Divisional report

News and notes from around the league, including fantasy watch.

As we near the halfway point of the NFL season, we’re once again fortunate to have strong free agents in fantasy football.

It’s been a few weeks but there is no shortage of waiver adds across the board heading into Week 8.

Even if you need a quarterback to stream with Dak Prescott and Lamar Jackson on their bye weeks, there are good options out there.

QUARTERBACKS Matthew Stafford vs. NYG Ryan Tannehill vs. TB Derek Carr at HOU Mason Rudolph vs. MIA Matt Moore vs. GB (superflex)

This is why fantasy football is so fun, right? Entering the season, the Detroit Lions were thought to be going with a run-heavy approach on offense. Well, here we are with Matthew Stafford standing as QB12 overall. He’s thrown three-plus touchdowns on three different occasions this season, including 364 passing yards and four touchdowns in Week 7 against the Minnesota Vikings. With Patrick Mahomes out with a knee injury and Dak Prescott and Lamar Jackson on byes, Stafford is a viable stream against the New York Giants. The Giants defense is allowing the fifth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season and have allowed 300-plus passing yards four different times. If he’s gone, however, Ryan Tannehill is the next man up against the Bucs defense in Week 8. Tampa Bay is allowing the sixth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season. Over the past month, they’re allowing an average of 348 passing yards and 2.5 passing touchdowns per game. Tannehill is a strong play at home heading into Week 8. If you’re really desperate at quarterback, you’ve come to the right place. The Raiders’ Derek Carr might actually be worth streaming. Carr will face off against the Houston Texans in Week 8, a defense allowing the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks.

RUNNING BACKS Ty Johnson vs. NYG Chase Edmonds at NO Mark Walton at PIT Kareem Hunt (suspended) Wendell Smallwood at MIN

Kerryon Johnson is dealing with a knee injury and the latest news has him “week to week”. He dealt with a knee injury last season as well, which limited him to 10 games in his rookie season. Ty Johnson played on 64 percent of the snaps in Week 8, totaling 57 yards on 14 touches, with two of those coming inside the 10-yard line. Ty Johnson was a sixth-round pick out of Maryland in this year’s draft, running a 4.45 40-yard dash with a speed score in the 86th percentile. He’ll face the Giants in Week 8, a defense that just allowed 150 total yards and three touchdowns to Chase Edmonds. Ty Johnson would be a RB2 in that matchup. Speaking of Edmonds, if he’s still available in your league, he shouldn’t be. David Johnson was “active” in Week 7 but only played three snaps, with Edmonds playing on 94 percent of the snaps.

WIDE RECEIVERS Corey Davis and A.J. Brown vs. TB Kenny Stills vs. OAK Zach Pascal vs. DEN Alex Erickson vs. LAR Olabisi Johnson vs. WAS

If you’re in need of a wide receiver, this is the perfect waiver wire week for you. Let’s start off with the Tennessee Titans who may have a quarterback who can get the ball in the hands of their playmakers. Corey Davis, the fifth overall pick in the 2017 draft, finished Week 7 with six catches for 80 yards and a touchdown on seven targets (23 percent target share). The 23 percent target share represents the highest target share Davis has seen in a game all season. A.J. Brown, second-round pick in the 2019 draft, has also showed his upside this season and is playing more. He’s played at least 60 percent of the snaps in two of the Titans past three games. In Week 7, he also had six receptions for 64 yards on eight targets (28 percent target share). Both guys face off against the Bucs in Week 8, a defense allowing the second-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season.

TIGHT ENDS Jared Cook/Josh Hill vs. ARI Jacob Hollister at ATL Kyle Rudolph/Irv Smith Jr. vs. WAS Ricky Seals-Jones at NE

The Cardinals have struggled against tight ends, allowing the most fantasy points in the league to the position. The problem is you have to monitor the health of Cook who missed Week 7 with an ankle injury. If Cook is healthy enough to go for Week 8, he’s a clear-cut TE1 but if he can’t, Josh Hill steps into his place. Following Will Dissly’s injury, it was Jacob Hollister who played 37 offensive snaps with six targets in Week 7 for the Seahawks. Hollister is in a prime spot against the Falcons in Week 8. Much like Olabisi Johnson, streaming one of the Vikings tight ends is a decent idea. Both Rudolph and Smith Jr. combined for 10 receptions, 118 yards, and a touchdown in Week 7. If I had to choose one, I would lean Rudolph since he plays more snaps and runs more routes.