Week 8 Waiver Wire – NFL Fantasy Football – 2025

DFS Army’s Gthom goes over the waiver wire targets for this week. These waiver wire targets are normally available in 50-percent of ESPN leagues.

Follow Gthom on the cesspool they call X: @GarettThomas.

 

 

QUARTERBACKS

 

Jaxson Dart (NYG) – 43% Rostered

This kid truly feels for real. Running up against the No. 1 defense in the NFL on the road, Dart delivered his best fantasy performance of the season. He finished 13-of-33 for 283 passing yards and three passing touchdowns, while also adding five carries for 11 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown, totaling 28.4 fantasy points. This was his second consecutive week with more than 23 fantasy points, and he has entered must-start territory for all league formats.

His next game will be a road tilt against the Eagles. In Week 6, while facing the Eagles at home, Dart finished with 202 passing yards and two touchdowns, two interceptions, and a 65 percent completion rate, along with seven carries for 55 rushing yards and one fumble lost. Dart’s lethal arm and ability to run with the football keep him squarely in play for managers in Week 8.

This is the last week to grab Dart off waivers and he carries league-winning potential.

Michael Penix Jr. (ATL) – 17% Rostered

Penix profiles much better when he is starting his contest at home. Not only does the offense average more points per game, but the Atlanta defense also allows more points, which can lead to shootout environments and fantasy extravaganzas.

This home matchup does not get any better. He will face the Miami Dolphins, who are allowing 20.4 fantasy points per game to opposing signal-callers, the fourth-worst in the league.

The second-year quarterback has not looked great at times this season. He is averaging 13.6 fantasy points per game overall, which increases to 19.1 fantasy points per game at home.

Joe Flacco (CIN) – 5% Rostered

The former Super Bowl-winning quarterback turned back the dial in Week 7 against the Steelers. He finished 31 of 47 for 342 passing yards and three passing touchdowns. This was his first game as a Cincinnati Bengal and his performance generated excitement about the future of this season.

Flacco is in play against the New York Jets this week as well. This season, the Jets are allowing opposing quarterbacks to average 18 fantasy points per game. That is a middling amount. One factor that could help Flacco and the passing attack is Sauce Gardner, one of the top NFL cornerbacks on the Jets, left Week 7 with a concussion, putting his availability in doubt. If Gardner misses, it improves the Bengals’ chances of success through the air.

Flacco is a QB2 option with upside in Week 8 as he faces the Jets at home.

Low-End Streaming Options at Quarterback

1. Tyrod Taylor (NYJ) @ Cincinnati Bengals
2. Aaron Rodgers (PIT) vs Green Bay Packers
3. Spencer Rattler (NO) vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

 

 

RUNNING BACKS

 

Kyle Monangai (CHI) – 4% Rostered

In Week 7, Monangai logged season highs in rushing touchdowns, carries, rushing yards, yards per carry, and receptions. He finished with 13 carries for 81 rushing yards and one touchdown on the ground, along with two catches for 13 yards through the air, totaling 17.4 PPR points — also a season high. While this is an encouraging stat line it does not mean he will remain fantasy relevant each week.

Monangai will never have this backfield fully to himself, so managers should not overspend or waste priority waiver positions. That said, he is clearly gaining the trust of his head coach. The best-case scenario for Monangai is being the 1-B option, with Swift likely remaining the 1-A. The rookie running back would become a weekly RB2 option in any instance where Swift is absent from the lineup.

His Week 8 matchup against the Ravens is not ideal either. Yes, the matchup looks great on paper because the Ravens allow 29.6 PPR points to opposing running backs. The issue is that Chicago is a seven-point road underdog, and that does not bode well for running backs splitting backfield work. Add Monangai and stash him to potentially play against the Bengals in Week 9.

Brashard Smith (KC) – 3% Rostered

Was it blowout usage, or did Smith truly enter the fantasy conversation in Week 7? It is hard to fully understand this Kansas City backfield, which makes Smith worth a stash.

