Fantasy Football 2024 Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickup Advice
Is your fantasy team in need of new blood? Each week I’ll bring to you the best pickups to make ahead of the waiver deadline. All the players I list will be rostered in fewer than 50 percent of leagues, with the roster percentages coming from Yahoo.com.
Immediately Useful
Jaylen Warren, RB, Steelers (41% Rostered): Warren is finally healthy, and while Najee Harris isn’t going anywhere on a team that relies heavily on the run, and wants to wear down defenses with Harris’ bruising style, Warren can be trusted in lineups again. As good as Harris has been of late, Warren is still the electric back in this duo. He has more shiftiness, more explosiveness and much more big play ability. His snap counts have been problematic in 2024, but he logged 51% of snaps for the Steelers Sunday night. Finding immediately playable RBs who don’t have temporary, injury-based value is extremely rare so don’t be afraid to spend up. An injury to Harris can make Warren a big time RB2.
Jauan Jennings, WR, 49ers (30% Rostered): Jennings faded in Weeks 4 and 5 before missing Sunday’s game with an injury, but he is expected back this week and will have an increased role with Brandon Aiyuk’s season likely done due to a torn ACL. Jennings might actually be a bit of a bargain because of the uncertainty about his availability in Week 8, but he has proven what he is capable of in this offense when given the opportunity. It’s also worth noting that Jennings has graded as a Top 10 WR per PFF, this season, comfortably ahead of Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel. With Aiyuk down for the count, his opportunity is growing. He is easily my favorite WR add of the week, and he may wind up being one of the more impactful waiver adds of the entire season.
Jalen McMillan, WR, Buccaneers (3% Rostered): McMillan is suddenly thrust from obscurity into a potential role in which he leads the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in targets for a time. McMillan was billed as a slot-specific prospect, but the Bucs are in dire need of that now that Chris Godwin’s season is over. Couple that with the inevitability of Mike Evans missing time, and McMillan’s likely to be peppered with targets. This doesn’t mean he will do a ton with them, nor am I predicting stardom. But if you need volume, he’s likely to get it.
Jalen Tolbert, WR, Cowboys (20% Rostered): Tolbert hit waiver wires due to being on bye in Week 7, but he is someone who should be universally rostered. The Cowboys aren’t the wagon we saw in 2023, but Tolbert is emerging as the clear-cut WR2 behind CeeDee Lamb, and while Jake Ferguson will rival him in targets, Tolbert can do much more with the work. A secure role with a prolific QB in an offense that struggles to move the ball on the ground? Yes please!
Dontayvion Wicks, WR, Packers (27% Rostered): Wicks is fine guys. He played on Sunday, and he scored. Wicks is, in my estimation, the second-best receiver on the Packers and while the depth in the receiving room will make for highs and lows for everyone involved, Wicks is a playmaker. He’s also got the versatility to slide into any role that could open up due to injury, which would lead to more targets from an elite QB in an elite scoring offense. Wicks is fantastic depth for a fantasy roster, even if you’re ideally not relying on him.
Romeo Doubs, WR, Packers (44% Rostered): Doubs’ squeaky wheel routine has worked like gangbusters, scoring twice in his first game back after a brief team suspension, and then catching eight passes for 94 yards vs. the Texans. Doubs will have peaks and valleys, and Sunday marked just his second foray past 50 yards this year, so he continues to be a bit TD-dependent. With that said, Green Bay scores a bunch and loves to throw, so he’s viable in any given week.
Allen Lazard, WR, Jets (44% Rostered): Lazard, a former Packer, remains a fairly critical cog in the Jets’ passing game. The arrival of Davante Adams surely decreases volume for both Garrett Wilson and Lazard, but Lazard still posted a respectable four catches for 58 yards Sunday night against a brutal Steelers defense. His four targets did tie for second-lowest on the season, so I’d keep referring to Lazard as an emergency play, but you can throw him in there.
Hunter Henry, TE, Patriots (31% Rostered): Playing fantasy football in 2024 means accepting that the floor for your TE is incredibly low, making Hunter Henry an actual, usable person in our game. More often than not, Henry isn’t going to do much. But his ceiling in a given week is actually very high, and he’s probably the Patriots’ No. 1 option in the passing game. This passing offense is low output, so the role doesn’t hold much weight, but they did seem to improve at QB by going to rookie Drake Maye. Listen, Henry’s not winning you your league, but you can do worse at the position and his spike performances every couple of weeks are very helpful.
Zach Ertz, TE, Commanders (30% Rostered): Ertz lost his QB early on Sunday, and went on to put up the same metronomic performance he always does. Ertz was targeted five times and caught four passes for the second consecutive week. Unlike Henry, Ertz is all floor. He is going to be reliably targeted in the short passing game, and while most weeks he’ll give you usable production, it’s often barely usable, and he has a ceiling fit for a Hobbit. Play him if you’re deeply desperate; you shouldn’t expect much, but you should expect not zero.
Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Dolphins (45% Rostered): It might make us queasy, but it sure seems like Tagovailoa is going to be back in Week 8, or soon thereafter. That is blessed news for every Dolphins skill player, but it can also be a game-changer for fantasy managers hurting at QB. Tua doesn’t run much, and he really shouldn’t anymore, but when he is on he is capable of week-winning detonations. I think he makes for a great stash, especially since he’s got upcoming matchups vs. Arizona, Buffalo, and the Rams.
