Week 7 delivered one of the most exciting waiver wire cycles of the season. Unfortunately, that window has closed, and although the crop of waiver wire pickups ahead of Week 8 isn’t as tantalizing, there are still moves to be made.
Those moves can also prove to be quite important.
We’re in the heart of the fantasy football regular season, so plugging holes for injuries and byes is crucial. We also can’t ignore the stashes who may become late-season breakouts.
It’s a big balancing act, and making the right decisions on waivers can be the deciding factor behind wins and losses. Just ask anyone who managed to grab Omar Cooper Jr. last week.
With all that in mind, let’s take a look at the names that should be circled ahead of the Week 8 waiver wire run.
Note: Only players rostered in roughly <50% of ESPN leagues will be considered.
Note: Our Week 8 waiver wire targets will be updated as data and news become available.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 8 WAIVER WIRE TARGETS
QUARTERBACK
JACOBY BRISSETT, ARI CARDINALS (19.7% ROSTERED)
Jacoby Brissett hasn’t played especially inspiring football this year, but he’s proven capable of taking advantage of plus matchups.
In Week 5, he made the most of his opportunity against the Lions’ exploitable secondary, tossing three touchdowns and scoring 25.3 fantasy points. He also helped the Cardinals keep up in a track meet against the 49ers in Week 3, ultimately scoring 25.6 points in a 36-30 loss.
Brissett will have another favorable spot in Week 8, as the Cardinals will hit the road to take on the Cowboys.
Through Week 6, the Cowboys had surrendered 21.5 PPG to opposing QBs. They also ranked bottom three in both yards per play and EPA per play on passes.
Anyone can pick apart the Cowboys, and that makes Brissett a viable streamer next week.
J.J. MCCARTHY, NY GIANTS (21.7% ROSTERED)
J.J. McCarthy has officially spent five quarters under center for the Giants, and he’s spent that time throwing haymakers and piss missiles.
Whether this level of performance is sticky remains to be seen. After all, we do have a larger sample of McCarthy being objectively horrific.
But there’s no denying that he’s looked incredible in these first few quarters, and he’s shown an ability to pick up yardage in chunks. He also happens to have the weapons needed to keep the downfield passing game rolling.
If the touchdowns follow, we can very well be looking at a matchup-based fantasy starter, or perhaps even more.
In deeper leagues, he’s worth an add for teams that are struggling to find a reliable starting option.
MICHAEL PENIX JR., ATL FALCONS (12.9% ROSTERED)
The Michael Penix Jr. situation is fairly straightforward.
In the five games since he returned, the Falcons’ offense has performed quite well. They’ve averaged 31 PPG and crossed 28 points in three of those contests.
There have been some lows, but altogether, this offense seems capable of getting into track meets in any given week.
During this stretch, Penix’s fantasy production has fluctuated heavily—three weeks with fewer than 15 points and two weeks with 20-plus.
The reasoning is quite explainable.
In Penix’s first three starts, Atlanta scored 11 offensive touchdowns. Eight of them came on the ground. In the two games since, all six of their touchdowns have been Penix passes.
The pendulum has swung quite aggressively in both directions during this five-game stretch.
Moving forward, this is an interesting offense to bet on. You’ll just be rolling the dice on those TDs coming through the air.
There are worse bets to make if you need a spot starter at QB.
RUNNING BACK
JONAH COLEMAN, DEN BRONCOS (24.2% ROSTERED)
The Broncos have been in desperate need of some pop and juice from their ground game. In his first first game back from an ankle sprain, rookie Jonah Coleman provided just that.
He ran downhill and picked up extra yards all afternoon, finishing the day with 54 yards on nine carries, both of which led all Broncos RBs. He added two receptions for 15 yards.
In the wake of this performance, Sean Payton made it clear that Coleman needs to get more involved.
We’ll have to wait and see if Coleman can actually force a flippening in Denver’s backfield. It certainly seems possible, though, so he’s worth a roster spot.
SETH MCGOWAN, IND COLTS (4.0% ROSTERED)
The Colts are in the early stages of packing it in for the year and initiating a rebuild. They’ve already fired their GM, and the next step is selling off some of their assets.
Jonathan Taylor’s name has been thrown around in trade rumors for the last week. It’s unknown what it would take for the Colts to part ways with their star running back, but at a minimum, we know there’s a non-zero chance that he heads elsewhere in the coming weeks.
