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The week eight waiver wire is on tap. Top 10 wide receiver and running back adds, three tight ends, plus an honorable mention, three quarterbacks, top 10 defenses, top 10 kickers, and droppable players. Let's get into it.
We have six teams on bye in week eight, which means we're going to have to dig deep, talk about some spot starters here. And you know who else is on bye? The Seattle Mariners because the Toronto Blue Jays are going to the World Series. Top three sports moment of my life witnessing that Springer dinger electric game last night. Me and Danny took a nice beer shower after the final strikeout of the game. You guys can see that video on the screen there.
But let's not waste any time. Let's get into it. Double check your waiver wires to make sure that these two guys are not available because they would both be my number one add on the week. If they are, I know there were leagues where Travis Hunter was dropped. If he is out there, he is worth every last dime of your FAB. We saw the breakout game. We saw the usage going into the bye. They're going to probably continue that after the bye. And Chris Godwin. Mike Evans unfortunately goes down for a large portion of the rest of the season, probably most of the fantasy season for sure. And Chris Godwin should be back either week eight against the Saints or week 10 after the Buccaneers' bye in week nine. Make sure those guys are rostered in your league.
But let's start it off with my number one waiver add of the week. Again, I'm going in order of how I would set my waiver claims. Wide receiver and running back Darno Mooney is my top guy. 36% roster right now. Legit target earner. Of course, we know he finished as a top 32 wide receiver in fantasy points per game last season. Legitimately competing for the top wide receiver on the Falcons for fantasy. Seventh easiest strength of schedule rest of season, including Tampa Bay, Arizona, and the Rams during the fantasy playoffs. This is a legit wide receiver flex play all season, especially this week with the amount of byes that we have. And of course, the Atlanta Falcons playing against the Miami Dolphins over the course of the last two seasons. Drake London, every 100-yard game that he's had has been without Darno Mooney or in the only 100-yard game that he had with Darno Mooney, Darno Mooney actually outscored him. So legitimately when London and Mooney are on the field together, they are averaging about the exact same yards per game. So Darno Mooney, if Drake London's going to be considered this high-end wide receiver one, we have to at least consider Darno Mooney close to an every-week starter, especially with the way that the Falcons offensive weapons are playing. The quarterback, not so much, but the weapons are playing very strongly at the moment. And we do expect this Falcons offense to bounce back.
Second Atlanta Falcon in my top two here. We got Tyler Allgeier. Absolutely startable this week against the terrible Miami Dolphins run defense. In Falcons wins this season, Tyler Allgeier has scored a touchdown. He's maybe the best backup running back handcuff in all of fantasy in addition to that. So, not only can you play him this week, you should be stashing him for the rest of the season in case Bijan, knock on wood, were to ever go down with injury, he would end up winning people leagues.
Number three, staying in the NFC South, we have Tez Johnson of my Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now, unfortunately, number 13 goes down for the Buccaneers, will not break Jerry Rice's consecutive 1,000-yard season's record of 11. He has now just tied that record. He is out for the next 6 to 8 weeks according to most reports with a broken clavicle, which probably will require surgery as well. A-Meech-a Ebuka was back and healthy. Saw 12 targets. Didn't really have that great of a game though because Mayfield was kind of spraying it all over the place. Godwin could return soon. Huge upgrade for him obviously when he comes back because Evans is out like I made mention to. But Tez Johnson, man, this guy's separating touchdowns in back-to-back games. Commanding over 70% of the routes. All-time Ducks leading wide receiver, single season reception holder in college. This is a guy who would have been a second or a third round NFL draft pick had he not been a buck 50 after a Thanksgiving dinner. So, Tez Johnson playing well. We salute our skinny kings on this channel. Go pick up Tez Johnson if you need a spot starter this week because I do think Godwin should be out for one more game given that we do have a bye in week nine and Tez Johnson absolutely playable as a top 36, top 40 wide receiver in week number eight against the Saints.
