AAF Week 08 Waiver Wire - Marquise Takes Command

The weekly Waiver Wire series covers the top waiver wire or free agent additions for your season-long AAF fantasy teams. You can also use this list to find situations to monitor for cheap DFS value plays throughout the week.

---

Johnny Manziel dominated AAF headlines heading into Week 7, but it was Express teammate Brandon Silvers who dominated on the field. Meanwhile, an injury forced Commanders quarterback Logan Woodside out of the game for the second straight week and opened the door for backup Marquise Williams to shine.

Woodside hurt his shoulder after taking a sack with 12:44 left in the fourth quarter and the game tied 9-9. He did not return. It’s an ominous sign for his Week 8 availability considering how close the game was. It also comes on the heels of his Week 6 departure due to a hand injury, when he was replaced by third-stringer Dustin Vaughn.

Williams finished under center and led the Commanders to their fourth straight win. He’s a dual threat QB who had 491 career carries and 35 rush TDs at North Carolina. Woodside’s status should be monitored for updates, but operate under the impression that he misses time. Williams looks poised for his chance to orchestrate the league’s hottest offense and is the top priority add off the waiver wire.

Silvers’ breakout performance helped to quiet Manziel Mania as Memphis beat Birmingham. He threw for 266 yards, two TDs and a 2-point conversion, finishing as fantasy’s QB2 with 22.9 points. He should get the nod to start Week 8. Manziel looked like his old self on the ground, rushing two times for 20 yards. He also showed off his deep ball ability in completing 3 of 5 attempts for 48 yards (9.6 YPA). The AAF looks to have its first QB timeshare, and it’s one in which both players are fantasy relevant.

Quarterbacks

Prioritize if still available: Johnny Manziel, Brandon Silvers

Marquise Williams, San Antonio

Williams made an immediate impact upon entering the game, leading a 77-yard scoring drive that put the Commanders up for good. He found Trey Williams on a short right pass and Williams did the rest, taking it 36 yards to the house. Marquise Williams then hit Greg Ward Jr. for the 2-point conversion. Despite playing less than a quarter Williams scored 9.9 fantasy points and offers immense upside. In Weeks 2-3 he saw rotational snaps along with Woodside, and San Antonio already has a package of plays in place for him. That’s good news for Williams if he starts in Week 8. His rushing prowess gives him a safe floor and high ceiling. On the season he’s rushed 14 times for 84 yards (6.0 YPC).

Situations to monitor

Aaron Murray threw multiple picks for the second straight week and was replaced by Matt Simms in garbage time after suffering a cut on his face. The former starter, Simms completed his first three passes but failed to lead a scoring drive. He’s worth a look in case he gets a second chance with the Legends out of the playoff picture. Murray’s 21.5 fantasy points in Week 5 are a distant reminder of his ceiling. He becomes a volatile play going forward.

Trevor Knight vultured a rushing TD and carried the ball four times for 10 yards. He did not attempt a pass in his first game action since Week 3 and should not be considered a threat to John Wolford.

Running Backs

Bishop Sankey, San Diego

Gamers who added Sankey after Week 5 and held him feel pretty good right now. His Week 5 season debut stunk, and he appeared destined for a meager market share after getting three touches in Week 6. But with Ja’Quan Gardner doing his best nosedive it was Sankey who stepped up in Week 7. He led the Fleet backfield by rushing 12 times for 54 yards (4.5 YPC) including a 22-yard scamper, and caught his lone target for six yards. Sankey, the former second-round pick who ran a 4.49 40-yard dash and spent the 2014-15 seasons with the Titans, profiles as a workhorse back. He recorded two collegiate seasons of 1,400-plus rushing yards while averaging 5.4 YPC at Washington.

Gardner, meanwhile, produced two lonely yards on three carries and failed to catch his only target. He’s fading into oblivion behind Terrell Watson and Sankey, leaving his two-week breakout (50.4 total fantasy points) in the rear view mirror.

Akeem Hunt, Orlando

A frustrating fantasy player through and through, Hunt returned to relevance and out-touched lead back D’Ernest Johnson 11-9. Hunt again showed off his efficiency, rushing nine times for 39 yards (4.3 YPC) and catching both his targets for 14 yards. The touches were a season high for Hunt, who is a great playoff bench stash and flex option. He would see an expanded role should Johnson or Smith get hurt, and is also a sneaky DFS play.

All three Orlando backs could start on any team in the league and should each get an NFL camp invite. As a unit they’re averaging 5.0 YPC, tops in the AAF.

Situations to monitor

Taurean Folston looked well on his way to bellcow status last week, but Brandon Radcliff garnered his fair share of touches while out-targeting Folston 3-2 this week. Folston seems unlikely to get the keys to a backfield that uses a heavy rotation. If Radcliff is available he should be rostered and can be plugged in as a flex. However, both his and Folston’s upsides are capped by Atlanta’s offensive futility.

Terrell Newby didn’t receive a carry but caught 2 of 3 targets for 28 yards and a TD.

Wide Receivers

Prioritize if still available: Richard Mullaney, Daniel Williams

Amba Etta-Tawo, Birmingham

Touted as the team’s best receiver coming into the season, Etta-Tawo was injured in the second half of Week 1’s blowout of Atlanta and missed the next five games. Fast forward to Week 7 and he led the Iron in receiving, catching 3 of 4 targets for 71 yards. In an ironic twist, usual stud L’Damian Washington failed to catch his lone target and posted a bagel. His stock takes a hit from the return of Etta-Tawo, who racked up 37 yards after the catch and gives Birmingham another legitimate big-play threat.

he 25-year-old former Syracuse product runs a 4.49 40-yard dash and had a college dominator rating in the 94th-percentile according to PlayerProfiler.com. With Luis Perez attempting a whopping 86 passes over the past two games, Etta-Tawo’s volume should increase.

Situations to monitor

Nelson Spruce dominated the Hotshots with Dontez Ford sidelined. Spruce saw enormous volume, catching 12 of a team-high 14 targets for 146 yards. No other Fleet player caught more than two passes.

Marquis Bundy has scored a 2-point conversion in two straight games but lacks a consistent role in the passing game. He’s never caught more than three passes in a game, and his low floor makes him an unappealing season-long option.

Deion Holliman has one target, one catch and one TD after seeing his first game action since Preseason Week 2.

Tight Ends

Situations to monitor

Marcus Baugh, Wes Saxton Jr., Braedon Bowman and Thomas Duarte all scored TDs, and Evan Rodriguez and Nick Truesdell both put up 70-yard performances as the position exploded again. However, these guys are all either owned or dart throws, so there is not a priority add to single out this week. If I had to choose one guy, it’s Baugh but proceed with caution (more on that below).

The Fleet use their tight ends regularly, but it’s anybody’s guess who cashes in on a weekly basis. For example, Ben Johnson scored TDs in Weeks 5 and 6 after barely playing the first four weeks. Gavin Escobar was the stud to start the season but hasn’t scored a TD and hasn’t topped four fantasy points since Week 3. Baugh has two TDs and two games of 10-plus fantasy points, but he also has two games in which he failed to catch a pass. Frustrating.

Truesdell finally failed to catch all of the passes thrown his way. After catching all 18 of his targets for 181 yards and three TDs through Week 6, he caught 4 of 5 targets for 74 yards to lead the Stallions in receiving. He continues to be the definition of efficient.

Braedon Bowman caught his lone target for 11 yards and a TD. He is a distant second behind Wes Saxton Jr.

Since his Week 5 “breakout”, Scott Orndoff has scored 3.5 fantasy points. With so many options to choose from, Garrett Gilbert doesn’t look Orndoff’s way near enough.