We had the big one. If you survived the Week 7 wreckage, hopefully you don’t need much from the Week 8 fantasy football waiver wire. For the rest of us, we need to figure out which 49ers wide receivers are worthy of our attention, if there is any running back help left and what streamers can step in.
HEADS UP
- Players must be under 60% rostered on Yahoo
- Listed in order of preference — I’ll regularly prioritize potential upside over immediate replacement production
- RB backups have a separate secondary list based on only if the lead option got hurt
- No FAB suggestions: It varies wildly by league tendencies and always relative (ex: if you lost your RB1 to injury and there is a clear backup, you’re going to be more aggressive)
- Streaming QB and TE are grouped together — weekly ranking can change once projections/ranks run — DST could shift a bit too
- Emojis for brevity
- 😏 = mentioned multiple times, multiple weeks — either you want him, or don’t
- 🫡 = Next Man Up but with deeper startability
BYES: None
WORRY REPORT
(Scale 1-5: more ducks = more worry)
- Colts — ♾🦆 — All we wanted was for Anthony Richardson to be a mid-level (heck, mediocre) passer, and he would have Top 5 upside. Forget his rushing value, Richardson’s inability in the passing game is killing him and the Colts receivers. Forget whether or not Josh Downs is a good fit, if Michael Pittman Jr. can get 100% healthy and/or Alec Pierce’s big-play upside. Richardson has one game with more than 10 completions and hasn’t thrown a touchdown since Week 2, when he also had three interceptions. Unless the Colts decide this is a lost year for Richardson and he needs to learn again while watching Joe Flacco play, everyone not named Jonathan Taylor is near impossible to use (well, and Tyler Goodson if Taylor is out again).
- Buccaneers RBs — 🦆🦆🦆— So, it turns out the committee wasn’t a lie. Rachaad White, Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker were involved. White and Irving have more value than Tucker, but if either or both struggled any given week, there is no stopping one from being written out a game. White and Irving are now RB3s with Top 20 upside and super low floors, and Tucker is a Hail Mary play.
- DeVonta Smith, WR, PHI — 🦆 — There is a reason we refer to DeSean Jackson often with these WR3 weekly boom/bust types, and it’s because you have to keep them in your lineup every week. Matchups don’t accurately predict their boom weeks (or busts), and they are as likely to get you 20+ fantasy points as they are a fat zero. Even in Jackson’s best season (2013), he had nine games with 64 or fewer yards and only saved two of those games with touchdowns. Live with the roller coaster, but this is also why the Smith-like wideouts are WR3s and not Top 20 options.
POWER UP PLAYERS
(Scale 1-5: more Mario mushrooms = more excitement)
- Drake Maye, QB, NE — 🍄🍄 — Drake Winston. Drake Howell. Drameis Maywell? Do you get where I’m going with this? Okay, maybe not, but I compared Maye to both quarterbacks (Jameis Winston, Sam Howell) out of college, and his aggressive play (14.3 OffTGT%, eighth highest in two starts, and 11.4% attempts of 20+ yards) will boost his value and receivers (if they can get any consistent use). The risk is what that type of play brings — interceptions, low floor — but it’s much less painful in fantasy. He’s in the mid-upper QB2 discussion but with a bad matchup this week.
- Tank Bigsby, JAX — 🍄🍄🍄 — The split was correct (two-thirds Bigsby and one-third D’Ernest Johnson) as mentioned on my pod — do yourself a favor and listen, as I cover a ton with short speed run episodes and deeper insight ones. Bigsby has forced his way into a timeshare with Travis Etienne Jr., similar to what Tyrone Tracy Jr. has done, but I’d also look to sell high if you can get RB1 value. Even if Etienne doesn’t return this week, catch-up game scripts will have Johnson eat into the volume a bit more, and the Jaguars defense isn’t stopping most teams, let alone the Packers this week.
- George Pickens, WR, PIT — 🍄🍄🍄🍄 — Russell Wilson was going to increase the touchdown potential, and even while some of his throws were questionable — Pickens was a big reason for some receptions — Wilson definitely helped Pickens put his name back into the WR2 tier.
STREAMING QUARTERBACKS
- Tua Tagovailoa, MIA (vs ARI)
- Bo Nix, DEN (vs CAR)
- Aaron Rodgers, NYJ (at NE)
- Justin Herbert, LAC (vs NO)
- Jameis Winston, CLE (vs BAL)
- Russell Wilson, PIT (vs NYG)
- Drake Maye, NE (vs NYJ)
WAIVER WIRE RUNNING BACK RANKS
- Alexander Mattison, LV — An RB3 — people need options.
- Tyrone Tracy Jr., NYG — Timeshare, and on a bad team, but a higher ceiling than Devin Singletary.
