Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups & Adds

October 23, 2019

Pierre Camus' fantasy football waiver wire pickups, adds and sleepers ahead of Week 8 of the 2019 NFL season. Running backs (RB), wide receivers (WR), quarterbacks (QB) and tight ends (TE) to target or bid on.

It's Chase Edmonds' world, we're just living in it. Wait, what? Hopefully you added him, as suggested in this column the past two weeks, because even if David Johnson is deemed healthy enough to actually play, it's likely Edmonds continues to see action. In QB news, by the halfway point of Thursday night, we already had a new name jump to the front of the waiver wire list. Regardless of what you think about Matt Moore talentwise, he's going to be leading the Chiefs' high-powered offense for the next couple of weeks, if not longer. He could be a nice consolation prize if you miss out on Darnold. As far as receivers, there may not be as obvious of an add to make but those who stream should be able to identify some pass-catchers that can help. At tight end, all I can say is good luck...

Each week, we will advise you which players to consider picking up on waivers that are owned in approximately 35% or fewer of Yahoo leagues so that you can make an educated decision about how to improve your fantasy football team. This list is not meant to be exclusive of all add-worthy players. For a more comprehensive list, check out our weekly Waiver Wire Lightning Round by position, ordered by priority. If higher-owned players not listed here are available in your league, feel free to treat them as higher-priority pickups.

As always, keep checking back here for updated waiver recommendations and always keep tabs on our NFL Player News feed. Be sure to also check out our weekly rankings and analysis columns, with in-depth analysis for all options heading into Week 8.

Quarterbacks - Waiver Wire Options

Sam Darnold, New York Jets - 32% owned

Last chance to add the Jets franchise QB before easy mode kicks in. His Week 7 nightmare outing against the best defense in the NFL will keep his ownership low but he should be added from here on out despite the four interceptions. Admittedly, an upcoming road matchup versus the Jaguars isn't a walk in the park but this defense isn't what it used to be with Jalen Ramsey gone so he is still playable. From Week 9 on, the Jets only face one team with a winning record until Week 17, which fantasy owners shouldn't care about. Stash him now, especially if you are a Pat Mahomes owner.

Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders - 20% owned

Even without top receiver Tyrell Williams, Carr had a nice day against the Packers with 293 yards and a pair of scores. He hasn't yet gone for 300 yards or three TD in a game, so he will remain a low-ceiling play regardless of opponent. This week's matchup with the Texans is appealing, as they are bottom-10 defensively against QBs. The floor should be fairly high and make him a safe, if unexciting, streamer.

Matt Moore, Kansas City Chiefs - 1% owned

He's the temporary replacement for Patrick Mahomes and gets to run Andy Reid's offense. No need to make more of a case than that, but a look at Moore's career numbers will show that he is capable of having a big game even with lesser skill players than Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. Moore has a 46/36 TD/INT rate for his career and has put up 12 multi-TD performances in 30 starts. His 138.3 passing yards per game is underwhelming but we can reasonably expect that number to go up in KC. He should be viewed as a high-end fantasy QB2 - not close to Mahomes in terms of value but good enough to start in deeper leagues.

Others to consider: Mason Rudolph, Pittsburgh Steelers (6% owned); Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans (5% owned)

Running Backs - Waiver Wire Options

Mark Walton, Miami Dolphins - 21% owned

When I recommended Walton as a waiver wire stash back in Week 3, there was a fair amount of skepticism. Fast forward to Week 7 and Walton is the leading rusher for the Dolphins, for whatever that's worth. Not only did he lead the team with 66 rushing yards, he outcarried Kenyan Drake 14-6 and has taken over the starting job. If Drake is traded before the deadline, Walton becomes a must-add despite being on a winless team. If only Kalen Ballage would stop vulturing goal-line carries, Walton might have RB2 appeal. For now, he is a risky flex with a Monday night matchup at Pittsburgh pending.

Ty Johnson, Detroit Lions - 1% owned

Kerryon Johnson suffered a knee injury early in Week 7 and was later spotted with a knee brace. Now, we know he will miss multiple games which makes Ty Johnson the starter with little depth behind him. He stepped in as the lead back against Minnesota and proceeded to do... not much. He carried 10 times for 29 yards and caught four passes for 28 yards. This was a tough defense to face but he could have a much easier time against the Giants, who allow the seventh-most fantasy points to running backs. Ty Johnson is a high-priority add on a thin RB waiver wire and even a solid add for those who simply need a streamer to replace Ezekiel Elliott or Mark Ingram for one week.