Against the Raiders, Smith had career highs in snaps, carries, rushing yards, receptions and receiving yards. His final line was 14 carries for 39 yards on the ground and five catches for 42 yards through the air.

While starting running back Isaiah Pacheco saw his usual workload, Kareem Hunt experienced his third consecutive week of reduced usage. Hunt also set a season low in snap participation. It is worth noting that Hunt briefly exited the game with an injury but returned quickly.

This all bodes well for Smith, but the team blowing out the Raiders clearly altered the dynamics of the offense during the game. Even in “best-case scenarios,” Smith still trails Pacheco on the depth chart. In that role, Smith becomes a player to consider for fantasy purposes.

Smith is a top waiver addition for managers looking to stash a running back with potential future upside.

Zonovan “Bam” Knight (ARI) – 24% Rostered

Knight led his team’s backfield in total touches for the second week in a row. This time, he took 14 carries for 57 yards and added three catches for seven yards as a receiver. His 9.4 PPR points were not particularly helpful, but his workload was very encouraging.

The third-year back will head into his bye week but has a juicy matchup in Week 9 when he and the Cardinals return. They will travel to play the Dallas Cowboys, who have not been good at stopping running backs. This season, they are allowing 27.9 PPR points to the position, which ranks as fourth-worst in the NFL.

Running Backs with Low-End FLEX Usage

1. Kyle Monangai (CHI) – 4% Rostered
2. Tyler Allgeier (ATL) – 46% Rostered
3. Tyjae Spears (TEN) – 30% Rostered
4. Tyrone Tracy Jr. (NYG) – 44% Rostered

Deep League Running Backs or Stash Only Candidates

1. Brashard Smith (KC) – 3% Rostered
2. Michael Carter (ARI) – 54% Rostered
3. Kareem Hunt (KC) – 33% Rostered
4. Blake Corum (LAR) – 10% Rostered
5. Chris Rodriguez Jr. (WAS) – 1% Rostered
6. Jerome Ford (CLE) – 24% Rostered
7. Brian Robinson Jr. (SF) – 28% Rostered
8. Justice Hill (BAL) – 9% Rostered
9. Jeremy McNichols (WAS) – 4% Rostered
10. Devin Neal (NO) – 0% Rostered

 

 

WIDE RECEIVERS

 

Darnell Mooney (ATL) – 42% Rostered

After struggling with the injury bug for most of the start of this season, Mooney seems like he may be fully healthy and ready to contribute. Against the 49ers, he finished with three catches for 68 yards on five targets, which turned into 9.8 PPR points — a season high.

While he has been slow to start the season, Mooney was a 12.1 FPPG player in PPR formats a season ago. Additionally, he had ceiling weeks of 31.5 and 20.2 in 2024. Fantasy managers are hoping they can capture some of 2024’s success with what is left in the 2025 season. He has a PPR average of 6.2 fantasy points this season, and that number should continue to climb.

Mooney and the Falcons will face off against the Miami Dolphins, who are notoriously bad on defense. Additionally, this game being played at home is a huge boost to all things fantasy-related for the Falcons. They have played much stronger at home this season for fantasy purposes.

Kayshon Boutte (NE) – 27% Rostered

Playing Boutte as a fantasy manager requires understanding that his team’s passing attack is spread out among all the pass catchers. This makes Boutte’s usage unpredictable, but over the last two weeks he has scored 13 or more PPR points — helpful flex production.

The unique aspect of Boutte is that he can hit his ceiling in any given week. He already did so in Week 1 and Week 6. It also helps that he has one of the best developing young quarterbacks throwing to him.

While he has played well of late, a dose of caution may be needed against the Browns in Week 8. Cleveland ranks as the No. 10 toughest defense against opposing receivers and allows 31 PPR points to the position per contest.

Boutte once again profiles as a boom-or-bust receiver who will face a tough matchup.

