Week 8 saw the injury bug hit two more starters as Arian Foster was lost for the season due to a torn Achilles and Joseph Randle is left without a timetable after injuring his oblique.  In this edition of Wavier Flavor we will take a look at the two running backs that are likely to gain the most value because of these injuries as well as the top available players on the market that should be on your roster if you find yourself searching for a bye week replacement.

-Note the FAAB Bids are based off of a $100 budget.

Quarterbacks

Jay Cutler, CHI – Cutler comes out of the bye week with a home contest against the Vikings who have posed a pretty tough fantasy matchup this season but I like the fact that the Bears are finally healthy with both Alshon Jeffery and Eddie Royal returning in Week 6 and that the Bears have had a full week to prepare for the Vikings.  Cutler has been very serviceable in fantasy formats over the past three weeks, throwing for 886 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions.  Week 9 is also a solid fantasy matchup for Cutler and the Bears as they face a beat-up Chargers squad which can make Cutler a two-week play for those who have been streaming quarterbacks this season.

FAAB Bid- $5-$10

Teddy Bridgewater, Min – Heading into the season there was some sleeper appeal with Bridgewater after he showed improvements toward the end of his rookie campaign and the returning Adrian Peterson should have opened some things up in the passing game but unfortunately for those who took Bridgewater his overall output has been rather inconsistent.  His recommendation this week comes as he is coming off his best game of the season where he threw for 316 yards and two touchdowns against a bad Lions defense.  In Week 8 he finds himself up against an equally as bad secondary in the Chicago Bears who have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season.  The emergence of rookie WR Stefon Diggs has seemingly provided Bridgewater with a legitimate No. 1 threat and the likes of Mike Wallace and Jarius Wright are still capable receivers that can take advantage of a weak secondary like Chicago.

FAAB Bid- $0-$5

Ryan Fitzpatrick, NYJ – Another week comes and goes and Fitzpatrick remains on the Waiver Flavor report as he tossed his second straight multi-touchdown game on Sunday against the Patriots giving him five multi-touchdown games on the season.  For the season Fitzpatrick has completed 61.4 percent of his passes for 1,472 yards with 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions.  In Week 8 the Jets face off against the Raiders who have really struggled against the pass this season and have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season.  Fitzpatrick is still more than just a one week stream as his upcoming schedule features the Jaguars, Bills and Texans who have all struggled against the pass this season.

FAAB Bid-$5-$10

Running Backs

Darren McFadden, DAL – Joseph Randle went down with an injured oblique that is expected to sideline him for at least the next week and will provide ample opportunity for McFadden and Christine Michael in the Cowboys backfield.  Michael saw plenty of hype over the past two weeks due to an ESPN Dallas report, however, it was McFadden who took over as the Cowboys' lead back following the injury and he ran all over the Giants, carrying the ball 29 times for 152 yards and a score.  Week 8 is not a great matchup for McFadden as the Cowboys face off against the Seahawks but he is a must-own player regardless as oblique injuries are tough to come back from and the Cowboys have not set any potential return date yet for Randle.

FAAB Bid- $20-$25

Alfred Blue, WSH – Stop me if you have heard this one before but Arian Foster has suffered another injury which will have him on the shelf for the remainder of the season.  Foster tore his Achilles on Sunday against the Dolphins in a game that he should not have even been playing in due to the blowout nature of the contest. But he was playing and now the already struggling Texans have lost maybe their best offensive weapon.  The backup running back picture in Houston leaves much to be desired as we all saw what Alfred Blue was capable of during the first three weeks when Foster was recovering from a groin injury and it was uninspiring.  Unfortunately for those looking to replace Foster with his handcuff it looks like once again Blue will be the guy getting the touches to start and therefore he is the man to own. Jonathan Grimes and Chris Polk are the two other candidates to see some touches but neither has really shown anything that would have them supplant Blue as the starter for Week 8.

FAAB Bid- $10-$15

James Starks, GB – Eddie Lacy is still the starting running back in Green Bay but his production this season has been very disappointing which has lead Starks to getting some increased playing time as a change of pace back to Lacy.  In Week 6 Starks exploded for 112 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries while also adding one catch for a touchdown.  Lacy went down with an injury in Week 2 that could still be bothering him which is affecting his overall production, making Starks a solid player to own if he is available given his potential role in a high-powered offense should Lacy continue to struggle.

FAAB Bid- $10-$15

Wide Receivers

Stefon Diggs, WR – Diggs is the real deal ladies and gentlemen. The rookie wide receiver followed up his impressive Week 6 with an even better Week 7 which included him scoring his first career touchdown on a ridiculous catch.  Diggs and Teddy Bridgewater are really in sync and should continue to help one another in terms of fantasy relevance for the remainder of the season.  In Week 8 the Vikings face off against the Bears who have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers this season. Diggs still finds himself under 50 percent owned in standard leagues but that will certainly change this week and could be your last shot at adding him to your roster. 

FAAB Bid- $10-$15

Stevie Johnson, SD – Johnson returned in Week 7 after missing the previous two contests with a hamstring injury.  Against the Raiders, Johnson caught four passes for 50 yards as the Chargers' No. 2 receiver opposite of Keenan Allen.  The Chargers are a pass-heavy offense and in Week 8 they face off against a Ravens defense that has allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers and the Bears in Week 9 who have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers which makes Johnson an appealing play in most fantasy formats for the next few weeks.

FAAB Bid- $5-$10

Roddy White, ATL – White has really showed his age this season as the veteran receiver had been seemingly passed by Leonard Hankerson on the Falcons depth chart and is averaging just 2.5 catches per contest over the past four weeks. The reason for optimism here on White is that Hankerson went down with a hamstring injury in Week 7 that is expected to keep him out of action for at least a week.  The Falcons find themselves with a matchup against the Buccaneers this week who have allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers this season, which could make White a decent plug-and-play option for those in need of a bye week fill in.

FAAB Bid- $0-$5

Tight Ends

Ladarius Green, SD – Green made this list last week before we found out that Antonio Gates is dealing with an MCL sprain that forced him to miss Week 7 against the Raiders and has his status for Week 8 against Baltimore up in the air.  Green has had a solid season in 2015 whether Gates has been active or not and in Week 7 he caught four passes for 45 yards and a touchdown.  The touchdown was his second in as many weeks and gives him four on the year.  The Chargers are a pass-heavy offense and Green figures to see a handful of catches each week and appears to be a favorable end zone target for Philip Rivers seeing as most teams are going to double cover the likes of Keenan Allen and Gates.  Week 8 brings about a matchup against the Ravens who have struggled against the pass this season but have allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing tight ends this season.

FAAB Bid- $0-$5

Eric Ebron, DET – Ebron returned to the Lions' lineup after missing the previous two weeks due to injury and he did not disappoint, catching five passes for 89 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings.  Ebron has been heavily targeted in the passing attack this season and in Week 8 the Lions have a very favorable matchup against the Chiefs who have struggled against the pass this season but have held opposing tight ends in check for most of the year – although that is more due to the talent of the tight ends they have matched up against.

FAAB Bid- $5-$10

Crockett Gillmore, BAL – Gillmore returned to the Ravens lineup in Week 6 after a two week absence due to injury and caught three passes for 30 yards.  In Week 7 against the Cardinals, Gilmore looked much better, hauling in five passes on seven targets for 53 yards which ranked him second on the team behind Steve Smith.  Gillmore should be heavily involved in the passing attack going forward given the lack of other options on the Ravens right now and in a shallow position like tight end that opportunity means value.

FAAB Bid- $0-$5