This is the Waiver Wire Week 8! Which players should you be adding in your fantasy football leagues?
PlayerProfiler is home to award-winning redraft rankings and tools. Our Player Rankings are second to none, and the World Famous Draft Kit contains detailed player write ups and cheat sheets to help You dominate fantasy drafts! Check it out.
Upcoming Bye Weeks
Week 9
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- San Francisco 49ers
Shallow League Adds (Players Rostered in 30-40% of Leagues)
Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons (39%)
A no-brainer add. If Bijan Robinson were to go down, Allgeier would be a low-end RB1/high-end RB2.
Hunter Henry, New England Patriots (31%)
Henry just misses our cutoff for the top 10 adds of the week, or he would be a top-five add. Drake Maye loves him. He has scored 13 and 17 points in two games attached to Maye.
Keon Coleman, Buffalo Bills (32%)
Coleman had his breakout game during Amari Cooper‘s first game in Buffalo. Coleman would be a top-10 addition if eligible, finishing with 125 receiving yards.
Ty Chandler, Minnesota Vikings (32%)
Chandler is the handcuff to Aaron Jones. Minnesota averages 28 PPG (the sixth-most in the NFL). We want Vikings on our rosters.
Standard Roster Size and Deep League Adds (Players Rostered in 30% of Leagues or Fewer)
Quarterbacks
Drake Maye, New England Patriots (18%)
Maye is my #1 ranked player in this week’s Top 10. He has back-to-back QB1 finishes and is doing so in situations that are less than ideal, to put it mildly. Will Maye be a weekly QB1 play? Probably not, but he is a high-ceiling streamer and a potential second-half difference-maker. The game scripts should remain fantastic, and Maye has size, scrambling ability, and a big arm.
Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers (8%)
There was some collective confusion across fantasy football this week when Justin Fields was benched in favor of Wilson. Fields had provided fantasy managers with QB1 production and led the Steelers to a 4-2 record. Russell Wilson‘s onfield play quieted a lot of skeptics, to say the least. Wilson finished with 293 combined yards and three TDs, while Pittsburgh scored a season-high 37 points against a strong Jets defense. He showed a connection with George Pickens — a potential rest-of-season alpha — and was in attack mode.
Jameis Winston (1%)/Dorian Thompson-Robinson (0%), Cleveland Browns
One of these players will step in for the injured Deshaun Watson for the rest of the season. DTR rushed for 44 yards but threw for two interceptions. Winston was inactive but has loads of experience and would seem the logical choice to be named the new starter. Superflex managers should monitor this situation.
Bo Nix, Denver Broncos (13%)
Nix has 136 rushing yards over his last two games played and is providing QB2 value. He is fourth among all QBs in rushing yards. His ceiling is capped by his lack of success as a passer (he has five TD passes and five interceptions this season), but the rushing floor is solid. Nix is winning and playing with more and more confidence. He finished as a QB1 in Weeks 5 and 6.
Daniel Jones, New York Giants (15%)
Jones is trending down and in Superflex consideration only. Drew Lock came in during the second half — not sure if he is a potential threat or simply Brian Daboll throwing in the towel.
Gardner Minshew, Las Vegas Raiders (2%)
Minshew is back, and Aidan O’Connell will miss several weeks. Superflex consideration only.
Marcus Mariota, Washington Commanders (0%)
Mariota stepped in for the injured Jayden Daniels and performed very well. He finished with two TD passes and had 11 rushing attempts. If Daniels were to miss any time, Mariota would be a Superflex streamer.
Running Backs
Tyler Goodson, Indianapolis Colts (14%)
Goodson made our honorable mention list last week. He’s trending up, having passed Trey Sermon on the depth chart. There’s a lack of clarity on when Jonathan Taylor will return from injury.
Ray Davis, Buffalo Bills (26%)
Davis is back in the top five this week. He played through injury on Sunday, posting 11.7 PPR points, following a 152-yard breakout in Week 6. Even more promising, Davis remained involved despite James Cook being back and healthy. He is a no-brainer add with clear upside.
Kimani Vidal, Los Angeles Chargers (16%) (WRITING BEFORE MNF)
Vidal returns to our top-10 rankings. He has immense contingent upside if J.K. Dobbins were to miss time. Vidal caught a TD pass in Week 6.
