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

Running Backs Waiver Wire - Week 8 Pickups and Adds

Pierre's recommended Week 8 running back waiver wire pickups for 2017 fantasy football. Add these free agent running backs (RBs) for PPR and non-PPR teams.

The waiver wire gets thinner each week, as you will soon find out. There are some retreads here that have been added and dropped twice over, but still could prove valuable as we enter the middle portion of the fantasy regular season. With a staggering six teams on bye in Week 8, the best you can do at the RB position is a pair of Raiders and an ex-Raider that have all been irrelevant up until this point.

As usual, this article will aim to highlight Week 8 waiver wire adds for running backs, players that you should consider targeting on your league's waiver wire if available. Running backs will be split up into three tiers - from most desirable, to most desperate.

I will also include RBs at the bottom of this list that you might consider cutting in order to make room for your new additions and a suggested percentage of your FAAB to spend on each player.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Frontrunners for Week 8 - Waiver Wire Running Backs

Latavius Murray, Minnesota Vikings - 40% owned (10% FAAB)

Look familiar? When Dalvin Cook went down for the season, Murray was speculated to be the top RB option in Minnesota. Instead, it's been Jerick McKinnon providing all the value while Murray has rushed for a total of 80 yards in the last three games combined. Of course, he busts out with 113 yards and a touchdown in Week 7 against the Ravens when nobody was starting him. Even though next week's opponent, the Cleveland Browns, have a tough run defense and the Vikings are on bye the following week, Murray showed he still has something in the tank and will get the red zone carries for a team that is now 5-2. If nothing else, stash him for the second half.

Jalen Richard, Oakland Raiders - 11% owned (8% FAAB)

It looks like Richard has become the starting RB in Oakland, at least for one week. He ran for 31 yards and caught four passes for 45 yards in Week 7, but this isn't so much about what he did as what his teammate, Marshawn Lynch, did. Beast Mode was in effect for the wrong reason, as Lynch got tossed out of the game during an altercation in which he pushed an official. Lynch has been disappointing in his return to the league, averaging 3.7 Y/A and failing to surpass 80 yards in a game so far. With a one-game suspension of tap, Richard gets a chance to shine and could carve out a role beyond this week if he impresses.

DeAndre Washington, Oakland Raiders3% owned (8% FAAB)

Washington saw a season-high nine carries and scored his first touchdown of the year on Thursday night. As mentioned above, Washington will be a bigger part of the offense in Week 8 due to Lynch's suspension and should sustain some PPR value as a pass-catching threat. He has breakaway ability, but hasn't gotten the chance to showcase his skills yet. The Bills have been tough against running backs this year, so neither Oakland RB is a must-start this week, but with such a high number of players on bye, they could serve as a flex play to get you along.

 

In The Running - Week 8 Waiver Wire Running Backs

Dion Lewis, New England Patriots - 28% owned (5% FAAB)

The pickings are so slim, I'm resorting to Pats running backs now. Lewis did technically serve as the lead runner for New England in Sunday night's Super Bowl rematch. He looked good, racking up 76 yards on 13 carries. He only caught one pass, however, and with Rex Burkhead back, this is once again a four-man RBBC. If you're in a pinch and don't have better options, you can at least hang your hat on the fact that their Week 8 opponent, the Chargers, have allowed the second-most rushing yards in the league this season.

Wendell Smallwood, Philadelphia Eagles - 21% owned (2% FAAB)

As of this writing, Monday night's game has yet to be played. Smallwood should resume his new role as the pass-catching back and understudy to LeGarrette Blount. There isn't much upside in standard leagues, but PPR owners could use Smallwood this week. The Eagles are at home against the 49ers, who not only have the worst run defense in the league, they also allow the most receiving yards to RB as well. He could be one of the sneakier plays available on the wire.

Marlon Mack, Indianapolis Colts - 40% owned (1% FAAB)

Well, I was definitely wrong about the Mack breakout this week. Mack himself looked good in his limited time on the field; he averaged over five yards a carry on five attempts and took a screen pass 35 yards down the sideline. The Colts just flat-out played horrible and were behind from the beginning, forcing them to go to pass-only mode early on. Don't blame Mack for his team's ineptitude. They'll face a slightly easier defense in Cincinnati this coming week.

Honorable Mentions: Matt Forte (30% owned), D'onta Foreman (18% owned)

 

Dark Horses - Week 8 Running Backs Waiver Wire

Thomas Rawls, Seattle Seahawks - 23% owned (1% FAAB)

I'm getting the sneaky suspicion that Rawls will be in this category the rest of the season. You could take the optimistic approach and see that he tied for a team-high 12 rush attempts and even got a shot near the goal line to run in a touchdown (he didn't), while seeing most of the second-half carries. The downside is that Eddie Lacy was the official starter at RB, got just as many carries, and didn't fumble it like Rawls. With four backs seeing the field off and on, this still feels like a situation to avoid unless you have no other options or are looking for a bench stash with upside.

Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers - 1% owned (0% FAAB)

Pass-catching back Branden Oliver was supposed to be back this week, but the team opted to keep him sidelined in favor of UDFA Austin Ekeler. The rookie rewarded them with a touchdown catch near the goal line and actually outrushed Melvin Gordon on the day with 38 yards on the ground. Ekeler's role won't be huge, but if he plays in favor of Oliver going forward, there's PPR value to be had.

