X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Quarterback Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers - Week 8

Quarterback waiver wire pickups and streamers for Week 8 of the fantasy football season. Elliott Baas recommends QB free agents to consider adding off waivers.

Tragedy struck a few top quarterbacks this week, as both Patrick Mahomes and Matt Ryan left games with injuries. We already know Mahomes will miss 3-6 weeks, while more will be revealed about Ryan's status later today. Either way, owners of these quarterbacks will need a backup plan in place, and this week the waiver wire is loaded with good options at quarterback.

In addition to the injuries, owners of Lamar Jackson and Dak Prescott will be searching for help at quarterback, as both are on bye. Owners of Carson Wentz (@ BUF), Philip Rivers (@ CHI), and Baker Mayfield (@ NE), may also want to consider alternatives, as each quarterback faces a tough opponent on the road.

In this article, we're looking at quarterbacks owned in fewer than 65% of fantasy leagues, while throwing in a few deep-league options who are owned in fewer than 15% of leagues.

Editor's Note: Stay on top of your draft prep with RotoBaller’s fantasy football rankings, featuring expert analysis, ADPs, and draft insights for both PPR and non-PPR leagues.

 

Week 8 Quarterback Waiver Wire Options

Kirk Cousins (MIN): 63% Owned vs. WAS

Cousins has been on a roll lately, throw four touchdown passes in each of his last two games while eclipsing 28 points in each of those starts. Cousins hasn’t just stepped his game up by throwing the ball more often, but throwing more downfield and taking more calculated risks at the helm of this offense. His aDOT has risen to 8.8 over the last few weeks, which gives him the highest aDOT of his career. He’s also maintain an above average completion rate on throws of all depths, which has helped boost Cousins to having a top-three QBR in the league (min. 75 pass attempts). He’s got a juicy matchup against his former team on Thursday Night Football this week as Minnesota hosts Washington, making Cousins the top fill-in for quarterbacks on bye or who are injured. He’s got solid matchups following this one as well, with games against Kansas City and Dallas in Weeks 9 and 10. Cousins is the perfect guy to target for Patrick Mahomes owners, who need someone for about three weeks while Mahomes is on the shelf.

Matthew Stafford (DET): 57% Owned vs. NYG

The habitually underrated and underappreciated Detroit gunslinger has a fine matchup ahead next week, as the Lions host the reeling New York Giants, who have allowed the seventh-most points per game to opposing quarterbacks this season. The Giants have also given up at least 28 points in every game but one this season, and that one was a 24-3 drubbing of Washington as the Redskins rotated quarterbacks in a desperate attempt to spark their lifeless offense. Stafford should have no problem slicing up this weak defense up, and he follows up this matchup with another excellent one, as the Lions travel to Oakland to face the Raiders in Week 9. The Raiders were allowing the third-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks coming into Week 7, and  just got utterly dominated by Aaron Rodgers for over 50 points. Stafford is a hair behind Kirk Cousins in terms of priority this week, but still an excellent option for owners in need.

Jacoby Brissett (IND): 47% Owned vs. DEN

Brissett was superb in Indianapolis’ 30-23 win over Houston, throwing for 326 yards and four touchdowns. He’s been playing so well Colts fans have forgotten all about Andrew Luck (well, probably, right?). Brissett has thrown multiple touchdown passes in all but one game this season, and has scored more than 20 points in three of his last four starts. He’s looked polished and been careful with the ball, as Brissett boasts an above average 15% bad pass rate, and has just a 0.14% interception rate. The matchup isn’t great for Brissett this week, but he’s established himself as a trustworthy top-12 option for most weeks, and therefore deserves to be owned in significantly more leagues than just 47%. If you can ride it out or use a replacement this week, Brissett has a pair of nice matchups in Weeks 9 and 10, taking on Pittsburgh and Miami.

