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Anyone with experience playing in deep fantasy football leagues knows the waiver wire is thin at this point in the season. However, most teams have players worth dropping, and you can never get complacent in trying to improve your roster for a fantasy football playoff run. That said, we're back for another week to point out the top potential additions.
The top waiver-wire adds are often obvious for traditional 10- and 12-team leagues, but a larger pool of players is in consideration in leagues of 14 teams or more. Some of these Week 8 deeper-league waiver-wire suggestions could have value right away, while others are simply bench stashes that could help your fantasy team in the future.
We won't cover chalk waiver-wire pickups for shallower leagues like Alexander Mattison and Romeo Doubs. Instead, we'll only mention players who are under 40% rostered in Yahoo! leagues except a few players narrowly over that mark. Without further ado, here are the top deeper-league waiver-wire targets for Week 8, including Ray Davis, Tyler Goodson, Kendre Miller, Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall, Troy Franklin, Russell Wilson, and more.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:- Quarterback fantasy football rankings
- Running back fantasy football rankings
- Wide receiver fantasy football rankings
- Tight end fantasy football rankings
- Kicker fantasy football rankings
- FLEX fantasy football rankings
- Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
- Superflex fantasy football rankings
- IDP fantasy football rankings
- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
Running Back Waiver Wire Targets for Deep Leagues
Tyler Allgeier handled just six touches in the blowout loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. However, he averaged 7.5 yards per touch and likely would've handled more work if the Falcons didn't get so far behind. The 2022 1,000-yard rusher had 19 touches and 108 yards against the Panthers in Week 6, and it's looking like he'll be a fantasy factor in games in which Atlanta is playing with a lead. At worst, he's an elite RB handcuff stash.
Jaylen Warren saw a season-high 14 touches in Sunday night's win over the Jets. Warren was banged up to begin the season, but he's now back to healthy, and the Steelers offense potentially has a higher ceiling under Russell Wilson.
Ray Davis has been impressive over the last two weeks. He flashed with 152 total yards in the absence of James Cook in Week 6, and in Week 7, he rushed five times for 41 yards and a touchdown. Davis looks like the superior early-down runner, so it would not be a surprise if Buffalo starts to implement a committee approach. In deep leagues, that makes Davis a virtual must-add.
Tyler Goodson has outplayed Trey Sermon in each of the last two games, and the Colts have taken notice. Goodson saw 14 touches compared to Sermon's nine in Week 7, and Goodson found the end zone for his first career touchdown. If Jonathan Taylor misses another game, Goodson should probably be treated as the RB1 in Indy, though it will still likely remain a 1A-1B backfield.
Tyler Goodson's first career TD! @Colts even the score.
📺: #MIAvsIND on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/fkmzLcPeVp— NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2024
Braelon Allen has seen his stock take a hit under new play-caller Todd Downing. He's averaged just three touches per game over the last two weeks. That said, he's still a top RB option on a thin waiver wire thanks to his high-end handcuff status. If something happens to Breece Hall, he'd likely see workhorse usage.
Isaac Guerendo remains a running back to hold until at least Week 10 when Christian McCaffrey is potentially expected to return. The rookie isn't carving out a role behind Jordan Mason, but you never know who the next running back to fall and miss games will be.
Ty Chandler and Cam Akers are on the fantasy football radar in deep formats behind the aging Aaron Jones. Jones has excelled in a bell-cow role with Minnesota, but he has missed at least two games in three of his last four seasons. Chandler and Akers aren't the flashiest backup RBs, but they're in a great offense and would have opportunities to produce should Jones be sidelined at any point.
Roschon Johnson has carved out a small role behind D'Andre Swift in the Bears' ascending offense. Fantasy managers in a tough spot at the flex position can roll the dice on him and hope he gets a goal-line carry, but his upside likely won't be unlocked unless Swift gets banged up.
Jaylen Wright saw five carries in Week 7 compared to 15 for De'Von Achane and 11 for Raheem Mostert. He's the clear RB3, but an injury to either of the top two backs could put him on the flex bubble. Tua Tagovailoa is expected to return in Week 8, meaning more fantasy points for everyone in the Miami offense!
Antonio Gibson saw just four touches in Week 7 as Rhamondre Stevenson returned to the lineup. However, quarterback Drake Maye has given the Patriots offense life. This boosts the handcuff status of Gibson.
