Taylor Gabriel (WR, CHI) - Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups

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OWNED IN: 8% of Leagues

ANALYSIS: While it is hard to trust Taylor Gabriel as a fantasy asset, the truth is that Chicago doesn't have a lot of weapons on offense as to not betting on him. The Bears receiving corps, other than for Allen Robinson, are made out of average players at best: Anthony Miller, Cordarrelle Patterson, Javon Wims, and Riley Ridley. Gabriel has all of the chances to end any week with a splash performance, but it must be acknowledged also that his floor is a little worrying.

So far this season, Gabriel has played four games. He started with back-to-back under five-point fantasy performances, logging just 35 yards on three receptions while being targeted a measly seven times in two games combined. Then, Week 3 happened. Against Washington Taylor Gabriel flipped the page. He finished the game with 75 receiving yards on six catches and three (!!!) touchdowns, to what he was even able to add seven yards rushing on a single attempt. The aftermath of that game, though, killed Gabriel's chances for Weeks 4 and 5 as he suffered a concussion and was sidelined.

After three weeks of rest (Chicago's bye happened to be scheduled on Week 6), Gabriel came back coinciding with Mitchell Trubisky's comeback and he was straight omitted by the quarterback. He was targeted just twice and could only get six paltry yards on a single catch for a ridiculously low 1.6 fantasy points in the day. That is Taylor Gabriel in a nutshell. If you play in any sort of deeper league or have multiple flex slots to line up weekly, Gabriel is a complete boom-or-bust play with a ceiling as high as low is his floor. You will be risking getting a goose egg from him, but if you're facing someone with a better team than yours overall and feel the need of points, you can bet on Gabriel going off the charts.