Bam Knight, my number four pickup. He'd be higher if the Cardinals weren't on bye because if you could play him right away, he'd probably be my number one or my number two. Solid starting running back, 15-plus touches in back-to-back games. That's hard to find. It's clear he's the early down guy until Trey Benson comes back with his injury that he's been dealing with. The Cardinals face the league's easiest run defense, the Cowboys, after the bye. So, Bam Knight definitely needs to be rostered. He is commanding about 50% give or take of the overall snaps, but again, he is getting the majority of the workload on the ground and he has been the guy in the red zone as well. So definitely pick up Bam Knight if you need some running back help.
My number five pickup is also in the NFC South. Xavier Legette, another good bye-week filler. The Panthers' second-year former first-round pick had the best game really of his career. 74.7 PFF receiving grade, 2.79 yards per route run, nine catches, 92 yards on a 35% target share. All five of those career highs for Xavier Legette with Jaylen Coker back, with Te'Darius McMillan out there. Tavian Sanders was back in this game. Chuba Hubbard was back in this game. Of course, Rico Dowdle was holding down the fort for a while. This is the healthiest the Panthers offensive weapons have been all season. And now Bryce Young is out with an ankle injury this week and probably going to be out maybe for the next two to three games as well. But Andy Dalton is one of the more capable backups in the league. They play the high-flying Buffalo Bills this week. I think you can start Xavier Legette as a top 45ish wide receiver play. And who knows, man. He was talented as a prospect. He's a good athlete. Dollar Bill going out there. Maybe maybe he can be a guy that is relevant for the rest of the season.
Number six pickup for me is Breece Hall, running back of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Travis Etienne has been single-digit fantasy points in three straight games. The Jaguars run game has halted, has been really, really bad the last couple of weeks. And while I think that Travis is still a decent buy-low, and I'll probably talk about him in Wednesday's video, given the tough schedule that he's had, Tank Bigsby is an absolute must-add because if Etienne were to lose his job or get injured, Tank Bigsby, who's averaged 4.4 and seven yards per carry the last two games, could win leagues if Etienne ever went down or lost his job. As a prospect, he was right there for me as a top seven running back in the class. I had him, Kendre Miller, and Cam Akers all kind of in a tier together behind the big four running backs. So, Tank Bigsby, a guy that we want to make sure we're stashing in case he ever does get a crack at the starting job.
Khalil Herbert of the Chicago Bears. Maybe people would expect him to be a little bit higher given the production that he posted this week. Top 12 scoring week, 17.4 PPR points. I will say I think Khalil Herbert is going to be relatively hard to trust knowing that D'Andre Swift is playing well. He's not really dealing with an injury now. I mean, he was coming into the week with an injury. Hopefully, that is something that keeps up. I think you could argue Khalil Herbert if Swift is still dealing with the injury as a top five add. I just think that you're not going to know when to start this guy. And I think there are better just pure stashes out there, but he looks solid. The Bears run game has really turned it on and he is definitely a guy that needs to be rostered. So, go ahead and pick him up if you need some running back help.
Troy Franklin and Marvin Mims are both in play as low-end starters this week because Mims has the big plays. Franklin catches the wonky touchdown. Franklin is getting the usage, the 70-plus% of the routes in three straight games. And earlier in the season, he was actually higher than this. So, if I had to pick one, it would be Franklin. The reason I say they're good starts this week is because the Broncos play the Dallas Cowboys who can't stop a nosebleed with a U-Haul full of gauze. So definitely Troy Franklin needs to be rostered and maybe even played this week if you have a lot of byes.
My number nine pickup for me is Alec Pierce of the Indianapolis Colts. We expect Josh Downs back this week, but the Tennessee Titans are an easy matchup. And Alec Pierce coming off a game in which he had 31% of the team's targets. Again, you could argue him higher if you simply needed one guy for one game. I do think he is definitely a good start, but like I said, Josh Downs coming off that concussion, probably will be back this week.
