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Well, it just doesn't feel like a proper NFL season until Arian Foster goes on the IR, am I right? Now that balance has returned to the universe (I was kicking myself for not drafting him when he was available late), we can look forward to the Week 8 rankings. This week, we have to deal with Buffalo, Philadelphia, Washington and Jacksonville taking a bye week. That's plenty of good fantasy players on bye, however there's plenty more to choose from - check out our waiver wire picks if you need any more help.

Derek Carr has a tough draw this week, facing the Jets, but at least he gets to do it at home. Last week, Tom Brady showed that the Jets are vulnerable to the pass, throwing it a whopping 54 times. Carr can have similar success as long as he doesn't turn the ball over, and despite the matchup, needs to be starting in all 2-QB formats. Matthew Stafford should remain on your bench, people. His ECR this week is still way up at 8, but he had an injury to his non-throwing hand and has to deal with the circus of going to London. The Chiefs have had a chance to gain some confidence, beating up on Landry Jones and Teddy Bridgewater this week. Stafford won't be an insurmountable challenge for them.

Dion Lewis practiced on Tuesday and should return to the Patriots lineup on Thursday night, healed up from his abdomen injury. He can be fired up as a solid RB2 as the Patriots look to re-establish their run game. The Pats ran the ball 9 times in Week 7, a number that is not at all sustainable. Just make sure the Pats aren't messing with the injury reports and verify he's playing when Thursday night rolls around. It's not certain who will emerge in Houston as the main back, but one thing IS certain - don't start Chris Polk, even though he might look like a tempting flex play.

Nate Washington had a great time collecting lots of garbage points in Miami on Sunday, and look for him to be in a similar high-volume role this week if Cecil Shorts is still out. The Texans throw the ball more than any other team (including the Chargers!) and they need guys there to soak up targets. Washington is the only decent receiver other than DeAndre Hopkins on that team, so there's plenty of balls to go around. Stay away from Brandin Cooks this week. Marques Colston is back, Willie Snead has been involved a lot in the offense, and Ben Watson has become a decent facsimile of Jimmy Graham. There isn't enough consistent work for Cooks to be an every week start. Try to sell high on him if you can.

Having tight end problems? Well, if they're fantasy football related, try a nice relaxing Crockett Gillmore for your pains. Gillmore is the second best target on his team and is going up against a Chargers team that got beat badly through the air last week. He's a good replacement if you're tired of trotting out Kyle Rudolph or Jordan Cameron.

Week 7 wasn't particularly special as far as injuries go. A big name went down, another name emerges as a big fantasy producer because of an injury above him. The NFL season carries on - at this point, everyone's a little injured. Here are the guys who were banged up this past week and are expected to not only miss time, but create a void on your fantasy team.

Arian Foster tore his Achilles and is, once again, out for the season. Alfred Blue and Chris Polk are going to split the duties, but neither of them are likely to emerge as a dominant fantasy player that is even close to Foster’s production.

Louis Murphy tore his ACL is and out for the season. In the same game, Vincent Jackson left with a knee injury, paving the way for Mike Evans to finally have a good game this season. Murphy was just a WR3 anyways, but it can’t hurt Evans and Jackson’s production going forward.

Josh McCown left the game on Sunday with a shoulder injury and it sounds like he’s currently day-to-day. He has a real tough matchup against Arizona this week, so maybe find a different starter for him for this week while he gets healthy.

Phillip Dorsett fractured his fibula in Sunday’s game and will be out 4-6 weeks. Donte Moncrief is already solidly in the #2 role behind T.Y. Hilton, so there isn’t much shuffling to be done on that team. Coby Fleener could see a few more targets, but isn’t really a TE1 option right now.

Joseph Randle left the game on Sunday with an oblique injury and is expected to miss at least one game. In his absence, Darren McFadden carried the ball 29 times for 152 yards and a TD. McFadden has already been confirmed as the starter this week, and if he continues to play well, could remain in that position for the rest of the year.

We've reached the halfway point of the fantasy football regular season, so how are things going for your team? That bad? Well, I'm hurting too, but there's still plenty of time left. Remember, you just need to make the playoffs! There are not many good waiver wire prospects this week, perhaps due to a rather healthy week 6 around the NFL. This week, we do need to contend with three undefeated teams on bye, the Bengals, Broncos, and Packers. The Bears are also on bye, though there's fewer fantasy implications with them being off.

If you're in need of a spot starter this week, look no further than Brian Hoyer, who is playing very well since resuming QB duties in Houston - plus he'll just throw the ball the DeAndre Hopkins all day long. Don't fall into the Matthew Stafford trap, he's only had one good week - that was against the Bears who give up the 5th most fantasy points to opposing QB's. The Vikings, on the other hand, are giving up the 28th most. Look for the Lions to look more like the bumbling team they have been all year.

Antonio Andrews seems to be one of the only decent options at RB in Tennessee this week, and will a full game of carries, could wind up as a legit RB2. Meanwhile, Alfred Morris just can't get anything going. Even with the absence of Matt Jones, Morris only had 11 carries for 21 yards. Despite a favorable matchup against Tampa, you should sit Alfred Morris this week.

Travis Benjamin, who is inexplicably not owned in 18% of Yahoo leagues, has the 5th most fantasy points among WR's. Benjamin should be starting EVERY week, but I just wanted to take this opportunity that point out that, yet again, we have him ranked much higher than the crowd. Mike Evans, on the other hand, you have my permission to bench. His best game this year is a measly 10.1 points, and the Tampa offense has left a lot to be desired. Start him if you're short on players, but if you're choosing between Evans and someone else, go with whoever else that may be.

Ladarius Green is a guy that could provide you with a streaming or bye week fill-in for week 7. The Chargers seem to be using lots of two tight end sets, especially with all their injuries at WR. Additionally, the Raiders are giving up the most points to opposing TE's, so Green definitely has a respectable floor, and a good ceiling for someone who is only 27% owned in Yahoo leagues.