Josh Downs (IND) – 45% Rostered

After a slow start to the season Downs has come on nicely over his last two games. In Week 5, he caught six passes for 54 yards on eight targets, and in Week 6, he followed that with six catches for 42 yards and one touchdown on seven targets.

Downs was unable to suit up in Week 7 due to a lingering concussion. He missed all practices leading up to his game against the Chargers which puts doubt in his availability in Week 8. If he plays, Downs will be a WR3/flex asset in a exploitable matchup against the Tennessee Titans.

He should be used exclusively in PPR formats due to his low yardage totals and low touchdown rate.

Darius Slayton (NYG) – 14% Rostered

Slayton has been recovering from a hamstring injury, but he should be on the fantasy radar for managers looking for receiver help. Slayton became an interesting depth piece after Malik Nabers (NYG) was injured for the rest of the season. An additional boost of interest has been garnered due to his rookie quarterback playing well enough to keep the fantasy assets afloat in New York.

Slayton got a game and a half in with Dart under center as the starter. In that time, Slayton logged six catches for 75 scoreless yards. His 5.3 PPR points per game is far from desirable, but in 2023 the veteran receiver finished the final three weeks of the season with 18.0, 20.6 and 17.2 PPR points. While those finishes probably won’t happen consistently, they show the value Slayton can bring to fantasy managers.

We have yet to see Slayton get adequate action with Dart, and managers should be stashing him in case there is something to be had here.

Alec Pierce (IND) – 3% Rostered

With Josh Downs out, Pierce’s role increased in his offense. He turned 10 targets into five catches for 98 yards and 14.8 fantasy points.

Pierce will enter the fantasy conversation again if teammate Josh Downs is out in Week 8. Downs missed all of practice leading into Week 7 due to a concussion, which warrants Pierce being in the mix for waiver-wire receivers.

He will profile as a WR3/flex player with upside against the Titans, assuming Downs is out. Pierce will be off the fantasy radar if Downs is able to suit up.

Troy Franklin (DEN) – 29% Rostered

Franklin continues to receive flex-worthy usage and is widely available throughout fantasy leagues. The rookie has only reached double-digit PPR points when he has scored a touchdown, but his Week 8 matchup can’t be ignored. The Broncos will play host to the Dallas Cowboys, who have been one of the worst defenses against opposing wide receivers. Franklin will be an enticing streaming option for managers in 12-team formats or deeper.

Marvin Mims Jr. (DEN) – 20% Rostered

It seems like Mims is a revolving door of low fantasy finishes or flex-worthy performances. Through seven games, he has three weeks of 10.4 or more PPR points and four weeks of 4.8 or fewer. Not ideal, but his matchup puts him firmly in play as a flex option in Week 8.

The Broncos will face Dallas’ infamously porous defense. Only the Colts allow more fantasy points to opposing wide receivers than the Cowboys. Dallas is allowing 41.4 PPR points per contest.

Jalen Coker (CAR) – 12%  Rostered

Coker played his first game of 2025 and was held without a catch on two targets. He will likely need more time to get fully acclimated to the offense. Fantasy managers hope Coker can reproduce some of the big games he delivered in 2024, when he had three outings of 14 or more PPR points and ceiling weeks of 17.8 and 21.0.

Where Coker has performed well, there are usually two or three poor games mixed in as well. He should be considered matchup dependent and saved for PPR league formats.

Xavier Legette (CAR) – 24% Rostered

Legette finished with nine catches for 92 yards and one touchdown on 11 targets, a stat line that will always grab the attention of the fantasy industry. Was Legette finally able to get something going, or did the Panthers simply focus on other receivers since the Jets’ Sauce Gardner was tasked with locking down Tet McMillan? I lean toward the latter, and so should you.

Legette should only be considered in deep leagues at this time. He has not demonstrated the ability to be a consistent fantasy asset for managers.

