10 WR sleepers to target for fantasy football Week 8

Check out my top 10 WR sleepers for Week 8 as you put the finishing touches on your fantasy football lineup for another great Sunday of NFL football.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton (13) and Andrew Luck (12) will be excited to get wide receiver Donte Moncrief (10) back from injury and into this week’s WR sleepers. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

With six teams on a bye week in Week 8, fantasy football owners are scrambling to get the best team in place for this Sunday. There are some good WR sleepers you can get onto your team this week if you are looking for DFS bargains or trying to find a plug-and-play option on the waiver wire. It’s another marathon today with a 9:30 kickoff in London starting almost 12 straight hours of NFL action. In general, WR tends to be one of the deepest fantasy football positions, but it can also be one of the most volatile on a week to week basis. There are some players who I think are primed to step up this week, though, so check out my top WR sleepers on the following slides.

Each week a receiver’s production can vary greatly from week-to-week based on several key factors–QB play, matchup, opposing team’s gameplan, and game situation. Despite all the volatility inherent with the position, the WR sleepers on the following pages should be set up for good usage in tasty matchups this week. Getting the right WR sleepers can power you to a win in any format, and having a monster game from a receiver or two will almost always be the difference in fantasy matchups.

FanSided has assembled some great tools to help you the right lineup in place for fantasy football each week. You can find all our coverage by checking out (and bookmarking) the fantasy football hub whereyou’ll find the top 10 Week 8 matchups to attack for the week as well as full Week 8 start/sit rankings. You can also check out my top 10 RB sleepers for this week and get any specific lineup question answered by checking out the new start/sit tool.

Just so we’re clear on who we’re talking about in this post on “WR sleepers,” here’s a quick reminder. My goal is to find options who will out-perform their overall expectations. They may be mid-range starters who I think will be among the top performers, or they could be players toward the bottom of the rankings who have serious potential to step up and give you startable production. These options can be used as good points-per-dollar DFS plays for the week or given a bump into your lineup this week. The last few options are actually available in many season-long formats on the waiver wire.

By definition, these WR sleepers do come with more risk than the top options. However, I expect each of them to exceed expectations in week 8. My picks are listed in general order from most well-know to deepest sleeper. Let’s get rolling with today’s WR sleepers starting with a few mid-range options with potential to go off.

Oct 17, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Floyd (15) celebrates with wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) after scoring a touchdown in the second half against the New York Jets at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Larry Fitzgerald-Arizona Cardinals

Last week was a very forgettable and pretty ugly performance for both the Seahawks and the Cardinals, but both teams have a good shot at bouncing back with better offensive weeks this week. We’ll start our WR sleepers this Sunday with veteran Larry Fitzgerald who will look to turn things around as he faces the Panthers this afternoon in Carolina.

Despite playing his 13th NFL season, Larry Fitzgerald doesn’t show any signs of slowing down and remains the go-to option for QB Carson Palmer. This season, Fitz has hauled in 46 passes for 480 yards and five touchdowns. Last week, he was targeted 14 times against the “Legion of Boom” and hauled in nine passes for 70 yards. With John Brown injured but expected to play and Michael Floyd still struggling to emerge, looks for Fitzgerald to again draw most of Palmer’s looks on Sunday afternoon.

Carolina is no longer a stay away matchup for owners especially in the secondary. The Panthers have allowed over 300 yards receiving to opposing WR in two of their last three weeks, and I see Fitz as a strong WR2 with WR1 upside this week.

Oct 23, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Terrelle Pryor (11) reacts on the sidelines against the Cincinnati Bengals in the second half at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 31-17. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Terrelle Pryor-Cleveland Browns

The Browns’ most consistent offensive player this season has been converted-QB Terrelle Pryor who has been one of the best WR sleepers all season. Pryor floated around to QB and RB for a few weeks earlier this season, but he has been a solid WR since taking over as the team’s top target after the injury to rookie Corey Coleman. With Coleman still yet to resume catching passes, Pryor will be the top target for Josh McCown who will start in place of the injured Cody Kessler.

McCown’s return from injury gives Pryor a solid chance to succeed this week as Pryor returns from a hamstring injury of his own. Pryor gutted it out and played last week but only managed two catches for 18 yards. He had been on a run of four straight weeks with at least five catches before that including four total touchdowns during that stretch.