Russell Wilson, QB, Steelers (7% Rostered): Wilson racked up 264 yards and two touchdowns in his 2024 debut vs. a tough Jets defense, and added a rushing score as well. No I’m not a dummy who thinks all of a sudden Wilson is back to prime Seattle, Mr. Unlimited QB play. I did like that he was willing to fling it down field with all his might to George Pickens though. Wilson’s running is a thing of the past now, so his ceiling is capped, but if he just decides to chuck it to Pickens all the time he might actually provide fantasy value.
Speculative/Deep Cuts
Juju Smith-Schuster, WR, Chiefs (45% Rostered): Juju aggravated a hamstring injury and ended up goosing on Sunday, making his 130 yards two weeks ago feel like it is years in the past. This injury obviously removes him from the “immediately useful” conversation, but he still makes for a quality stash because his role is a critical one for Patrick Mahomes, and you want to be an important pass-catcher for Patrick Mahomes. If your team is in a good place and has room on the roster to hold him, I’d do so because he can go off with the right game script.
Rashod Bateman, WR., Ravens (18% Rostered): Bateman is talented, but this offense simply doesn’t throw enough for him to be useful on a weekly basis. He is, however, a big play waiting to happen. He’s caught four passes in each of his last three games, so he does seem to be earning a consistent piece of this small passing pie. He’s gone over 50 yards in each of those games so if you can stomach the potential for a very bad game, you may get rewarded with a long touchdown here and there.
Trey Palmer, WR, Buccaneers (0% Rostered): Palmer is also going to see his role increase massively with Evans and Godwin sidelined, although Palmer is more likely to operate on the outside, and see more volatile targets. He’ll make big plays. but I’m also fairly certain he will have utterly useless games for fantasy managers. If you can use him will really depend on how deep your league is, and what kind of production you need from your FLEX spot(s).
Michael Wilson, WR, Cardinals (16% Rostered): Wilson couldn’t save this one with a touchdown, as the Cardinals won a total rock fight vs. the Chargers. With Kyler Murray at QB, and Marvin Harrison Jr. across from him, this should be a high-octane offense. It’s simply not, though, and despite Wilson’s talent and breakout potential, at this point he is a risky desperation FLEX. That sucks, but I’d still speculatively add him if you have space because he has the tools to be much better than this.
Ricky Pearsall, WR, 49ers (14% Rostered): Pearsall will probably be a highly sought after add due to the Aiyuk injury, but while i liked his talent a lot this offseason, he is a rookie who missed all of training camp and just got back on the field this week. The 49ers offense is far from easy to pick up, and Jauan Jennings is very likely to be back in Week 8. Pearsall may well be the biggest beneficiary of the Aiyuk injury by season’s end, but for now I’m not underestimating the learning curve, and treating him as a late-season dart.
Alec Pierce, WR, Colts (22% Rostered): The last two weeks have been massive busts for one of the most boom or bust WRs in the NFL among players who get a lot of playing time. Pierce is a true one-trick pony, and with Anthony Richardson back, his trick has become much harder to perform due to Richardson’s haunting accuracy issues. He is a true desperation dart throw for upside, but the goose egg potential is high.
Tyler Allgeier, RB, Falcons (39% Rostered): After 105 yards and a touchdown, Allgeier returned to his usual performance. Allgeier is, for my money, the highest-upside handcuff in fantasy, with standalone value in certain matchups. If you’re a Bijan Robinson manager you have to have him.
Roschon Johnson, RB, Bears (15% Rostered): Johnson looks like the “goal line” back, but in reality he is just a big back who can pound the ball in short yardage, but isn’t used that way all the time. The Bears will sometimes deploy him in that role, but he’s much more of a pure change of pace back for D’Andre Swift, who has a firm hold on the lion’s share of Bears RB opportunities.
Braelon Allen, RB, Jets (41% Rostered): Allen is talented, but with the new coaching regime in place the focus has been fully on re-establishing Breece Hall’s dominance. There’s a shred of TD possibility for Allen, but you’re really just holding him in the event of a Hall injury.
Ray Davis, RB, Bills (26% Rostered): Davis scored a touchdown vs. the Titans this week, but it was a garbage time score you can ignore. He’s on this list because he’s showing the talent that made some excited for him to have a fantasy relevant role in the preseason, and while James Cook has a stranglehold on the bell cow duties in Buffalo, Davis will have big value if Cook goes down.
Justice Hill, RB, Ravens (18% Rostered): Hill continues to have a pretty consistent, but small, role in this excellent offense. For all the points Baltimore scores, everyone’s unreliable aside from Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. With that said, Hill has standalone value in games where it looks like the Ravens will have to pass. In this one he caught three balls for 44 yards and a score. He’s a desperation play when Henry’s healthy, and a FLEX if Henry goes down.
Ty Chandler, RB, Vikings (32% Rostered): As a clear handcuff to Aaron Jones in a good offense, Chandler is stashable.
Emanuel Wilson, RB, Packers (8% Rostered): As a clear handcuff to Josh Jacobs in a good offense, Wilson is stashable.
Aaron Rodgers, QB, Jets (50% Rostered): Rodgers hasn’t looked great besides one week vs. a Patriots team cruising for a Top 3 pick, but the Jets’ inability to run has forced them into pass-heavy game scripts. That volume, plus Adams’ arrival, Garrett Wilson becoming an overqualified WR2, and Hall re-emerging as the best receiving back in football could lift Rodgers back to QB1 status. His upcoming schedule isn’t encouraging, but he is a legend. He could work out down the line if you’re willing to add him cheap, wait and see.