It’s worth noting that his quarterback, Bryce Young, left Week 7’s contest with an injury, and his status for Week 8 should be monitored. If he misses, backup Andy Dalton is equipped with enough talent to feed a pass catcher or two for Carolina.

Christian Watson (GB) – 8% Rostered

The boom-or-bust profile of Watson remains intriguing in 2025. The receiver has averaged 16.9 yards per catch across his career. Before losing his 2024 season to injury, he was averaging a career-best 21.4 yards per catch. Watson had his practice window opened on Oct. 6, giving him 21 days to become activated. He is a stash candidate for wide receiver-needy managers heading into the bulk of bye weeks.

Chimere Dike (TEN) – 1% Rostered

Dike enters, and likely exits, the fantasy conversation in Week 8. Against the Patriots in Week 7, he had four catches for 70 yards and one touchdown, totaling 16.9 PPR points. Unfortunately, the Titans’ offense is a weekly turd-fest, making their fantasy players unpredictable and volatile.

The rookie played 57 percent of snaps with Calvin Ridley out, which was third among all Titans receivers. While his teammates Elic Ayomanor and Van Jefferson logged more snaps than Dike for the second consecutive week, Dike received the premium targets. Ayomanor and Jefferson are likely “safer” plays, but Dike may finally be getting his season moving in the right direction.

Dike is a dart-throw fantasy player against the Colts in Week 8 if Ridley remains out. If Ridley is able to start, Dike should be off rosters. All fantasy assets from the Titans cannot be trusted as it currently stands, so proceed with caution with any Tennessee player you start.

 

 

TIGHT ENDS

 

Oronde Gadsden (LAC) – 2% Rostered

He has seen seven or more targets in three of five games he has suited up. He has also seen eight or more targets in consecutive weeks, and his fantasy production has come with it. In Week 6, he caught seven passes for 66 yards against the Dolphins. He followed that up in Week 7 with seven catches for 164 yards and one touchdown.

Tight end production like this can turn into a premium player if Gadsden can continue putting up these target numbers. His next game is against the Vikings, who are the 12th toughest defenses against opposing tight ends.

Gadsden should be plugged into lineups that need tight end production immediately. He has two good consecutive games, so we have yet to see what regression looks like and how often it will hit. The upside with Gadsden is that you may find a weekly TE1 by season’s end, but he has to play well against the Vikings in Week 8 first.

Theo Johnson (NYG) – 12% Rostered

Johnson is tied to a quarterback who is flashing elite arm talent, and fantasy managers should want to be a part of that. In Week 7, Johnson caught three passes for 66 yards and one touchdown, totaling 15.6 PPR points. In addition to that solid finish, in Week 5 he hit his ceiling with 21.3 PPR points.

Looking at his fantasy production over the last four weeks, it is clearly tied to emerging rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart. This highlights Johnson as one of Dart’s most trusted pass catchers, which has drawn the attention of the fantasy industry.

While Johnson feels like a strong rest-of-season addition, he faces an uphill battle against the Eagles in Week 8. He faced this team in Week 6 and was held to two catches for 27 yards on four targets—his worst game with Dart under center. The Eagles also allow eight points per game to opposing tight ends, the fourth-fewest in the NFL.

A.J. Barner (SEA) – 13% Rostered

Barner will play in Week 7 on Monday Night Football (which will take place after this article is written), but he should be a player to add for all tight end–needy managers. He has scored four touchdowns and finished with double-digit PPR point totals in four of six games. Normally, touchdowns are not something to chase, but with tight ends, that tendency can be ignored given the positional norms.

The main drawback is that Barner will not play in Week 8 due to a bye, but he will return to action against the Commanders in Week 9. The fact he is only on 13 percent of rosters is very surprising.

 

 

DEFENSES TO STREAM

 

1. Bills D/ST @ Carolina Panthers
2. Browns D/ST @ New England Patriots
3. Buccaneers D/ST @ New Orlean Saints
4. Chargers D/ST vs Minnesota Vikings