UPDATE: Kerryon Johnson has officially been placed on IR.

Brian Hill, Atlanta Falcons - 1% owned

Ito Smith gets carted off, Devonta Freeman is ejected, Matt Ryan leaves early, the Falcons fall to 1-6. It wasn't a good week on any account for Atlanta and they could be one more loss away from making a change at head coach before their bye. It's tempting to avoid this backfield altogether but given the dearth of quality options at this position, the thought that Hill could see 10+ touches in a home game next week gives him some appeal in deeper leagues. Ito Smith has been ruled out for Week 8, making Hill a deep flex option and possibly a smart long-term stash if he does well.

Wendell Smallwood, Washington Redskins - 1% owned

Another winless team that is looking for a spark anywhere it can get it, the Skins may have to give Smallwood some run as long as Chris Thompson (turf toe) remains out. Adrian Peterson is also battling ankle issues and could be limited this week too. Smallwood combined for just 41 yards in Week 7 but this was a game that featured a total of nine points and 437 yards between both teams in the pouring rain. The schedule does no favors for this struggling team, as they are on the road to face Minnesota and Buffalo the next two weeks. Smallwood is merely a desperation flex.

Others to consider: Darrell Henderson, Los Angeles Rams (32% owned); Alexander Mattison, Minnesota Vikings (25% owned); Nyheim Hines Indianapolis Colts (15% owned); J.D. McKissic, Detroit Lions (3% owned) Boston Scott, Philadelphia Eagles (0% owned)

Wide Receivers - Waiver Wire Options

Cole Beasley, Buffalo Bills - 29% owned

The Bills didn't roll over the Dolphins as expected but they did pull out a win thanks to a late touchdown catch by Beasley to stay ahead for good. Beasley only caught three passes for 16 yards, although he tied for the team lead with six targets. You'd think you couldn't get a better matchup than Miami but Philadelphia has a far worse pass defense this season, allowing the most points to the WR position. Keep Beasley in your lineups.

Geronimo Allison, Green Bay Packers - 26% owned

It's tough to swallow the fact that Allison only gave fantasy owners seven points in full PPR leagues on a day where Aaron Rodgers went berzerk with five touchdowns and 429 yards. He would have paid off with a score of his own if he had stayed in bounds along the sideline, so it's not as if he was invisible. Allison will be a boom-or-bust play each week who is mostly TD-dependent. A matchup with the Chiefs isn't as enticing as it once sounded but there's still a fair chance for him to produce if he avoids Charvarius Ward in coverage.

Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers - 19% owned

Mason Rudolph should be back, which is good news for his favorite target. Johnson was coming on strong as the team's WR2 with 4.7 receptions on 6.7 targets per game in Weeks 3-5 before Rudolph went down with a concussion. Pick him up again and flex him with Miami on the schedule for Monday night.

A.J. Brown, Tennessee Titans - 17% owned

We posed the question earlier this week of whether Ryan Tannehill could improve the fantasy value of Tennessee's receivers. The answer so far is yes. Tannehill threw for 312 yards and led the team to a victory. Brown led the way with eight targets, hauling in six for 64 yards. Teammate Corey Davis was more productive with 80 yards and a touchdown but he is higher-owned at 41% and therefore not eligible for this list. That said, Brown could be just as productive going forward and is widely available. Facing the Bucs in Week 8, Brown is a strong pickup wherever a fourth WR or second flex player is required.

Keke Coutee, Houston Texans - 14% owned

The lesser-owned Stills (below) is a better pickup but Coutee now has appeal in 14+ team leagues with the news that Will Fuller will miss several weeks. Coutee has been relatively quiet this season, gaining 154 yards on 13 receptions and no receiving touchdowns (he does have one rushing TD). He has been injury-prone himself so take a chance if you are looking for a risky upside pick. The upcoming matchup with Oakland is promising, as they allow the fourth-most fantasy points to WRs.

Devante Parker, Miami Dolphins - 13% owned

Three straight games with a touchdown and a season-high 10 targets with Ryan Fitzpatrick back as the starter have thrust Parker back onto our collective consciousness, like it or not. He's barely owned and very likely to see garbage time production on any given week. It will be interesting to see if he is dangled on the trade block this week after this strong showing.