Trey Benson, Arizona Cardinals (18%) (WRITING BEFORE MNF)
Benson would be the next man in if James Conner were to miss time. Emari Demercado would also see some work, but Benson would be the most like-for-like replacement. Conner is dealing with an ankle issue that caused him to miss some time (and return) in Week 6.
Blake Corum, Los Angeles Rams (16%)
Kyren Williams is an absolute machine, and any hope Corum managers had for a post-bye-week bump is long gone. However, if Williams were to miss time, Corum would be the next man in.
Sean Tucker, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (20%) (WRITING BEFORE MNF)
Tucker was terrific in Week 6, finishing with 192 yards and two TDs. The Bucs will attempt a hot-hand approach this week, with Tucker competing with Bucky Irving and Rachaad White for touches. This is a crowded situation but Tucker showed what he is capable of in this offense.
Justice Hill, Baltimore Ravens (19%) (WRITING BEFORE MNF)
The handcuff and sometimes handcuff plus behind Derrick Henry in Baltimore. Hill would be a significant FAAB addition if Henry were to miss time.
Dameon Pierce, Houston Texans (7%)
Pierce is simply a backup, but the Bobby Slowik offense has become increasingly Joe Mixon and run-centric. Rostering Mixon’s backup is not the worst idea if this is the new normal in games without Nico Collins.
Jaylen Wright, Miami Dolphins (8%)
Wright is an upside stash for if De’Von Achane or Raheem Mostert misses any time. Tua Tagovailoa‘s return will help everyone.
Emmanuel Wilson (8%)/MarShawn Lloyd Green Bay (5%), Green Bay Packers
Wilson would be the next man in if Josh Jacobs were to miss time — for right now. Lloyd will return sometime soon and could be a factor down the stretch.
Isaac Guerendo, San Francisco 49ers (19%)
Jordan Mason did not miss time, and Guerendo went right back to his role deep on the bench. He is simply a stash and a handcuff for Mason managers.
Kendre Miller, New Orleans Saints (4%)
Miller played well in New Orleans’ loss, rushing for 36 yards and seeing three targets. He offers contingent upside if Alvin Kamara were to miss time. His play was one of the only promising results from the Saints’ beatdown at the hands of Denver. Miller may have earned himself a larger role.
D’Ernest Johnson, Jacksonville Jaguars (8%)
Johnson had 12 touches and 70 combined yards in Week 7. Tank Bigsby dominated, but Johnson should also be rostered.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City (7%)
CEH will return next week. Kansas City needs functional skill players, and his experience could earn him a weekly role behind Kareem Hunt.
Keaton Mitchell, Baltimore Ravens (7%) (WRITING BEFORE MNF)
Mitchell is a lottery ticket stash if Derrick Henry were to miss time. Mitchell was very good last season albeit in a small sample size.
Wide Receiver
Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers (30%)
Jennings goes from a potential cut to a must-add this week. With Brandon Aiyuk suffering a torn ACL, Jennings and rookie Ricky Pearsall are highly valuable adds who will compete for targets.
Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco 49ers (13%)
Pearsall’s journey continues. A post-Senior Bowl/NFL Draft riser, he was a late first-round pick as a potential replacement for Deebo Samuel or Aiyuk. After recovering from a preseason injury, he played over 75% of the snaps on Sunday. With Samuel dealing with pneumonia and Jennings potentially out in Week 7, Pearsall is an easy top-10 add.
Troy Franklin, Denver Broncos (1%)
Franklin posted five catches for 50 yards on six targets in Week 7 — all season-highs. The chemistry with Bo Nix may finally be coming together.
Jacob Cowing, San Francisco 49ers (0%)
A contrarian option to Pearsall and Jennings. Cowing was highly productive at Arizona, and though he only had two catches for 50 yards this week, he’s a speculative add worth monitoring.
Cedric Tillman, Cleveland Browns (1%)
Tillman is a top-10 waiver option. He was a third-round pick in 2023 and stepped right into Amari Cooper‘s role this week. With 12 targets, eight catches, and 81 yards, Tillman showed he could slot in as the #2 target behind David Njoku.
