Week 8 is the biggest bye week of the 2025 NFL season, with six teams getting a break.
Given how many big names are set to miss, we would normally hope for a more fruitful list of waiver targets, but the pickings are a little slimmer than they were in Week 7.
Even so, there are some useful names, including some upside receivers who could fill a FLEX spot for one week.
As a reminder, recommended adds are available in at least 60% of ESPN leagues, and the watch list consists of players worth monitoring.
The deep cuts section for running backs and receivers highlights players who are rostered in fewer than 5% of ESPN leagues, for all you “not in my league” degens.
I will not list recommended FAAB percentages for every player because there is a much better resource for researching what you need to bid, thanks to our friends at FAABLab.
Finally, I will not be ranking kickers and defenses because, frankly, I don’t care about them and would like to see them disappear from the game.
With those caveats out of the way, let’s get to it.
Contents
Best Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups: Quarterback
- Jaxson Dart
- Joe Flacco
- Marcus Mariota
- Tyrod Taylor
Best Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups: Running Back
- Kyle Monangai
- Brashard Smith
- Bam Knight
- Tyjae Spears
- Isaiah Davis
- Bhayshul Tuten
Best Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups: Wide Receiver
- Tez Johnson
- Troy Franklin
- Jaylin Noel
- Alec Pierce
- Jayden Higgins
- Xavier Legette
- Christian Watson
- Elic Ayomanor
- Jack Bech
Best Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups: Tight Ends
- Oronde Gadsden
- Cade Otton
- Colston Loveland
- Mason Taylor
- Dalton Schultz
- Isaiah Likely
Quarterback Waiver Targets, Week 8
1. Jaxson Dart, Giants — Available in 56.7% of ESPN leagues
Dart is technically on too many rosters for this article, and I would assume he has long been added in competitive leagues. Still, it is wild that he is out there in well over half of ESPN leagues. Dart is the QB6 in points per game since taking over as the starter and the QB1 in rushing fantasy points per game. He only got 11 rushing yards against a Broncos defense that has shut down running quarterbacks this season, but he had at least 50 in his other three starts. Rushing floor and demonstrated upside. That is a QB1.
2. Joe Flacco, Bengals — Available in 95.1% of ESPN leagues
This is a bit point chase-y, but the Bengals have been one of the most pass-heavy teams in the league since Flacco took over as the starter. They are 7% over their expected pass rate over the last two games. The Jets rank decently against quarterbacks in terms of fantasy points allowed, but they have faced the 25th-most attempts per game. That should change with the Bengals leaning so heavily into the pass, especially if Tyrod Taylor can improve New York's offense. On a per attempt basis, the Jets are 21st in yards per attempt allowed and 27th in touchdown rate allowed. They also could be without Sauce Gardner, who suffered a concussion in Week 7.
3. Marcus Mariota, Commanders — Available in 98.2% of ESPN leagues
The Commanders left open the possibility of Jayden Daniels playing this week, so Mariota could just be a waste. He also plays on Monday night. If we knew Mariota was going to get the start, he would be ahead of Flacco. We've already gotten one stint with Mariota as a starter this season. He was the QB13 in points per game over those two weeks, but he was the QB2 in fantasy points scored per dropback. Bringing back a stat from that first Mariota run, he has played at least 30 snaps in 18 games since the start of the 2022 season. He has averaged 35 rushing yards in those games with 6 rushing scores. The matchup against the Chiefs is not ideal, but Kansas City has allowed rushing production to quarterbacks this season.
4. Tyrod Taylor, Jets — Available in 99.8% of ESPN leagues
Taylor has not officially been named the No. 1, but it would be surprising if he is not the starter on Sunday against the Bengals. Taylor has already started one game this season, finishing as the QB10 with nearly 5 fantasy points added with his legs. The Bengals have been a consistent target for us, allowing the ninth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks despite a lackluster schedule of opponents. Taylor would feel a lot safer if Garrett Wilson can return this week.
Watch List: It seems like Carson Wentz is going to get another start on Thursday night, and the Chargers were just shredded by Daniel Jones. There is a case for him, especially if the Chargers put the Vikings into a pass script…Aaron Rodgers was outstanding last Thursday, and the Packers defense has not been imposing in recent weeks. The concern would be a potentially slow pace given how both teams operate — Packers are 16th in plays per game and the Steelers are 30th…Spencer Rattler did get the touchdowns we wanted to see against the Bears. Unfortunately, he turned the ball over 4 times. Less than ideal…Andy Dalton could be pushed to throw more than the Panthers would usually want with the Bills coming to town, but Buffalo has not given up many big games this season…It remains to be seen if Mac Jones will get another start this week, and the matchup is not one to chase in Houston.
