Eric Balkman on Week 8 fantasy football waiver wire targets

Eric Balkman on Week 8 fantasy football waiver wire targets starts with two players he wants managers to pursue: Jonah Coleman and Omar Cooper. In an interview with Scott Plaza, the Fantasy Football Players Championship host also made the case for selling Saquon Barkley in dynasty leagues, buying Chase Brown below his usual value and exercising patience with a disappointing Los Angeles Chargers offense.

Which Week 8 waiver wire targets did Eric Balkman recommend?

Eric Balkman put Jonah Coleman and Omar Cooper at the top of his Week 8 waiver priorities. He viewed Coleman as a potential bye-week flex with greater upside if Denver’s backfield changed, while Cooper offered a rookie receiver whose recent production could matter during the fantasy playoffs.

Jonah Coleman and the Denver backfield

Coming off injured reserve, Coleman immediately led the Broncos backfield in snaps and carries, according to Balkman, and logged nine rushes. Balkman did not suggest forcing him into a lineup immediately. In the 12-team Fantasy Football Players Championship leagues he described, where teams have 20 roster spots, the move was to secure Coleman before a larger role became available.

Balkman also named Jordan Mason and Rachaad White as running backs to check for, though he expected Mason to be rostered in many leagues. He recommended finding room for Devin Singletary after discussing injuries in the Giants backfield, while noting that New York had a bye in Week 8.

The New Orleans Saints and remaining waiver budget

For New Orleans, Balkman separated players worth rostering from players he wanted to start. He saw Alvin Kamara’s receiving work as a possible source of flex value in full-PPR leagues but did not trust the backfield as an automatic weekly start. He said Kendre Miller remained a roster consideration in deeper leagues and that Juwan Johnson could be dropped if a manager needed the spot.

Balkman urged managers with substantial free-agent acquisition budgets left to use them as the season approached its decisive weeks. He described the Fantasy Football Players Championship as an operator offering closed 12-team leagues alongside larger contests, including two with million-dollar grand prizes. In that competitive setting, he would bid aggressively on Coleman if Cooper was already gone.

What did Eric Balkman say about Los Angeles Chargers fantasy football?

Eric Balkman said Los Angeles Chargers fantasy managers should not assume the offense will meet its preseason expectations. He would keep Justin Herbert, Omarion Hampton and Ladd McConkey on rosters, but he wanted evidence of improvement before starting Chargers players and considered several other options cuttable.

He had expected more from an offense with Herbert, McConkey, Hampton and Quentin Johnston. Instead, Balkman said the discussion in some leagues had moved beyond benching Chargers players to dropping them. He had seen Herbert dropped and said Johnston and Trey Harris were available in some leagues.

Balkman put Oronde Gadsden, Johnston, Harris and Keaton Mitchell among the players managers could cut. His approach to McConkey was more cautious: a manager could ask about a discounted trade, but Balkman would not proactively pay a substantial price. He also raised concerns about the physical toll of McConkey’s workload, while acknowledging that injuries cannot be predicted.

How did Eric Balkman value Saquon Barkley and Chase Brown in fantasy trades?

Eric Balkman would sell Saquon Barkley in a dynasty league for roughly 75 to 80 percent of his perceived value, especially on a roster with running back depth. He took the opposite approach to Chase Brown: Balkman would explore buying Brown below his usual price because Brown’s recent usage remained strong.

Saquon Barkley’s dynasty trade value

Balkman pointed to Barkley’s approaching age-30 season, Philadelphia’s offensive-line concerns and uncertainty about the team’s future situation as reasons to test the trade market. He allowed that Barkley could still have a solid second half, but did not consider a league-winning finish the most likely outcome. Balkman summed up his preferred dynasty move this way:

I think this is a perfect time to be out of the Saquon Barkley business.

Chase Brown’s workload in Cincinnati

Brown’s recent production had worried some managers, particularly with Samaje Perine involved. Balkman cited usage figures showing Brown with a 75 percent snap share to Perine’s 24 percent in the Bengals’ previous game. Brown also led 55 percent to 20 percent in rush share and 63 percent to 13 percent in route share.

Those numbers made Balkman willing to buy. He argued that Brown could still deliver value through catches even when his rushing totals were modest. Rather than assume Perine’s involvement signaled a lasting change in the backfield, he saw an opportunity to approach a frustrated Brown manager.

Why did Eric Balkman prefer Omar Cooper to Caleb Douglas?

Eric Balkman preferred Omar Cooper to Caleb Douglas because Cooper had produced in consecutive games and appeared to be earning a larger role with the Jets. Douglas had scored twice in his recent outing, but Balkman doubted that such efficient production on limited targets would be dependable for weekly lineups.

Balkman cited Cooper’s six catches for 103 yards in Week 6 and five catches for 115 yards in Week 7, with a touchdown in each game. He also recalled that Cooper’s first appearance ended after an early injury. That combination of recent involvement and rookie upside made Cooper one of his leading waiver choices.

Douglas presented a tougher start-or-sit decision. Balkman noted that his two-touchdown game came on two catches and two targets, making another comparable result difficult to project. He expected Douglas to have occasional strong games, but said he would make only modest waiver bids rather than chase the latest box score.

Which receivers did Eric Balkman identify as trade or dynasty targets?

Eric Balkman would consider low-cost moves for Jerry Jeudy, Josh Downs and Brian Thomas Jr. if their managers were willing to sell. He saw a change of scenery as a possible route to more value for each, but treated that as a possibility rather than a transaction managers could count on.

Jerry Jeudy, Josh Downs and Brian Thomas Jr.

Balkman thought Jeudy could still help another team and that his difficult quarterback situation in Cleveland had affected how managers valued him. He was also interested in Downs, whom he believed would be better used in the slot. For Thomas, Balkman argued that a productive rookie season made it too early to abandon his talent, even though he did not expect Jacksonville to trade him readily.

Kayshon Boutte’s crowded Houston situation

Houston was a different case. Balkman liked Boutte’s talent but saw too many receivers competing for opportunities to make him an easy hold outside a deep dynasty league. He said Boutte’s situation would need to improve and that a move away from Houston would give him a clearer path to fantasy relevance.

Would Eric Balkman start Colby Parkinson over Jake Ferguson?

Eric Balkman would start Colby Parkinson over Jake Ferguson. He said Ferguson’s disappointing production made him a potential cut for managers needing a tight end, while Parkinson’s recent catches and role in the Rams offense gave him a stronger immediate case for a lineup spot.

Balkman pointed to Parkinson’s back-to-back five-catch games, even though neither produced 50 receiving yards. He believed the Rams’ use of multiple-tight-end formations gave Parkinson a way to stay involved while Davante Adams was unavailable. In tight end premium leagues, Balkman considered Parkinson a player who needed to be rostered.

Before closing, Balkman added two rookie receivers to his watch list: Casey Concepcion and Jordan Tyson. He said Concepcion had become Cleveland’s leader in targets and receptions, and urged managers to roster Tyson if he was available. Along with Cooper, they were the young receivers Balkman most wanted managers to investigate before the fantasy playoffs.

Who is Eric Balkman?

Eric Balkman hosts fantasy football coverage associated with the Fantasy Football Players Championship, including RotoViz High-Stakes Lowdown and FFPC Insider Access. His other listed shows include High Stakes Fantasy Football Hour and Extra Extra Reps.