Fantasy Football: Playing the waiver wire for Week 8

Gardner Minshew, QB, Indianapolis Colts

Spurred by two 50-plus yard touchdown passes, Minshew went 15-for-23 for 305 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, along with 29 rushing yards and two scores on the ground, against the Cleveland Browns in Week 7. He also lost three fumbles in the game, and he has accounted for eight turnovers over the last two games. But the turnovers are part of the equation with Minshew, as he has topped 300 passing yards in back-to-back games.

Anthony Richardson (shoulder) is done for the season, so Minshew will be the Colts' starting quarterback for the rest of the season barring injury. A couple upcoming matchups (Week 8-New Orleans Saints, Week 10-New England Patriots) look tough, but the same was said about the matchup against the Browns.

Minshew is on the streaming radar until further notice, just be aware of his Week 11 bye. It won't always look pretty, and he'll lose fantasy points with turnovers, but fantasy football is a bottom line business and Minshew can get it done.

ESPN Ownership: 3.6%
Yahoo! Ownership: 8%

Dalton Kincaid, TE, Buffalo Bills

After missing Week 6 due to a concussion, Kincaid led the Bills in catches (eight) and receiving yards (75) in Week 7 against the New England Patriots. As Buffalo looks for someone besides Stefon Diggs to step up as a reliable target for Josh Allen, the rookie tight end is as good a candidate as any.

If anything, as Dawson Knox played two more snaps than him against the Patriots, Kincaid could see more playing time moving forward. Sam LaPorta has skewed the curve for this year's rookie tight ends, but Kincaid is on an upswing that could continue.

The thin landscape at tight ends puts Kincaid on the waiver wire radar this week. He's a starting option now, with nice weekly upside as the season rolls on.

ESPN Ownership: 31.3%
Yahoo! Ownership: 42%

Chuba Hubbard, RB, Carolina Panthers

Hubbard was outperforming a continually banged up Miles Sanders based on deeper metrics before Week 6. With Sanders out in Week 7, Hubbard got the lead role and did something with it (19 carries for 88 yards and a touchdown; one catch for two yards). Sanders has done nothing, besides sign a big free agent contract with the Panthers last offseason, to keep Hubbard off the field moving forward.

It looks like fantasy owners who have picked up Hubbard smartly held onto him through the Panthers' Week 7 bye. But he's still available in more than half of ESPN leagues, and over 40 percent of Yahoo! leagues, heading toward Week 8.

Carolina's offense is not much to look at, and that's probably not changing. But a running back with a notable role is always fantasy relevant. Hubbard has earned a good bit of the backfield work, even if it's not the clear lead role when Sanders is healthy.

Hubbard should be rostered in all 12-team leagues, especially now that his bye week is behind him.

ESPN Ownership: 46%
Yahoo! Ownership: 58%