Running Back Waiver Targets, Week 8
1. Kyle Monangai, Bears — Available in 95.9% of ESPN leagues
My dream has finally come true. Well…kind of. Even after D'Andre Swift made some huge plays in Week 6, the Bears rolled out a true committee against the Saints. Monangai played just 4 fewer snaps overall, and the split was 22-14 for Swift in the first half. Monangai has the same number of touches as Swift in goal to go situations this season. The Bears have also leaned into the running game since the bye week, ranking 30th in neutral pass rate and passing at a rate 6% below expected. They play in a good division and have a rough schedule the rest of the way, so it is unclear if they can keep the game scripts where they need to be for Monangai to get consistent touches. Still, the worst case scenario is Monangai being a desperation FLEX option through the big bye weeks, and he has big contingency value if something happens to Swift.
2. Brashard Smith, Chiefs — Available in 97.3% of ESPN leagues
Someone will likely spend more than I want to on Smith this week because of his 14 carries against the Raiders. Looking deeper, only 3 of those carries came with Patrick Mahomes on the field. With Mahomes at quarterback, Smith played 14 snaps to 39 for Isiah Pacheco and 13 for Kareem Hunt. Those 13 for Hunt are relevant since he suffered an injury in the game. He was able to return, but he did not play much after he hurt his ankle. If Hunt is forced to miss time, Smith would immediately jump into the No. 2 role. More importantly from a ceiling perspective, we could see Smith carve out a passing game plus role for a good offense that will be one of the most pass-heavy in the league the rest of the way. That is a good option to keep stashed on the bench if he does not cost a ton in FAAB bidding this week.
Remember to check out FAABLab before you put in any bids!
3. Bam Knight, Cardinals — Available in 76.1% of ESPN leagues
I have more faith in Knight's role than the two guys above him, but the Cardinals are on bye this week, and Knight's overall upside is more questionable. Game script worked in Knight's favor against the Packers, and he played 33 snaps to 25 for Michael Carter, outtouching the backup 17 to 9. Can we trust that script to stay as positive over a pretty tough run of games the rest of the way? That is questionable, but at least the matchup against the Cowboys in Week 9 looks good.
4. Tyjae Spears, Titans — Available in 70.1% of ESPN leagues
Like with Tyler Allgeier, I will probably retire Spears from this list in the near future because he is almost certainly rostered where he should be. We also are not that excited about being attached to the Titans offense. Even so, he is going to get a solid number of touches every week, making him a desperation FLEX option, and he has the upside to take over Tennessee's backfield at some point this season.
5. Isaiah Davis, Jets — Available in 95.9% of ESPN leagues
Breece Hall is allegedly fine despite suffering what looked like a nasty ankle injury in the first half on Sunday. Still, it is a good reminder that Davis is the only healthy back of note behind Hall. Davis is also a good receiver, which should come in handy as the Jets trail for most of the rest of the season.
6. Bhayshul Tuten, Jaguars — Available in 72.8% of ESPN leagues
It was only 5 carries, but Tuten did set a season high with 38.5% of the running back carries. His 21 snaps and 13 routes were also season highs. Travis Etienne has been struggling, so it is not wild to think the Jaguars eye a workload change during the bye week. Tuten is a stash for those with the bench space.
Watch List: Long may Christian McCaffrey stay healthy, but Brian Robinson Jr. is the handcuff…Will Shipley and Tank Bigsby handled the backup duties behind Saquon Barkley in Week 7, with Shipley playing a handful more snaps…Hassan Haskins took a clear backseat to Kimani Vidal in Week 7, playing half the snaps and seeing just 3 touches…5 of Jaydon Blue‘s 7 carries came in the fourth quarter of an easy win for the Cowboys, but he is at least confirmed as the clear No. 2 in Dallas right now…Blake Corum remains a good handcuff. Not sure what else to say about him. Same story for Ray Davis…It looks like Emanuel Wilson is the name to know behind Josh Jacobs…Sean Tucker played just 6 snaps in Week 7.