Kenny Stills, Houston Texans - 12% owned

The pendulum swings back to Stills' favor, as Will Fuller exited the game with a hamstring injury. If you know anything about Fuller and/or hamstrings, there's a good chance he doesn't play in Week 8. Stills immediately found a connection with Deshaun Watson, going for 105 yards in his return. If he can put up a strong output in a game where the Texans weren't fully clicking on offense, he should be just fine against the Raiders, who allow the fifth-most fantasy points to wide receivers. He is a high-ceiling play in Week 8 against a porous Raiders secondary that just traded Gareon Conley.

Olabisi Johnson, Minnesota Vikings - 0% owned

First, Chad Beebe was placed on IR, making Johnson the WR3. Now, Adam Thielen is injured and could miss Week 8 with a hamstring injury, especially on a short week to recover. The seventh-round pick out of Colorado State could find himself in a prominent position against a terrible defense this Thursday. The Redskins allow 38 fantasy points per game to wide receivers, 10th-most in the league after seven weeks. This coincides with Kirk Cousins being on fire, throwing for 300+ yards in three straight games. Johnson is the top under-the-radar WR target of the week for those in need of a streamer.

UPDATE: Adam Thielen has officially been ruled out for Week 8.

Others to consider: Dante Pettis, San Francisco 49ers (23% owned); Preston Williams, Miami Dolphins (12% owned); Adam Humphries, Tennesse Titans (5% owned); Alex Erickson, Cincinnati Bengals (2% 0wned); Zach Pascal, Indianapolis Colts (1% owned); Jaron Brown, Seattle Seahawks (1% owned)

Tight Ends - Waiver Wire Options

Chris Herndon IV, New York Jets - 29% owned

Maybe this is the week Herndon finally makes his 2019 debut. Only at tight end would a second-year player who's been suspended and injured on a 1-4 team have value despite not taking a snap all season. Stash him in hopes that he returns at full health soon and be ready to deploy him throughout the second half as the Jets' schedule softens considerably.

Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota Vikings - 27% owned

He's been an afterthought in this passing game and was outgained by rookie Irv Smith in Week 7. That said, Rudolph is still the preferred TE pickup in Minnesota and now should draw some interest as Adam Thielen's status (hamstring) is in question. Rudolph doesn't have Smith's speed but he is drawing more red-zone targets on the year and is a better bet to score. The home matchup with Washington on Thursday night will make Rudolph a semi-popular streamer this week.

Foster Moreau, Oakland Raiders - 3% owned

Darren Waller has been the big story at tight end this year but he may not be the only one with fantasy value in Oakland. Moreau has caught nine passes the past three weeks, two of which have gone for touchdowns. As long as Tyrell Williams is out, Moreau could see enough targets to give him deep-league value.

Others to consider: Darren Fells, Houston Texans (29% owned); Mike Gesicki, Miami Dolphins (4% owned); Ricky Seals-Jones, Cleveland Browns (3% owned)

Team Defense - Waiver Wire Options

Pittsburgh Steelers Defense - 44% owned

You should have the benefit of finding the Steelers defense on waivers in many leagues since they are coming off their bye. There is no better week to stream them than now, as they will be at home to face the Dolphins. Pittsburgh has forced multiple turnovers in every game since the season opener and should have no problem doing so again. The Fins have coughed it up 13 times in six games and given up 23 sacks.

Indianapolis Colts Defense - 12% owned

The Colts have been surprisingly stout on defense all year and that trend continued as they held Houston to 23 points. It was the fourth game in which they registered at least three sacks too. With Darius Leonard back healthy, this unit should do even better in Week 8 when they face the struggling Broncos. Denver has scored one touchdown in the last two weeks, while Joe Flacco has struggled on the road all year, averaging 221 passing yards with a 2/2 TD/INT rate in three away games.

Detroit Lions Defense - 9% owned

The Lions were shredded by division rivals Minnesota and failed to register a single sack or turnover. Not the kind of DST you want to entrust your fantasy fortunes to in most cases. The matchup begs consideration though, as they stay home to face the Giants. Daniel Jones has thrown seven interceptions the last four games and lost two fumbles in Week 7 alone, giving him five on the year. This should be a lower-scoring game with the potential for turnovers.

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Advice