Week 8 was a much better week for injuries. There were a couple of injuries to elite players, but they appear to be minor. Nevertheless, fantasy managers are always looking to improve their rosters.
New York Jets WR Garrett Wilson broke out (again) in Week 8. Is this a blip or a sign of things to come? How much of a priority is Wilson for fantasy football managers to add off the waiver wire ahead of Week 9?
Garrett Wilson Was the Jets’ WR1 in Week 8
It had been quite some time since we saw Wilson being productive. Five weeks to be exact.
Back in Weeks 2 and 3, Wilson saw a total of 25 targets. I remember Wilson’s receiving yards higher being my most confident play of the season on Underdog Fantasy at that point in Week 3. This past week, Wilson saw seven targets. It marked his highest total since Week 3. Wilson caught six of his seven targets for a season-high 115 yards.
Most importantly, Wilson operated as the clear WR1. He played 88% of the offensive snaps, which led all wide receivers. Wilson also led the group in routes run and targets.
Wilson is very young and talented. We thought his breakout in Week 2 was the start of a magical rookie season. Then, he disappeared for four weeks. It got so bad that he made an appearance on PFN’s fantasy cut list. However, when a player of Wilson’s caliber has a game like this, we have to take notice, and we have to act.
MORE: Week 9 Fantasy Waiver Wire Targets
It’s important to note that this game came with Corey Davis out of the lineup. Denzel Mims operated as the WR2 and Braxton Berrios as the WR3. Elijah Moore was active, but he only played 10 snaps and wasn’t targeted on any of his seven routes.
Davis is unlikely to return in Week 9, but he should be back following the Jets’ Week 10 bye. It’s entirely possible Wilson goes back to being an unusable fantasy asset. Regardless, the mere chance Wilson has returned to his every-week WR2 ways warrants fantasy managers adding him to their rosters.
How Aggressively Should Fantasy Managers Pursue Wilson Off the Waiver Wire?
For better or worse, you have to go after Wilson. We are now more than halfway through the fantasy regular season. With each successive week, FAAB becomes less and less valuable because anyone you pick up is spending fewer and fewer weeks on your roster.
The odds of a difference-making player becoming available decrease every week. Wilson has the potential to be that guy over the second half of the season. That’s a gamble worth taking.
Wilson isn’t out there in a ton of leagues. Just over half, in fact. But if he was dropped in your league, it’s time to pick him back up.
Fantasy managers should consider an 8-12% bid on Wilson, at minimum. If you are starved at receiver, feel free to go more. If you’ve been hoarding your FAAB all season, you can afford to bump that bid up.
For those of you still in leagues that use the continual rolling list waiver system, Wilson is worth your waiver priority if you need a wide receiver.