With the Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups up and running, it's time to dig deep into the waiver wire bin and see what players showed off their stuff in Week 7 that would make them a worthwhile pickup for your teams going into Week 8. Luckily for owners, there doesn't appear to be a shortage of guys who can patch up the holes if team has sprung a recent leak. This week's waiver wire list isn't AS full as previous weeks. Keep in mind that as the weeks go on, the list will get smaller.
As always, remember that this list will continue to expand throughout the day Monday and Tuesday. So check back often.
QUARTERBACKS
Jake Locker - Titans (Owned Percentage - ESPN 2.4%/Yahoo 7%)
After missing time with hip and knee injuries, Locker made his presence felt against the 49ers. Locker's 326 passing yards and 2 scores (1 INT) were a bit of a surprise considering the matchup and the fact that he was clearly less than 100 percent as he was wearing a knee brace. Tennessee has a bye this week, but Locker will be worth picking up as a plug-and-play matchup player from Week 9 on.
Mike Glennon - Buccaneers (Owned Percentage - ESPN 1.7%/Yahoo 5%)
Glennon lost a costly fumble that wound up being brought back for a score against the Falcons. But overall, Glennon appears comfortable in the pocket. Sunday marked his second-straight game of multiple scores and he has now averaged a little over 264 passing yards a game. He's still nothing more than a QB2, but he's a quality QB2 to have with guys like Sam Bradford out.
Case Keenum - Texans (Owned Percentage - ESPN .7%/Yahoo 3%)
Even the best quarterbacks have said that playing in Arrowhead is rough. Keenum proved that there could be a new face under center after the weekend. With Arian Foster ailing, Keenum looked like a vet after passing for 271 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 pick. This performance was against one of the better defenses in the league. Not to mention he was close to giving the Chiefs their first loss of the season. There is no word yet on if Keenum will start Week 8, but he's done enough to create some controversy for the starting quarterback job.
RUNNING BACKS
Chris Ivory - Jets (Owned Percentage - ESPN 74.4%/Yahoo 28%)
Many owners almost forgot that Ivory was projected to be the team's starting running back until another hamstring injury pushed his value down. We saw Sunday that Ivory could be on the rebound in a major way. Having outplayed past starter Bilal Powell, Ivory racked up a whopping 34 carries for 104 yards. The yards-per-carry average isn't great. And I'd be surprised to see Powell phased out completely since he's a much better pass catcher, but Ivory is back on the flex radar again. Now all he has to do is stay healthy and keep his hamstring problems behind him.
Joseph Randle - Cowboys (Owned Percentage - ESPN 74.4%/Yahoo 28%)
In what was supposed to be a high-scoring affair. the Cowboys beat the Eagles by a score of 17-3. Randle touched the ball 22 times for a total of 93 yards. He lost passing down work and redzone touches to Philip Tanner, which will kill a lot of Randle's PPR value and scoring chances. Still, Randle proved just good enough to be worthy of a spot on your roster against the Lions. Just keep an eye on DeMarco Murray (knee) and Lance Dunbar (hamstring). If Dunbar comes back. Randle could be pushed into a full-blown committee.
Roy Helu - Redskins (Owned Percentage - ESPN 37.5%/Yahoo 20%)
Helu's workload is starting to look like a pattern. Over the last 3 weeks, he's topped 40 yards in 3-straight games and came up big against the Bears with 3 touchdowns. Alfred Morris is still THE back to own and isn't about to give up his starting job, but Helu's average of a little over 12 touches per game over the last 3 weeks is something to keep tabs on. Helu is slowly starting to merge as a low-end flex option.
Mike James - Buccaneers (Owned Percentage - ESPN .1%/Yahoo 6%)
It's hard to fight your way out of injury hell. A team that myself and a friend shared lost Jay Cutler, Reggie Wayne and Doug Martin. Martin, who is expected to miss the rest of the year with a labrum tear in his left shoulder, will be missed. But due to his disappointing season, won't be as hard to replace like other starting running backs. James has size and is a strong receiver out of the backfield, so he projects to be an every-down back. We caught a glimpse Sunday of what he can do when he rushed for 45 yards and caught 3 passes against the Falcons. James is a pickup in all leagues.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Harry Douglas - Falcons (Owned Percentage - ESPN 37.7%/Yahoo 49%)
After showing inconsistent play while starting in the past, Douglas proved that he can handle a full workload against the Buccaneers. Douglas caught all 7 of his targets for 149 yards and a score, while making Darrelle Revis look like a rookie. Even when Roddy White returns, Douglas will continue to be a fantasy threat. Maybe even more so since defensive coverage will have to roll to White's side of the field. Douglas is this week's "must-grab" waiver wire option.
Jarrett Boykin - Packers (Owned Percentage - ESPN 1.4%/Yahoo 29%)
Boykin's Sunday might have been a fluke. Considering he flew under the radar in the most deepest of leagues, it will be hard to tell until we see if he gets another chance come Week 8. Regardless, Boykin proved invaluable in Randall Cobb's old role after catching 8 passes for 103 yards and a score in the win over the Browns. The Packers' passing offense has been filled with walking wounded as Cobb, James Jones and Jermichael Finley have been dealing with injuries. Boykin is worth playing against the hapless Vikings secondary next week.
Darrius Heyward-Bey - Colts (Owned Percentage - ESPN 3.8%/Yahoo 18%)
The Colts took a huge blow with the news that Reggie Wayne is out for the season with a torn ACL. Now having to rely on DHB and T.Y. Hilton, the Colts should keep feeding DHB moving forward. He caught 4 passes for 44 yards and a score against the Broncos, while also adding 30 rushing yards. Owners who have had DHB in the past know the best he can do, but hopefully the presence of Andrew Luck will make him a bit more valuable.
TIGHT ENDS
Jordan Reed - Redskins (Owned Percentage - ESPN 3.8%/Yahoo 24%)
The Redskins offense was clicking on all cylinders Sunday with a 45-41 win over the Bears. Reed appears poised to break out into a TE1. Maybe not a top 5 player, but he's been destined for a big game this year. Needless to say, Reed is on the waiver wire radar heavily after putting up 9 catches for 134 yards and a touchdown. RG3 had a slow start, but he appears back to his old self now that he is allowed to use his legs again. That will trickle down and have a huge affect on Reed, who will be a big tight end pickup heading into the team's Week 8 game against the Broncos.