- Tyler Goodson, IND — Only if Jonathan Taylor hasn’t returned. If Taylor plays, Goodson is deep down the list.
- Jaylen Warren, PIT — 🫡
- Zach Charbonnet, SEA — 🫡
- Ray Davis, BUF — 🫡
- Tyjae Spears, TEN — 🫡 If he returns, the Titans’ upcoming schedule suggests more pass-heavy game scripts than not.
- Tyler Allgeier, ATL — 🫡
- Justice Hill, BAL — 🫡
- D’Ernest Johnson, JAX — See Power Up.
- Kendre Miller, NO — Got some work finally, and given that Jamaal Williams is near the end, Miller could work into a timeshare.
- Audric Estime, DEN — Estime could also start getting weekly timeshare work if Javonte Williams doesn’t build off his dominant Week 7.
- Roschon Johnson, CHI — D’Andre Swift has seen quite the turnaround, but Johnson continues to get work, and if Swift falters at all, the door would open for more of a split with Johnson.
- Sean Tucker, TB — See Worry Report. Can use as a Hail Mary option, and Tucker would have RB3 value with a more-attainable ceiling if White or Irving missed time.
MEH, I’LL PASS
- JaMycal Hasty, JAX — Travis Etienne was out, the Jaguars ran away with this (literally), and the Patriots run defense is garbage.
DUMPSVILLE
(order I’d drop)
- Jerome Ford, CLE — No real upside or usability left with Nick Chubb returning. And while Ford would be back in play if Chubb got hurt again, D’Onta Foreman was involved enough to cap Ford’s upside.
PURELY NEXT MAN UP RANKS
(if an injury ahead of them)
- Tyler Allgeier, ATL
- Braelon Allen, NYJ
- Ray Davis, BUF
- Zack Moss, CIN
- Zach Charbonnet, SEA
- Blake Corum, LAR
- Isaac Guerendo, SF
- Ty Chandler, MIN
- Austin Ekeler, WSH
- Tyjae Spears, TEN
- Justice Hill, BAL
- Kimani Vidal, LAC
- Trey Benson, ARI
- Kenneth Gainwell, PHI
- Jerome Ford, CLE
- Tyler Goodson, IND
- Emanuel Wilson, GB
- Dameon Pierce, HOU
- Antonio Gibson, NE
- Roschon Johnson, CHI
- Kendre Miller, NO
- Jaylen Wright, MIA
- Audric Estime, DEN
- Ezekiel Elliott, DAL
WAIVER WIRE WIDE RECEIVER RANKS
- Jauan Jennings, SF — We already saw Jennings come up big earlier this year, and if he returns in Week 8, Top 30 value is on the table again.
- Jalen McMillan, TB — Hasn’t done much since Week 1 (touchdown really), but he’s a smart receiver who knows how to work space and get open. With Chris Godwin and Mike Evans sidelined, I’d go for McMillan over Sterling Shepard given the ceiling and ability. McMillan can be the No. 1 until Evans is ready and the No. 2 after (if Godwin is season-ending).
- Ricky Pearsall, SF — Here if Jennings can’t return, as Pearsall was “better Darius Slayton” when I talked about NFL Draft prospects. That fills the Brandon Aiyuk role, unless he’s out. If Jennings returns and Deebo Samuel is over his pneumonia, Pearsall would rank down with Keon Coleman.
- Romeo Doubs, GB — 😏
- Tyler Lockett, SEA — Here all year, and no one wants him, but now DK Metcalf is week-to-week with a sprained MCL. IfMetcalf surprises everyone and plays in Week 8, Lockett would slide down to Tutu Atwell.
- Jalen Tolbert, DAL — Tolbert had lines of 10-7-87-1 and 5-4-43-0 in the two games before the bye. He’s in play as a WR4.
- Tutu Atwell, LAR — Atwell or Jordan Whittington can carry value even with Cooper Kupp back and, hey, at least Atwell is healthy — thanks, Sean McVay, for your, “Whittington is good to go” nonsense.
- Quentin Johnston, LAC — Even though he missed Week 7, Johnston has WR4 boom/bust value if he plays in Week 8.
- Mecole Hardman, KC — Hardman had just 11 routes (Xavier Worthy led with 26, still three behind Travis Kelce at 29), so this is far from a trustworthy option. However, with JuJu Smith-Schuster already out for Week 8, Hardman could see his usage tick up near Worthy’s. The gamble is that Hardman remains behind Worthy and Justin Watson, and in that scenario, he would be down with Allen Lazard (below).
- Sterling Shepard, TB — Started to get involved recently, and can produce WR4 numbers until Evans is back.
- Trey Palmer, TB — Arguably a higher ceiling than Shepard, though he’s struggled to get going and stay healthy.
