High-Upside Bench Stashes: Sneaky Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Adds Before Week 8

October 30, 2026

Andy's must-have bench stashes and sneaky fantasy football waiver wire adds, sleepers ahead of Week 8 in 2026. Pick up these high-upside players before Week 8.

Hey RotoBallers! Welcome to the eighth edition of our High-Upside Bench Stashes series. We have nearly hit the "halfway" point of the actual NFL season and are quickly nearing the stretch run of the fantasy football regular season.

This week, handcuffs take center stage. Through the first half, running backs like Saquon Barkley, Breece Hall, Travis Etienne Jr., and De'Von Achane have missed time, opening the door for unlikely contributors to become lineup staples. At WR, we will look at a sneaky rookie who was likely cut in your league after a slow stretch, and a tight end who could be the best IR stash in fantasy.

Be sure to follow RotoBaller NFL on X for all of our league-winning content and me, @A_Smith_FS. Additionally, be sure to use discount code SMITH for 50% off any Premium Packages and gain access to our Team Sync platform with customized lineup tools, projections, and more based on your league settings. Let's dive in!

High-Upside Fantasy Football Stashes - Running Backs

Tyler Goodson, Dallas Cowboys

3% rostered

Tyler Goodson may have minimal standalone value, but as a handcuff, he deserves a spot in the "elite" tier. Goodson opened the season far from the No. 2 role as Malik Davis ascended to the bottom behind Javonte Williams. However, Davis suffered an injury in practice, which let Emari Demercado move up the depth chart.

However, the team eventually released Demercado from the practice squad (and again later this week), allowing Goodson to claim the No. 2 job.

Before joining the Cowboys, Goodson spent three seasons with the Colts, where he took just 54 attempts over three seasons (33 games). In this limited stint, Goodson averaged 4.9 YPC and totaled 5.4 yards per reception (on 19 catches). However, he spent most of his time on special teams, logging more snaps there in 2024 and 2025 than on offense.

Nonetheless, Goodson has won over the coaching staff and offers high-end contingency value if Williams misses time.

So far, Williams has taken on the bell-cow workload he has been expected to. Over seven weeks, Williams has averaged 15.7 attempts per game while logging most of the backfield snaps. For reference, in Monday night's victory over the Eagles, Williams logged 44 snaps while Goodson saw just 14. The week prior, Williams had a 56-11 edge in offensive snaps.

However, while Williams has avoided major injuries in Dallas, his increasing workload raises his risk. In Monday's contest, Williams carried the ball 25 times for 155 yards. If he maintains this pace, the 26-year-old will set a career high in rushing attempts, which unfortunately increases his injury risk.

Among running backs who have played at least four games, Williams has the fifth-highest snap share, trailing fellow running backs like Jonathan Taylor, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Kenneth Walker III.

Goodson would immediately take on a three-down role in an offense averaging 27.0 PPG, where Williams averages 2.4 carries inside the five-yard line and 2.9 carries inside the 10-yard line each week.

Devin Singletary, New York Giants

5% rostered

The Giants backfield has been a talking point over the past few weeks, and another shakeup comes during their bye week. The Giants placed Tyrone Tracy Jr. (hamstring) on the injured reserve, which leaves Cam Skattebo and Devin Singletary as the only backs with Najee Harris now off the team.

Skattebo was returned to a major role after a soft benching in Week 6, but he exited their thrilling overtime win over the Texans with a potential hamstring injury. Reports suggest Skattebo avoided anything major, but if he faces a setback, Singletary could lead them out of their Week 8 bye.

Singletary has a small role on the roster but has produced when given the ball. In their victory over the Texans, Singletary took five carries for 41 yards and scored and caught all three targets for another 14 yards. On the season, he is averaging 4.4 YPC, a 0.7 jump from the 2025 campaign.

The Giants have also been linked to players like Taylor, but for now, Singletary is the direct handcuff to an injured Skattebo. If you have roster space in a deeper half-PPR league, you can't do much worse than stash a potential Week 8 starter.

Rounding out this section will be another high-end handcuff in a similar vein to Goodson. With Isiah Pacheco (back) on IR and showing no signs of returning, Sione Vaki is the direct handcuff to one of fantasy football's top players.

As expected, Gibbs has taken a massive share of the offense with David Montgomery now in Houston. Over nine games, he averages 22.3 attempts and 6.7 targets per game. Despite the high workload, he is averaging an elite 4.6 YPC and 8.4 YPR and has found the end zone nine times.

However, with this workload and snap share, your injury risk is unfortunately higher.

While managers don't have a large sample of Vaki's production in the NFL to examine, he's been the clear No. 2 option in the backfield. He has taken 16 attempts for 56 yards and has been deployed out of the backfield, running at least double-digit routes in two games.

Like Goodson, the case for stashing Vaki is his projected role if Gibbs misses time. While Vaki won't take on Gibbs' exact role, he has a path to 15+ attempts and 5+ targets in a high-octane offense.

Other running backs to stash - Seth McGowan (IND), Emmett Johnson (KC)

High-Upside Fantasy Football Stashes - Wide Receivers

Ja'Kobi Lane, Baltimore Ravens

15% rostered

Ja'Kobi Lane was a sneaky waiver-wire pickup ahead of his looming return from IR, but he hasn't capitalized on his opportunities, which is why he sits on nearly 85% of Yahoo waiver wires.

After being a major riser in training camp, Lane suffered a wrist injury in Week 1, which kept him sidelined for four games.

