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Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups

These players are generally available in at least 70% of Sleeper leagues and ranked in order of priority, by position.

Your bid should vary by format and situation. Need help at RB? Prioritize that position. All set there? Then, you probably don’t need to chase the top guys.

Quarterbacks

Drake Maye, New England Patriots

Blind-bid recommendation: 5-8%

Maye has landed in this article for the past couple of weeks, and his streaming value remains for a Week 8 date with the Jets.

Part of it is past performance: Maye has hit 23 fantasy points in both of his starts. Despite the lack of pro experience, he has looked sharp as a passer in the small sample.

He’s been just OK as a rusher – posting 38 and 18 yards – but still carries a higher ceiling there. Recall that he exited college with 1,200 career rushing yards.

The Jets’ injury situation could prove helpful, too. They lost S Tony Adams and S Ashtyn Davis to injuries against Pittsburgh. Entering Week 7, they were already without CB D.J. Reed, CB Michael Carter II, and S Chuck Clark. 

Running Backs

Tyler Goodson, Indianapolis Colts

Blind-bid recommendation: 8-10%

Goodson took over as Indianapolis’ lead RB this past week, out-carrying Trey Sermon 14 to eight and out-gaining him 51 to 36. 

Goodson also scored the Colts’ only TD. 

RB Jonathan Taylor should be nearing a return from his ankle injury, but Goodson is certainly worth owning. He could retain a pass-catching role when Taylor returns.

Wide Receivers

Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers

Blind-bid recommendation: 15-20%

Jennings didn’t play on Sunday because of a hip injury. But HC Kyle Shanahan said he’s “hoping” to get the veteran WR back against the Cowboys this week. 

His return would be helpful for a 49ers squad that just lost Brandon Aiyuk to a season-ending knee injury. That absence leaves about 7 targets per game available.

We’ll follow Jennings’ practice participation closely. But note that Jennings has led the 49ers in receiving in three of seven games. Included in there: a massive 11-175-3 line when WR Deebo Samuel missed the Week 3 game vs. the Rams.

Samuel's considered questionable for Week 8 as he deals with pneumonia.

Jalen McMillan, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Blind-bid recommendation: 12-15%

With Chris Godwin likely out for the year and Mike Evans injured, McMillan becomes the default No. 1 WR for the Bucs. 

He received 8 targets Monday night against the Ravens, including leading the team in targets after Godwin went out.

McMillan is a talented rookie who has not quite popped yet.

But his offense ranks ninth in pass attempts, seventh in passing yards, and first in passing TDs. And the Week 8 Bucs-Falcons matchup sits tied for the week's third-highest Vegas-projected game total as of this writing.

Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco 49ers

Blind-bid recommendation: 5-8%

Brandon Aiyuk's out for the season with a torn ACL and MCL, and Deebo Samuel's in the hospital with fluid in his lungs. That likely boosts Pearsall's role for at least Week 8 -- and perhaps beyond.

The first-round pick made his NFL debut this past week, catching three of five targets for 21 yards. He appeared fully recovered from the gunshot wound he sustained before the season.

Pearsall’s college profile -- including his 4.41 speed -- showcases his upside. He’s worth a stash with the 49ers WR group getting thinner.

Tight Ends

Hunter Henry, New England Patriots

Blind-bid recommendation: 10-15%

Henry led the Patriots with 9 targets, 8 catches, and 92 yards in Sunday morning’s loss to the Jaguars. 

That gives him 14 targets on a 20% target share in QB Drake Maye’s two starts. 

Henry gets negative matchups the next two weeks vs. the Jets and Titans, but his volume projection looks good going forward.

Noah Fant, Seattle Seahawks

Blind-bid recommendation: 5-8%

Fant has finished as the TE12 and TE8 in PPR scoring over the past two weeks. Interestingly, his route rate dipped from 81% in Week 6 to 48% in Week 7. 

Still, he remains viable in the short term with D.K. Metcalf questionable to play vs. Buffalo.

The Seahawks hit the week as 3-point home favorites, and the Bills have allowed more than 390 total yards in each of their past three road games.

Deep-League Waiver Wire Pickups

Jameis Winston, QB, Cleveland Browns

Blind-bid recommendation: 5-8%

Replacing the injured Deshaun Watson and then Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Winston gave the Browns the best QB play they've seen this season. 

He completed 5 of 11 passes for 67 yards and a score on his lone possession.

Watson is done for the season with a torn Achilles, and Thompson-Robinson suffered an injury of his own (finger). HC Kevin Stefanski hasn't yet announced a Week 8 starter.

The Browns should start Winston regardless, given his physical tools and experience. 

Cleveland’s pass-catching corps is underwhelming sans Amari Cooper. But Winston is at least worth adding in 2-QB and superflex leagues.

Kendre Miller, RB, New Orleans Saints

Blind-bid recommendation: 8-15%

Miller made his 2024 debut on Thursday night and was one of the lone bright spots for the Saints in their 33-10 loss.

He carried six times for a team-high 36 rushing yards, including runs of 8, 9, and 16 yards. None of RB Alvin Kamara’s 7 carries went for more than 6 yards. 

Miller is still far from a standalone fantasy option. But he already looks like the Kamara handcuff, and there’s an outside chance the veteran is traded from the slumping Saints.

Responding to trade rumors, here’s what Kamara said last week:

"The reality of this business is, when you start losing too much, everybody gets on the hot seat," Kamara said via SI.com. "When coaches leave, players leave ... And that's something that I definitely understand and I realize."

Troy Franklin, WR, Denver Broncos

Blind-bid recommendation: 8-10%

We highlighted Franklin in the “Grab This Guy” section last week.

The rookie responded by leading the Broncos with 6 targets, 5 catches, and 50 receiving yards in Thursday night’s win over the Saints. 

Franklin’s 67% route rate still needs to climb make him a fantasy starter. But Franklin is clearly trending up and is worth a stash in deeper fantasy leagues.

Trey Palmer, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Blind-bid recommendation: 8-10%

With Chris Godwin out for the year and Mike Evans injured, Palmer becomes the deep threat for the Buccaneers. He saw an increased snap count after Evans left with an injury and will likely replace Evans on the outside.

Even after Evans comes back, Palmer should retain standalone value splitting time with Sterling Shepard to replace the production lost by Godwin.

Week 8 turns up a fine scoring matchup with Atlanta.

Cedric Tillman, WR, Cleveland Browns

Blind-bid recommendation: 5-10%

Tillman took over WR Amari Cooper’s starting spot on Sunday and led the Browns with 81 yards on 8 catches. 

His 12 targets ranked second on the team and represented a 23% share. 

Now, Browns QBs combined for 52 passes – something that won't happen often. Still, this passing game should improve if Jameis Winston takes over.

And Tillman – a second-year, third-round pick – should continue getting extended run for the 1-6 Browns.

Tre Tucker, WR, Las Vegas Raiders

Blind-bid recommendation: 5-8%

The Raiders lost Aidan O'Connell to a 4-6 week thumb injury. 

Gardner Minshew struggled in relief in Week 7. But there’s at least some rapport between Tucker and the veteran. The pair has combined for 14 catches and 157 yards this year.

Tucker should see role growth the rest of the way, with Davante Adams gone. And Jakobi Meyers might remain out this week after not practicing at all ahead of Week 7.

Tucker's 8 targets last week vs. the Rams marked the second-highest total of his career.

Jonnu Smith, TE, Miami Dolphins

Blind-bid recommendation: 5-10%

Smith had an astounding 7-96-1 receiving line Sunday. He now has three games this season with 5+ catches and 50+ yards but has totaled 3 catches and 25 yards across his other three games. 

QB Tua Tagovailoa should be back for Week 8. We'll see what that means for Smith's role and target count, but it can only help the overall strength of the offense.

Note: Smith's past two strong outings came with Tagovailoa sidelined. But he drew 5 targets from the QB in Week 2 before Tagovailoa left that game.

Stash Smith in deeper leagues.

Ja’Tavion Sanders, TE, Carolina Panthers

Blind-bid recommendation: 5-8%

Sanders has posted 5-49-0 and 6-61-0 lines on 13 total targets the past two weeks. 

TE Tommy Tremble missed both games, so we’ll have to see what Sanders’ playing time looks like when the TE room is healthy. Previously, Tremble played ahead of the rookie.

Regardless, it’d sure make sense for the 1-6 Panthers to stick with their rookie as the position’s leader. Sunday turns up a tough scoring matchup at Denver, followed by a more forgiving opponent in the Saints.

Top Streaming Defense for Week 7

Houston Texans

(vs. Indianapolis Colts)

The Texans remain a top defense, ranking second in DVOA and sixth in sacks (3.14 per game).

The Colts present a ripe matchup. Anthony Richardson has seven turnovers in four full games, and his team has averaged just 18.5 points in those contests.

Richardson completed only nine passes against Houston in Week 1 and took pressure on 25% of his dropbacks.

If you want other defenses to stream this week, check out our DST Streaming Guide for Week 8.

Grab This Guy

Noah Gray, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

Blind-bid recommendation: 3-8%

It’s a small sample, but over the past three weeks, Gray owns:

• 10 targets
• A 16.1% target share
• 10 catches
• 135 yards
• 2.42 yards per route
• Two top-15 fantasy finishes

Most encouraging: the target share and yards per route run.

Again, it’s a small sample. But there’s reason to believe the Chiefs will continue leaning on two-TE personnel with Rashee Rice sidelined for 2024 and JuJu Smith-Schuster already out for Week 8.

Let’s isolate Week 7 for Gray. The 49ers matchup produced a season-high in snaps (67%) – plus a 50% route rate that matched his season high. The result was a career-high 66 yards.

Ideally, Patrick Mahomes wouldn’t be mired in a slump. But there are enough targets for Gray to blossom into a deep-league option – with shallow-league upside should Travis Kelce miss time.

Drop Candidates

Ja’Lynn Polk, New England Patriots

Drops remain an issue for Polk, who went without a catch against Jacksonville.

"Yeah, we need more from Polk," HC Jerod Mayo said, via CBS. "We need more concentration. He'll be a good player in this league. Just got to continue to work at it."

Polk also suffered a late-game head injury. Even if he gets cleared for Week 8, he’s fine to drop.

Darius Slayton, WR, New York Giants

Maybe you grabbed Slayton as a Malik Nabers replacement. But now with Nabers healthy, Slayton’s not worth rostering in most formats. 

With Nabers back against Philly, Slayton caught only one pass on 12% target share.

Xavier Legette, WR, Carolina Panthers

Here are Legette's yardage totals since Week 5.

• 8
• 23
• 2

He’s totaled 8 targets over that stretch.

With Carolina’s offense in shambles, Legette will be tough to trust in any fantasy lineup.

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Kevin English, Senior Analyst

Kevin brings 15 years of experience as a fantasy analyst and mid-stakes competitor across various formats (redraft, best ball, dynasty, DFS). His work has been featured on The Mercury News, Rotoworld, and FantasyPros.