RADIO
Dan's top quarterback Week 8 fantasy pickups (2026). The best QB fantasy waiver wire pickups to add and Week 8 QB streamers for 1QB, 2QB and superflex leagues.
Week 7 brought fantasy managers some impressive production from names that have struggled with consistency to start the 2026 season. Four quarterbacks (Bo Nix, Drake Maye, Joe Burrow, and Malik Willis) scored more than 28.0 fantasy points. Another four (Geno Smith, Caleb Williams, Michael Penix Jr., and Kirk Cousins) had more than 20.0.
Regardless of your record, the fantasy season is far from over and the playoffs are within reach. Being aggressive on the waiver wire and correctly navigating byes can make or break a season. We will be without players from the Saints, Giants, 49ers, and Texans in Week 8.
In this article, I will focus on players rostered in fewer than 65% of fantasy leagues, plus a couple of deep sleepers for two-quarterback leagues (under 25%). Let’s look at who you should consider picking up for Week 8 below. All roster percentages will be from Yahoo fantasy leagues.
Bookmark our updated and revamped fantasy football rankings portal for all league formats!PPR rankings | Half-PPR rankings | Standard rankings | Rookie rankings | Superflex rankings | Dynasty rankings | Who To Start? | Injuries | Matchup Ratings | Strength of Schedule
Single-QB Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers
Kirk Cousins, Las Vegas Raiders
Yahoo: 57% rostered
From a fantasy perspective, Kirk Cousins has been a very reliable starting option this season. Cousins has attempted at least 28 passes in every game this season, including back-to-back 40+ attempt games. He has over 250 passing yards in four games and multiple passing touchdowns in six games. The veteran quarterback has hit 20.0 fantasy points or higher in five weeks this year.
Unfortunately, as a team, the Raiders have cooled off considerably over the last few weeks. The team started out with three straight wins, but has followed it up with four straight losses. When asked about starting first-overall pick Fernando Mendoza after the game, head coach Klint Kubiak told reporters, "I think at this point, we are thinking about everything..." That isn't a strong indicator that Cousins will be benched this weekend, but it does indicate that the team is starting to become open to seeing what their rookie quarterback can do.
Cousins is playing well enough to maintain his hold on the Las Vegas Raiders’ starting quarterback position. However, the team will need to start winning more frequently to avoid curiosity about the spark 2026 first overall pick Fernando Mendoza could bring to the field.
Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons
Yahoo: 18% rostered
Michael Penix Jr. continues to deliver fantasy-relevant weeks for fantasy managers. Since taking over the starting job for Atlanta in Week 3, Penix has scored at least 14.0 fantasy points in four of five games. He has at least one passing touchdown in every game this season.
Penix gets his third touchdown pass of the day.
The @AtlantaFalcons have scored 23 unanswered points.
SFvsATL on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/tEqQPY8YcC— NFL (@NFL) October 25, 2026
Over the last two weeks, Penix hasn’t put up gaudy passing production (438 yards on a 65.5% completion rate), but has thrown six touchdowns with zero interceptions (three in each game). That touchdown production has helped Penix post back-to-back games with 20+ fantasy points scored.
The Falcons have three weeks until their Week 11 bye. Matchups against the Buccaneers (Week 8) and Bengals (Week 9) should
Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins
Yahoo: 18% rostered
The bye week was apparently the best medicine for Malik Willis and the Miami Dolphins’ offense. Willis scored a season-high 28.02 fantasy points against the Jets in Week 7, completing 66.7% of his passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns (and zero interceptions) while adding eight carries for 37 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
Malik Willis lowers his shoulder for the touchdown
MIAvsNYJ on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/TVRwL1sULm— NFL (@NFL) October 25, 2026
It was the second time this season (and second straight game) Willis has scored 18.0+ fantasy points and the third time this year he’s broken 16.0 points. More importantly, Willis has been leaning into his rushing production over the last two games, recording 16 carries for 111 yards and two touchdowns.
The Dolphins have a difficult matchup against New England’s defense in Week 8, so it’s fair to expect less fantasy production. However, they have one of the best runs of fantasy defenses against quarterbacks from Weeks 9 to 14 with matchups against the Lions, Colts, Bills, Jets, Broncos, and Bears.
Willis needs to be rostered in all fantasy formats given that stretch of games (and upcoming bye weeks), even if fantasy managers want to play it safe and stash him on the bench to see if his newfound production is real.
Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals
Yahoo: 27% rostered
The Arizona Cardinals continue to trust Jacoby Brissett to air out the football in negative game scripts. The results weren’t necessarily there for the Cardinals’ offense in Week 7 against the Denver Broncos (272 yards with one touchdown and zero interceptions), but the fact that he avoided turning the ball over is a positive.
It was only Brissett’s third game this season without an interception thrown. More importantly for fantasy, it was the sixth time in seven games that Brissett has attempted at least 35 passes and the third time this year he attempted more than 45 passes.
There are whispers that the Cardinals will eventually turn the offense over to 2026 rookie Carson Beck, but at this point that feels like a late-season solution to evaluate what areas the team will need to address in the NFL draft.
For now, Brissett is getting the volume he needs to be a low-end QB1 thanks to his lack of rushing upside. If the offense starts hitting, he will be a high-end streamer as long as he’s starting.
Two-QB Waiver Wire Pickups and Stashes
Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Yahoo: 25% rostered
Baker Mayfield has been one of the most disappointing quarterbacks in fantasy football this season. Mayfield failed to score more than 13.3 fantasy points in any of his first three games before suffering a thumb injury that sidelined him for three weeks.
Mayfield returned in Week 7 and was a part of a 43-13 win over the Carolina Panthers. However, Mayfield had almost nothing to do with the result. The veteran quarterback attempted just 11 passes, completing seven for 64 yards and a touchdown.
The Buccaneers have matchups against two offenses that can push the pace on them in the next two weeks (Atlanta and Chicago) and face off against Detroit right after their Week 10 bye.
Mayfield will have streaming appeal based on matchups alone, even if he has yet to provide the fantasy production we hoped for this season.
Tanner McKee, Philadelphia Eagles
Yahoo: 8% rostered
Tanner McKee had his first start in Week 6 after Jalen Hurts was ruled out due to blood clots. His performance wasn’t exceptional (26 of 45 passing for 215 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions), but he protected the football on his way to 12.6 fantasy points. McKee didn’t do much to attack the Panthers downfield, averaging just 4.8 yards per attempt.
After the game, reports indicated that Hurts would likely miss the rest of the 2026 NFL season after further testing showed the blood clots were more serious than initially believed. His absence means McKee will need to be on our fantasy radar for the foreseeable future.
The 2023 sixth-round pick will have his work cut out for him in Week 7 against the Dallas Cowboys. On one hand, the Cowboys are one of the best fantasy matchups for passing attacks this season. On the other hand, McKee will need to perform with a patchwork offensive line and without arguably his top two pass-game weapons (DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks).
Neither Smith nor Wicks are expected to be sidelined for long, so we should take McKee’s performance tonight with a grain of salt. Assuming both players are able to return after this week, the Eagles backup will have equally enticing matchups against the Commanders and Giants before the team’s Week 10 bye.
The Eagles have one of the better stretches of fantasy opponents after their bye as well, with games against Dallas (Week 12), Arizona (Week 13), and Indianapolis (Week 14) right before the fantasy playoffs.
There will be growing pains as McKee learns how to operate as an NFL quarterback. But if he can find his bearings, he can have streaming appeal throughout the bye weeks.
J.J. McCarthy, New York Giants
Yahoo: 11% rostered
J.J. McCarthy was named the starter for the New York Giants in Week 7 after delivering 243 passing yards, a touchdown, and an interception in the fourth quarter against the Saints in a Week 6 loss. It was his first meaningful action after being traded by the Vikings to the Giants and resulted in 16.3 fantasy points.
The Giants had a tall task against a Houston defense that has struggled in Week 7. McCarthy helped deliver a win for the New York Giants (thanks mostly to their best rushing performance of the season). It was a fine performance in the box score (20 of 28 passing for 252 yards with zero touchdowns or interceptions) that amounted to nothing in fantasy (10.1 points).
This is a really impressive throw by @jjmccarthyy18 👀
NYGvsHOU on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/OTgd9YrzOR— NFL (@NFL) October 25, 2026
New York is on bye in Week 8, so McCarthy is not a priority waiver add if you don’t have your quarterback this week. But he’s in an offense that has been willing to let him attack downfield, possesses good pass-catching weapons, and has fantasy-friendly matchups against the Eagles (Week 9), Commanders (Week 10), and Colts (Week 12) after the bye.
Who Should I Pickup Tool
Trying to decide who to pickup 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...
More Waiver Wire 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!
