Welcome to the Week 8 waiver wire. We have significant bye losses with the Ravens, Bills, Bengals and Texans all taking the week off. We’ll do our level best to help you cope with the bye week blues. I’ll be adding more players throughout the day at Rotobahn, so feel free to check us out, especially if you play in deeper leagues.

QUARTERBACKS

Carson Palmer, Raiders

He’s available in way too many leagues when you consider how well he has played. I’ve been a critic of Palmer in the past, but he’s been dealt a mediocre hand in Oakland and he’s handling it pretty well. Palmer is just one example of why paying big booty for a fantasy quarterback is a fool’s act. Palmer can start for you in any league and he won’t hurt you.

Josh Freeman, Buccaneers

The talent around him has been upgraded, to put it mildly. Newly acquired skill players Vincent Jackson and Doug Martin did a lot of the heavy lifting for Freeman in Week 7, and that’s the key. Freeman doesn’t need to be superhuman to be a fantasy asset … that has not always been the case. Freeman is a nice QB2 in all leagues.

Brandon Weeden, Browns

He played another solid game under tough circumstances. As his teammates have gone down all around him, Weeden has stood tall and used his young receivers. Now, with both Josh Gordon and Greg Little making big plays, Weeden has the look of a winner and he can be a QB2 for you in most formats.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bills

Fitzpatrick clearly is a matchup play in fantasy football. He can post very nice numbers against soft opponents, but he can be shut down with extreme prejudice by strong defenses.  Just look at what he’s done over his last four games. The pattern could not be more obvious. Fitzpatrick does have some solid matchups down the stretch. I like him a lot from Week 10 and beyond.

Russell Wilson, Seahawks

He’s a backup for fantasy, but he is worth owning in larger formats. We’d be more bullish on Wilson for 2012, but his receiving talent is average and his schedule is tough. Leave him for 12-team leagues and larger.

RUNNING BACKS

Rashad Jennings, Jaguars

Maurice Jones-Drew owners, I hope you are reading this with a smile, having already taken our advice to back up Jones-Drew with Jennings. If not, get ready to spend some free agent dollars or your waiver priority. If the little lead back ends up being out for a while, which seems likely, Jennings is a must-own player. He has shown the ability to replace a fair amount of MJD’s value when given the touches and he is going to get a lot of them now. Add Jennings in all formats.

LaRod Stephens-Howling, Cardinals

In Week 7, the little back got the lion’s share of carries and he had a big day against a tough Vikings defense. LSH’s workload was somewhat surprising in that he was outperformed in most material ways in Week 6 by William Powell. This backfield battle might not be over, but score the most recent round in Stephens-Howling’s favor by a large margin. He’s a viable pickup in all 12-team formats and some smaller ones, too. He’s got some short-term value at minimum.

Daryl Richardson, Rams

The coaches love him in St. Louis and he might be the heir apparent to Steven Jackson, at least in the short term. In the present, he is getting about a 40 percent share of the RB duties and that makes him a viable flex option in large formats, and a must-own handcuff for Jackson owners.

Montario Hardesty, Browns

Hardesty’s fantasy value is all about the health of Trent Richardson. What we now know, as we said last week, is that Richardson is banged up and Hardesty is the guy who gets his snaps for the most part. If you play in a medium to large league and have a lot of eggs in Richardson’s basket, you really need to own Hardesty. There’s merit to owning him as a handcuff in smaller leagues, too, if you have the bench space.

Jonathan Dwyer, Steelers

He’s a guy we really like and he was finally given a chance to be the lead back in Week 7. The results were what we expected as Dwyer rumbled for 122 yards on only 18 carries. Dwyer’s value is tricky to calculate because of Rashard Mendenhall and Isaac Redman, but Dwyer clearly is a factor. We are sticking to our guns that Dwyer is the backup feature back and would be the guy to own if Mendenhall were to stay down. We’d be rostering Dwyer in big leagues as protection for Mendenhall.

Vick Ballard, Colts

Ballard showed a bit more life in his second start, but he still had the look of an average talent. He can succeed, but he needs help and he needs volume in terms of touches. He should get at least one more start. At this point, he has not done enough to take over for Donald Brown. The greater likelihood is that we have a fuzzier committee going forward. That being said, Ballard can help you in Week 8 if you are hurting at tailback.

Shane Vereen, Patriots

I’m sure a lot of Stevan Ridley owners puked in their mouths when they saw Vereen featured at the start of Sunday’s game vs. the Jets. He looked good, too — outperforming Ridley on a per-carry basis. As usual, the New England backfield is one big tossed salad. For Ridley owners who lost out on Brandon Bolden, it might be wise to roster Vereen now. He clearly has some skills and looks totally recovered from his August foot injury.

Cedric Peerman, Bengals

For the big leagues only. Peerman is sort of the last backup standing and that makes him worth mentioning for you BenJarvus Green-Ellis owners. We think he’d have more value than Brian Leonard in the event of an injury to BJGE. If you were to roster a handcuff for the Law Firm, we’d go with Peerman.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Josh Gordon, Browns

He is still available in more than half of Yahoo! leagues, so we are putting him on the wire again. He should be owned in all 12-team leagues just for his upside, and I own him in a few 10-team leagues for the same reason. He just missed a second long score last week. Gordon is still raw, but the talent couldn’t be any more obvious.