My number 10 pickup is two players, both on the Houston Texans, both rookie wide receivers from Iowa State University. Jaylen Nailor, 77 yards last night, but Christian Kirk was out and Devon Witherspoon, the slot corner of the Seahawks, was also out. So, it was kind of expected that Jaylen Nailor would have a decent game. Still had a nice night, looked pretty solid. And shout out to Jaden Higgins as well. And the reason I bring him up, even though he had zero fantasy points, is that he was the higher draft pick and the better prospect. And Nico Collins, who plays on the outside, suffered a concussion in that game. It's a short week. Maybe, just maybe, he'll be out for this week. Either way, monitor the health of Christian Kirk, monitor the health of Nico Collins. If Kirk is going to be out again, Nailor's a decent probably low-end flex play. If Nico Collins is going to be out in this game with the concussion, maybe Jaden Higgins is a low-end flex play. Regardless, both of them are good stashes. So, if you have an open bench spot and you need some wide receiver upside, stash one of those guys, probably Higgins the better option to play this week, but Nailor maybe looking better of the two.
Two quick honorable mentions. Israel Abanikanda, Breece Hall got banged up. Israel Abanikanda saw an increased role as a result of that. Monitor practice reports, monitor news relating to Breece Hall's health, and just keep him stashed just in case for cheap. Taj Spears also a good stash. Derrick Henry did take away a large majority of the workload again. In week six, we saw Spears outsnap him, but Taj Spears, who was probably going to be dropped in a lot of people's leagues, if I had to guess, Wednesday, Thursday come around. Keep him stashed at the end of your bench.
Now, let's get into the tight ends, quarterbacks, streamers, and droppables. One of the best pure pickups on the week, regardless of position, is Tucker Kraft. And I would say of all positions, he's the best pickup, assuming Hunter and Godwin are not available. But if you don't need a tight end, you don't need a tight end. So, if you don't need a tight end, then Mooney and those guys would be better options. But Tucker Kraft, man, what a monster breakout game from the young rookie from South Dakota State. We absolutely loved him as a prospect. He was a top five tight end in my rankings. I had a mid-third round grade on the guy who was a fifth-round NFL draft pick. I said his ceiling was Darren Waller and damn did he look like it in this game. Over 150 yards. Led the team in receiving in a game in which LaQuan Treadwell and Davante Adams both combined for almost 30 targets together. This is insane how productive Kraft looked and the tape is so good, man. He's breaking tackles. He's making plays. 29.4 PPR points. If you are desperate at tight end, I you could unload the clip on this dude and I wouldn't blame you. I think that there's a chance that he is an every-week top 12, top eight tight end for the rest of the season given the offense that he plays in, the quarterback that he plays in. So, if you guys need a tight end, Tucker Kraft is the single best waiver pickup all season. And I would say this waiver slate is probably the deepest we've seen all season. I don't think there's any smash pickups other than Kraft, but across the board, there are a bunch of really good options that can help you win a matchup this week in week number eight.
So, Cade Otton also a really good pickup with Mike Evans going down. He has been above 95% of the team's routes in back-to-back games, 10 PPR points or more in three straight games as well. Especially if you guys are in any kind of tight end premium. He is the type of tight end who just gets receptions and first downs. So definitely make sure to pick up Otton and if you miss out on Kraft, I think he is the next best option for an immediate starter.
The next best option for upside for the rest of the season is Luke Musgrave because Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet went down with a back injury in this game and early reports sound like he could miss week eight's game against Baltimore. Now, Baltimore, if you guys forget, is a terrible defense. And Baltimore is giving it up to every fantasy football position. And in his absence, Luke Musgrave played a season-high in routes. Got a 24% targets per route run. Didn't have a great fantasy day, but that's great news for you because you don't have to spend a ton of FAB on this guy. If you're worried that you missed out on Tucker Kraft, you don't want to drop 50-plus% of your FAB on Tucker Kraft. Well, Luke Musgrave was a better prospect. and Luke Musgrave didn't have the fantasy box score that would command you to drop a ton of FAB on him. So, go get Luke Musgrave before he has his breakout game in week number eight against the Baltimore Ravens. I do think it could be coming, especially if Kmet is out and then suddenly he's Wally Pipp and Luke Musgrave's the starting tight end for the rest of the season.
