Congratulations! We've made it through the first three rounds of bye weeks. All 32 teams play in Week 8, but that doesn't mean you can take your eye off the ball when it comes to the waiver wire. Sunday brought its share of injuries, and you might have a large hole to fill on your roster as we approach midseason.
I'm here to help. Remember, I told you to pick up Tank Bigsby, and I hope you were able to land him because the running back pickings on the waiver wire are looking slim this week. OK, let's get wired.
The only rule here: Players must be rostered in less than 60 percent of NFL.com leagues to be eligible for the list.
QUARTERBACKS
ROSTERED: 48%
The Dolphins are expected to open the practice window for Tagovailoa this week, and he could get the start against the Cardinals if all goes well. If you have a bench spot available, he isn’t a bad stash, given the potential of the Miami offense when it’s firing on all cylinders. Let’s not forget he was the fantasy QB8 with 18.6 fantasy points in Week 1, his only full game this season. He’s a risky fantasy play, given his injury history and the rust he’s undoubtedly accumulated since he last played in Week 2, but the Dolphins do have a favorable matchup. Arizona allows the sixth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks.
ROSTERED: 5%
The Patriots are bad right now, but Maye is looking like a pretty darn good fantasy QB two starts into his NFL career. He’s averaging 20.2 fantasy points since being named QB1 prior to Week 6. That is starting-caliber production, and we know he’s going to be letting it fly plenty on a team that routinely plays from behind. Now, I wouldn’t fully endorse starting him against a Jets defense that can be stingy to quarterbacks (at least those not named Russell Wilson), but if you feel like taking a big chance this week, be my guest. New York’s defense took a step in the wrong direction on Sunday night, as injuries mounted in the secondary, and Maye should be rostered in more leagues.
ROSTERED: 5%
I wasn’t going to go rookie-heavy in this section for the second week in a row, but Nix has an advantageous matchup in Week 8 against the Panthers, who have a defense that is plunging to new depths on a weekly basis. Its latest performance included allowing former castoff Marcus Mariota to go off for 19.6 fantasy points in relief of an injured Jayden Daniels. Carolina has allowed nearly 20 FPPG to quarterbacks in its last four outings, and Nix is on the upswing, averaging almost the exact same output in his past three contests. He’s not a fantasy QB1 on a week with no byes, but I won’t be shocked if he continues to provide that type of production.
ROSTERED: 2%
I also wasn’t going to include Wilson here after his rough start to Sunday night’s game, but he finished with a roar to rate as the fantasy QB3 for the week (24.86 points). Wilson threw two TD passes and ran for a score against a Jets defense that can be a difficult assignment for opposing quarterbacks. Gang Green was not at full strength due to injuries, especially in the secondary, but it was still an impressive 2024 debut for Russ. I wouldn’t make him my fantasy QB1 with a matchup against the Giants in Week 8. However, I would think about adding him to my roster if I had a need for a QB2 in a deeper league.
Keep an eye on: I'm interested to see what becomes of the Browns' offense with a new starting quarterback. Kevin Stefanski didn't get Cleveland cooking until Joe Flacco became the QB1 last season. I'm not predicting Jameis Winston or Dorian Thompson-Robinson will do something similar to Flacco's memorable 2023 run, but it bears watching. DTR was the primary backup on Sunday. He's dealing with a finger injury now, though.
RUNNING BACKS
ROSTERED: 42%
There’s not a lot to be excited about on the Raiders’ offense outside of a brilliant start to Brock Bowers’ career, but Mattison’s steady production should not be overlooked, especially since it continued even with Zamir White back in the fold on Sunday. Mattison has scored 10-plus fantasy points in each of the past three weeks and has gone for 13-plus in the majority of Las Vegas’ games. He had 26 touches for 123 yards in Week 7, including 23 carries for 92 yards. I don’t like his matchup in Week 8 against a Chiefs defense that’s been very tough on running backs, but Mattison deserves to be on your radar if he’s going to see this type of volume.
ROSTERED: 5%
Davis went from playing 58 percent of the snaps in Week 6 with James Cook sidelined to 22 percent with Cook back in the lineup in Week 7. Yet, Davis still managed to make enough plays to score 10-plus fantasy points for the second week in a row. He saw just six touches, which takes him out of starting consideration in fantasy as long as Cook is healthy, but managers rostering Cook who want a handcuff for Buffalo’s RB1 should absolutely be scooping up Davis.
