Unfortunately, fantasy football owners won't find many immediate, high-impact players among the top Week 8 fantasy waiver wire pickups and free agent adds, but with injuries mounting and some killer byes coming up in the next few weeks, things will be busy after waivers clear around 4-5 a.m. ET on Wednesday mornings in most ESPN and Yahoo leagues.
Our full waivers list does have some interesting depth pieces and potential contributors and virtually every position, led by RBs Darrell Henderson Jr., Royce Freeman, Emari Demercado, and Ezekiel Elliott. There are also some impact WRs (Josh Downs, Kendrick Bourne, and Jayden Reed) and TEs (Taysom Hill, Dalton Kincaid) in addition to our usual variety of QB, TE, and D/ST streamer suggestions, which can be found at the end of this list. You might not need a fill-in with no teams on bye in Week 8, but you can probably find a tight end or defense with a better matchup.
Fantasy owners have hopefully learned a lesson about using high waiver claims on not-sure things over the past two weeks. A couple of weeks ago, Demercado was a popular pickup but wound up getting just three touches. Zach Evans was one of last week's top pickups, and he had a zero-touch Week 7. This week, both the Rams (Henderson and Freeman) and Cardinals (Demercardo again) have RBs who will be among the top pickups, but it's tough to recommend using a high claim unless you're absolutely desperate for a live body in your backfield.
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Ultimately, with no byes on deck, most fantasy owners can get by holding back their waiver claims this week. It makes sense to be busy in free agency, especially with brutal Week 9 (Lions, Broncos, Jaguars, 49ers) and Week 10 byes (Dolphins, Eagles, Rams, Chiefs) coming up. Plan ahead and bolster your roster for the short- and long-term.
WEEK 8 FANTASY: Full waivers list | FAAB budget planner | Trade advice
Top fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 8
Unless otherwise noted, only players owned in fewer than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues are considered.
Dalton Kincaid, TE, Bills. Kincaid had the best game of his young career in Week 7, catching all eight of his targets for 75 yards. That's encouraging enough on its own, but with Dawson Knox (wrist) now out for several weeks, Kincaid should see a nice bump in snaps and targets. That gives him TE1 upside every week, especially in PPR leagues. Grab him now and enjoy the production.
Royce Freeman, RB, Rams. Freeman received six fewer carries (12) than Darrell Henderson Jr. (18) last week, but he actually finished with five more yards (66). Henderson got the short touchdown, but that could have just as easily been Freeman. It's never fun picking up someone like Freeman, but he'll likely continue to have a key role in L.A.'s backfield until Kyren Williams (ankle) returns in Week 12. Stash him now, but only consider him as a flex in deep leagues against the Cowboys this week.
WEEK 8 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Josh Downs, WR, Colts. Downs has been every bit of Indy's 1B receiver over the past three weeks, catching 16-of-20 targets for 243 yards and two TDs. He had his best game yet in Week 7, posting a 5-125-1 line. He likely won't be consistent every week, but he clearly has a lot of upside and deserves to be started as a WR3/flex almost every week.
WEEK 8 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Devin Singletary, RB, Texans. If Singletary's Week 6 performance had been in Week 7, he'd be one of the top waiver pickups of the week. However, because Houston had a bye in between, he's largely an afterthought for many fantasy owners. In Week 6, he had just one fewer carry (12) than Dameon Pierce and gained 24 more rushing yards (58). He also added Houston's only RB catch. This week, Singletary is facing a Panthers' defense allowing the second-most fantasy points per game to RBs, making him a prime flex and potential future contributor.
Taysom Hill, TE, Saints. We've been down this road with Hill before. He'll have a good game, score a rushing touchdown, and we'll all get excited about him as a top-five TE. Well, this time it's a little different. Hill is actually being used as a receiver while also getting his usual handful of carries. Over the past two games, Hill's caught 11-of-13 targets, rushed six times, and thrown a pass. All told, he has 119 total yards (plus four passing yards) and a touchdown, and unless Juwan Johnson's eventual return from a calf injury limits Hill's playing time, it's fair to assume his high snap count will continue. Grab him now and enjoy the high ceiling and suddenly high floor.
For additional waiver/free agent suggestions, including top pickups Darrell Henderson Jr., Emari Demercado, and more, check out our full Week 8 list.
