Waiver Wire Watchlist for Fantasy Football Week 8

Joey's fantasy football waiver wire watchlist before Week 8 of 2025. You should keep an eye on these emerging players and consider them waiver wire stashes.

Welcome to Week 8 of our fantasy football waiver wire watchlist for the 2025 NFL season. Week 6 featured some surprising performances from players who were available on the waiver wire, including TE Oronde Gadsden (seven catches for 164 yards and a touchdown) and WR Chimere Dike (four catches for 70 yards and a touchdown).

You know the drill by now: All players listed in this article are rostered in less than 50% of fantasy football leagues, meaning that they are available more often than not. That's why Gadsden isn't on this list (he's owned in over 62% of leagues!).

With that being said, here are five players still on the majority of waiver wires who could help you make significant strides in your fantasy football league. Good luck on the waiver wire and happy hunting!

• 2025 fantasy football rankings
• Running back (RB) fantasy football rankings
• Wide receiver (WR) fantasy football rankings
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• Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
• Kicker (K) fantasy football rankings
• Dynasty fantasy football rankings

Waiver Wire Watch List - Running Backs

Kyle Monangai, Chicago Bears - 32% rostered

Monangai was featured in this article in Week 1, and he's finally begun to pay dividends for owners who stashed him. The Bears' offense under Ben Johnson is beginning to take shape: a run-heavy outfit powered by a strong offensive line opening up holes for Monangai and D'Andre Swift. Both Swift (124 yards, one touchdown) and Monangai (81 yards, one touchdown) feasted on the ground against the Saints in Week 7.

Swift still outsnapped Monangai, but not by much: the rookie earned 45% of the snaps to the veteran's 55%. The two-man backfield that Johnson relied on in Detroit is beginning to reveal itself in Chicago. Monangai's powerful running style makes him effective in between the tackles and at the goal line, so expect him to continue earning touches on early downs and short-yardage situations.

The question now is if and/or when Monangai can surpass Swift and become the leader of the two-man backfield. While Swift has been very impressive at times this season, he's a player who was frustrating in previous stops in Detroit and Philadelphia. If Monangai can prove to be more reliable, there's a path to a larger workload.

Kyle Monangai To See More Work Going Forward? https://t.co/lN98YtZHGZ

— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) October 22, 2025

Monangai is rostered in plenty of fantasy leagues, but not the majority of them. He's worth taking a chance on due to his effectiveness and high potential.

 Brashard Smith, Kansas City Chiefs  - 10% rostered

The rookie may be the Chiefs' third-string running back, but he's found his way to fantasy relevancy despite that fact. In a Week 7 blowout win over the Raiders, Smith handled 14 carries and caught five passes, racking up 81 yards from scrimmage. While he has not been incredibly effective as a rusher, Smith has been a reliable target out of the backfield for Patrick Mahomes.

A seventh-round pick out of SMU, Smith began his college career as a wide receiver before switching to running back, which explains his pass-catching talents. He has also begun to develop as a pass protector, which should endear him to Andy Reid and the Chiefs' coaching staff.

With backup Kareem Hunt dealing with a bone bruise in his knee, Smith could get an extended tryout as the RB2 in KC. While this may not be a permanent move, Smith will earn the majority of third-down snaps and could mix in on earlier downs along with Isiah Pacheco.

Brashard Smith Poised For Bigger Role in Coming Weeks? https://t.co/l1rjrgfFzD

— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) October 22, 2025

Besides his receiving ability, Smith has the speed (4.39 40-yard dash) to make big plays in the running game. While he has not yet made an impact as a rusher, the Chiefs' strong passing attack should provide Smith with plenty of opportunities to produce through the air.

Smith is a good stash in PPR leagues for managers in desperate need of running backs. He is a bench option for now with potential to become a solid flex play later on in the season.

More RB Options:

• Jaydon Blue, Dallas Cowboys - 15% rostered
•  Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans - 33% rostered

Waiver Wire Watch List - Wide Receivers

Tez Johnson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers  - 35% rostered

With Mike Evans out for most of the season's remainder with a broken collarbone, someone has to step up in the Buccaneers' receiver room in his place. First-round rookie Emeka Egbuka has already established himself as an outstanding player, but the "someone" I'm referring to is Johnson, a seventh-round rookie who has performed admirably when given the opportunity.

In the past two weeks, Johnson has caught five passes for 103 yards and two touchdowns. He has emerged as a big-play threat for Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers' passing game in the absence of Evans and Chris Godwin, making plays downfield and after the catch.

Tez Johnson scores on the screen pass!

TBvsDET on ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/fLNxdLnDPm

— NFL (@NFL) October 21, 2025

Johnson was incredibly productive at Oregon, but NFL teams were scared off by his size (5-foot-9, 154 pounds) and perceived lack of straight-line speed (4.51 40-yard dash). However, he's found a home in Tampa Bay and could be a mainstay in the Bucs' offense for the rest of the year.

Xavier Legette, Carolina Panthers - 32% rostered

The 2024 first-round pick disappointed in his rookie season, struggling to avoid drops and catching just 49 passes. As a result, the Panthers decided they needed more at the position and selected wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan in the first round. But in Week 7, Legette may have turned a corner. He snagged nine passes for 92 yards and scored a touchdown in the Panthers' win over the Jets.

Patience from Bryce Young leads to a Xavier Legette touchdown!

CARvsNYJ on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/XIiXPIXZ8m

— NFL (@NFL) October 19, 2025

Outside of McMillan, Panthers QB Bryce Young doesn't have many options in the passing game. If Legette can continue to excel in the red zone and on downfield throws, he could secure a big role in the Carolina offense. The drops are not as big a concern as they were last season, meaning Legette should be seeing more targets from Young.

At 221 pounds, Legette is a physical wideout with the strength and speed to separate from NFL defensive backs. And if Carolina's defense continues to struggle the way it has so far this season, he will have to do that separating a whole lot more.

Legette isn't a safe start by any means - before Week 7, his most catches in a game this season were three. However, he's a decent stash with upside as a young wideout in an improving offense.

Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts - 9% rostered

The Colts' suddenly elite offense has become rather crowded. The offense revolves around running back Jonathan Taylor, and the top target in the passing game is tight end Tyler Warren. To make matters worse, Pierce is competing with Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, and Adonai Mitchell for snaps, routes, and targets in the Indianapolis receiver room.

However, with Downs not playing in Week 7 due to a concussion, Pierce got a bigger opportunity and took advantage of it, catching five passes for 98 yards. He has continued to be an excellent deep threat, which helps him stand out from the other Colts receivers. Downs and Pittman are underneath targets, and Mitchell has played himself out of a starting role due to some costly mistakes early in the year.

With the Colts' offense in such a good place, Pierce will get plenty of chances to make plays downfield - which is what he's best at. Standing at 6-foot-3, Pierce has the size to win contested catches and the speed to get behind defenses. That unique skill set should help him carve out a role in this offense and stay relevant in fantasy football.

Alec Pierce Needs to be Rostered https://t.co/Rj271BXxeV

— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) October 21, 2025

More WR Options:

• Chimere Dike, Tennessee Titans - 2% rostered
• Sterling Shepard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 16% rostered

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