He returned to a full practice on Friday which is a good sign he’ll be healthy heading into one of the best WR Week 8 matchups against the Jets. New York is allowing the fourth-most fantasy points per game to opposing WR and have allowed opposing WR to get at least 150 yards (total) agains them in each of the last four weeks. If Pryor is healthy, he’s back on the WR2 radar in this favorable matchup this week.

Oct 23, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin (89) runs the ball in the fourth quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The game ended in a 6-6 tie after overtime. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Doug Baldwin-Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks offense has looked bad at some times this year with a tough loss in LA and a bad tie on the road last week. This week, though, they may have found the perfect cure as they bring their limping offense into New Orleans where they’ll play the Saints in the Superdome.

New Orleans pass defense is among the worst in the league and the games in the Big Easy usually result in plenty of easy fantasy points for fantasy owners. Baldwin’s owners will hope he can re-discover the form that made him the playoff MVP late last year as he takes on the Saints secondary today.

Baldwin is definitely still the go-to receiver for Russell Wilson. He was targeted nine times last week in the 6-6 tie catching six passes for 69 yards. He had disappointing totals against the Falcons and Jets the two previous weeks, but he did go off for 164 yards on eight catches against the 49ers back in Week 3. Given the matchup, I think Baldwin has WR1 upside, but he does definitely carry some risk since Seattle’s offense is still not firing on all cylinders.

Oct 20, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams (17) celebrates scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Dan Powers/The Post-Crescent via USA TODAY Sports

Davante Adams-Green Bay Packers

The Packers offense has been the subject of lots of questions this season as they’ve struggled at times to get things going even with Aaron Rodgers at QB. One of the reasons things are starting to turn around is the emergence for purple WR sleepers behind the struggling Jordy Nelson. The most active of those WR seeleprs this week was Davante Adams who hauled in 13 of the whopping 16 passes thrown his way on Thursday Night Football last week.

Adams had a career night totaling 132 yards and a pair of touchdowns against Chicago despite being in the NFL concussion protocol in the short week leading up to the Pack’s big win. Aside from the game he left early with that concussion, Adams has been a pretty solid receiver this season with five touchdowns an 350 yards. He should be set up for both PPR and standard-scoring success again today as he, Rodgers, and the rest of the Green Bay offense heads on the road to Atlanta.

The Falcons haven’t allowed a WR touchdown in the last two weeks, but they did let the Chargers WR rack up 264 yards last week. With Rodgers and Adams showing such a strong connection last week, Adams is a nice option in Week 8 in what should be a shootout in Atlanta.

Aug 20, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts receiver Donte Moncrief (10) runs past Baltimore Ravens defensive back Lardarius Webb (21) and corner back Jerraud Powers (36) at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports

Donte Moncrief-Indianapolis Colts

The Colts are starting to get their weapons back as they battle for the division championship in the mess that is the AFC South. One of the players returning this week is Donte Moncrief who is one of the WR sleepers to watch this week as he makes his first appearance since Week 2 in Denver.

Before his shoulder injury, Moncrief was the clear No. 2 receiver for Andrew Luck and set for a breakout season. He started the year strong with six catches for 64 yards and a touchdown agains the Lions, but only had one catch for nine yards before getting hurt Week 2.

As he makes his return today against the Chiefs, Moncrief is a high-risk, high-reward play. Kansas City is allowing the third-most fantasy points per game in the NFL to opposing WR, but Moncrief hasn’t played in so long its hard to know how ready he’ll be. Still, he’s one of the WR sleepers to watch this week to see what he can be counted on for in the coming weeks.

Oct 9, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Will Fuller V (15) against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikings defeated the Texans 31-13. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Will Fuller-Houston Texans

Fuller was all the fantasy rage earlier this season, but now he’s back to his status in our WR sleepers list due to a balky hamstring and a couple bad matchups. Fuller had a big Week 4, but has just five catches for 26 yards since then.

Brock Osweiler has looked bad the last few weeks, but hopefully he can find a way to get the ball to Fuller in a good matchup against the Lions today. Fuller will probably be covered most of the day by Johnson Bademosi with Darius Slay ruled out. Fuller should have the speed and elusiveness to post some long gains and a monster day if Osweiler gives him the chance to produce this week.

