at this rate. Plus, the defense hasn’t exactly looked sharp either. But neither Oliver or Donald Brown have been able to fill in adequately for Ryan Matthews or Danny Woodhead. Oliver will continue to get chances. With what we have seen from Brown over the last four seasons, I’d take my shot on Oliver.

Jerick McKinnon
Wow, Minnesota saw something to expose the Falcons and executed it to perfection. They ran the football down the Falcons throats and used a running back no one has heard of. I didn’t hear Paul Charchian or Matthew Berry giving a name drop on McKinnon. Now the Black Friday waiver wire rush will occur as owners scurry to scoop McKinnon. McKinnon didn’t find the end zone but has likely found himself a bigger role with Matt Asiata.

Wide Receivers

Mike Evans
Evans hamstring injury has not been diagnosed yet. Lets hope its just a minor issue. If it is a minor issue, Evans should be picked up in a heartbeat. Glennon had solid chemistry with Evans and got the offense going once they connected in the third quarter. This duo could make for a big young dual threat for years to come.

Mike Williams
Yes, that Mike Williams that has been a fantasy threat for several years when he was a Buccaneer. Off the field issues caused the Bucs to part ways and trade Williams back to his old college football coach in Buffalo. After being buried on the Bills depth chart, Williams has appeared to work his way back on the field. Will Williams be a one week wonder or will he continue to build off this week.

James Jones
James Jones has been captain of crunch time garbage fantasy points. Seeing as the Raiders are likely going to continue to suffer with blowout losses, Jones should be an adequate third or fourth wide receiver for fantasy teams. He is only owned in 47% of Yahoo leagues currently.

Eddie Royal
Royal continues to be that yearly fantasy football one week wonder teaser. Lets let him tease owners again.

Jarius Wright
Will have to see how impactful Teddy Bridgewater’s ankle injury is. If it is going to keep him out than Wright dwindles down as a non fantasy pickup. Keep an eye on Bridgewater’s status.

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Three weeks are in the books. Injuries were not as significant in week three as the first two weeks, but now we start to enter the zone of bye weeks. Six teams are on byes this week. Cincinnati, Seattle, Arizona, St. Louis, Denver, and Cleveland. If you’re have bye week concerns added to injury woes, this is a crucial waiver wire period for you. Here are some names to consider adding.

Mike Evans
Some people are abandoning anything associated with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After their prime time disaster on Thursday night against the Falcons. Still it’s only three weeks into the season. Evans is a tall target that sooner or later is going to display why he was picked in the first round.

Donald Brown
Brown is still available in a large amount of fantasy leagues. With Danny Woodhead now injured as well it makes for an immediate pickup. Brown needs to show more on field production to deserve a starting fantasy spot, even with the bulk of carries coming his way.

Austin Davis
Davis had some costly errors that produced a loss for the Rams, but he showed signs that he can be a starter in this league. For a quarterback that was a third stringer just a little bit over a month ago, the Rams have to be happy with what they saw. Zac Stacy is not producing to the caliber he did a year ago. For people looking for a short term fill in or fantasy backup, Davis could be your guy.

Jordan Matthews
There was absolutely no defense being played by either the Redskins or Eagles Sunday. Don’t let the blindside hit on Foles fool you. The Eagles have made it look easy the first few games of the season and Matthews finally shined Sunday. Matthews went from being the undervalued preseason name to overlooked, to now hot pickup of the week.

Alfred Blue
Houston started off running the ball well with Blue against the Giants. But after Fitzpatrick’s costly interceptions they had to abort the running game. Look for them to establish the run this week against the Bills and stick to it.

DeAndre Hopkins
Hopkins is on here again and deserves every bit of attention. He is becoming the Texans number one option over Andre Johnson. He has shown the ability to catch the deep ball and score as he did against Washington, and also to catch the ball and run.

Bishop Sankey
The Titans blowout loss to the Bengals was not as bad as the score presented. Penalties and timely mistakes attributed to this loss. But yardage wise the Titans had outgained the Bengals by halftime. Sankey finally showed some of the flash that fantasy owners hoped in drafting him as a sleeper. Some may have released him early. See if you can snare him off waivers.

John Brown
As long as Carson Palmer is out John Brown needs to be on your fantasy team. Stanton has obvious chemistry with the rookie, as they likely have worked together on the second units in practice. Brown beat the 49ers twice on the same go route move in which Stanton dropped the ball in perfectly for touchdowns.

Others: Khiry Robinson, Lorenzo Taliferro, Steve Smith, Blake Bortles, Allen Robinson, Stevie Johnson, and Joe McKnight