Fantasy football managers in need of help should be sure to check out their waiver wires this week to see if any of these players who are rostered in under 50 percent of Yahoo Fantasy football leagues are still available.
Week 7 brought us some interesting storylines as well as some unfortunate injuries. However, fantasy managers must be able to move forward if they want to give themselves the best chance to win and it starts with checking your waiver wire. For those who are unsure of what players to drop, be sure to check out 4for4's "Week 8 Dead Weight Report:"
Don't hesitate to add these players before Week 8 if any of your players made the "Week 8 Dead Weight Report" and/or if you have roster spots to spare.
Fantasy Football QB Waiver Wire Pickups, Week 8
Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (32 percent rostered)
It cannot be overstated that Baker Mayfield is currently averaging more fantasy points on a per-game basis than some of the NFL's most well-recognized signal-callers, including Trevor Lawrence, Matthew Stafford, Dak Prescott, and Geno Smith.
While being the overall QB19 isn't necessarily a special accomplishment for Mayfield, it is noteworthy that he is the QB16 on a per-game basis per FantasyPros. While the production has been volatile, Mayfield and the Buccanneers will continue to lean on Mayfield and their elite wide receiver duo of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to score points on offense.
The run game has been non-existent in Tampa Bay, with Rachaad White struggling immensely. The Bucs currently rank 29th in the NFL in team rushing yards per game (74.9), which puts additional pressure on Mayfield to move the chains with his arm.
Mayfield has attempted at least 34 pass attempts in five of the Bucs' seven games this season. This type of volume gives him a nice floor while also giving him weekly QB1 upside.
A tough matchup with the Bills on Thursday Night Football awaits for Mayfield and the Bucs, but the schedule softens up the following two weeks. They travel to Houston to face the Texans secondary that has 2022 No. 3 overall pick Derek Stingley Jr. on IR due to a hamstring injury before returning home to face a Titans defense that has become a pass funnel because of how difficult it is to run the ball against them (something the Bucs haven't been able to do against anyone).
Mayfield is worthy of a bench stash.
Desmond Ridder, Atlanta Falcons (14 percent rostered)
Desmond Ridder is the overall QB15 on the season and has continued to show improvement in recent weeks. After averaging 22.62 fantasy points per game in Weeks 5-6, Ridder followed it up with 16.8 points and an overall QB12 finish in Week 7. In other words, Ridder has been a QB1 in recent weeks.
In that span, Ridder has eclipsed 300 passing yards in two of three games. He's also scored multiple touchdowns in two of those three games in addition to having at least four carries in two of the three games in that stretch. Ridder's mobility out of the pocket gives a nice boost to his fantasy value.
Additionally, Ridder's connection with former top-10 draft picks Drake London and Kyle Pitts continues to improve with each passing week. As long as he continues to give his best playmakers opportunities to make plays with the ball in their hands, it will translate to fantasy points for him.
The Falcons have a very inviting schedule over the next three weeks before they enter their Week 11 bye. They face the Titans, Vikings, and Cardinals, all of which rank in the bottom-half of the league in opponent passing yards per game.
Fantasy Football RB Waiver Wire Pickups, Week 8
Darrell Henderson Jr., Los Angeles Rams (25 percent rostered)
With Kyren Williams expected to miss at least three more games due to a high-ankle sprain, Darrell Henderson Jr. becomes a must-add in leagues of all formats. After being cut by the Rams last season, head coach Sean McVay brought Henderson back as a familiar face who knows the scheme to fill in Williams' place and Henderson didn't miss a beat.
In Week 7, Henderson logged nearly 60 percent of the Rams offensive snaps and earned 19 touches in the process. He turned 19 touches into 63 scrimmage yards, one reception, and a touchdown. While the counting stats leave plenty to be desired, Henderson is going to be on the field often as someone McVay trusts thanks to his ability in pass protection and receiving prowess out of the backfield.
Henderson is officially an RB2 in fantasy football moving forward until Williams returns and will benefit from being on one of the better offenses in the NFL led by quarterback Matthew Stafford.
If Henderson is on your waiver wire, be sure to change that. He is going to have plenty of opportunities in the coming weeks and should fill in admirably for Williams.
Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans (42 percent rostered)
It is remarkable to see that Tyjae Spears is still rostered in under 50 percent of Yahoo Fantasy leagues, but here we are. Not only has Spears been part of a split backfield with Derrick Henry practically all season, but there is now potential for him to have this backfield all to himself.
With the Titans having a 2-4 record and fading quickly, they have started to become sellers leading up to the trade deadline. They just sent Pro Bowl safety Kevin Byard to the Eagles and are expected to play both Malik Willis and Will Levis at quarterback in Week 8 while Ryan Tannehill tends to an ankle injury.