Dameon Pierce will likely not be worth starting this season if Joe Mixon stays healthy moving forward. However, he flashed against New England in Week 6 and would be the top RB on Houston's depth chart if Mixon suffers another injury following the departure of Cam Akers.
Blake Corum is still not heavily involved in Sean McVay's offense, but he's handled nine touches in his last two games, and it's safe to say he has passed Ronnie Rivers on the depth chart. The L.A. offense should turn things around when Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua are back, so Corum is another RB who is seeing a handcuff value increase. Kyren Williams has not been efficient but has scored touchdowns in bunches. We could be saying that about Corum soon should something happen to Williams.
Kendre Miller rushed six times for 36 yards and caught two passes in his 2024 debut on Thursday Night Football. It was a weird week for the Saints, who were without Derek Carr, Taysom Hill, Rashid Shaheed, and Chris Olave. When the team gets healthy, it will be interesting to see if Miller is the clear RB2 ahead of Jamaal Williams and behind Alvin Kamara.
Ezekiel Elliott has just one game with more than five half-PPR fantasy points this season. He's a low-priority add, but if the Cowboys can turn things around on offense after its Week 7 bye, perhaps he could become a goal-line vulture like he was late in his first stint with Dallas.
Kenneth Gainwell saw 14 touches in blowout game conditions in Week 7. He's not likely to be heavily involved often, but Saquon Barkley is always at risk of missing a game or two. You'll want to have Gainwell stashed if Barkley gets banged up.
IR Stashes: Keaton Mitchell, Gus Edwards, MarShawn Lloyd
Note: Any direct backup running back, especially one in a good offense, should be considered a bench stash in deep leagues.
Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Targets for Deep Leagues
Jalen Tolbert has 15 targets in his last two games and is the clear WR2 in Dallas as long as Brandin Cooks is on IR. Even when Cooks comes back, Tolbert might keep the role considering the veteran wideout has looked well beyond his prime.
Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall could both become legitimate fantasy factors over the next few weeks. Brandon Aiyuk suffered a torn ACL and MCL in Sunday's game, and Deebo Samuel Sr. was hospitalized for pneumonia on Monday and did not log a touch in Week 7. Jennings was out of Sunday's contest with a hip injury, while Pearsall made his career debut and caught three of his five targets for 21 yards.
Demario Douglas came into Sunday's game with an illness, and it ended up limiting his snaps. However, he was targeted 18 times in the two prior games, and he might be Drake Maye's No. 1 option in the passing game. In deep PPR setups, he looks like a must-add.
Keon Coleman caught four of his seven targets for 125 yards in the win over the Tennessee Titans. The rookie is gearing up to be a boom-or-bust fantasy option, but it's worth noting all seven of his targets were on plays where Amari Cooper was on the sideline. Cooper is likely to step into the WR1 role in Buffalo, but Coleman has splash-play potential and can potentially be flexed in favorable matchups.
Keon Coleman gets open for the 44-yard catch!
📺: #TENvsBUF on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/xAxHkXXxwV— NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2024
Cedric Tillman caught eight of his whopping 12 targets for 81 yards in Week 7. This was the best game of his career, and if Jameis Winston gets the starting nod for the Browns, he could target the contested catch specialist often. Deshaun Watson will miss the remainder of the season with a torn Achilles.
Dontayvion Wicks returned from a one-week absence on Sunday and caught three passes for 48 yards and a score. Jordan Love seemingly spreads the ball around more than any other quarterback in football, but Wicks is a key piece of the strong Green Bay offense and is always worth consideration in the flex spot.
Allen Lazard saw just four targets in Week 7. Meanwhile, Davante Adams, Garrett Wilson, and Breece Hall all saw nine targets. Lazard's floor and ceiling took a hit when Adams was dealt to New York, but he's still a trusted target for Rodgers and can continue to have spike weeks.
Alec Pierce tied Michael Pittman Jr. for the most targets among Colts receivers (five) in Week 7. The return of Anthony Richardson seemingly hurts all of the Indy receivers, but Pierce has one-play-touchdown upside from anywhere on the field. He should not be heavily trusted in starting lineups, but he has more upside than many desperation flex options.