Noah Fant also an honorable mention of mine. He had a great game on Thursday. People might have forgotten about it. Did set a season-high 76% of the routes. Mike Gesicki is out for the next little while with a pectoral injury and Noah Fant and the Bengals are just they're just dropping back and throwing like crazy. So the amount of volume available in this offense, the athlete that Noah Fant is, he's a spot starter. If you guys need a tight end option and you don't want to pay up for one, he'll probably be free on the waiver wire this week.
Moving into the quarterback pickups, Jackson Dart, the best one for sure, hands down. He's going to Philadelphia this week, which is tough, but I said the same thing last week. I called him like a sit against Denver and he ended up having 32 fantasy points. So, it's clear that this guy's going to run. He's going to score fantasy points. If you need a quarterback, Jackson Dart, the best pickup for the short term and for the long term.
C.J. Stroud, a good pickup this week going up against the depleted San Francisco 49ers defense. I know they just had a good showing against Michael Penix Jr. and the Atlanta Falcons, but that was a game that was in San Francisco. This is a game that is in Houston. And I do think C.J. Stroud is a really solid play this week if you need a quarterback.
As is Aaron Rodgers. Third best quarterback pickup for me. The reason is that he's going and playing against the Green Bay Packers and they're playing at home in Pittsburgh there and this is a revenge game for Aaron Rodgers and we know he can hold a grudge like nobody's business. So, I do think he could have a good game yet again after coming off of a nice game against the Bengals this past week. And also Joe Flacco against the Jets, not a terrible shout as well.
Defense rankings, if you guys need defensive pickups, Atlanta Falcons, the best defense on the week against the Miami Dolphins, who are this close to firing their coach. Indianapolis versus the Titans. New England versus the Browns. Kansas City versus Washington, who might be without Jayden Daniels. If Jayden Daniels plays, obviously that would not be as good of a play. Buffalo at Carolina with Andy Dalton is a nice play there. Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night versus the Vikings. Denver Broncos versus the Cowboys. They're just that good of a defense and they're at home. Tampa Bay against New Orleans. Spencer Rattler sometimes good for some interceptions. Cincinnati versus the Jets. And then Philadelphia versus the Giants. Again, I'm a little bit sketched out with the Giants right now because I've had a pretty bad read on their offense, but Philadelphia is at home in that game playing with a lot of confidence after last week's win.
Top five kickers: Aubrey, Dicker, Boswell, McLaughlin, and Piniero. Top six to 10 kickers: Butker, Lutz, Loup, Badgley, and Fairbairn.
If you guys are looking for players to drop, Emanuel Wilson, running back of the Packers, you can drop him. Jacobs looks fine. Hassan Haskins, running back of the Chargers, droppable. Kendre Miller, out for the season with a torn ACL, droppable. Devin Neal, a good low-end stash, but not a top 10 add for me. Like I said, very deep week of waivers this week. Michael Carter on bye and kind of in a committee. You can probably drop him. Sean Tucker, you can drop. Kareem Hunt, you could drop. Luke McCaffrey and Jalen Lane of the Commanders, you can probably drop. One of the Commanders receivers should be back this week if not maybe both of them. Jordan Whittington, Tutu Atwell, both on bye and Puka Nacua should be back after it. Michael Mayer on bye. Brock Bowers may be back after it as well. Cameron Johnson, Sterling Shepard. I know Shepard had seven catches and seven targets, but he had like 25 yards. And Tez Johnson is the better option. And maybe we get Chris Godwin back soon, so I'm not really worried about any of those guys.
But that is the week eight waiver slate. Again, Go Jays. Absolutely love to see it. Apologies to you guys if you're Mariners fans in the comments section. But yeah, the Springer Dinger has me feeling very good this morning and I'm attempting to get tickets to one of the World Series games because I would absolutely love to go.
Leave a like if you guys enjoyed. Subscribe to the channel if you guys are new around here and make sure to check out the week 8 rankings over on the site. The rest of season rankings undergoing big updates which mine are totally up to date on the site and the dynasty rankings. Dynasty trade value chart also up to date on the site. So definitely check out all that stuff if you guys are interested. Make sure to follow the TikTok for shorter versions of some of this stuff and of course all of our pickups throughout the week. But with that being said, peace out. I'll talk to you soon. You beat me.