If Henry gets traded before the deadline, it's wheels up for Spears. He needs to be a priority for fantasy managers if he is on your waiver wire as he could be stepping into a hefty workload for the rest of the season.
Even if Henry remains in Tennessee after the trade deadline, Spears is an important handcuff and/or bench stash for fantasy managers. He is explosive with the ball in his hands and capable of giving managers productive fantasy weeks even with Henry in the mix, as exemplified by his 6.1 yards per touch through seven weeks.
Fantasy Football WR Waiver Wire Pickups, Week 8
Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts (37 percent rostered)
While many people have been impacted negatively by the season-ending shoulder injury that Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson sustained, Josh Downs is not one of those people. In fact, one can make the case that Gardner Minshew stepping in under center has been a major boon to Downs' fantasy value.
Since Richardson went down in Week 5, Downs has recorded at least 13.1 PPR points in his past three games. During that stretch, he has seen no less than six targets, recording 97-plus yards in two of the three games. Downs has become a borderline must-start player in PPR leagues as Minshew's safety valve in the slot.
Downs currently ranks third amongst rookie pass-catchers in receiving yards through the first seven weeks of the season (401) and is primed for a big finish to the season with Minshew at the helm.
Per Fantasy Points' Scott Barrett, Downs faced two of the top three toughest slot defenses over the last three weeks. The overall WR11 over that span in PPR formats, Downs needs to be added in every league that he is available in.
Brandin Cooks, Dallas Cowboys (38 percent rostered)
After getting off to a slow start in his first season as a member of the Cowboys, Brandin Cooks finally seemed to get going in the Cowboys Week 6 matchup against the Chargers. After having their bye in Week 7, Cooks and the Cowboys had an extra week to figure out how to continue integrating and featuring Cooks in the offensive game plan.
Head coach Mike McCarthy illustrated one of the potential ways to get his speedy receiver in open space by giving Cooks a designed run in Week 6 that he turned into a 14-yard gain. Cooks also hauled in a short touchdown that gave the Cowboys a lead they never looked back on in Week 6.
The Cowboys have been desperately in need of a second receiving option to form alongside stud wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and Cooks could be the man for the job. Cooks has a proven track record as a veteran receiver who is capable of making an impact. The Cowboys are Cooks' fifth team in his 10-year career and he's recorded at least one 1,000-yard receiving season for every franchise he's played for.
Cooks makes for a worthy flier for those in need of receiver help.
Fantasy Football TE Waiver Wire Pickups, Week 8
Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills (43 percent rostered)
2023 first-round pick Dalton Kincaid just had his best game as a pro in Week 7 and with Bills tight end Dawson Knox undergoing wrist surgery and having no timeline to return according to head coach Sean McDermott, Kincaid becomes a top priority on waivers.
In Week 7 against the Patriots, Kincaid hauled in all eight of his targets for 75 scoreless yards. The usage is very encouraging and similarly to the Cowboys, the Bills are desperately in need of a receiving counterpart alongside their stud wide receiver (Stefon Diggs) and Kincaid has a chance to claim that title.
The tight end position is a wasteland in fantasy football, so anytime a player has an opportunity to step into a full-time starting tight end role, they're automatically in TE1 territory by default. However, Kincaid is a talented prospect whom the Bills traded up in the 2023 NFL Draft to acquire because of his receiving prowess as a tight end.
Kincaid may be one of the rare players on waivers who sees a meteoric rise in rostership over one week. He has league-winning upside as a potential every-down tight end attached to one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL on an offense that needs a Robin to Diggs' Batman.
Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints (11 percent rostered)
Taysom Hill is the ultimate NFL Swiss army knife. While he is listed as a tight end, he is way more than that to the Saints. He has become a chess piece for his ability to operate as a rusher, receiver, decoy, blocker, and more that head coach Dennis Allen has found creative ways to use.
In Week 6, Hill attempted both a pass and a rush while also hauling in seven of his eight targets for 48 receiving yards. NBC Sports' Denny Carter has harped on how the size of Hill's package has increased in recent weeks as Saints quarterback Derek Carr continues to struggle:
Hill followed up his overall PPR TE6 finish in Week 6 with a second consecutive overall TE6 finish. He's become the Saints preferred option in the red zone and near the goal line over the years. Last year, Hill ran for 575 yards and seven touchdowns on 96 rushing attempts. How many tight end-eligible players can say they can rush for 500-plus yards and/or earn nearly 100 carries? The answer to that question is one and it's Hill.
Managers in need of tight end help who miss out on Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid should be sure to snag Hill. Nearly every tight end not named Travis Kelce has a near zero-point floor but not many have the upside to finish as a top-10 tight end the rest of the way like Hill does.