If he’s dealt, rookie Seth McGowan would be the obvious option to serve as Indy’s starting RB the rest of the way. Although the starting RB for a Daniel Jones-led offense isn’t an especially appealing fantasy asset (unless you’re an elite talent like Taylor), volume is volume.
In deeper leagues, McGowan is worth a look. Don’t get out of line, though, as a trade is quite far from a guarantee.
DYLAN SAMPSON (8.7% ROSTERED), CLE BROWNS
Dylan Sampson saw his first real action of the 2026 season this past week, and he immediately assumed the role we thought he’d see. He handled some work as a rusher while serving as the Browns’ primary back on passing downs.
Against the Titans, he played 45.7% of snaps, saw nine opportunities (six carries, three targets), ran 18 routes (47.4%), and played every snap in the two-minute drill.
He was quite effective in that role, ending the day with 77 yards on his nine touches.
Ultimately, Sampson can be an emergency starter in PPR leagues when the Browns project to be playing from behind. There’s also some level of handcuff value.
His profile doesn’t scream “must-add”, but it looks like he’ll have a defined role moving forward. That’s more than can be said of many RBs these days.
Other Handcuff RBs Worth Rostering: Brian Robinson Jr. (34.7%), Kaelon Black (21.9%), Mike Washington Jr. (17.7%), Emmett Johnson (13.3%), Chris Rodriguez Jr. (11.5%), Samaje Perine (11.0%), Ray Davis (3.0%)
WIDE RECEIVER
OMAR COOPER JR., NY JETS (34.8% ROSTERED)
Omar Cooper Jr. was among the top pickups from this column last week, and if he somehow went unclaimed, make sure to grab him ahead of Week 8.
Cooper has now played three NFL games. Here are his stat lines from each of those games:
- Week 1: 1/30/0 (ran one route before getting hurt)
- Week 6: 6/103/1
- Week 7: 5/115/1
The rookie just has it. He’s consistently made big plays and commanded meaningful volume (22.4% target share across last two weeks).
He seems to have locked down consistent routes, too. Even with Adonai Mitchell back in the mix, Cooper still ran 23 routes on 33 Geno Smith dropbacks in Week 7.
Although that 70% route rate isn’t perfect, it’s enough to work with, especially with the level of playmaking ability that we’ve seen as of late.
At this point, Cooper needs to be rostered everywhere.
ANTONIO WILLIAMS, WAS COMMANDERS (7.1% ROSTERED)
Antonio Williams flew under the radar during Week 7’s waiver wire run, as the Commanders were heading into their bye week, but he undoubtedly deserves some attention.
With Terry McLaurin set to miss the rest of the year, Williams has an enormous opportunity in front of him. And there’s little doubt that the Commanders plan to deploy him as a full-time player; he led Commanders WRs with 33 routes (70.2%) in Week 6.
Whether Williams seizes that opportunity remains to be seen. We’ve seen flashes, though, between the 4/64/1 outing in Week 1 and the 87-yard TD that was nullified in Week 4.
Most importantly, targets are up for grabs in an offense that features one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the NFL.
Williams is worth a stash while evaluating how the McLaurin-less Commanders offense looks in the coming weeks.
TRAVIS HUNTER, JAC JAGUARS (28.4% ROSTERED)
Much like Antonio Williams, Travis Hunter’s bye came the week after he became an intriguing waiver wire add.
Hunter had a season-best performance in Week 6, hauling in all four of his targets for 59 yards and a score, while looking fantastic with those touches.
He also posted a season-high 16.3% route rate. That’s not exactly a fantasy-viable role, but the uptick in Hunter’s role happens to coincide with the decline in Brian Thomas Jr.’s usage and the growing trade speculation surrounding the former first-round receiver.
There’s no knowing whether Hunter will ever hold anything that even comes close to resembling a full-time offensive role. Still, he’s a tantalizing talent who also plays in an incredibly fantasy-friendly offense.
If you’ve got a roster spot to burn, stash him at the end of your bench while seeing if his route rate climbs in the coming weeks.
KC CONCEPCION, CLE BROWNS (43.0% ROSTERED)
It seems that some fantasy managers have given up on KC Concepcion after underwhelming outings through the opening third of the regular season.
It’s understandable. Through six weeks, Concepcion had eclipsed 10.0 PPR points just once. However, his role in the offense had been strong.
In those six games, he’d hit a 20% target share four times and crossed 25% twice. Todd Monken had also made it a point of emphasis to simply get the ball in his hands. His nine designed targets through Week 6 led the NFL, and he’d tacked on six carries as well.
On top of the volume and all-around role, Concepcion had proven to be a dynamic playmaker in space.
All of that came together in Week 7. He drew 10 targets (28.6% target share), handled three carries, and ultimately generated 152 yards from scrimmage, showing off his YAC ability in the process.
In an offense led by Deshaun Watson, efficiency concerns are always real. But this isn’t a high-end draft pick attached to a questionable quarterback. It’s a waiver pickup.
If Concepcion was dropped in your league, he’s worth an add.
JA’KOBI LANE, BAL RAVENS (11.9% ROSTERED)
In his second game back from an IR stint, Ja’Kobi Lane’s role took a step forward. He ran 75% of the routes, confirming that he’ll function as a near-full-time receiver in the Ravens’ offense.
On the negative side, in those two games, Lane hasn’t done anything particularly exciting. He’s combined for 10 targets and did not hit double-digit points in either outing.
However, we haven’t really seen what Lane is capable of just yet. He’s played just a half of football alongside Lamar Jackson, whose quarterbacked one of the league’s most efficient and explosive offenses when healthy.
If you have space at the end of your roster, grabbing Lane and seeing what he can do when Jackson is under center isn’t a bad idea.
With a fantasy-friendly matchup against the Bills coming up in Week 8, he could even be an emergency starter next Sunday.
Other Stash-Worthy WRs: Jordyn Tyson (34.4% rostered), Makai Lemon (37.3%), Caleb Douglas (9.7%)
TIGHT ENDS
HUNTER HENRY, NE PATRIOTS (47.2% ROSTERED)
With the Patriots’ WR room depleted, Hunter Henry was a clear candidate to step up as one of Drake Maye’s top targets in Week 7.
He did indeed step into that role, drawing seven targets (22.6% target share) and ending the day with 14.1 PPR points, thanks to seven receptions and 71 yards.
Neither Mack Hollins nor Romeo Doubs is eligible to return next week, so Henry’s target competition will look the same: A.J. Brown, DeMario Douglas, Eli Rairdon, and the RBs.
He’s no guarantee to post a 20% target share once again, but with this sort of competition for opportunities, Henry should see reasonable volume once again.
The Patriots will also get the Dolphins in Week 8, a team that’s been shredded by opposing TEs this season.
George Kittle dropped 18.0 PPR points in Week 2. Travis Kelce hit 13.9 points the following week. T.J. Hockenson torched Miami for 13 receptions and 119 yards in Week 4. Mason Taylor just scored two TDs and posted 62 yards this past Sunday.
If you need a TE streamer this week, Henry is shaping up to be among the best options.
CHIG OKONKWO, WAS COMMANDERS (4.8% ROSTERED)
Alongside Antonio Williams, Chig Okonkwo is one of the primary candidates to step up in the absence of Terry McLaurin.
In Week 6, he ran a route on 78.7% of Jayden Daniels’ dropbacks (a season high), although he posted a TPRR mark of just 0.18.
Still, he drew seven total targets on the night and looked like one of Daniels’ go-to guys in the shallow and intermediate areas of the field, and it would be no surprise if he maintains that role moving forward.
Okonkwo is also a legitimate playmaker with the ball in his hands. Over the last three seasons, he’s averaging 5.50 YAC per reception, which ranks 10th among 34 TEs who have seen 100+ targets during that time.
If he can blend that playmaking ability with route volume and 5-7 targets per week, Okonkwo can emerge as a fringe TE1 week-to-week.
TERRANCE FERGUSON, LA RAMS (12.6% ROSTERED)
The Terrance Ferguson situation is rather strange.
On one hand, with Davante Adams out of the picture for the foreseeable future, Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford are looking for a second fiddle behind Puka Nacua. Ferguson is the obvious candidate to fill that role.
On the other hand, there’s little clarity on when Ferguson will return to the field after suffering an ankle injury earlier this year. He’s eligible to be activated next week, but it’s been reported that his IR stint will extend beyond four weeks.
Ideally, we’ll get a more specific return timeline next week.
For the time being, TFerg is an intriguing bench stash for TE-needy teams. He’s an athletic freak and has a clear path to being Stafford’s No. 2 target. That’s worth the IR slot or final bench slot on most rosters.