Sam Darnold (NYJ): 33% Owned @ JAX

We have yet to see what Darnold will do this week against New England, but chances are it won’t be pretty. He then follows up that matchup with a tough road game in Jacksonville. So why add Darnold now? He’s got an insanely soft schedule beginning in Week 9. He faces Miami, the Giants, Washington, Oakland, Cincinnati, Miami, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh between Week 9-16. Those teams have a combined 13 wins, and five of those belong to Baltimore. All but Baltimore and Pittsburgh have been bottom-ten against opposing quarterbacks this season. Darnold looked sharp in his return from mono against the Cowboys in Week 6, and if he can capture that same success during this cupcake schedule he’ll be one of 2019’s breakout quarterbacks. Get him while you can.

Derek Carr (OAK): 20% Owned @ HOU

It can sometimes be hard to tell whether Carr is a mediocre quarterback, or a victim of his circumstances in Oakland. What we can count on is the matchup in this one. The Texans were allowing the fifth-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks coming into this week, and just gave up four touchdowns to Jacoby Brissett. Carr isn’t on Brissett’s level, nor does he have Brissett’s supporting cast, but in deeper leagues he’s a fine one-week play in a plus matchup. Carr doesn’t have as much of a long tail as some of the other quarterbacks in this article, but a Week 11 home tilt with Cincinnati could make him worth holding onto for QB-streamers in deep leagues.

 

Two-QB League Pickups and Stashes

Ryan Tannehill (TEN): 5% Owned vs. Tampa Bay

Tannehill stepped up to the plate when called upon last week, throwing for 312 yards and two touchdowns in Tennessee’s 23-20 win over the Chargers. He gets a much easier matchup this week as the lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneers come to town. The Bucs defense has been abysmal this season, allowing at least 31 points in all but one game so far this season. Tampa has also allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks. The Buccaneers have proven that any opposing quarterback can put up numbers against them, as they’ve given up big games to the likes of Teddy Bridgewater and Kyle Allen. Tannehill is the top option owned in fewer than 20% of leagues.

Mason Rudolph (PIT): 6% Owned vs. Miami

Rudolph will be ready to return after a scary concussion in Week 6, and it comes just in time for an exhilarating Monday Night Football with the Dolphins. Boy, nothing beats prime time football. Rudolph is a low-ceiling dump-off king, but his best game of the year came against Cincinnati, which is the next closest thing to Miami. Rudolph put up 17 points in the game against Cincy, and he should be able to piggyback off of talented players like James Conner and JuJu Smith-Schuster to replicate that performance. Rudolph is a passable streamer in two-QB or very deep leagues.

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Advice




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Baltimore Ravens

Emery Jones to Start Training Camp on NFI List
Von Miller

Signs With Commanders
Alfred Collins

Agrees to Four-Year Rookie Deal
LeBron James

Mavs Not Interested in "Gutting its Roster" For LeBron James
Josh Hart

Undergoes a Procedure on Right Finger
Rashawn Slater

Likely Practicing During Extension Talks
Stefon Diggs

Trending Towards Being Available Week 1
Jake Burger

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Quad Strain
Cleveland Browns

Elerson Smith Retires From Football
Justyn Ross

Chiefs Waive Justyn Ross
Tre Harris

Chargers Hope to Get Tre Harris on the Field Soon
Najee Harris

Likely to Begin Training Camp on NFI List
Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Darren Waller

Signs $2 Million Deal With Dolphins
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
C.J. Stroud

Working on Speed, Pocket Mobility Entering Year 3
Daiyan Henley

Daiyan Henley Full-Go for Training Camp
Bradley Beal

Heading to Los Angeles to Join Clippers After Contract Buyout
Rayan Rupert

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
Kurtis Rourke

Starting Training Camp on NFI List
Derik Queen

Collects Third Consecutive Double-Double in Summer League Loss
GG Jackson II

Records 13 Points in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Johni Broome