Honorable Mentions: T.J. Yeldon (1% owned), Eddie Lacy (21% owned), Matt Breida (16% owned)

 

Time To Say Goodbye

Ty Montgomery, Green Bay Packers - 94% owned

Don't @ me. The recent RB1 in Green Bay is no longer worth owning. No, Montgomery didn't get reinjured. His line reads like a player who did, but it's a simple matter of Aaron Jones being better. Despite being a week healthier, Montgomery carried four times for six yards while his replacement did slightly better with another 100+ yard rushing game and a touchdown. Of course, a Jones injury would make Montgomery a high-priority add once again, so I wouldn't drop him unless you absolutely need the roster space for this coming bye week.

Isaiah Crowell, Cleveland Browns - 79% owned

Easy for me to say, because I don't own Crowell anywhere, which means I didn't invest a third or fourth round pick in him. Then again, there's a reason for that. Crowell simply isn't a top talent and he plays for a team that rotates quarterbacks weekly. He's averaging 3.4 yards per carry and doesn't have a run longer than 17 yards on the season. If you think there's a reason that he or the team will turn around their fortunes, then hold on for now, but at the very least stop putting him in your starting lineup. The Browns have a tough matchup against the Vikings next week followed by a bye week.

Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati Bengals - 23% owned

He was never more than a very marginal add in PPR leagues, but even that value seems to have evaporated. Since rushing for 40 yards in the opener, he hasn't even sniffed 30 since. If he were catching passes a la Andre Ellington, he would be worth owning, but he only caught one of three targets in Week 7 and has only caught more than two passes in a game once this whole season. There is almost no upside left here as long as Joe Mixon is around.

 

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Analysis




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

Yordan Alvarez

Resumes Swinging -- Return Imminent?
Jake Burger

to Miss an Additional 2-3 Weeks
TreVeyon Henderson

Signs Rookie Contract
Christian Watson

Goes on PUP List
Austin Riley

Hopes to be Activated Next Week
Ketel Marte

Lands on Restricted List After Burglary
Ricky Pearsall

Heads to PUP List
Brandon Aiyuk

Placed on PUP List
Luther Burden III

Signs Rookie Deal
Washington Nationals

Eli Willits Expected to Sign Contract on Saturday
Grayson Rodriguez

Being Shut Down Again - Will We See Him Again This Year?
Ezequiel Tovar

Activated and Back in Lineup on Friday
Max Fried

"Hopeful" to Pitch Next Week - Looks Like He'll Avoid IL Stint
Steven Kwan

Receives Injection in Wrist, Considered Day-to-Day
CJ Abrams

Back to Start Second Half
Alec Bohm

Back From Rib Injury on Friday
Trey Hendrickson

Holdout to Spill into Regular Season?
Jalen McMillan

Bucs Offensive Coordinator Not Forgetting About Jalen McMillan
Levi Onwuzurike

to Miss at Least Four Games
Nick Emmanwori

Seahawks, Nick Emmanwori Reach Agreement on Rookie Deal
Max Holloway

Set For Main Event
Brandon Lowe

Back From 10-Day Injured List
Dustin Poirier

Set For His Final UFC Fight
Roman Kopylov

Set For Co-Main Event
Paulo Costa

Returns At UFC 318
Luis L. Ortiz

to Remain on Leave for Another Month - Will he Pitch Again?
Daniel Rodriguez

Looks For Third Win In A Row
Kevin Holland

Set For His Fourth Fight This Year
Dan Ige

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
MMA

Patricio Freire Set For His Second UFC Fight
Daniel Zellhuber

Set To Open Up UFC 318 Main Card
Michael Johnson

Looks For Third Consecutive Win
Elijah Arroyo

Signs Rookie Deal
Jaydon Blue

Described as "Borderline Lazy"
T.J. Sanders

Bills Sign T.J. Sanders to Rookie Deal
Christian Wilkins

Raiders Put Christian Wilkins on PUP List
Jabari Small

Lions Add Jabari Small to Backfield
Quinshon Judkins

Remains Unsigned, Won't Report With Rest of Rookies
Mason Taylor

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Jets
Hendon Hooker

Leading Lions QB2 Battle Entering Training Camp
Ozzy Trapilo

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Bears
Tate Ratledge

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Lions
Jack Bech

Signs Rookie Contract with Raiders
Yegor Chinakhov

Requests Trade
Dakota Joshua

Maple Leafs Acquire Dakota Joshua
Lukas Dostal

Signs Five-Year Extension with Ducks
Shemar Stewart

Not Practicing With College Team
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Expected Back Friday
Damian Lillard

Returning to Portland
Paul Skenes

Pirates Could Preserve Paul Skenes in Second Half
Brooks Barnhizer

Grabs 19 Points, Nine Boards in Summer League Win
Jeremiah Fears

Scores 22 Points in Summer League Loss to Thunder
Isaiah Collier

Collects 17 Points In Summer League Win
Caleb Houstan

Joins Hawks
AJ Johnson

Erupts for 25 Points in Summer League Loss
Washington Wizards

Leaky Black Logs Double-Double in Loss to Jazz
Connor Norby

Undergoes Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks
Trey Alexander

Tallies 25 Points in Losing Effort
Johni Broome

Records Second Consecutive Double-Double
Jahmir Young

Has Historic Summer League Outing
Rob Dillingham

Plays Big Role in Wednesday's Win
Tyrese Proctor

Erupts for 35 Points Against Kings
Cody Williams

Leads Jazz to Victory Against Wizards
LeBron James

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

Undergoes a Procedure on Right Finger
Jake Burger

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Quad Strain
Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
Los Angeles Clippers

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

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
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
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
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
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Clayton Kershaw

Retires Both Batters In ASG Appearance
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF