Week 8 waiver wire roundup and initial player rankings
My first stab at this week's rankings, with an update on injuries and waiver wire options.
🤕 Pain index
🚫 Nope: Chris Godwin (ankle), Christian McCaffrey (Achilles, calf), Brandon Aiyuk (knee), Deshaun Watson (Achilles), Aidan O'Connell (thumb)
🏴☠️ Not bloody likely: Jayden Daniels (ribs), Jameson Williams (suspension), DK Metcalf (knee), Mike Evans (hamstring), Puka Nacua (knee)
🫤 Looking iffy: Deebo Samuel (illness), DeAndre Hopkins (leg), Will Levis (shoulder), George Kittle (foot), Dorian Thompson-Robinson (finger), T.J. Hockenson (knee), Derek Carr (oblique), Jonathan Taylor (ankle)
🙏 Cautiously optimistic: Tyjae Spears (hamstring), Chris Olave (concussion)
✅ Looking good: Tua Tagovailoa (concussion), Cooper Kupp (ankle), Aaron Jones (hamstring)
Note: The above are estimates based on the latest news and injury reports. Always double-check your own rosters before Sunday kickoff!
🎯 Waiver wire targets
Percentages reflect how many teams have that player rostered in Yahoo! Sports fantasy leagues.
Teams on a bye this week: None
Quarterback
Top QBs to consider: Tua Tagovailoa (47%), Drake Maye (15%), Russell Wilson (9%)
Running Back
Jaylen Warren (41%) saw his touched jump from nine to 14 last week, and looks to have carved out a committee role in the Steelers’ backfield. I’ll explore this one in more detail in the Playbook later this week, but he’s worth a stash if you have the space and definitely needs to be rostered by Najee Harris owners … While Jonathan Taylor is aiming to get back to the practice field this week, his Week 8 status is still very much in doubt. Tyler Goodson (13%) has outperformed Trey Sermon over the three weeks since Taylor went down and is a deep-league flex option until Taylor returns.
Other RBs to consider: Tyrone Tracy Jr. (56%), Ray Davis (25%), Tyler Allgeier (39%)
Wide Receiver
Keon Coleman (33%) saw a season-high seven targets in Week 7, resulting in four grabs for 125 yards. “Fantasy managers might be surprised to learn Coleman is the biggest beneficiary of the Bills' acquisition of Amari Cooper. The rookie won't face the pressure of being Josh Allen's No. 1 target, which could lead to more favorable cornerback matchups,” writes ESPN’s Eric Moody … Jauan Jennings (32%) was cruising into fantasy irrelevance after his monster performance in Week 3, but Aiyuk’s season-ending injury and Deebo’s illness have blown the door wide open once again. Ricky Pearsall (15%) is also someone to look at in deeper leagues … It’s a similar story in Tampa Bay regarding Jalen McMillan (5%), with Godwin done for the year and Evans expected to miss a few games. He saw eight targets prior to Godwin’s injury in Week 7.
Other WRs to consider: Rashod Bateman (19%), Cedric Tillman (1%), Romeo Doubs (46%)
Tight End
I flagged Cade Otton (40%) last week, and now he’s in line for another spike in targets with the Bucs’ decimated receiving corps. He set a season-high with 10 targets in Week 7, catching eight of them for 100 yards. “Moving forward, we should view Otton as an every-week fantasy starter, the rare tight end with a useful floor,” writes Yahoo! Sports’ Andy Behrens.
Other TEs to consider: Jonnu Smith (4%), Hunter Henry (31%)
D/ST
While there are no byes this week, keep the Lions (23%) in mind if you could use an upgrade. The Titans offer a tempting matcup, given their messy QB situation and boasting the second-worst offense in the NFL based on total yards per game.
Other D/STs to consider: Chargers (43%), Packers (47%)
Initial Week 8 player rankings
My Week 8 fantasy football rankings for PPR, Half-PPR, and Standard scoring formats will be updated often throughout the week as injuries develop and more matchup data is crunched.