Keep an eye on: Colts back Tyler Goodson. If Jonathan Taylor misses a fourth straight game in Week 8, Goodson becomes a potential Flex in deep leagues. The third-year pro is averaging 10 FPPG since Taylor was sidelined with an ankle injury. It was Goodson, not Trey Sermon, who saw the bulk of the carries for the Colts on Sunday.
WIDE RECEIVERS
ROSTERED: 50%
Coleman turned things up a notch on Sunday, recording the best game of his young career. The second-round rookie was targeted a season-high seven times and turned those into 16.5 fantasy points, making four grabs for a team-high 125 yards. He’s now reached 11 points or more in two of his last three games after failing to hit double-digits in each of his first four contests. I don’t know if fantasy managers can expect him to sustain the production we saw in Week 7, but there’s more than enough promise here for you to roster him. With defenses now forced to game plan for trade acquisition Amari Cooper, it’s possible that Coleman will continue to be a big beneficiary.
ROSTERED: 39%
ROSTERED: 7%
The 49ers just lost their leader in targets for the season. Replacing Brandon Aiyuk is no easy task, but Jennings and Pearsall figure to get the biggest boost in opportunities. Jennings has to get healthy first, though. He missed Week 7 with a hip injury, but it sounds like there’s a chance he could return this week. We don’t have to look back very far to see what he’s capable of when he’s getting steady targets. Meanwhile, the remarkable story of Pearsall’s rookie season reached a huge milestone on Sunday, as he was active for the first time on game day, making his return just 50 days after being shot in the chest during an attempted robbery. Pearsall played the most snaps of any San Francisco wide receiver and was the team's most targeted WR outside of Aiyuk in Week 7, seeing five passes go his way. He was limited to three catches for 21 yards. Jacob Cowing had the most yards (50) of any 49ers wide receiver against the Chiefs on a day where Deebo Samuel also missed most of the game due to illness. Overall, it’s a messy situation in the receiving corps right now, but Jennings is the first player to target from the group if he does indeed get back on the field.
ROSTERED: 34%
ROSTERED: 13%
With a matchup against the Jaguars’ generous pass defense up next, this seems like a good time to get some shares of the Packers’ receiving corps if you haven’t already done so. Doubs makes this list for the second week in a row after leading Green Bay with a season-high eight receptions and 94 receiving yards, good for 17.4 fantasy points in a Week 7 win over the Texans. It's been a remarkable turnaround for a player who served a team-imposed suspension a couple weeks ago. Doubs is the player to target from this tandem, but if you miss out on him and have an appetite for volatility, Wicks is an option. He’s scored 11-plus fantasy points in three games this season, including 13.8 against Houston, and four points of fewer in the other four. He’s been entirely touchdown dependent this season, averaging 1.5 FPPG when he doesn’t find the end zone, but Jacksonville could oblige.
ROSTERED: 5%
Bateman isn’t seeing huge target numbers (4.3 per game) in a Ravens offense with a lot of mouths to feed, which is why I’ve been hesitant to include him here. The big-play production is undeniable, though. He ranks fifth in the league with 18.8 yards per catch and is averaging 16.3 FPPG in his last three contests, scoring 11-plus in four of the past five. He’s the fantasy WR8 in the past two weeks. Durability has been a bugaboo for him during his career, but he’s healthy now. Bateman should be much more widely rostered.
ROSTERED: 0.2%
ROSTERED: 0.1%
Monday night turned brutal for the Bucs, with Mike Evans exiting early and Chris Godwin departing late with an injury that is expected to end his season. As the Bucs try to pick up the pieces, Trey Palmer, McMillan and Shepard figure to see significant bumps in opportunities. McMillan is averaging a little over one catch per game in his rookie season, but he was targeted eight times against the Ravens, third-most on the team, and played 60 percent of the snaps. It’s been several years since Shepard was relevant in fantasy circles, but he and Baker Mayfield go all the way back to their season together at Oklahoma, so it won’t be a surprise if the QB shows a lot of trust in his old friend now that the Bucs need other receivers to step up. If you’re desperate for WR help in a deeper league, there’s now fertile ground in Tampa.
ROSTERED: 0%
I understand the Browns’ offense has been a vast wasteland for points of any kind this season. Cleveland's the only team that has yet to put 20 on the board in a game this year. Yet, I wouldn’t overlook the opportunities coming Tillman’s way. The departure of Amari Cooper freed up a chunk of targets, and Tillman stepped right into the vacuum on Sunday. He was the most targeted wide receiver of Week 7 (12). Tillman was a top-75 pick in last year’s draft for a reason. He’s not the most explosive pass catcher, but he has the size and toughness to emerge as a go-to guy for Jameis Winston or Dorian Thompson-Robinson. There’s nowhere to go but up in Cleveland, with the team forced to reset in the wake of Deshaun Watson's season-ending injury.