In his return (Week 6), he caught four of five passes for 40 yards. However, last Sunday, he had a smaller role, catching just three passes for 25 yards. However, managers should look to take advantage of any impatient league mate who cut ties with this rookie.

Currently, the Ravens have struggled to find a complementary No. 2 option to Zay Flowers. Rashod Bateman had a busy showing in Week 2 but is averaging just 35.6 yards per game over his last five weeks (3.2 targets per game). Veteran tight end Mark Andrews has seen his fantasy value plummet as of late, catching just 3.2 passes per game for 6.5 PPR points per game over his last five games.

Lane has a chance to emerge as the clear secondary option in this offense.

Fortunately for Baltimore, Lamar Jackson (ankle) is expected to return this weekend, which should provide a major spark for this passing attack.

Travis Hunter, Jacksonville Jaguars

10% rostered

The other WR has a more difficult path to fantasy relevance but is worth holding on the bench ahead of the Week 8 slate. Hunter "re" broke out in Week 6, catching four targets for 59 yards and a touchdown. Before this contest, the two-way player caught just two passes for 17 yards and ran only 12 routes.

In Week 6, he ran nearly as many routes, nearly matching his total leading up to the contest. Instead, the Jaguars have kept their budding star on the defensive side of the ball for the bulk of the campaign.

However, as a rookie, Hunter had plenty of opportunities to produce on offense. Over seven weeks, Hunter averaged 6.4 targets per game and 42.6 yards per game. He capped off his debut campaign with his first 100-yard performance before suffering a season-ending LCL injury.

Leading up to the 2026 season, rumors suggested the Jaguars planned to increase his role on offense; however, with the emergence of Parker Washington and the re-signing of Jakobi Meyers, Hunter's path to targets was challenging.

Despite this, with Brian Thomas Jr. at the center of trade talks, Hunter may have a clear path to WR3 sooner rather than later. In fact, in their last contest, the Jaguars already began to lean this way as Thomas logged a season-low 15 snaps and was benched for the entire second half.

HC Liam Coen has continued to say the team wants to find ways to get Hunter the ball on offense.

Liam Coen on Travis Hunter:

“That’s kind of who he is. We have to continue to get him the ball and keep building off of it.”

#Jaguars #DUUUVAL https://t.co/McrB2nBgqD

— Action Sports Jax (@ActionSportsJax) October 18, 2026

His profile carries risk, as he will likely remain a key part of the team's defensive game plan, but his upside makes him a top stash option at WR. Few WRs on waivers have his potential, and if Thomas is traded, the WR3 role is up for grabs.

Other wide receivers to stash - Antonio Williams (WSH), Tank Dell (HOU)

High-Upside Fantasy Football Stashes - Tight Ends

Terrance Ferguson, Los Angeles Rams

15% rostered

Even though he is on the IR, Terrance Ferguson is a top stash candidate ahead of Week 8. Ferguson has only had a limited sample of NFL action, but when he's been given targets, he's produced at an impressive clip.

In Week 2, with Puka Nacua unable to play, Ferguson played the "WR2" role and caught six of nine targets for 54 yards and a touchdown. Last season, Ferguson typically operated as the TE2/TE3 in the offense but produced on the field, catching 11 of 25 targets for 231 yards and three touchdowns.

He did most of his work in Weeks 16 and 17, when he punched in back-to-back touchdowns and averaged 43.5 yards per game.

Calling a TE who has only caught 18 passes over 17 career games a potential breakout may seem like a stretch, but he is in an offense where he can produce borderline TE1 numbers.

Per PFF, the second-year player out of Oregon was an elite playmaker downfield as a rookie and was showing similar upside in 2026. As shown below, Ferguson generated a plus PFF grade in both medium and deep routes while maintaining a strong grade in short-yardage situations.

The Rams have continued to use him in downfield situations this season, averaging 6.4 aDOT and 25.7 air yards per game, both of which are above the average marks for tight ends. He has also been targeted on 27.9% of his routes, suggesting he is a focal point when he's on the field.

With Davante Adams (Achilles) on the IR, Ferguson could operate as the "WR2" for the next several weeks.

Even though he will not practice this week, managers who have struggled to find a weekly tight end should prioritize Ferguson on waivers, as he could be an elite replacement while Adams is out and potentially maintain top-12 upside even when he does return.

Other tight ends to stash - Greg Dulcich (MIA)

High-Upside Fantasy Football Stashes - Quarterbacks (QB)

J.J. McCarthy, New York Giants

10% rostered

As always, let's round out this column with another sneaky QB stash with streaming appeal in the coming weeks. J.J. McCarthy has taken the starting job in New York and doesn't appear to be in any danger of losing it.

After leading the Giants to a miraculous rally against the Giants in Week 6, he marched to Houston and led them to an overtime win in Week 7. In this contest, McCarthy was sharp when he had to be, going 20-for-28 with a +9.2% CPOE.

In relief of Jameis Winston the week prior, he showed solid upside, throwing for one score with 243 yards through the air.

While his modest output against the Texans may have slowed the hype train down a bit, he has several smash matchups after his bye. In Weeks 9 and 10, the Giants will face the Eagles and Commanders; both of them are currently in the top 10 in fantasy points allowed to QBs. Then, in Weeks 11 and 12, he will face the Jaguars and Colts, who rank 14th and 15th, respectively.

Managers who need to start stacking victories and who will have their QB1 on bye this week, like Caleb Williams, Matthew Stafford, Drake Maye, and Jordan Love, should begin planning.

Other quarterbacks to stash: Michael Penix Jr. (ATL) - tough matchup in Week 8 but a top Week 9 streamer

More Fantasy Football Analysis

Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!