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Week 8 fantasy pickups: Dion Lewis, Kenny Stills and other priority adds

Each week throughout the NFL season, we identify six players to target on waiver wires, plus a lightly owned D/ST. All are available in a majority of Yahoo leagues and approved for immediate use. Add as needed.

Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington, RBs, Oakland Raiders, 11% and 3% owned

Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch has been suspended for one game, pending appeal, for his role in an on-field kerfuffle on Thursday night in Oakland. Assuming Lynch will again be an observer in Week 8, Richard and Washington should share backfield duties, forming a two-man committee. This week’s matchup isn’t ideal — Buffalo allows just 3.4 YPC — but with six teams on bye, most of us can find a use for any back who’s in line for 15 touches. Richard is one of the league’s most elusive runners (5.5 career YPC), and he gained 76 scrimmage yards on 13 touches against KC last Thursday. Washington, meanwhile, gained 40 yards on 12 touches, with a 4-yard touchdown run included. Both backs belong in the RB2/flex conversation this week.

Schedule, next three weeks:> at Buf, at Mia, bye

FAAB bid: $12 and $9 of $100 budget

Dion Lewis is taking control in the Patriots’ backfield. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Dion Lewis is taking control in the Patriots’ backfield. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Dion Lewis, RB, New England Patriots, 28%

New England is rolling with a four-player backfield committee at the moment, which is of course a nightmare for fantasy purposes. Lewis appears to be the most bankable RB on the depth chart, as he got the starting nod on Sunday night and led all Pats backs in touches (14), total yards (82), snaps (26) and yards-per-carry (5.8). James White, Mike Gillislee and Rex Burkhead were involved as well, in supporting roles. Lewis is the apparent No.1 and he has a terrific matchup ahead with the Chargers’ RB-friendly defense. The Bolts have allowed a whopping 140.6 rushing yards per game, ranking next-to-last in the league, and 4.9 YPC. Lewis should really be this week’s most popular fantasy add, by a healthy margin.

Schedule, next three weeks: vs. LAC, bye, at Den

FAAB bid: $17

Kenny Stills, WR, Miami Dolphins, 20%

Stills was simply a monster on Sunday, hauling in six balls for 85 yards and two scores on nine targets. Both of his TD receptions occurred in the fourth quarter of Miami’s comeback win, and both were tossed by the team’s new starting QB, Matt Moore. (Jay Cutler is dealing with fractured ribs and is likely sidelined for 2-3 weeks.) This ridiculous grab was the catch of the day, if not the year…

That’s just silly.

Stills was a fantasy asset last season, finishing with nine touchdowns and 726 yards, and he’s on a similar pace in 2017. He shouldn’t lack for targets with DeVante Parker dealing with an ankle injury. Miami will face the Ravens on Thursday night in Week 8, and Stills should see another 8-10 targets. Add and enjoy.

Schedule, next three weeks: at Bal, vs. Oak, at Car

FAAB bid: $9

Robby Anderson, WR, New York Jets, 19%

It’s fair to question Anderson’s situational awareness and self control after Sunday’s loss, but fantasy owners don’t generally care about such things. For our purposes, Anderson was just fine in Week 7. He caught three balls for 35 yards and a touchdown against Miami, one week after seeing 12 targets and finishing with 76 receiving yards. Anderson has been targeted five or more times in six of his seven games so far this year. It’s not always a clinic with this guy, but he’s a burner with sub-4.4 speed, good size (6-foot-3) and big-play ability. Keep him in your plans, deep leaguers.

Schedule, next three weeks: vs. Atl, vs. Buf, at TB

FAAB bid: $8

Matt Moore, QB, Miami Dolphins, 38%

Moore directed Miami’s comeback win on Sunday, and he’ll be at the controls of the team’s offense in the weeks ahead, with Cutler dinged (ribs). Last season, playing in relief of the injured Ryan Tannehill, Moore was … well, he was relatively Tannehill-ish. He completed 63.2 percent of his throws, guided the team to a pair of wins, and he tossed eight TD passes and three picks. He’s well prepared to lead this team, and it won’t be much of a surprise if he leapfrogs Cutler on the depth chart. Moore’s receiving weapons are excellent, so we can reasonably expect a few multi-score games ahead.

Schedule, next three weeks: at Bal, vs. Oak, at Car

FAAB bid: $10

Dede Westbrook, dominating in the exhibition season. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Dede Westbrook, dominating in the exhibition season. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Dede Westbrook, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars 2%

Here’s a chance to get a week ahead of the pickup rush. Westbrook should return from IR in Week 9, following Jacksonville’s bye, and he has a shot to make an immediate impact. You might recall that he emerged as a rookie receiver of interest during the preseason, before undergoing core muscle surgery in September. The Jaguars’ receiving corps isn’t exactly stacked with high-end talent these days, not with Allen Robinson (ACL) sidelined, so Westbrook has a shot at first-year fantasy relevance. He was of course a dominant collegiate receiver at Oklahoma, catching 80 passes for 1524 yards and 17 scores last season. Stash him now for later use.

Schedule, next three weeks: bye, vs. Cin, vs. LAC

FAAB bid: $4

Miami Dolphins, D/ST, 28%

Miami will be facing Joe Flacco on a short week, and both Mike Wallace and Jeremy Maclin are currently injured (concussion, shoulder). Flacco has averaged less than 5.0 yards per pass attempt in four of his last five games, which is something less than elite. We aren’t endorsing the Dolphins’ D for the full season, but it’s easy to imagine this group generating multiple takeaways in Week 8.

Schedule, next three weeks: at Bal, vs. Oak, at Car

FAAB bid: $1

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