Fantasy Football ‘24: Waiver Wire, Week 8 edition

Welcome to the Fantasy Football Waiver Wire for Week 8! In an odd bit of scheduling, there are no Byes in Week 8, and that might make it feel like the Waiver Wire is less important. But injuries and disappointing performances continue to vex fantasy managers, so this week is no different. The Waiver Wire is like Hogwarts. It offers help to those who ask for it. But you have to ask. If you aren’t actively playing the wire each week, you’re putting yourself at a big disadvantage.

The Process: Each week, I try to identify the top Waiver Wire targets and evaluate the short- and long-term prospects of those players. I also do my best to reveal which players who are coming off a big week are fool’s gold. Finally, I look at streamers who might help you in a pinch (this is usually more important during Bye weeks). Note that I’m writing this column BEFORE the TWO Week 7 Monday night games (LAC@ARI, and BAL@TB).

Some players discussed won’t be available in your league. I try to list players who are available in more than 50% of leagues. But what does that even mean? A 10-team league with six bench spots will have a much larger Free Agent pool than a 14-team league with eight. Most leagues fall somewhere in between. This isn’t “one size fits all.” By way of example, I won’t list Bucky Irving, Tyrone Tracy, Jr., Alexander Mattison, Demario Douglas, or Jalen Tolbert this week, among others who probably aren’t available in any of your leagues. Those guys would all be priority adds if available.

WEEK 8 BYES: NONE

Week 8 Waiver Wire

Quarterback:

Need a second quarterback for a Superflex league, or another starting option in a 1-QB league? There are some choices this week.

Drake Maye. I’ve been recommending Maye for about a month now. In Superflex leagues, he’s almost certainly been gobbled up, but in 1-QB leagues he’s still available in a lot of places. He shouldn’t be. He’s topped 20 fantasy points in both of his starts and assuming he can remain upright behind one of the league’s worst lines, he’s going to be a decent fantasy option, on a team that’s almost always going to be playing from behind. He has a big arm and can also get you points with his legs. I think he’s going to be a borderline QB1 the rest of the way, and if he outscores Patrick Mahomes from here to the end of the season, I won’t be shocked. Remember: This is fantasy football, not reality. One word of caution: His first two starts were against beatable defenses. His next three: vs. NYJ, @TEN, @CHI. This is more of a long-term play.

Russell Wilson. It’s not often that you see a starter replaced on a 4-2 team, but that’s what Mike Tomlin did, and it raised some eyebrows. Russ started slowly against the Jets on Sunday night, and the naysayers were having a Field(s) day. But then Russ started cooking and in the end, he put up the best QB performance vs. the Jets’ stingy defense this season. Russ showed last season that he can still be a serviceable quarterback in fantasy (he was the QB9 for the 15 games he started, with an average of about 18 fantasy points per game). The weapons aren’t great, but they aren’t bad either. The risk is his long-term hold on the job.

Tua Tagovailoa. Tua’s practice window is open and the team anticipates starting him in Week 8. Boy, do the Dolphins need that. He’s worth an add if you need help, given the weapons and the borderline QB1 results he was able to produce last season. Don’t expect any rushing from him, however. He’s going to be a pure passer, who plays like he’s made of glass. That might be enough to return low-end QB1 numbers, which is what he gave fantasy managers last season.

Jameis Winston. Sure, why not? I’ve been calling out Jameis as a stash play for a few weeks so hopefully some of you rostered him. He was the emergency quarterback on Sunday but got thrust into action against the Bengals after the first two guys got hurt. Deshaun Watson is done for the season, and while it’s unclear who the stater will be in Week 8, I’d guess Jameis. If you need a QB2 in a Superflex, he could be a useful add. I don’t think he’s going to do what Joe Flacco did in this offense last season, and especially with Amari Cooper having been shipped off to Buffalo, but as Nick Chubb ramps up, this offense should have more of an identity. There will be mistakes, and there’s little rushing upside, but he’s capable of big passing totals. If Dorian Thompson-Robinson (who injured his finger Sunday) gets the nod, well, what can I tell you? They’ll probably both play at some point, so a pickup of either one carries some risk. Look for an update on Tuesday before submitting a claim.