Troy Franklin enjoyed the best game of his young career against the Saints on Thursday night. Bo Nix's college teammate caught five of his six targets for 50 yards. With Marvin Mims Jr. starting to look like a total bust, Franklin is starting to carve out a fantasy-friendly role.
Xavier Legette has posted just one double-digit fantasy-point week this season, but Diontae Johnson trade rumors are beginning to heat up. If Johnson isn't traded, Legette has "end-of-the-bench" value to see if he catches on later in the year. If Johnson is traded, Legette will become a priority waiver wire add.
Cedrick Wilson Jr., Mason Tipton, and Bub Means are all candidates to see enhanced roles following the season-ending knee injury to Rashid Shaheed. Wilson and Tipton each caught six passes in Week 7, while Means caught three passes for 37 yards. The Saints' offense is tough to evaluate in the absence of Derek Carr, but when he is back, someone not named Alvin Kamara or Chris Olave will have to see extra opportunities through the air.
Tight End Waiver Wire Targets for Deep Leagues
Hunter Henry has 11 receptions for 133 yards and a touchdown in two games with Drake Maye at the helm of the New England offense. It's a small sample size, but that kind of production would make him a clear TE1 for the rest of the season. If you're hurting at tight end, he's well worth a pickup in deep setups.
Zach Ertz has at least five targets in four of his last five games and plays in a top-3 NFL offense. At the scarce tight end position, that's all that needs to be said.
Do not adjust your screen. It is 2024 and Marcus Mariota just threw a TD to Zach Ertz. pic.twitter.com/MfvVypWX5U
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 20, 2024
Noah Fant is heating up and has averaged 64 receiving yards in his last two contests. The Seahawks have had the most consistent passing offense this season, so even though the pass-catching group is crowded, Fant is worth a look.
Taysom Hill could return in Week 8, and there's a good chance New Orleans will feed him touches given the horrible injury luck to its offensive skill players. Remember, he's a tight end who sees goal-line carries!
Jonnu Smith produced his first spike week of the season on Sunday, securing all seven of his targets for 96 yards and a touchdown. Even with Tua Tagovailoa likely back in Week 8, Smith won't be a consistent producer. However, he could have more big weeks on the horizon if Miami's offense gets back to its high-flying ways.
Ja'Tavion Sanders has earned at least five targets in each of his last five games. He could see a value decrease when Adam Thielen returns from IR, but again, Diontae Johnson has been in the thick of trade rumors.
Quarterback Waiver Wire Targets for Deep Leagues/Superflex Leagues
Tua Tagovailoa is unlikely to be available in your league. But you should check to see if he is. The former first-round pick led the NFL in passing yards last year and is a solid starter in deep formats.
Russell Wilson threw for 264 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions in his Steelers' debut. He also scored on a QB sneak. The longtime NFL veteran isn't afraid to take shots downfield, and he was a fringe QB1 in both seasons with the Denver Broncos. He has more upside than most expect.
Matthew Stafford is set to get his buddy Cooper Kupp back in Week 8, and Puka Nacua could return soon after. Stafford has rarely had a safe floor due to a lack of rushing, but he can be streamed in favorable matchups when his two All-Pro and Pro Bowl receivers are back in action.
Drake Maye is just one of two quarterbacks since the NFL merger to throw for 500+ yards and 5+ touchdowns in his first two career starts. The other? Dan Marino. Despite a horrible supporting cast, Maye has posted 20+ fantasy points in both of his starts. With New England likely playing from behind a lot this year, he could put up bigger numbers than expected.
Bo Nix has 255 rushing yards this season, which trails only Lamar Jackson, Jayden Daniels, and Kyler Murray. He's also scored at least 19.3 fantasy points in three of his seven games to begin his career, so his upside could be big in juicy matchups.
Rushing yards in their first seven career games:
Cam Newton (266)
Bo Nix (255)— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) October 18, 2024
Jameis Winston and Dorian Thompson-Robinson are both on the fantasy football radar after Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending Achilles injury. Whichever QB gets the start in Week 8 is a must-add option in two-QB and Superflex formats. That said, they likely have limited upside in single-QB leagues. The Cleveland offense is plain bad!
Backup Quarterbacks to Stash for Two-QB/Superflex Leagues
- Drew Lock, Giants
- Michael Penix Jr., Falcons
- Mason Rudolph, Titans
- Tyrod Taylor, Jets
- Bryce Young, Panthers
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