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John's 4 favorite fantasy football waiver wire stashes, and 4 players to drop as well. His analysis on players you should pickup and drop before Week 8 of 2025.
Making the right waiver moves and not rostering "dead weight," or players that aren't useful to your team and take up bench space, is one of the most important things you can do in fantasy football.
For example, if you picked up tight end Oronde Gadsden II before his Week 7 explosion, you likely are at a big advantage, and could have won your last two games by his hand alone.
But he's mostly rostered in fantasy leagues now, so it's time to look for other potential looming breakouts, and cut bait with players that won't have good seasons. So who should you stash and drop ahead of Week 8?
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings
- Running back (RB) fantasy football rankings
- Wide receiver (WR) fantasy football rankings
- Tight end (TE) fantasy football rankings
- Quarterback (QB) fantasy football rankings
- FLEX fantasy football rankings
- Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
- Kicker (K) fantasy football rankings
- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
Week 8 Fantasy Football Stashes
Brashard Smith, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
While Smith had plenty of rushing work in garbage time, he only picked up a total of 39 rushing yards, which accounted for 3.9 PPR fantasy points. The receiving work he's had has been steady, and was the major driver of his finish of 13.1 PPR fantasy points in Week 7.
I've been a big proponent of Smith for a while now -- he's a very talented, highly athletic converted receiver playing on the best screen and short pass team in the NFL. He's been getting consistent work -- he's averaged four targets per game over his last four contests.
Brashard Smith, Week 3 -> Week 4:
11% snaps -> 26% snaps
3 opportunities -> 8 opportunitiesChiefs offense looked better with him involved. Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, and Brashard Smith should be the centerpieces of the Chiefs offense by season's end. The run game is awful…
— JohnJohn Analysis (@JohnJohnalytics) September 30, 2025
There's been a steady increase in his involvement. Chiefs rookies tend to get worked into the offense slowly. In wide receiver Rashee Rice's rookie season, it wasn't until Week 12 that he actually got a consistently big role in the offense, and he smashed with it.
There's been mostly skepticism about Smith's potential future role. Honestly, we shouldn't expect much from him until Week 12 or beyond, anyway, and a huge Year 2 breakout could be on the horizon. Still, he has great value in PPR leagues, and you need to stash him right away.
Rashee Rice in his rookie season:
+2 tgts in Wk 9
+4 rec in Wk 11
+18.1 PPR PPG Wk 12-17Brashard Smith this year:
+5 rush/tgt Weeks 1-4
+1 game with 10+ FPts (blowout)The Smith FUD is stupid. Chiefs rookies take time. Mini breakout this year + massive 2026 breakout IMO
— JohnJohn Analysis (@JohnJohnalytics) October 25, 2025
Grab Smith now.
Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Tuten is heading into his bye week still firmly seen as a backup and mere handcuff to lead Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr., but Etienne's efficiency has absolutely plummeted this season after a hot start. He's averaged under 4.0 yards per carry in October after logging 6.1 yards per rush in September.
Weeks 1-4:
+394 Yds (RB3/49)
+6.06 YPC (RB1)
+7.7% Explosive Rush Rate (RB6)
+0.17 MTF/Att (RB24)Weeks 5-7:
+3.75 YPC (RB31/41, min. 15 att)
+0 Missed Tackles Forced on 41 carries
+1.34 YACon/Att (RB38)Extremely inefficient vs any decent defense
— JohnJohn Analysis (@JohnJohnalytics) October 20, 2025
Tuten, meanwhile, has been pretty efficient this year, but has struggled with injury. He popped up on his team's injury report all throughout Weeks 3-6, finally getting healthy before Week 7. His rushing share, despite the backfield not handling many carries, was solid last week.
% of the Jaguars RB carries, 2025:
Week 1
ETN: 64%
Tuten: 12%Week 2
ETN: 58%
Tuten: 33% (injured shoulder)Week 3-6:
ETN: 77%
Tuten: 21%Week 7 (Tuten off injury report for practices):
ETN: 62%
Tuten: 38%Etienne YPC in September: 6.1
...October: 3.8Tuten RB1 Szn loading
— JohnJohn Analysis (@JohnJohnalytics) October 21, 2025
Tuten is a screaming buy/pickup right now. Etienne is struggling, Tuten is fully healthy, and he's on a team that's had fantastic offensive line play this year, largely thanks to Jaguars head coach Liam Coen's blocking schemes. The run-blocking in particular has been fantastic.
Tuten is one of the best athletes at the RB position of all time. He's made his share of rookie mistakes, but often, first-year players get a bump in usage and production after their bye weeks. I expect one for this freshman NFL player, so he should be added in all leagues.
Darnell Mooney, WR, Atlanta Falcons
Mooney (hamstring) was cleared from the injury report, practiced in full, and is set to play in Week 8. The biggest reason you should stash him is that he's actually a good receiver. Good enough that he's competitive with the team's WR1, Drake London, when they both play.
In fact, while London out-targets Mooney in games they both play together in, Mooney's yardage nearly matches that of London -- and last week, Mooney caught three of five targets for 68 yards while London caught four of his 10 targets for 44 yards. Mooney outscored London in PPR fantasy leagues.
WELCOME BACK DARNELL MOONEY pic.twitter.com/VDFhJTJaPb
— Not Bijan (@InBijanWeTrust) October 20, 2025
He's a very crisp route-runner with good hands who has a ton of upside and gets extra slot reps over London, which helps him get easier matchups against less-skilled defensive backs. It's possible that Falcons starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) could miss Week 8.