Due to his big-play speed and home-run ability, Fuller is a boom-or-bust play. He has lost some work to DeAndre Hopkins lately and still has some ugly drops. However, he also can take the ball to the house any time he touches it, and the Texans could definitely use some play-making as they try to hang in the AFC South race.

Sep 25, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen (19) makes a one handed catch over Carolina Panthers defensive back Robert McClain (27) during the second half at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Adam Thielen-Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings and Bears close out the week on Monday Night Football, and one of my favorite WR sleepers comes from that game this week. Adam Thielen is getting extra playing time in the Minnesota offense and his gritty play has earned him a lot of resect. The Bears are giving up the most fantasy points per game in the NFL to opposing WR, so the Vikings WR should be teed up for success this week.

While Stefon Diggs and Cordarrelle Patterson battling injury and Kyle Rudolph struggling to be efficient with his targets, Adam Thielen could be primed to step into a larger role this week. Before the bye week, Thielen got the start for Minnesota in place of Diggs and hauled in seven catches for 127 yards and a touchdown. Last week, Diggs returned and he went back to his No. 3 WR role and hauled in two passes for 52 yards.

Thielen should be back in the starting lineup this week, though, since Cordarrelle Patterson is still in the league’s concussion protocol. If Patterson is out, look for Thielen, Diggs, and Kyle Rudolph to all get more targets, and I think Thielen could be a solid emergency start if you’re thin at WR this week.

Oct 23, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Quincy Enunwa (81) runs for a touchdown after catching a pass from Geno Smith (not shown) during the first half of their game against the Baltimore Ravens at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

Quincy Enunwa-New York Jets

The Jets offense hasn’t been pretty for much of the season, but they have given us one of the better WR sleepers of the year in Quincy Enunwa. Enunwa will continue to get plenty of playing time for the injured Eric Decker this week in a good matchup against the Browns who are so bad they’re actually making the Jets offense fantasy relevant.

Enunwa had 73 yards last week but only two catches from the Geno Smith/Ryan Fitzpatrick mashup at QB. Enunwa has at least 50 yards in three of his last four weeks and five of seven overall this season. He has found the end zone twice this season–one last week and once in Week 1.

Enunwa should get more looks this week and be able to produce against the Browns struggling secondary. He’s a low-ceiling play only because he hasn’t put up huge numbers in any one game this season although he’s low-risk since he always gets something.

Oct 23, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Anquan Boldin (80) celebrates after scoring a game winning touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Washington Redskins at Ford Field. Lions won 20-17. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Anquan Boldin-Detroit Lions

Between Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, you have to wonder what was in the water in Arizona in the early 2000’s since apparently it made the two WR for the Cardinals unimpacted by age. Boldin is finding success with his fourth team in his 14th season in the NFL, and he’s a solid option in our WR sleepers if you have to hit the waiver wire.

Boldin is under-owned but serving a solid role in the Lions attack especially in the Red Zone. Boldin has four touchdowns this season all coming in his last six games. He has also caught at least four passes in all but one of those six contests although his yardage totals max out at just 60 yards.

Last week, Boldin had 28 yards and a touchdown against Washington as the Lions continue to be short-pass heavy under Jim Bob Cooter. This week, Boldina nd company will take on the Texans in Houston. While he isn’t an option you want to count on every week, he can be a patch or byew-eweek fill-in if he keeps finding the end zone with such regularity.

October 23, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Russell Shepard (89) scores a touchdown against San Francisco 49ers cornerback Rashard Robinson (33) during the second quarter at Levi

Russell Shepard-Tampa Bay Buccaneers

With Vincent Jackson sidelined for the season, the Bucs need a strong receiver to run opposite of target-magnet Mike Evans to keep defenses honest. While many expected veteran Cecil Shorts to step up, last week it was for Russell Shepard who produced a nice stat line in the Bucs’ win in San Francisco.

Shepard caught five of his six targets for a healthy 77 yards and a touchdowns. He had just seven NFL receptions in his three-plus seasons in the league, so it was obviously a career game for the LSU product.

Shepard is in my WR sleepers as a deep league flier for this week since he and the Bucs are home as they take on the Raiders defense which is No. 8 in the NFL in most fantasy points allowed per game to opposing WR. Shepard is a long-shot, but he’s almost universally available and makes sense as a flier in Week 8.