Fantasy Football Week 8 Waiver Wire Targets feat. Tyrone Tracy Jr., Jauan Jennings, and more
The waiver wire can be an excellent tool for optimizing your weekly fantasy football lineups. The primary goal is to utilize your bench spots to put your team in the best possible position to maximize each week's point total. With a full slate of games with zero byes this week, our healthy fantasy players will be available, but we can still be proactive and stash players for our future lineup decisions.
At Sportskeeda, we'll preview the best options for running back, wide receiver, and tight end positions to assist you with your waiver priority and FAAB allocation for Week 8. We cast a wide net of potential targets as we consider all players under a 70% ownership threshold on popular platforms like ESPN and Yahoo! Sports.
Best Fantasy Football Week 8 Waiver Wire targets ranked
Top Fantasy Football Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups
Waiver Wire Week 8 RBs
1] Tyrone Tracy Jr., New York Giants
ESPN 48% | Yahoo! 57% | FAAB Range 12-25%
The New York Giants offense was awful last Sunday. With just 43 yards rushing between Tyrone Tracy Jr., Devin Singletary, and Eric Gray, it's hard to point to anything statistical to convince you Tracy is again the top add this week. However, we did get to see how the Giants split the backfield carries with both Singletary and Tracy active in Week 7.
We recommended the rookie running back last week as our top waiver option and got exactly what we hoped for in the usage department. Tracy out-snapped Singletary 67% to 21% and finished with more touches, nine to six on Sunday. Tracy still has a ways to go to become an every-week starter in fantasy football, but we should be proactive and get him on our benches in case he overtakes Singletary this season.
2] Alexander Mattison, Las Vegas Raiders
ESPN 43% | Yahoo! 54% | FAAB Range 7-15%
It's time to consider Alexander Mattison as the lead back in Las Vegas. Mattison turned in his highest usage of the season, even with projected starter Zamir White back in the lineup. Mattison dominated the backfield touches 26-3 and was on the field 70% of the offensive snaps compared to White's 14%. It was the first game back for White, who last appeared in Week 4 after injuring his groin.
With Davante Adams forcing his way out of Las Vegas, Mattison has some appeal to become one of the top options in this offense. Mattison has at least three catches in four of the seven games this season, while White has six catches for the entire year. That might bode well for Mattison if the Raiders are in trailing situations this year. Tight end Brock Bowers was the only startable fantasy option for Las Vegas until this week, as Mattison deserves to find some rosters ahead of Week 8 action.
3] Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks
ESPN 65% | Yahoo! 55% | FAAB Range 4-7%
With all the injuries to the running back position, some fantasy managers found it difficult to hold Zach Charbonnet. But the second-year back doesn't belong on any waiver wires with typical roster sizes. We've seen how valuable Charbonnet is when Kenneth Walker is out of the line like he was in Weeks 2 and 3. Charbonnet received 19 and 21 touches, filling in for an injured Walker while scoring three touchdowns. Since Walker returned to the lineup in Week 4, Chanbonnet has been regulated to only 27 touches in the next four games. Still, Charbonnet is a premier handcuff in fantasy football and should be on more rosters in ESPN and Yahoo leagues. Make sure he's not floating around, and make good use of your bench spot for future weekly decisions.
Also Read: Early Fantasy Football Start 'Em Sit 'Em Picks for Week 8
Waiver Wire Week 8 WRs
1] Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers
ESPN 46% | Yahoo! 30% | FAAB Range 12-25%
The San Francisco offense will need to lean on Jauan Jennings once again. This time, the veteran receiver will have a significant role for the rest of the season, as the team announced that Brandon Aiyuk had torn his anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his right knee. Surgery is on the horizon for Aiyuk, which opens up plenty of playing time for this offense for Jennings.
The veteran receiver broke out for 11 catches, 175 yards, and three touchdowns in Week 3, filling in for an injured Deebo Samuel. Since then, Jennings has only made seven catches in three games while taking a backseat to Samuel, Aiyuk and tight end George Kittle. Head coach Kyle Shanahan needs to rework the offense game plan, and Jennings could be the primary benefactor when he's healthy. Unfortunately, Jennings missed a golden opportunity to shine last week as he was held out due to an injured hip. But Jennings should be ready to go in Week 8 and should be a popular pick-up where he's available.
2] Romeo Doubs, Green Bay Packers
ESPN 37% | Yahoo! 44% | FAAB Range 12-25%
We can't go a week without recommending a Packers pass catcher. Dontayvion Wicks and Tucker Kraft appeared on this list recently and were returning to this offense again, highlighting Romeo Doubs. Doubs has now turned in two straight great performances since being suspended by the team in Week 5.
Doubs has 11 catches, 143 yards, and two touchdowns the previous two weeks and gets one of the weakest pass defenses in Jacksonville in Week 8. Doubs led the team in targets (10), catches (8), and receiving yards (94) last week and continued to have a connection with quarterback Jordan Love. Love has been on a tear this season and has thrown at least two touchdowns in every game he has started.
3] Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco 49ers
ESPN 6% | Yahoo! 13% | FAAB Range 4-7%
As mentioned above, the 49ers' offense must pivot with Brandon Aiyuk's injury. Rookie first-round pick Ricky Pearsall made his NFL debut last Sunday and surprisingly led the team in receptions. Pearsall stepped up in the second half once Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel were ruled out. Samuel couldn't finish the game and was eventually hospitalized, which left a golden opportunity for the rookie to gain some playing time. Pearsall is worth a roster spot to see how this situation shakes out in San Francisco.
Waiver Wire Week 8 TEs
1] Hunter Henry, New England Patriots
ESPN 27% | Yahoo! 31% | FAAB Range 5-10%
New England receiver DeMario Douglas appeared on this list last week with the emergence of rookie quarterback Drake Maye. But maybe we should've paid more attention to the veteran tight end instead. Henry turned nine targets into eight receptions and 82 yards in Sunday's loss to the Jaguars. It's nice to have another offense to lean on while we navigate all the recent injuries in Week 7. Maye has made this offense relevant again, with Henry emerging as a fantasy asset heading into Week 8. Will Maye continue to look Henry's way this season? He should find plenty of rosters this week as Maye keeps improving and continues to see Henry in the field's intermediate areas.
2] Noah Fant, Seattle Seahawks
ESPN 8% | Yahoo! 30% | FAAB Range 3-5%
Keep an eye out on the status of fantasy star DK Metcalf this week. Veteran tight end Noah Fant could be the primary benefactor if Metcalf were to miss time with the knee injury he suffered last week. Fant caught all four targets last Sunday for 65 yards in Week 7. Fant turned in his third game of 60 or more receiving yards this year and has 10 catches for 128 yards the previous two weeks. Fant is still looking for his first score of the season, but we'll take his volume as a pass catcher as long as quarterback Geno Smith trusts him with plays out of structure.