As we quickly approach Week 7 of the 2022 NFL season, depth has become a lost concept for countless fantasy football owners. Between injuries, high-profile teams on bye, and surprise benchings, this has been one of the more unpredictable stretches in recent memory. That's why it's important to be smart with late-week free-agent pickups who can help you save valuable waiver claims and FAAB cash. Our Week 8 waiver wire watchlist, which features under-the-radar sleepers like Kyren Williams, Odell Beckham Jr., and Juwan Johnson, can help you spot those potential streamers and stashes ahead of your league-mates.
We have hammered home the point all season: make the most of every last roster spot and you will be handsomely rewarded down the line. Those who stashed Geno Smith, Dameon Pierce, Kenneth Walker III, Alec Pierce, and even Taysom Hill earlier in the season have enjoyed week-winning production throughout the first seven weeks.
Maybe you just freed up a spot because one of your players became IR-eligible (Godspeed, Hollywood Brown); maybe you recently dropped a couple of fringe veterans (hasta la vista, Julio Jones). Use that open space to invest in a potential lotto ticket — a player who you expect to see a usage spike, breakout opportunity, or return from injury. It's also important to monitor upcoming bye weeks and grab a guy you can stream in place of your bye-week studs. I can't tell you how many times I've won matchups because I grabbed the best waiver-wire defense before anyone else was thinking about it
WEEK 7 FANTASY PICKS: Sleepers | Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em
We've hit on a ton of hot pickups throughout the season, including Rondale Moore, Deon Jackson, Wan'Dale Robinson, and Greg Dulcich just last week. In this hobby/industry, there is no such thing as knowing too much or thinking too far ahead.
Some shallower leagues don't feature enough roster spots to take advantage of "planning ahead," but for those in relatively deep leagues, our week-ahead watchlist will continue to be a helpful resource. Even though you won't pick up most of these players, it's worth watching their snap counts and target shares to file away for later.
Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Watchlist
Reminder: This list was put together in the lead-in to Week 7, looking forward to the players who could be popular waiver-wire targets ahead of Week 8. If you have a roster spot to play with, these are free-agent options you could grab early to beat the waiver buzz.
All these players are below 50-percent ownership on Yahoo unless otherwise specified.
Week 8 Waiver Wire Watchlist: QB
WEEK 8 BYES: Chiefs, Chargers
Matt Ryan, Colts (53 percent rostered)
Ryan basically sweeps my fantasy columns this week, as he and his pass-catchers finally got into a groove last week. Michael Pittman Jr. is a stud, and rookie Alec Pierce has quickly fallen into Matty Ice's favor. With reigning rush champ Jonathan Taylor likely to return from his ankle injury this week, Ryan could start seeing much less pocket pressure. Indy faces Tennessee's young, sometimes-erratic secondary in Week 7, and a good game could skyrocket his ownership levels from 53 percent to closer to 75 percent. The Colts' Week 8 opponent is the Commanders, who have surrendered nine passing TDs (tied for sixth most in the NFL). Those rostering Patrick Mahomes or Justin Herbert with no backup should consider acting now and picking up the Iceman.
Daniel Jones, Giants (37%)
Look, we know it's not a sexy pick — hell, the man looks like a UPS delivery driver -- and nobody picks up Jones for a high-ceiling play. But his plus-matchup floor is about as good as it gets, and Brian Daboll has turned him into a serviceable QB both in real life and fantasy land. Jones faces a surprisingly good Jaguars defense this week, but he draws a porous Seahawks defense next week. Seattle has allowed the fifth-most passing yards (256.6 per game) and eighth-most fantasy points (20.9) to signal-callers this season. You might even have a couple of Giants pass-catchers to stream-stack him with (stay tuned!).
