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Week 8 fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Jaylin Noel, Xavier Hutchinson, Dalton Schultz in 2025. Read their waiver wire outlooks for fantasy football.
The Houston Texans got blasted in Week 7 by the Seattle Seahawks. Their passing offense has struggled massively this year, with quarterback C.J. Stroud playing poorly.
Their offensive line is also arguably the NFL's worse, and their offense doesn't seem to have much direction right now. But that doesn't mean it's not worth picking up some of their pass-catchers on waivers.
Wide receivers Jaylin Noel and Xavier Hutchinson and tight end Dalton Schultz could all see expanded roles due to the injury to lead WR Nico Collins (concussion). Are any worth grabbing on waivers? Let's dive in.
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Jaylin Noel Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered: 4% of Leagues
Baller Move: Add in 12+ Team Leagues
Noel was one of my favorite receivers from the 2025 NFL Draft class. I absolutely hated the landing spot for him -- the Texans made a flurry of WR moves last offseason, drafting Noel and rookie WR Jayden Higgins and signing slot receiver Christian Kirk (hamstring).
Noel has played mostly in the slot, so the presence of Kirk has severely cut into his playing time. But Kirk wasn't able to play in Week 7, and Noel showed us all what should have been obvious all along -- he deserves a lot more playing time, and if that comes at the expense of having Kirk on the field, that's fine.
Stroud finds his rookie Jaylin Noel downfield to get in scoring position before the half
HOUvsSEA on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/UHtaceOlcb— NFL (@NFL) October 21, 2025
Unfortunately, Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley hasn't showed a lot of competence. His play-calling and personnel usage have been heavily criticized, and with good reason. Kirk is a solid route-runner, but this offense desperately needs explosive plays like Noel can provide, and Kirk will not help with that.
Noel is a bench stash for now, while we hope Caley gets his head out of... whatever space it's in that's interfering with his good judgment.
Xavier Hutchinson Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered: 0% of Leagues
Baller Move: Don't Add
Even if Collins misses time, it's hard to see the upside argument for Hutchinson. He had just one catch for 13 yards last week on four targets. He's another strange example of Caley's mishaps -- there's little reason why he should be on the field over the rookie second-round pick Higgins.
Houston selected Higgins very early in the second round, too, and he played a season-high 63 percent of offensive snaps last week, but wasn't targeted. Hutchinson is a third-year pro that's never been a difference-maker and has yet to eclipse 150 receiving yards in a season.
Xavier Hutchinson gets the @Houstontexans on the board first ‼️
HOUvsBAL on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/M8IRSuNFqi
— NFL (@NFL) October 5, 2025
He had two touchdowns in Week 6 against a listless and injured Baltimore Ravens defense, but that's about all he's done this year.
Dalton Schultz Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered: 19% of Leagues
Baller Move: Add in 12+ Team Leagues
Schultz has quietly been one of the better tight ends in fantasy football over the last four games he's played. In each game in the three weeks before the bye, he had six targets, and in Week 7, he caught nine of his 10 targets for 98 yards.
The injury to Collins likely has a lot to do with his increased volume, but boom weeks at the tight end position can make a big difference for fantasy football teams. There's so much potential for bust weeks, even from good tight ends in bad matchups.
Schultz struggled last season, though, and as the rookies start getting more work, it might be hard for him to stay consistent. Perhaps he could have more nice games if Collins misses more time, though, so he's worth adding if you need help at TE.
Who Should I Pickup Tool
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Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
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