In other news, early indications are that Jayden Daniels didn’t break any ribs, so hopefully he won’t miss time. I wouldn’t bother picking up Marcus Mariota. There are no Byes this week, so you probably don’t need a streamer. But if you do, Bo Nix gets the Panthers this week, who just got torn to shreds by the aforementioned Mariota. Just sayin’…

Running Back

While there isn’t a “must-add” running back this week, there are quite a few “backup RBs” who are worth a stash, and I’d probably draft them in this order: Tyler Goodson, Ray Davis, Kimani Vidal, Sean Tucker (my opinion could change after his Monday night game), Ty Chandler, Roschon Johnson, and Blake Corum. All are rostered in less than 25% of leagues on the major platforms, all already have (or are rapidly growing into) a role in their offense, and all are one injury away from what could be a significant role. I’ve said it multiple times: You want a couple of these guys on your roster at all times, and I like hammering backup running back at the end of drafts. They’re basically lottery tickets, and some of them have some stand-alone value besides. You want them on your roster BEFORE there’s a waiver wire feeding frenzy for them, not when the blood hits the water.

A few additional depth/stash plays to consider if you’re in need are Trey Benson, Jaylen Wright, and Kendre Miller.

Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

Wide Receiver

It’s a decent week to go shopping for a wide receiver.

Romeo Doubs. He isn’t flashy, but he leads the team’s wide receivers in targets and routes run per game, and in catches and yards (even though he missed a game). Jordan Love clearly has a lot of trust in him, and it’s a high-volume passing offense. While we’re here, Dontayvion Wicks will continue to be an inconsistent boom-bust option, but if you can stomach that, he’ll have his spike weeks.

Keon Coleman. The addition of Amari Cooper will take targes away from the other pass-catchers, but the attention Cooper demands could end up having a positive impact on the rookie. He’s been a big-play merchant, and had season highs with four catches, seven targets, and 125 yards on Sunday. It’s not uncommon for rookie WRs to get better as the season wears on, and Coleman fits the profile of a player who needed some seasoning, and could be a big factor in the second half of the season. Having a big-armed and fearless quarterback is a plus.

Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall. The 49ers keep losing weapons, and this past Sunday the victim was Brandon Aiyuk, who is now done for the season after tearing an ACL. Jennings (hip) is expected back this week, and I’d target him over the rookie Pearsall, who made his NFL debut Sunday and caught three passes. We’ve seen what Jennings is capable of in a starting role, and with Christian McCaffrey’s return date still unknown, the receivers and George Kittle should continue to get almost all the targets.

Cedric Tillman and Elijah Moore. Tillman led all Cleveland wide receivers with eight catches on Sunday, plus he garnered a 2-point conversion pass. With Cooper gone, Nick Chubb and David Njoku back in the lineup, and Jameis Winston hopefully under center, the Browns offense is about to look a lot different, and the 2023 third round pick out of Tennessee is a potential breakout candidate for the second half of the season. Moore is more of a wait-and-see stash play.

Keenan Allen. Sometimes we forget about players coming off a Bye. Allen has recovered from an early-season injury and scored twice in Week 6, and his quarterback is getting better each week. The Bears schedule stays easy for a few weeks before turning much harder.

Others to consider for WR depth: Tre Tucker, Xavier Legette, Bub Means, and Rashod Bateman.

Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images

Tight End

Hunter Henry. If your league is paying attention, he isn’t available, but his roster percentage is published at below 50% on at least one major platform. Huh? Wake up! With Maye taking over, Henry’s stock has risen. He scored in Week 6, and led the team in catches, yards, and targets in Week 7. The veteran has a nice floor in this offense.

Zach Ertz. Speaking of veterans…He scored in Week 7, and has been a safe option with a low ceiling but an OK floor. If you’re needy, he’s a decent choice.

Noah Fant. He’s been targeted 21 times over the last five games, and get this: He secured all 21 of those targets. He’s surpassed 60 yards in each of the past two contests, and is emerging as a solid TE2. He hasn’t scored a TD yet this season.

Jonnu Smith. He also scored this past week, and with Tua set to return, he’s a decent tight end add if you’re stuck.

Ja’Tavion Sanders. He’s making his debut in the column. He’s becoming a more important piece of the Panthers’ passing game, and is worth looking at as a stash or streaming option if you’re in need. This team plays catch-up just about every week.

PK and D/ST Streamers, Week 8 (ranked outside the Top-12 for the season):

PK: Will Reichard (@LAR), Matthew Wright (vs. DAL), Jason Sanders (vs. ARI), Brandon McManus (@JAC)

D/ST: LAC (vs. NO), DET (vs. TEN), GB (@JAC)

That’s all I’ve got. Good luck with your waiver claims!

***This column appears each Monday right here at Big Blue View. Each Thursday, my weekly fantasy preview with my rides, fades and sleepers (start/sit) appears here, and on Fridays you can find my weekly Giants Props of the week, also right here. ***