POTENTIAL WEEK 8 STREAMERS WITH FAVORABLE MATCHUPS: Marcus Mariota, Falcons vs. Panthers (28%); Jameis Winston/Andy Dalton, Saints vs. Raiders (22%/3%); Davis Mills, Texans vs. Titans (6%)
WEEK 7 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Week 8 Waiver Wire Watchlist: RB
WEEK 8 BYES: Chiefs, Chargers
Kenyan Drake, Ravens (47 percent rostered)
Invasion of the veterans! Journeyman Drake took over the ailing JK Dobbins (knee) last week, and he passed the pop quiz test with flying colors. He put up 127 scrimmage yards and a TD against a good Giants defense! With Dobbins and Justice Hill (hamstring) constantly banged up and Gus Edwards still not back from ACL rehab, Drake makes a ton of sense as a stash who could pay off fruitfully later. Baltimore doesn't have the greatest of matchups after this week's divisional tilt with Cleveland (@ Bucs, @ Saints), but the Ravens' top RB will always have a decent floor.
D'Onta Foreman (6%) and Chuba Hubbard (4%), Panthers
We have heard plenty of rumblings about Christian McCaffrey getting traded from Carolina "for the right price," and such a deal would be just as beneficial for Foreman and Hubbard as it would be for CMC. Foreman had a low-key good season filling in for the injured Derrick Henry in Tennessee last year, and he averaged 4.3 yards per carry in both 2020 and '21. Hubbard wasn't great filling in for McCaffrey last year, but he still has a balanced skill set. The Panthers are a dumpster fire with an interim head coach and a banged-up QB room, but both of these guys would serve as viable flex streams if they're starting. From Weeks 8 through 10, Carolina draws beatable defenses: Atlanta twice and Cincinnati once.
Kyren Williams, Rams (18%)
The Cam Akers situation in Los Angeles just gets more and more bizarre. Clearly, the man has issues with the Rams, and clearly, he will be gone by the deadline. That could result in plenty of opportunity for the rookie Williams, who looks poised to return soon from an ankle injury sustained in Week 1. Beat writer Jordan Rodrigue even speculated this week that Williams will have a "big role" when he's active. Even if Darrell Henderson retains the RB1 job, the top handcuff for the Super Bowl champs seems like a good RB to roster. Of course, if Christian McCaffrey lands with the Rams, all that could be thrown out the window.
MORE POTENTIAL RB PICKUPS: Latavius Murray, Broncos (37%); Tyler Allgeier, Falcons (43%); Gus Edwards, Ravens (18%); Deon Jackson, Colts (34%); Rachaad White, Buccaneers (31%); James Cook, Bills (23%); Dontrell Hilliard, Titans (12%); Caleb Huntley, Falcons (7%); Sony Michel, Chargers (5%)
WEEK 7 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Week 8 Waiver Wire Watchlist: WR
WEEK 8 BYES: Chiefs, Chargers
Wan'Dale Robinson, Giants (24 percent rostered)
Robinson (knee) got hurt early in the season, so many fantasy owners forget that he initially started for the Giants in Week 1. Now that he's back, he could be New York's WR1 by default. Despite only playing 23 percent of the G-men's snaps last week, the rookie hauled in three catches for 37 yards and a TD. Daniel Jones has targeted Robinson on nearly 34 percent of his routes, so a rapport exists between these guys. Pick him up now before the rest of the country catches on. Dates with Seattle, Houston, and Detroit await the young speedster.
Robbie Anderson, Cardinals (24%)
Anderson and the Panthers had a very unceremonious breakup last Sunday, in what can only be described as the Antonio Brown incident of 2022. Okay, we are exaggerating that a bit — Robbie is not nearly as demonstrative as AB — but the man was similarly told by his coach to vacate the premises in the middle of a game. A day later, he got traded to the Cardinals in what can only be described as an act of desperation. Anderson now has a better QB in Kyler Murray, a better coach in Kliff Kingsbury (hey, Carolina set the bar low), and a better wideout lining up on the other side of the field in DeAndre Hopkins (no offense, D.J. Moore — Nuk is Nuk). With Hollywood Brown suffering a foot fracture in Week 7, Anderson will get eventually get big-play opportunities in the Cards' pass-heavy offense. Just temper your expectations early on, as Murray has strong chemistry with Hopkins and tight end Zach Ertz, and Anderson barely knows the playbook.
