Fantasy Football: Playing the waiver wire for Week 8

Week 7 will wrap up with the Monday night game between the San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings. But it's definitely time to start looking toward Week 8 for fantasy football waiver wire adds.

Here is our Week 8 edition of "Playing The Waiver Wire."

Emari Demercado, RB, Arizona Cardinals

A week after he has just three touches, Demarcado had 75 total yards on 17 touches (13 carries, four catches in Week 7 against the Seattle Seahawks. He dominated snaps and touches in the Cardinals' backfield, with Keontay Ingram and Damien Williams as non-entities.

The matchups aren't great moving forward (Week 8-Baltimore Ravens, Week 9-Cleveland Browns, Week 10-Atlanta Falcons). But Demarcado should get plenty of touch volume in the remaining two games (minimum) James Conner is on IR, and the looming return of quarterback Kyler Murray is good news for the fantasy outlook of the Cardinals' offense.

Demercado has made a case to see work even when Conner is back in action. He's roster-worthy in 12-team leagues until further notice.

ESPN Ownership: 15.7%
Yahoo! Ownership: 15%

Kareem Hunt, RB, Cleveland Browns

Hunt had 10 carries for 31 yards and two touchdowns in Week 7 against the Indianapolis Colts. He has scored and gotten double-digit carries in back-to-back games, and Jerome Ford was out of the game late due to an ankle injury.

If Ford misses time, Hunt would be the No. 1 back for the Browns with Pierre Strong as his backup. Even if Ford doesn't miss any time, Hunt would still be a viable weekly flex play now that's he has taken a bigger role.

Hunt was rightly added in a lot of fantasy leagues heading into Week 7. But he is still available enough to at least be worth checking on, and added if possible.

ESPN Ownership: 46.3%
Yahoo! Ownership: 64%

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks

With DK Metcalf (ribs/hip) out Week 7 against the Arizona Cardinals, Smith-Njigba had an increased role and he delivered with four catches (on seven targets) for 63 yards and a touchdown. Geno Smith threw the ball just 24 times, so that target share (!!).

Metcalf could very well miss more time with injuries that seem to be fairly significant. But even if he doesn't, Smith-Njigba is on the upswing after a slow start and it will be hard to take him off the field.

Smith-Njigba is just over our general guideline of 50 percent or less ownership to make the waiver wire article. But he should be rostered in 12-team leagues, and he could be a real difference maker from here on out.

ESPN Ownership: 56.3%
Yahoo! Ownership: 59%