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Every week you see fantasy owners focusing on specific matchups or players. This week, it seems as if Chargers QB Philip Rivers is the focal point of questions. He's struggling, so you're right to question him. Just make sure you have a viable backup who can effectively replace him.

Week Eight brings following teams on byes: Falcons, Bears, Packers, Jets, Raiders and Buccaneers. That means you lose RBs Michael Turner and Matt Forté, WRs Greg Jennings, Plaxico Burress and Darrius Heyward-Bey and TE Jermichael Finley.

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There are numerous injuries to running backs right now, but who is worth a pickup off the wire?  I'm hearing that guys like Michael Bush, Delone Carter or Donald Brown, and even Alfonso Smith are worth a pickup and I have the opportunity to grab any one of them. Who has the most value? Thanks for your help.
— Anthony via email

Your best options are Carter, Brown and Bush, in that order. Check out my weekly report, the Fantasy Ticker and it will give you many more players to try to pick up.

Non-PPR league, I have Percy Harvin and Reggie Wayne as my backup WRs (starters are Marques Colston and Calvin Johnson), and I was wondering if it's time to give up on these guys and drop one or both going forward, given upcoming bye weeks for both of my starters. A few guys available in my league are Julio Jones, Darrius Heyward-Bey and Demaryius Thomas. Thanks, and keep up the great work!
— Sam via email

I would drop Harvin for Jones and possibly Heyward-Bey, but the latter is a wash. Thomas has more negatives than positives when compared with Harvin, who contributes with both his hands and legs in rushing and receiving.

I'm looking to pick up a second TE and would like to know who's the best long-term choice in a PPR league? I have Jermichael Finley as my starting TE and he's on a bye this week. Here are the players I'm looking at: Greg Olsen, Jermaine Gresham, Jake Ballard and Heath Miller. I'd be dropping Santonio Holmes for this player. Hope to hear back from you soon. Thanks!
— Ryan R via email

There are times when I choose to eat the position and this is one of them. I wouldn't drop Holmes. You'll never get him back. What do you do then? You're stuck with a No. 2 TE you probably won't use again. Unless you can drop someone else, eat the point's loss this week. If you have a second PK or defense, drop that player.

Hey I need to bench one of my players this week, who should it be: Miles Austin, Marques Colston, Jeremy Maclin, Chris Johnson, Maurice Jones-Drew or DeMarco Murray. I think Johnson but he does have a favorable matchup against the Colts, so maybe Murray, but he plays Eagles. THX!
— Doug via email

I would bench Maclin, as he does not have great history against the Cowboys and you can't compare the touches a back sees versus a receiver.

PPR league; who should I play as a flex for Week Eight — RB Bernard Scott, WR Antonio Brown or WR Deion Branch? Also, I have Santana Moss and Matt Ryan — should I drop Moss and trade Ryan? Thank you for your time.
—Anthony via email 

This is a great question and tough call but I would have to say start Scott, as the Seahawks are allowing 137 offensive yards to the position with 0.7 TDs per game over their last three. It's a matter of touches here versus defensive matchups. The Seahawks are a middle-of-the-road defense against opposing backs.

To answer your second question with a question, what can you get for Ryan? I'm being rhetorical because you won't get much for him. Maybe combine him and Moss together. I would hold on to both of them because when healthy, Moss offers great depth and Ryan has another half-season of football to improve.

Week Eight is around the corner and I need to make a big impact vs the second-place team in the league. I still have Reggie Wayne and Pierre Garcon but had to drop David Nelson due to injuries. Which WR should I pick up this week? I need an impact player since Wayne and Garcon aren't playing well and Greg Jennings is on a bye. I was thinking about Antonio Brown. What do you think?
— Wass via email

I can't argue with Brown — he's our 20th-ranked WR, making him a No. 2 fantasy receiver this week against a Patriots defense that's allowing 170.7 receiving yards per game to opposing wideouts over the past three games.

Doc, I'm in a standard-format league and need some help selecting two WRs, especially since I won't have Greg Jennings this week. On my roster are Steve Breaston, Victor Cruz and David Nelson.  Available on the waiver wire are Demaryius Thomas, Michael Jenkins, Jason Avant, Emmanuel Sanders and Damian Williams. Which two give me the best chance of maximizing fantasy points?
— Mike via email

I would have to say Thomas against the Lions gives you a solid matchup whereas Breaston's facing a statistically tough but mentally soft Chargers secondary. That said, they should contain him. Cruz is a boom-or-bust play, so if you don't mind high-risk, high-reward, go with Cruz and Thomas. However, I like Cruz and Nelson, as the Bills are struggling but have had the bye week to correct their issues. I like his matchup against the Redskins, who are reeling as a team. Nelson has a better matchup than Breaston or Thomas.

I am having trouble making decisions! Cam Newton or Big Ben? Also two RB positions with Chris Johnson, Mike Tolbert or Mark Ingram? I have Nate Washington in my flex position currently — should I keep him in or trade him out for my other RB? Lastly, Brandon Pettigrew or Rob Gronkowski? Or should I use the other TE as the flex? Thank you!
— Chris via email

Chris, you're killing me because you're asking the ugly question I deal with every week: Newton or Roethlisberger? I'm going with Newton, as I have to go for broke. That is, I'm going high-risk, high-reward. Big Ben's the safer play if you're more conservative. Ingram (heel) is hurt, so you have to go Tolbert and CJ2K. The Broncos are not very good but they do defend the TE position well enough so I'd keep Washington in the flex, as he has a favorable matchup. 

Should I drop Willis McGahee for Delone Carter? I have LeSean McCoy, Ahmad Bradshaw and Bernard Scott for this weekend but am thinking Carter might be better than Scott going forward with Joseph Addai hurt again.
— Chad via email

Don't drop McGahee for Carter. McGahee is only going to miss 1-2 weeks. I'm stashing him on my own roster. Why not drop Scott since he's only playing for one week whereas McGahee will get his job back upon his return?

Please pick one receiver to start this weekend as a bye-week/injury fill-in: Jabar Gaffney, Antonio Brown, Greg Little or Michael Crabtree. Thanks.
— Baiju via email

PFW's rankings have Brown ahead of Crabtree and for good reason. Brown has the better matchup, but realize both those players are high-risk, high-reward guys. Gaffney might be slightly safer but doesn't bring you the upside the other two can.