Dontayvion Wicks, Green Bay Packers (27%)
Wicks earned his way back into our favor with a 3-48-1 performance on six targets in Week 7. He’s a solid deep-league add, though expectations have tempered since earlier in the season.
Jalen Tolbert, Dallas Cowboys (20%)
Tolbert had four catches for 53 yards in a loss to Detroit. After being dropped during Dallas’ bye, he’s a top-10 add this week. He posted 21.7 points in Week 5 and could bounce back post-bye.
Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens (11%) (WRITING BEFORE MNF)
Bateman is trending up, with his snap share approaching Zay Flowers’. He posted a season-high 71 yards in Week 6 and is worth rostering in deeper formats. He made our honorable mentions last week.
Michael Wilson, Arizona Cardinals (18%) (WRITING BEFORE MNF)
Wilson has posted at least nine PPR points in three of his last four games and scored Arizona’s only touchdown in Week 6.
Xavier Legette, Carolina Panthers (19%)
Legette is merely a stash at this point, as his target volume has decreased.
Mason Tipton (1%)/Bub Means (9%), New Orleans Saints
Tipton seems to be the Rashid Shaheed replacement, and Means showed flashes in Week 6. Neither is exciting, but one could emerge as a speculative add.
TuTu Atwell, Los Angeles Rams (10%)
Atwell has 19 targets and 12 catches over the past two games. With Cooper Kupp inactive and Jordan Whittington limited, Atwell has led the Rams in receiving yards and could continue to do so if Whittington’s injury lingers.
Jalen McMillan, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3%) (WRITING BEFORE MNF)
McMillan has caught the coaching staff’s attention, and they want more production from the Z receiver. If Mike Evans or Chris Godwin were to miss time, McMillan would become a priority add.
Jalen Nailor, Minnesota Vikings (10%)
A deep-league consideration, Nailor posted five targets, four catches, and 76 yards in Minnesota’s loss to Detroit. He’s one to monitor.
Tight Ends
Zach Ertz, Washington Commanders (30%)
Ertz finished with four catches for 40 yards and a TD. In Week 6, he had four catches for 68 yards. He has a locked-in role in Washington’s offense.
Ja’Tavion Sanders, Carolina Panthers (1%)
The trend is your friend. Sanders is trending up with three straight games on the fantasy radar screen. He has 11 catches for 110 yards over his last two games.
Noah Fant, Seattle Seahawks (30%)
Fant is showing promise. He has 60+ receiving yards in three out of his last five games. DK Metcalf‘s knee injury is not serious, but if it keeps him out this week, Fant could see a slight uptick.
Jonnu Smith, Miami Dolphins (4%)
Smith is the only working piece of the Dolphins’ receiving game. He has scored double-digit PPR points in back-to-back games, while Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are invisible. Absolutely bizarre.
Colby Parkinson, Los Angeles Rams (23%)
Parkinson is only a depth piece. His target total dropped severely post bye week.
Ben Sinnott, Washington Commanders (3%)
Sinnott finally saw action and caught a TD in Week 7. He would need an Ertz injury or demotion, but this is a step in the right direction.
Tyler Conklin, New York Jets (22%)
We are back to Tyler Conklining. If you are in desperate need of a low-ceiling TE, Conklin is your guy. He had four catches on seven targets … for only 10 receiving yards. But he did get a bailout TD.
Lucas Krull, Denver Broncos (0%)
Krull caught three passes for 41 yards. He’s a TE Premium speculation play to see if this role grows.
Post-Monday-Night-Football Top 10 Overall Additions (Players Rostered in 30% of Leagues or Fewer)
1. WR Jalen McMillan, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2. QB Drake Maye, New England Patriots
3. RB Ray Davis, Buffalo Bills
4. WR Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers
5. WR Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco 49ers
6. WR Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens
7. RB Tyler Goodson, Indianapolis Colts
8. WR Jalen Tolbert, Dallas Cowboys
9. WR Cedric Tillman, Cleveland Browns
T10. RB Kimani Vidal, Los Angeles Chargers
T10. RB Trey Benson, Arizona Cardinals
T10. RB Blake Corum, Los Angeles Rams
For more articles from PlayerProfiler, check out the fantasy home page – NFL Fantasy | PlayerProfiler – Fantasy Football News & Media