Carlos Hyde is the clear No. 1 in our list of the top Week 8 fantasy waiver wire pickups and free agent adds, but a surprising number of worthwhile RBs (La’Mical Perine, Gus Edwards, Wayne Gallman, JaMycal Hasty/Tevin Coleman, Joshua Kelley, Malcolm Brown) aren’t far behind. There are also plenty of intriguing receivers (Cole Beasley, Josh Reynolds, Brandon Aiyuk, Nelson Agholor, Sterling Shepard) who will be filling WR3 slots for fantasy football owners this week and possibly weeks to come. Many (most?) won’t require a waiver claim, though, so expect the free agent wire to be busy after waivers clear around 4-5 a.m. ET on Wednesday morning in Yahoo and ESPN leagues.
Our full free agent list includes several more WR3 types (Rashard Higgins, Greg Ward Jr., Marquez Callaway, Corey Davis, Tim Patrick), as well as some potential starting TEs (Dallas Goedert, Harrison Bryant) and a ton of Week 8 streaming possibilities at quarterback, wide receiver, tight end, and defense, which you can find at the end of this list. You can also find kicker replacements with the help of our Week 8 kicker rankings.
WEEK 8 FANTASY: Full waiver list | RB Handcuff Chart
Hyde will require a high waiver claim, and it’s possible some of the other RBs — notably Perine, who likely has the best long-term outlook — will also require one depending on how badly teams in your league need a running back this week. If you don’t need a back, it’s probably best to stay out of the fray and improve your waiver position.
The same is true at wide receiver, where several players, such as Beasley, Shepard, Aiyuk, and Agholor, will likely garner mid-to-low claims, but there are enough similar pass-catchers that you probably don’t need to use a claim unless you really like someone or you’re desperate at the position this week. Goedert could be worth a claim if we know he’ll be back this week, but if there are no updates on his status, you can probably let him pass through waivers, too.
WEEK 8 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Top fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 8
Unless otherwise noted, only players owned in fewer than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues considered.
Carlos Hyde, RB, Seahawks. Chris Carson is reportedly “week-to-week” with a foot injury, meaning Hyde will take over as Seattle’s primary back for at least a couple weeks. He totaled 18 touches, 76 yards, and a TD in relief of Carson on Sunday night, and he’ll likely see similar workloads going forward. He’ll have RB2 value against the 49ers in Week 8 and Bills in Week 9.
Josh Reynolds, WR, Rams. Reynolds led the Rams in targets (8) and receiving yards (52) in Week 8, and he scored for the second straight game. It’s tough to get too excited about him with so many (higher-paid) mouths to feed in L.A., but it’s clear he’s a big part of the offense, playing at least 72 percent of the offensive snaps in four of the past five contests. Reynolds is worth having on your bench and can function as a bye-week fill-in at WR3 or flex next week (@ Dolphins) and Week 10 (vs. Rams).
WEEK 8 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Malcolm Brown, RB, Rams. The Rams RB situation continues to frustrate fantasy owners, as every time it looks like Darrell Henderson is running away with the job, Browns pops up and gets key touches. On Monday, he had five fewer carries than Henderson (15 to 10) but was more effective, running for 57 yards (compared to Henderson’s 64) and scoring the Rams lone rushing touchdown. Brown plays virtually the same amount of snaps as Henderson every week, and he will continue to have games where he produces RB2/flex-worthy numbers. He should be owned in more than 21 percent of Yahoo leagues, as he would have major value if Henderson gets hurt. Brown can function as a flex next week against a Dolphins run defense allowing over 124 yards per game.
WEEK 8 FANTASY: Full waiver list | Buy-low, Sell-high
Darnell Mooney, WR, Bears. Mooney led the Bears in targets (7) on Monday night and has consistently played as many or more snaps than Anthony Miller this year. With Allen Robinson leaving the game late after a hard hit/blow to the head, it’s possible Mooney sees a much bigger role in Week 8 in a highly favorable matchup against New Orleans. Mooney will have WR3 upside in that game and in the games after that (@ Titans, vs. Vikings). He’s not worth a waiver claim, but he should be a priority free agent pickup.
Gus Edwards, RB, Ravens. Edwards is in line to start against the Steelers this week if Mark Ingram (ankle) can’t go, which wouldn’t be a surprise given the negative reports coming out of Baltimore before the Ravens bye. Even if Ingram is healthy, Edwards has been functioning as a co-No. 1, and he’s always a threat to steal a touchdown. Pittsburgh isn’t a great matchup for any back, but if Edwards is starting, he’s worth picking up and using as a flex.
For additional waiver/free agent suggestions, including more potential starting RBs like La’Mical Perine and Wayne Gallman, breakout WRs like Brandon Aiyuk and Rashard Higgins, and TE sleepers like Dallas Goedert and Harrison Bryant, check out our full Week 8 list.