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Fantasy football managers are set to navigate a unique challenge in NFL Week 8, a six of the league’s 32 teams will be on bye.
That will leave some fantasy footballers scrambling to field effective lineups, between the players who have the week off and those who are still out because of injuries. Because of that, many waiver wire pickups that would normally be stashes may be forced into lineups immediately.
That will make it critical for fantasy managers to effectively navigate the waiver wire and make solid pickups to bolster their chances of winning in Week 8.
There are plenty of quality wide receivers fantasy managers can pick up as plug-and-play options at wide receiver, while several young running backs have also flashed upside in recent weeks.
Here’s a look at the best players to target on waivers ahead of Week 8.
Week 8 fantasy football waiver wire targetsRB Kyle Monangai, Chicago Bears (Rostered in 6% of Yahoo leagues)
D’Andre Swift is established as the lead back in Chicago after back-to-back strong showings, but Monangai earned a role in the backfield against the Saints. The 5-8, 208-pound rookie racked up 81 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries in Week 7, and was only out-touched by 20-15 by Swift.
Ben Johnson comes from a Detroit team that likes to use a “Sonic and Knuckles” approach at running back with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. Could Chicago develop a similar timeshare? It wouldn’t be a surprise given the efficiency both Swift and Monangai showed against New Orleans.
TE Oronde Gadsden, Los Angeles Chargers (Rostered in 3% of Yahoo leagues)
Gadsden enjoyed a breakout performance in the Chargers’ 38-24 loss to the Colts. The rookie tight end led Los Angeles in receiving yards with 164 and managed to find his way into the end-zone while making seven catches.
Justin Herbert had to throw 55 times with the Chargers trailing for most of Sunday’s game, so Gadsden isn’t likely to see nine targets consistently. Still, Herbert has always had an affinity for throwing to the position, while Jim Harbaugh’s faith in Gadsden seems to be growing.
Those factors give Gadsden (6-2, 215 pounds) a chance to emerge as a starting-caliber fantasy tight end during the second half of the season.
WR Kayshon Boutte, New England Patriots (Rostered in 32% of Yahoo leagues)
Boutte has now racked up seven catches for 153 yards and three touchdowns over his last two games. He may not see a high volume of targets, but the third-year receiver has emerged as one of the best deep-ball receivers in the NFL.
Boutte is averaging 17.8 yards per reception this season and entered Week 7 with a perfect passer rating on passes thrown 20-plus yards down the field. He may be more of a boom-or-bust, matchup-based flex, but he is certainly a player that should be rostered across all fantasy leagues.
WR Xavier Legette, Carolina Panthers (Rostered in 6% of Yahoo leagues)
Legette was easily Carolina’s best receiver against the Jets. He led the team in targets (11), receptions (9) and receiving yards (92) while scoring the team’s lone touchdown. The 2024 first-round pick has now scored in two of his last three games and should continue to emerge as a red-zone threat thanks to his 6-3, 227-pound frame.
Legette shouldn’t be impacted too much by Carolina’s uncertainty at quarterback after Bryce Young left Sunday’s game with an ankle injury. He can be trusted if Andy Dalton is the starter, making him an ideal replacement for bye-week receivers.
WR Parker Washington, Jacksonville Jaguars (Rostered in 1% of Yahoo leagues)
Trevor Lawrence has gotten very comfortable looking in Washington’s direction. He was targeted 10 times during Jacksonville’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams in London, marking the second time this season he has seen double-digit targets.
Lawrence isn’t going to need to throw 48 times every game, but Washington should still see consistent targets, especially if Brian Thomas Jr. – who left Sunday’s game early with a shoulder injury – misses time. The Jaguars are on bye in Week 8, but Washington is a good, high-volume stash for receiver-needy teams.
RB Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans (Rostered in 30% of Yahoo leagues)
The Titans didn’t run the ball much against the Patriots, but Spears managed to lead the team in rushing yards with 22. Notably, he was more efficient as a runner than Tony Pollard, who averaged 3 yards per carry compared to Spears’ 4.4.
As long as Spears continues to get a relatively even workload split with Pollard, who out-touched him 12-8 on Sunday, he will have flex potential. And if Mike McCoy’s squad embraces a youth movement at any point, that could allow Spears to emerge as Tennessee’s lead back.
WR Chimere Dike, Tennessee Titans (Rostered in 2% of Yahoo leagues)
Dike is another young Titan who could earn more playing time moving forward. The fourth-round rookie set career-best marks in receptions (4), receiving yards (70) and touchdowns (1) against the Patriots on Sunday.
Dike should continue to see an uptick in playing time and targets as long as Calvin Ridley (hamstring) remains out of action. That, plus his deep speed (4.34-second 40-yard dash), makes Dike an intriguing option as a bye-week flex fill-in.
RB Brashard Smith, Kansas City Chiefs (Rostered in 6% of Yahoo leagues)
No Chiefs running back earned more than Smith’s 19 touches in the team’s win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Is that a sign of things to come in Kansas City’s offense?
Skeptics will note Smith’s production came in a 31-0 blowout, so it’s important not to read too much into the workload split. Still, Smith vastly out-worked Kareem Hunt while also racking up a unit-high five catches for 42 yards. If he becomes Kansas City’s top third-down back, that could turn him into a major asset in PPR leagues.
WR Malik Washington, Miami Dolphins (Rostered in 15% of Yahoo leagues)
Washington led the Dolphins in targets during a bad-weather game in Cleveland. Tua Tagovailoa and Quinn Ewers looked his way eight times, and he turned those into five catches and 30 yards.
Fantasy managers won’t necessarily be salivating over that production. However, an opportunity exists for Washington to take on a larger role with Tyreek Hill (knee) out for the season and Darren Waller (pectoral) leaving Sunday’s game. With six teams on bye next week, fantasy managers could do worse in their search for a WR3 or flex than Washington.