- Jacob Cowing, SF — Cowing, who is much like Wan’Dale Robinson, is more of a Deebo Samuel replacement. If Samuel is out, Cowing is a deeper flier with volume to carry value. As a result, Cowing is here and a better gamble if both Samuel and Jennings are out. If Samuel is out and Jennings plays, move Cowing down by Jakobi Meyers on this list. If both Samuel and Jennings play, Cowing is down near the bottom.
- Cedric Tillman, CLE — With Winston at quarterback, we have Tillman in play as the Browns’ version of Keon Coleman. You can argue he has a higher ceiling, which is why he’s here, but in the Browns offense — even with Winston — the floor is lower. Tillman is a pure upside chase; know that going in.
- Khalil Shakir, BUF — Shouldn’t have been dropped. Shakir’s role didn’t change, and he will remain a WR3/4 in half and full-PPR.
- Jakobi Meyers, LV — If he returns, Meyers is a solid floor play.
- DeMario Douglas, NE — Would have been good to know he was sick, but now that he’s likely to be healthy in Week 8, Douglas is back to WR3/4 value like Shakir.
- Jerry Jeudy, CLE — 😏
- Xavier Legette, CAR — Down week, but if Andy Dalton rebounds, Legette can carry WR4 value.
- Keon Coleman, BUF — Had his best game in Amari Cooper’s Bills debut. Cooper will see his snaps increase, which will hurt Coleman a tad, but it affects Mack Hollins more, and Coleman can be a matchup-based WR4 as the Bills’ WR3.
- Troy Franklin, DEN — Had him as a “meh” option last week mainly because the Broncos offense struggles to carry value for wideouts. However, Franklin is seeing his role increase, and with that, the Bo Nix rapport is evident. I wouldn’t start Franklin yet, but stashing him is wise.
- Josh Downs, IND — See Worry Report. This makes me sad.
- Bub Means, NO — As discussed, Means is overmatched as a team’s top option, but when Chris Olave returns (and Derek Carr), Means can be a lesser Coleman for the Saints.
- Jordan Whittington, LAR — If he gets back to 100%, Whittington has the highest non-Kupp or Puka Nacua ceiling, but plenty of risk.
- Allen Lazard, NYJ — If we have shootout potential on tap, Lazard would be a decent WR4 gamble.
- Van Jefferson, PIT — No more than a Hail Mary play, but that’s more than he was before Russell Wilson.
- Rashod Bateman, BAL — Here because people often ask when he has a game. Bateman is essentially a wideout version of a high-end backup running back. Unless Zay Flowers gets hurt — and it seemed like that was close to happening on MNF — Bateman won’t be startable.
DUMPSVILLE
(order I’d drop)
- Courtland Sutton, DEN — You’re impossible to use if you run a team-high 28 routes and get zero targets. Sutton hasn’t cracked 68 yards and has one game with more than four receptions.
- Christian Kirk, JAX — Was here last week. The only reason to hold him — and yes, if you have a spot, it’s worth waiting — is in case Kirk is dealt to the Chiefs or similar.
- DeAndre Hopkins, TEN; Mike Williams, NYJ; Darius Slayton, NYG — All of these are previous dumps, but you can hold, similar to Kirk (get a trade boost), but I’d still drop them for anyone through Franklin, and maybe more.
MEH, I’LL PASS
- Cedrick Wilson Jr., NO — Continuing not to chase anyone in this offense outside being a needy team starting Courtland Sutton as a WR4.
- Christian Watson; Dontayvion Wicks, GB — Watson was in the pickups last week, but then Week 7 came and made it clear Watson and Wicks are cannibalizing the WR3 position. Neither had more than 50.0% of the routes (Watson), and their usage is unpredictable.
- Kalif Raymond, DET — He does this 2-3 times a year. And while Jameson Williams is suspended for two games, Raymond has been behind Tim Patrick, and neither are more than Hail Mary’s. The Williams suspension hopefully awakens Sam LaPorta.
- Jalen Nailor, MIN — Still third in the Vikings WR pecking order, and he will have more down than good games. It’s impossible to know when the good ones are coming, and now T.J. Hockenson should be back.
STREAMING TIGHT ENDS
- Cade Otton, TB
- Hunter Henry, NE
- Taysom Hill, NO
- Zach Ertz, WSH
- Tyler Conklin, NYJ
- Colby Parkinson, LAR
- Isaiah Likely, BAL
- Will Dissly, LAC
- Lucas Krull, DEN
STREAMING DST
Week 8
- DET vs TEN
- KC at LV
- LAC vs NO
- HOU vs IND
- GB at JAX
- WSH vs CHI
- MIA vs ARI
- CHI at WSH — higher if Marcus Mariota
Week 9
- TEN vs NE
- LAC at CLE
- KC vs TB
- CHI at ARI
- DAL at ATL
- WSH at NYG
(Top photo of Jauan Jennings: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