If that happens, Mooney would be a very viable flex start -- Penix's backup, Kirk Cousins, is likely to immediately improve his team's passing attack if he starts, and he's responsible for a lot of great Mooney production in 2024.
What if I told you there was a receiver that had games of:
-17.8 points
-14.6 points
-31.5 points
-18.6 points
-19.8 points
-14.6 points
-20.2 points
-13.2 points... last season and was available in 61% of leagues this year? (Pick up Darnell Mooney jfc)
— JohnJohn Analysis (@JohnJohnalytics) October 15, 2025
Mooney should be rostered in all 12-team leagues with decent bench sizes.
Isaiah Davis, RB, New York Jets
Yes, I know, the New York Jets are a dumpster fire of an offense. That much is clear, but there's a good chance things get at least a bit better now that QB Justin Fields is benched and Tyrod Taylor (knee) gets the nod moving forward. While Taylor isn't exactly elite, Fields just destroys his team's offense.
He's the worst starting quarterback in the league. He'll make a few big throws and runs pretty routinely, but he holds on to the ball for far too long, takes way too many unnecessary sacks, can't read a defense, and is 0-26 as a starter when the opposing team scores 21 or more points.
#Jets coach Aaron Glenn tells reporters that CB Sauce Gardner and WR Garrett Wilson are out, while Tyrod Taylor (knee) is questionable but trending in the right direction.
Glenn has still not announced his QB.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 24, 2025
Jets head coach Aaron Glenn is playing silly games by not naming the starter. Everyone knows it's Taylor. Either way, lead running back Breece Hall (knee) is questionable, but intends to play. That doesn't mean you shouldn't stash Davis. With trade rumors swirling around Hall and his backup, Braelon Allen (knee) on injured reserve, Davis is a high-upside backup.
Were Hall to miss time or be traded, Davis would be thrust into a high-volume role and featured extensively as both a rusher and pass-catcher, according to my analysis. Players like that should be stashed in leagues where you have deep enough benches to support them.
Week 8 Fantasy Football Drops
Drop: Keon Coleman, WR, Buffalo Bills
Coleman's Year 2 breakout probably isn't happening. He struggles to separate from defensive backs, just like he did in college. He's a big, physical receiver, but simply doesn't have the twitchiness to separate consistently, and he's in a "spread the ball around" offense.
Gabe Davis final season with #Bills on left.
Keon Coleman’s 19 regular season games on right.
We had similar dialogue about inconsistency and trouble getting open with Davis as we are now with Coleman.
Now Davis is older and off major knee injury. https://t.co/PAap9cD18A pic.twitter.com/JBBtxKWeSd
— Jon Scott (@JonScottTV) October 20, 2025
Players like this are vulnerable to poor production because they can't consistently earn targets unless they're forced accurate passes. Bills quarterback Josh Allen has only thrown the ball Coleman's way 4.8 times per game in their last five contests, and he's averaged 25 receiving yards per game in that stretch.
Not worth rostering outside of deep best ball and dynasty leagues.
Drop: Kendrick Bourne, WR, San Francisco 49ers
Bourne had a nice two-game stretch with quarterback Mac Jones starting, but the 49ers' receiving corps is slowly getting healthier, and the former Patriot didn't do much at all in Week 7, catching his only two targets for 14 yards and scoring 3.4 PPR fantasy points.
With tight George Kittle back, QB Brock Purdy (toe) likely to return in Week 9, WR Ricky Pearsall (knee) likely to return in two weeks, and WR Jauan Jennings having clearly taken over the WR1 job in Week 7 from Bourne, there's little reason to continue rostering Bourne now.
Drop: Kareem Hunt, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Hunt (ankle/knee) sometimes gets touchdowns. There's not much else that he does, though, and it seems as if the other two running backs on the roster, the aforementioned Smith and RB Isiah Pacheco, are getting increasing roles as the season goes on, while his is fading.
I like dropping Hunt for Smith in PPR leagues. Hunt might be on the last year of his contract, or he might be kept around a bit longer as a decent pass-protector, but he doesn't have the explosiveness, pure volume, or pass-catching role to be valuable in fantasy leagues anymore.
Drop: Jameson Williams, WR, Detroit Lions
Williams' 2024 season seems long in the rear-view mirror. He's more often been a week-loser than a week-winner this year. He's logged games with 18.6 and 18.8 PPR fantasy points. In his other contests, he's averaged exactly 4.12 PPR points per game.
He's better off on someone else's roster. That way, they have a solid chance of losing their matchup if they start him. He scored exactly zero points in the last game. Even if he has big games in the future, you simply can't trust him in your lineup outside of best ball. Players like him are poison to lineups.
Who Should I Pickup Tool
Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool here:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to pickup...
Who Should I Pickup? Some common 2025 fantasy football waiver wire decisions are regarding players like Kyle Monangai, Trey Benson, Darnell Mooney, Brashard Smith, Dalton Schultz, Isaiah Davis, and Bhayshul Tuten. But not to worry, we are here to help make these waiver wire decisions and build winning teams in 2025. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups in 2025. Our free Who Should I Pickup? tool will help make your fantasy football waiver wire decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to pick up... all free! Make the right decisions.
2025 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Kyle Monangai, Trey Benson, Darnell Mooney, Brashard Smith, Dalton Schultz, Isaiah Davis, and Bhayshul Tuten. These are some common searches for 2025 fantasy football waiver wire pickups.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool, but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy football rankings, projections, and more.
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Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2025 for Kyle Monangai, Trey Benson, Darnell Mooney, Brashard Smith, Dalton Schultz, Isaiah Davis, and Bhayshul Tuten:
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