Deep Cuts: Chris Rodriguez Jr. got the late touchdown, but Jeremy McNichols is playing the bigger role behind Bill Croskey–Merritt…I still think DJ Giddens would be the play if something happened to Jonathan Taylor, but Ameer Abdullah is getting the run right now…The Bengals' backfield makeover was put on hold with Chase Brown having another efficient day, but Samaje Perine and Tahj Brooks are still there…With Kendre Miller out for the season, Devin Neal should take over as the Alvin Kamara handcuff.
Wide Receiver Waiver Targets, Week 8
1. Tez Johnson, Bucs — Available in 83.6% of ESPN leagues
Mike Evans is set to miss even more time, and Chris Godwin‘s health remains up in the air. That leaves open a role for Johnson, who earned 9 targets and caught 4 passes for 58 yards and a great touchdown on Monday night. Emeka Egbuka will dominate the targets as he gets back to full health, but there is a role here for Johnson, who looks like the real deal.
2. Troy Franklin, Broncos — Available in 71% of ESPN leagues
Understandably, people have dropped Franklin, and him catching a tipped touchdown pass against the Giants should not change his future projections. He is still running a route on around 75% of Denver's dropbacks, though, and they get the Cowboys this week. I view him more as a one-week option than a long-term add.
3. Jaylin Noel, Texans — Available in 99.7% of ESPN leagues
Higgins might end up being a better start this week if Nico Collins sits out, but Noel appears to have a cleaner path to long-term playing time for the Texans. We don't know how long Christian Kirk will be out after he injured his hamstring again in practice last week. Noel also stepped up in a tough spot on Monday night, catching 4 of his 7 targets for 77 yards. This is pure projection since he ran the same number of routes as Braxton Berrios (what are we doing, Houston?), but Noel could prove to be a weapon for a team that really needs one.
4. Alec Pierce, Colts — Available in 96.9% of ESPN leagues
I did not make a strong case for Pierce last week because I did not particularly like the matchup, but he produced a 5 for 98 line while leading the team with 10 targets. I am not sure that target share will come for him again, especially if the Colts get healthier at receiver, but the matchup is nice this week against the Titans, who he got for 67 yards back in Week 3.
5. Jayden Higgins, Texans — Available in 79.5% of ESPN leagues
Higgins is a bigger swing than Franklin or Pierce if looking at one-week types because we just don't know what his role will be, and the matchup is not great against the 49ers. The Texans offense also looks completely lost. That said, he is the like-for-like replacement for Nico Collins if Collins is forced to sit. We also have more long-term upside if the Texans decide to finally feature their rookies, though his overlap with Collins will be a concern as long as the No. 1 receiver is healthy.
6. Xavier Legette, Panthers — Available in 76.2% of ESPN leagues
Kayshon Boutte made me pay last week when I doubted him — though his underlying numbers still were not great, he just caught a long touchdown — so let's at least include Legette this week coming off his big game. The question is whether this was one good game or if something has changed for Legette. I lean more toward the former since Tetairoa McMillan remains the clear No. 1, Legette had already been running a lot of routes and just not drawing targets, and we still have Jalen Coker making his way back. The quarterback change could shake things up, but Legette did not have a target spike with Andy Dalton last season. On the pro side for Legette, he has dominated end zone targets this season, getting 6 in just five games.
7. Christian Watson, Packers — Available in 91.8% of ESPN leagues
The Packers need help at receiver, and Watson is getting very close to a return. He is worth a stash to see how things shake out once he gets back in the lineup.
8. Elic Ayomanor, Titans — Available in 73.6% of ESPN leagues
Chimere Dike had the big game and is definitely someone I want to look at in deeper leagues, but Ayomanor remains the more interesting name after he was on the field for nearly every dropback in Week 7. Will this offense be good enough for that to matter? I don't know, but he is the swing I am taking in the Titans passing game. To be fair, the answer might actually be Van Jefferson, but that is way less fun.
9. Jack Bech, Raiders — Available in 96.3% of ESPN leagues
It was in an awful performance for the entire offense, but Bech ran a route on 80% of the dropbacks in Week 7. That was without Jakobi Meyers, but he has been trending up for several weeks. We could also see Meyers moved before the trade deadline. Brock Bowers should be back after the bye, and he will be the No. 1 option in the passing game when healthy. Still, there could be room for Bech, making him a stash.