Brian Hartline, Dolphins

He was dropped in some leagues due to a bad week and his Week 7 bye. Right now, you can get him in 36 percent of Yahoo! leagues. He should be owned in all 12-team leagues and most 10-teams formats as well. Rookie QB Ryan Tannehill is a big upgrade for Miami and he gives Hartline solid weekly value.

Jeremy Kerley, Jets

As I have been saying for weeks now, Kerley has taken his game to a higher level. He is no longer a slot guy. Kerley is making all kinds of plays for the Jets and is currently Mark Sanchez’ most trusted target. Kerley is worth owning in most leagues and is a legit WR3 during the bye weeks or a flex. Add him him if you need some help.

Brandon LaFell, Panthers

He looked good again and found the zone for the second time in 2012. We expect more good things from LaFell and he can help you in Week 8 if you are hit hard by the byes.

Brandon Gibson, Rams

We’re not big fans, but you can’t argue with his role and his recent string of production. He’s also got a matchup with a struggling Patriots secondary in Week 8, so he can help you as a one-week option in smaller leagues. Gibson is worth a roster spot in larger formats until Danny Amendola returns from his clavicle injury. That return is still at least a month away.

Chris Givens, Rams

Givens was active and productive for the fourth straight week. It’s now a trend. If he shows some big-game potential, he could begin to tease WR3 status in 12-team formats. He’s not there yet, but he is a decent flex option and a player to watch in all formats.

Leonard Hankerson, Redskins

He’s settling in now and he looked pretty good against the Giants. With Pierre Garcon out indefinitely, we like Hankerson as a flex option with some legit upside if he clicks with Robert Griffin III.

Santana Moss, Redskins

He’s making big plays, and with Fred Davis gone for the year, he will be asked to make more of them. Moss can help you right now in large leagues.

Greg Little, Browns

Little is our Johnny Bravo receiver. He fits the suit. Sadly, he sometimes goes off the script and drops the ball. Last week was one of Little’s good weeks, and we saw what he’s capable of. We’re still keeping Little rostered in big leagues due to his playmaking ability but also because we like what we see from his quarterback, Brandon Weeden. He’s worth owning in 12-team leagues.

Alshon Jeffery, Bears

He’s a player with big upside and that’s why he’s worth rostering even though he’s hurt. We are big believers in Jeffery, and he could be back as soon as next week, though we’re guessing Week 9 will be when he returns. In deep leagues Jeffery can help you plenty down the stretch, so grab him if he’s been dropped. Once healthy, he projects to be the clear No. 2 option in Chicago.

Stephen Hill, Jets

He is a very raw talent, and he’s struggled with his hands, but he also is very physical and he is going to make some plays. This is a player that the Jets are actively trying to develop. He is going to play. Hill can help you in deep leagues during the bye weeks and he is a must-own player in long term leagues.

Ryan Broyles, Lions

We saw what Broyles can do Monday night as he scored the Lions’ only touchdown after Nate Burleson left the game with a season-ending injury. Broyles is the kind of sound technical receiver that the Lions have lacked. He’s a player to own in long-term formats and in some larger redraft leagues as well. He has some upside with Burleson gone and with Titus Young struggling.

Vincent Brown, Chargers

He’s a stash player, but his upside is clear when you watch San Diego’s passing attack. A player of Brown’s caliber would definitely find a home in the Chargers offense if he is fully healthy. And that is the key … we hear that he is doing well, but until he practices, we really have nothing concrete. In big leagues, if you have a roster spot to play with, Brown is a worthwhile investment.

Cecil Shorts, Jaguars

Shorts was one of our sneaky starts in Week 7, and you’d know that if you checked in for our Sunday chat at weei.com. His continuing viability is somewhat tethered to the health of Laurent Robinson, who has lingering concussion issues. That being said, if Shorts comes up big a few more times, he will have carved out his own niche in the Jaguars offense. Shorts is a guy to own in keeper and long-term leagues, but also in deeper redraft formats during the byes. He’s got a medium matchup next week vs. the Packers.

TIGHT ENDS

Dustin Keller, Jets

Dustin checked in against New England, and we now are comfortable enough to not just stash him but to use him. Keller can now be your starter at TE or a solid backup depending on who you’ve been playing up until now. He is viable in all league sizes.

Martellus Bennett, Giants

He was used in more typical fashion in Week 7, and we are back on the Bennett bandwagon. The 6-foot-6, 256-pounder can start for you going forward. Snatch him up if he’s been dropped and you have issues at TE.

Brandon Myers, Raiders

He’s been consistently involved every week and has caught 12 balls over the last two weeks. He’s been more of a PPR asset than a performance asset, but that could change at any point if they get him a few scores. You can do worse in deep leagues at TE.

Rob Housler, Cardinals

He had his best game so far in Week 7 and we like his ability. Further, he gets loose coverage with so many teams hyper-focused on stopping Larry Fitzgerald. Housler should be owned in large leagues as an upside option, and we really like him in long-term formats.