Odell Beckham Jr., free agent (20%)
Some fantasy owners may scoff at this, but adding Beckham makes sense in a variety of cases — most notably if your squad is performing really well or really poorly. If you already know you have a good shot at competing for your league championship, grab one of the more talented wideouts of the 21st century and cash in once he lands somewhere. If your team has been a weekly disappointment and you need a miracle, buy the scratch ticket and hope for a windfall within the next few weeks. Folks in deep PPR leagues already claimed this potential league-winner, so consider hopping on the bandwagon.
MORE POTENTIAL 8 WR PICKUPS (Week 8 streamers with top-12 WR matchups in italics): Alec Pierce, Colts (vs. WAS, 52% owned); Rondale Moore, Cardinals (48%); Josh Reynolds, Lions (vs. MIA, 37%); Jameson Williams, Lions (32%); Jahan Dotson, Commanders (31%); Nico Collins, Texans (vs. TEN, 20%); Treylon Burks, Titans (19%); Donovan Peoples-Jones, Browns (18%), Tyquan Thornton, Patriots (9%), Van Jefferson, Rams (6%); Olamide Zaccheaus, Falcons (vs. CAR, 1%).
WEEK 7 DFS LINEUPS: FanDuel | DraftKings
Week 8 Waiver Wire Watchlist: TE
WEEK 8 BYES: Chiefs, Chargers
Juwan Johnson, Saints (2 percent rostered)
Here's our dart-throw of the week that could turn out to be a bullseye if all goes well. With Michael Thomas (foot), Jarvis Landry (ankle), and Adam Trautman (ankle) all sidelined for New Orleans' Week 7 Thursday Night Football contest, Johnson will be one of the last Saints' receivers standing. It's a highly favorable matchup, so he should get targets, so now's the time to grab him. He has another highly favorable matchup next week against the Raiders. Value buy!
Daniel Bellinger, Giants (11%)
Bellinger has come out of nowhere for the Giants, leading the team in targets, catches, and receiving yards last game. He has found paydirt in each of New York's past two contests, totaling over 25 PPR points in that span. He could be heavily involved again this week against a Jaguars pass defense that has surrendered the fifth-most catches and sixth-most yards to tight ends this season. Don't expect this guy to be on your waiver wire for much longer if he continues this level of production, especially ahead of next week's game against a Seahawks' defense allowing the most fantasy points per game to TEs.
POTENTIAL WEEK 8 STREAMERS WITH FAVORABLE MATCHUPS: Irv Smith Jr., Vikings (vs. ARI, 47%); Hunter Henry, Patriots (@ NYJ, 43%); Mike Gesicki, Dolphins (@ DET, 36%); Greg Dulcich, Broncos (@ JAX, 8%); Logan Thomas, Commanders (@ IND, 7%)
WEEK 7 DFS: Best values | Best stacks
Week 8 Defense Streamers and Sleepers
WEEK 8 BYES: Chiefs, Chargers
Indianapolis Colts (vs. Commanders Week 8, 35 percent rostered)
The Colts have looked the past couple of weeks, and in Week 8 they have a juicy matchup with the Carson Wentz-less Commanders (going commando?). Washington has surrendered the sixth-most fantasy points per game to D/STs, and stud Indy linebacker Shaq Leonard has returned to practice after back, nose, and concussion issues kept him sidelined most of the season. Fire up the Colts.
Tennessee Titans (@ Houston, 30%)
The Texans have improved mightily since last season, but they still have an inexperienced QB and a limited set of playmakers. Tennessee has posted several solid D/ST performances in favorable matchups this year, including back-to-back three-sack games in Weeks 5 and 6. You could do a lot worse on the wire in Week 8.
Las Vegas Raiders (@ Saints, 19%)
New Orleans has struggled to protect its QB, whether it be Jameis Winston or Andy Dalton. That's all we need to know for the Raiders, who flash both Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones on the edge.
Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. Broncos, 32%)
Talk about flying under the radar. In one of my leagues that rewards three-and-outs, I noticed today that Jacksonville logged fantasy point totals of 24, 14, 10, and 10 from Weeks 2 through Week 5. A home game against a banged-up Russell Wilson (hamstring) or Brett Rypien with a poor offensive line and no Javonte Williams? Sign us up.