Watch List: I don't know when Darius Slayton will return, but I will be interested given how Jaxson Dart is playing…Jaylen Waddle appeared to suffer an injury late against the Browns. We have not heard anything about it, but Malik Washington would immediately be a pickup if Waddle is actually hurt or if he is traded…Marvin Mims is coming off a great game and gets a great matchup, but route participation remains a concern for him…Jalen Coker ran just 17 routes in his return, but I would expect him to become more involved, especially if the Panthers are pushed to throw…We will see what happens with Deebo Samuel and Terry McLaurin, but it is worth noting that Chris Moore led the receivers in routes in Week 7. Jaylin Lane was second and had the most targets. Robbie Chosen came in third just ahead of Luke McCaffrey…We did not get the Luther Burden expansion in Week 7. He finished with just 9 routes.
Deep Cuts: As mentioned above, Chimere Dike had the big game, but the more interesting thing is he has run a route on two-thirds of the dropbacks the last two weeks…The Isaiah Bond dream appears to be dead with Jamari Thrash getting a big bump in routes…It did not amount to a ton, but the Steelers did get Roman Wilson more involved in Week 7. That said, Calvin Austin could return this week…Tory Horton remains exciting, but there just are not enough targets to go around in Seattle…Josh Reynolds was the clear No. 1 option in New York with Garrett Wilson sidelined, and Arian Smith ran a route on 93.2% of dropbacks. Wilson could be back this week, though…Xavier Hutchinson will play a lot regardless of Nico Collins' health, but he does not consistently earn targets.
Tight End Waiver Targets, Week 8
1. Oronde Gadsden, Chargers — Available in 97.9% of ESPN leagues
We have written about Gadsden's increasing usage for a few weeks, so there is no reason to belabor things here after his breakout. The one area of concern is target competition. He saw 9 targets in Week 7, but that was “only” a 16.7% target share. The good news is we can project the Chargers to remain pass-heavy the rest of the way.
2. Cade Otton, Bucs — Available in 70.2% of ESPN leagues
With Mike Evans leaving early and Emeka Egbuka working through his hamstring injury, Otton was as primary target on Monday night, turning 9 targets into 7 catches for 65 yards. We have seen this in the past from Otton when the Bucs deal with receiver injuries, and Evans is set to miss even more time with a broken collarbone.
3. Colston Loveland, Bears — Available in 74.4% of ESPN leagues
Cole Kmet‘s injury opens the door for Loveland to become more of a full-time player in Chicago's offense. He had a season-high 63% route rate against the Saints, and he was targeted on 23.5% of his routes. The Ravens should be healthier this week, but the matchup remains a good one, especially if Lamar Jackson returns and can push the Bears to throw.
4. Mason Taylor, Jets — Available in 72% of ESPN leagues
Taylor probably should be higher, especially if Tyrod Taylor takes over at quarterback, because this is a great matchup against a Bengals defense that just gave up 4 total touchdowns to Steelers tight ends. The New York passing game requires a leap of faith, though.
5. Dalton Schultz, Texans — Available in 82.1% of ESPN leagues
Schultz had a good game on Monday night since him leaking out on a bootleg was one of Houston's only successful play concepts. This week, he gets a suddenly less scary matchup against the Fred Warner-less 49ers, and the Texans could be without Nico Collins. That puts him on the streaming radar.
6. Isaiah Likely, Ravens — Available in 95.1% of ESPN leagues
Unlike the other guys on this list, Likely is a pure stash even if Lamar Jackson returns this week. We just don't know how the Ravens will use him and how often they will deploy 2TE sets once Jackson is back in the lineup. He is a stash, however, because he ran a route on 87.2% of Baltimore dropbacks ahead of the bye week.
Watch List: Theo Johnson is going to be a streaming option in good matchups, and it is possible he should just be a long-term add at this point. The concern for this week is the matchup with the Eagles, who have allowed just 1 touchdown to tight ends this season. Johnson caught 2 for 27 yards against them in Week 6…Chig Okonkwo continues to lose routes to Gunnar Helm, which is a real concern in Tennessee's struggling offense…Noah Fant delivered in a great spot last week, but the matchup is not as good against the Jets. The Bengals could also get Tanner Hudson back this week…The Steelers tight ends had big games last week, but they will likely continue to be hit and miss…A.J. Barner carries weekly touchdown upside, which keeps him in the mix.