FlurrySports takes a look at the best fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 8, including Atlanta Falcons WR Darnell Mooney!
Is anyone else still scratching their head trying to figure out how the Broncos won on Sunday? Yeah, me too. Best not to dwell on it for too long as Week 8 is right around the corner, and this marks the beginning of the second half of the fantasy football regular season. With a whole half-dozen teams on bye and more wide receiver injuries, a sense of urgency feels necessary when it comes to this week’s fantasy football waiver wire pickups.
As always, we will continue to try to utilize the latest snap counts, injury news and usage rates from around the league when prioritizing our waiver wire claims. Let’s get right down to business and break down some of our favorite fantasy football waiver wire pickups to target heading into Week 8.
Note: Players must be owned in less than 50% of ESPN leagues to be included in the best fantasy football waiver wire pickups column. Ownership percentages will reflect their status on Tuesday mornings ahead of standard waiver processing.
Best Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 8
QB Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers (27.6%)
Touchdowns have been elevating the fantasy value of Aaron Rodgers this season. Last Thursday night marked the second time this season that the four-time league MVP threw for four scores. It was also the fourth time in six games that he has passed for multiple touchdowns. In Week 8, Rodgers and the Steelers will face off against the Green Bay Packers. Along with the obvious revenge angle that should have him heavily motivated, it’s worth noting that the Packers look to be a tad overrated. When it comes to pass defense specifically, they rank just 19th in EPA/pass.
Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons (17.1%)
Apparently, Michael Penix Jr. cannot be trusted to provide much fantasy production outside of Atlanta. The difference in his completions percentage, yards per attempt and overall efficiency when playing at home compared to on the road is pretty remarkable. Fortunately, the Falcons are at home in Week 8. This once again allows Penix to join the conversation for fantasy football waiver wire pickups, especially with so many teams on bye. Not only will he be playing at home but he gets a Miami Dolphins defense that has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to opposing QBs.
Joe Flacco, Cincinnati Bengals (4.9%)
Less than two years after “Flacco Fever” took over northeast Ohio, it appears to be spreading rapidly in the southwest corner of the state. Two games into the Flacco experience and the 40-year-old has managed to stay upright and has also rejuvenated the Bengals’ entire offense. With two stud receivers in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, there’s no reason why the Week 7 production can’t be sustained, especially when up against bad defenses. The New York Jets certainly fall into that category defensively, making Flacco a viable pickup and streamer in Week 8.
RB Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans (29.9%)
In the Titans’ first game without Brian Callahan, the distribution of opportunities between their running backs took an unexpected turn. Tyjae Spears appeared to be the shoe-in for PPR value as a pass-catcher, especially given how frequently Tennessee is trailing in games. Week 7 actually saw him finish with just one fewer carry than Tony Pollard and with two fewer targets. Go figure. This backfield could be a crapshoot going forward, but what seems certain is that Spears will be involved on a weekly basis. His 23 offensive snaps played were just seven fewer than Pollard on Sunday, yet he remains widely available on waiver wires.
Kyle Monangai, Chicago Bears (4.1%)
While he didn’t get many opportunities previously, Kyle Monangai was given 13 carries in Week 7 which he turned into 81 yards and his first career touchdown. The Bears were notably playing from in front on Sunday, so a more competitive affair could dampen Monangai’s outlook as he is still firmly behind D’Andre Swift in the pecking order. The performance was noteworthy though, and we are getting to the point in the season where managers might wish to swap out some fringe bench players for RBs like Monangai who are an injury away from becoming a hot fantasy football waiver wire pickups commodity.
WR Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Darnell Mooney, Atlanta Falcons (42.3%)
Have people forgotten that Darnell Mooney still plays football for the Falcons? It sure feels that way given his current ownership percentage. To be fair, he has missed two and a half games due to injury through the first seven weeks. However, when Mooney is healthy and on the field, he is the clear WR2 within Atlanta’s offense. While he only caught three of five targets in Week 7, his 68 yards were enough to lead the team. It may be tricky to depend on Mooney for game-changing weekly production given the run-oriented nature of the Falcons’ offense. However, the snap counts indicate he will continue to be a focal point through the air.
Xavier Legette, Carolina Panthers (23.8%)
Xavier Legette saw 15 total targets over the first two weeks of the season, but he was unable to do much with them. He then disappeared from the fantasy radar for a month due to an injury and two quiet games. Week 7 saw him put forth the best game of his young career. He played 57 snaps and was peppered with 11 targets. Jalen Coker made his season debut on Sunday and should continue to see more run moving forward. That said, Legette has the talent and draft capital to warrant continue opportunities. With Andy Dalton expected to be quarterbacking the Panthers in the short term, the entire WR room should get a boost.
Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts (3.1%)
While it’s worth noting that Josh Downs was sidelined in Week 7, it really doesn’t matter too much given how the Colts have been deploying their receivers this season. Alec Pierce returned from his own concussion-related absence last week and promptly resumed his WR2 obligations. In Week 7, his 52 snaps played were the same amount as Michael Pittman Jr., and he led the Colts in receiving yards for the game. Pierce now has at least four receptions and 67+ yards in three of his five games played. Given all of the injuries plaguing the WR position, Pierce is worthy of fantasy football waiver wire pickups consideration.
TE Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Mason Taylor, New York Jets (28.0%)
Oftentimes, rookie tight ends fail to live up to expectations in their first year at the NFL level. Mason Taylor appears to be ahead of schedule by that standard, even if it’s partially due to playing for a team that is devoid of many reliable pass-catchers. Taylor has played over 80% of the Jets’ offensive snaps in five of seven games this season. Over the last five weeks chronologically, he has been targeted six, seven, twelve, one and five times as a receiver. If the Jets do the right thing and start Tyrod Taylor over Justin Fields going forward, the entire passing attack should get a boost.
Theo Johnson, New York Giants (11.6%)
Since Jaxson Dart took over at QB for the Giants, Theo Johnson has been featured regularly in our fantasy football waiver wire pickups column. Thus, it’s only fitting that he be discussed once again after scoring his fourth touchdown in as many games on Sunday. Johnson’s snap counts remain high as has been the case all season. He has been targeted at least four times in every game since Dart became the starter and has accumulated 14 receptions on 23 total targets over that span. The opportunity coupled with his red zone usage continue to make him a viable add in fantasy.
Oronde Gadsden, Los Angeles Chargers (2.1%)
Nothing to see here… Just a fifth-round rookie out of Syracuse absolutely going off to finish as the TE2 in PPR scoring for Week 7! Have a day Oronde Gadsden II! After sitting out the first two games to begin the year, Gadsden’s snap counts have trended all the way up from 26% in Week 3 to over 75% in each of the last two games. He has been targeted at least seven times in three of five games played, including a whopping 17 targets in the last two weeks. Naturally, 164 yards receiving and his first career touchdown will make him a popular fantasy football waiver wire pickups target heading into Week 8.
Follow us on all of our social channels! Check out our Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok for more great FlurrySports content.
