Should I Pick Up Emari Demercado? Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 8

Déjà vu (noun): a feeling of having already experienced the present situation.

Fantasy managers are likely thinking, wait, we've been here before. Emari Demercado was the hot commodity of the waiver wire just two weeks ago and he ended up being a complete dud. That is true.

If the rookie was dropped due to his lack of touches in Week 6, there are renewed reasons to be optimistic about him in the short term.

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Emari Demercado Week 8 Waiver Wire Outlook

Against the Seattle Seahawks, Demercado rushed the ball 13 times for 58 yards and added four catches for 17 yards. The undrafted rookie played 80 percent of the snaps for the Cardinals in place of starter James Conner, who is on injured reserve with a knee injury.

It was a far cry from Week 6, the first full game without Conner. The duo of Keaontay Ingram and Damien Williams combined for 21 touches against the Rams. Demercado had the ball in his hands just three times.

Should I Pickup Emari Demercado in Week 8?

There's a scenario where fantasy managers spend another chunk of their FAAB on Demercado, only to be let down again. There's also the scenario where managers pick up a starting running back touching the ball 15 times. Signs point to the latter being the most likely outcome. Even when Demercado was third in the pecking order for touches, he still saw the field for 43 percent of the snaps.

The downside (other than Jonathan Gannon changing his mind again) is that the Cardinals have Baltimore and Cleveland next on their schedule. Those are two of the best defenses in football. The Cardinals are one of the worst offenses in the league. Depending on Demercado to find the end zone is a longshot bet. Following those two games, Conner is eligible to return to game action. Whether he'll be healthy enough to do that is unknown.

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