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With the recent trades of Davante Adams and Amari Cooper, the emergence of Russell Wilson and the potential of three new starting quarterbacks in Week 8, it is important to identify which players will see an increase in both target-share and fantasy football value.
These players may not be superstars, but a bump in current value will help you push past the tougher weeks of the fantasy season.
A couple of receivers we can look toward are Mason Tipton of the Saints and Troy Franklin of the Broncos. Both received a strong target share and given the situations on both teams, we can probably expect more of the same in the future.
The Saints lost Rashid Shaheed for the season, and Tipton’s versatility has already made him a favorite of each of the New Orleans quarterbacks.
The Broncos have been auditioning their youth, and the bond between Franklin and Bo Nix that we saw when they were together at the University of Oregon is already translating at the NFL level.
If you need help at the tight end position, like almost everyone else in your league, then Pat Freiermuth and Hunter Henry should be waiver targets if available.
Alex Van Pelt’s system in New England pushes targets to the tight end, and Henry is being leaned on by rookie Drake Maye, with 14 targets in the past two games.
And with the switch in Pittsburgh to Wilson, who is a stronger passer than Justin Fields, Freiermuth and his 80 percent snap share is due for a bump in quality targets.
The waiver name that will pop up most is Browns wide receiver Cedric Tillman.
With Cooper now in Buffalo, the Browns needed someone to stand out, and the 6-foot-3, second-year wideout did just that catching eight of his 12 targets for 81 yards.
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Jerry Jeudy moves up the depth chart, but he, like Elijah Moore, profiles better as a chain-mover who can move between the slot and the outside. Tillman has the size and speed to stretch the field and maintain the vertical threat without Cooper. With Jameis Winston hopefully taking over in the wake of Deshaun Watson’s Achilles tear, we’re expecting to see stronger downfield opportunities.
Winning in fantasy football is all about how you roll with the punches and work the waiver wire. Tracking the targets and studying the developing passing trends will be your ticket to making the fantasy playoffs and dominating your league.
Howard Bender is the head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on X @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 6-8 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy football news and advice.