Keep an eye on: With Cooper Kupp chatter heating up as we get closer to the trade deadline, you should continue to monitor Tutu Atwell, Tyler Johnson and Jordan Whittington. Puka Nacua is eventually going to return, and Kupp might end up staying put as he gets closer to his own return from injury, so I wouldn't go rushing to make a big investment in any of the Rams' other receivers yet. Just be prepared to pounce if Kupp does get moved.
TIGHT ENDS
ROSTERED: 31%
The 12th-year veteran posted a season-high 14 fantasy points on Sunday, when the Commanders had to play their backup QB for much of the game. Ertz’s ceiling isn’t super high, but he scored his first TD of the season against the woeful Panthers and has averaged 12.4 FPPG in the last two weeks. That’s going to play in the current tight end environment, where any consistent contributor has value. He’s not a fantasy TE1 with the Bears defense awaiting him in Week 8, though.
ROSTERED: 22%
If you could use help at tight end and haven’t picked up Otton, what exactly are you waiting for? He’s the fantasy TE4 over the past four weeks (46.1 points). He’s seen eight or more targets in three of the past five games and might be seeing even more throws go his way with the Bucs losing WRs Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to injuries in Monday night’s loss to Baltimore. Put a claim in on Otton while you still can.
ROSTERED: 18%
The Henry resurgence is fully on, with New England’s quarterback change reinvigorating the seasoned veteran. He leads the Patriots in targets since Drake Maye took over as the QB1 in Week 6 and is averaging 15.2 FPPG in that span. There’s no reason to think his opportunities will diminish. The Pats have a rematch against the Jets in Week 8, and New York did shut Henry down back in Week 3 (2.9 points), but it’s a different offense with Maye at the controls.
ROSTERED: 11%
Fant has yet to have the big game that would lead to managers flocking to the waiver wire for him. He’s scored 10-plus fantasy points in three of his last five contests, though, which means he should be more widely rostered with so little depth at the tight end position. He’s caught all 21 of his targets since Week 3 -- that’s some impressive efficiency.
Keep an eye on: Ja’Tavion Sanders. After a very quiet start to the season, the Carolina rookie has 11 catches for 110 yards on 13 targets over the last two weeks, good for 21 fantasy points. An injury to Tommy Tremble opened the door for Sanders, but given the state of the Panthers' offense, I don't know why they wouldn't continue going to Sanders even when Tremble returns. The fourth-round pick showed during his Texas career that he has the tools to be a highly productive NFL pass catcher.
DEFENSES
ROSTERED: 47%
The Chiefs D/ST has scored at least six fantasy points in each of the last three games, and it has a juicy matchup against a Las Vegas offense that continues to trend in the wrong direction. There’s no Davante Adams for Kansas City to worry about, and it’s not like the Raiders' attack was operating at a high level even when they had him available.
ROSTERED: 44%
It’s been an uncharacteristically rough season for the Baltimore defense. The usually stout unit has yet to produce double-digit fantasy points in a game and has scored just 10 points in its last three games combined. This season, though, you don’t pass up an opportunity to start a defense playing against the Browns, the Ravens’ opponent in Week 8. Deshaun Watson’s injury means Cleveland will be starting a different quarterback, but both of their options -- Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Jameis Winston -- have been turnover-prone in their careers, although we are dealing with a much smaller sample size in DTR’s case. It’s worth rolling the dice on Baltimore.
ROSTERED: 43%
In Week 8 the Chargers host the Saints, who have gone from the league’s hottest offense to one of the best matchups in the league for opposing defenses. The last two Ds to face New Orleans have scored 20 and 17 fantasy points. It doesn’t sound like Derek Carr will be returning from his injury this week, which makes the Bolts a very enticing streaming play.
ROSTERED: 16%
Detroit hosts Tennessee in Week 8, and until the Titans give us a reason to take a different approach, I’ll recommend we continue to stream against that offense. Brian Callahan started Mason Rudolph for the first time this season in Week 7 and the supposedly steadier option at QB still turned the ball over twice. By game’s end, the Bills defense had scored 11 fantasy points, making it the fourth time in six tries that a D produced nine or more points against Callahan’s squad. The Lions have a safe floor of around five points, but I’d expect more against the Titans, whether they turn back to Will Levis, who is dealing with a shoulder sprain, or stick with Rudolph.