Logs Double-Double Against Wizards
Micah Parsons

Not Worried About Extension Talks
Jahdae Barron

Broncos Agree to Terms With Jahdae Barron on Rookie Deal
Tyrone Broden

Seahawks Place Tyrone Broden, Montorie Foster on NFI List
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
Landon Jackson

Lands on PUP List
Kyle Schwarber

Named All-Star Game MVP
Harris English

Takes Stellar 2025 Performance to The Open Championship
Aldrich Potgieter

Seeks Better Result in Northern Ireland
Ja'Kobe Walter

Produces Big Numbers at Both Ends Against Nuggets
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Ajay Mitchell

Outstanding Against Magic Tuesday
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
VJ Edgecombe

Busy in Las Vegas Summer League Debut
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Dominick Barlow

to Sit Out Rest of Summer League
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
NBA

Oshae Brissett Links Up with Maccabi Tel Aviv
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Charlotte Hornets

Josh Okogie Waived by Hornets
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Clayton Kershaw

Retires Both Batters In ASG Appearance
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Hit In Pinky In All-Star Game, X-Rays Negative
MLB

NL All-Stars Win On Tie-Breaker Home Run Swing-Off
Junior Colson

Competing for Starting Job
Isaiah Likely

Ravens Looking to Extend Isaiah Likely
Kyle Pitts

Not in Falcons' Long-Term Plans?
Quinshon Judkins

Browns in "No Rush" to Sign Quinshon Judkins to Rookie Deal
Robert MacIntyre

Hoping to Bounce Back at Open Championship
Shane Lowry

Hopes to Repeat at Royal Portrush
Brian Harman

Hopes to Rekindle Some Magic at the 153rd Open
UTA

Michael Carcone Returns to Utah on One-Year Contract
Bowen Byram

Signs Two-Year Deal with Sabres
Morgan Barron

Jets Re-Sign Morgan Barron for Two Years
Dereck Lively II

Undergoes Right-Foot Surgery Tuesday
Isaiah Collier

Logs a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Monday
Devin Carter

Posts 17 Points Versus Suns
Bronny James Jr.

Scores 17 Points in Summer League Loss
Harrison Ingram

has Impressive Outing Against Jazz
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Kyle Filipowski

Records 35-Point Double-Double Against Spurs
Kel'el Ware

Dominates Against Celtics
Oneil Cruz

Ties Home Run Derby Distance Record
Cal Raleigh

Wins 2025 Home Run Derby
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Michael Lorenzen

Royals Put Michael Lorenzen on Injured List With Oblique Strain
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Junior Tafa

Unsuccessful in his Light-Heavyweight Debut
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Tosses Gem Against Giants
Shota Imanaga

Shuts Down Yankees on Sunday
Nathan Eovaldi

Dominant Again in Seventh Win
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Chicago White Sox

Billy Carlson Goes 10th Overall to White Sox
Cincinnati Reds

Steele Hall Selected Ninth by Cincinnati
Toronto Blue Jays

Blue Jays Select JoJo Parker with Eighth Overall Pick
Miami Marlins

Marlins Select Aiva Arquette With Seventh Overall Pick
Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Select Seth Hernandez with Sixth Overall Pick
Kyle Stowers

Punishes Former Team with Three-Homer Game
St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals Select Liam Doyle with Fifth Overall Pick
Colorado Rockies

Rockies Select Ethan Holliday Fourth Overall
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
Erik Karlsson

Open to Move Away From Pittsburgh
Zach Hyman

Hopes to be Ready for Start of Next Season
SJ

Jeff Skinner Joins Sharks on One-Year Contract
Ryan Reaves

Traded to Sharks
Vladislav Kolyachonok

Moves to Dallas
Matt Dumba

Lands in Pittsburgh
Mackie Samoskevich

Re-Signs with Panthers on One-Year Deal
Josh Manson

Inks Two-Year Extension with Avalanche
EDM

Isaac Howard Signs Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract With Oilers
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF