Week seven of the 2024 NFL season is over and if you are wondering when your healthy players are coming back, don’t bother. Mike Evans didn’t make it through a half of football and you might not make it much longer in your leagues. So it is time to dig deep and find lackluster solutions on the wavier wire. I’ll provide you with the best options available on the wire. If I don’t mention someone you think I should be talking about, please know that there are many reasons why I may have overlooked them. Maybe they are owned in most leagues. Maybe they are so bad that I don’t even consider them. Perhaps it’s because your opinions are not trustworthy. After all, you are here. So, let us examine the top week five waiver wire players for your championship run…
Week Eight Waiver Wire Quarterbacks
Jaxson Dart, New York Giants (47% rostered)
This is your last chance to grab Jaxson Dart. In week eight, he had 283 yards passing, three passing touchdowns, and one interception. He also rushed for eleven yards and had a touchdown on the ground. In his first four starts, Dart is averaging 22.7 fantasy points per game, which would make him QB4 on the season. This is the Blake Bortles rule in full effect. You don’t have to be good at football to be good at fantasy football. I am not sure if Jaxson Dart is good, but I know the Giants are not.
J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings (26% rostered)
If Dart is unavailable, now might be the time to grab J.J. McCarthy. If he is not back this week, McCarthy should be starting by week nine. Kevin O’Connell has a history of producing excellent fantasy production from the quarterback position and McCarthy is his hand-picked prospect.
Week Eight Waiver Wire Running Backs
Kyle Monangai, Chicago Bears (7% rostered)
In week seven, Kyle Monangai had 94 all-purpose yards and a touchdown. Over the last four weeks, Monangai’s snap count has been 29%, 28%, 34% and in week six was on the field for 45% of the Chicago Bears’ snaps. We know Ben Johnson historically likes to use two running backs in his offense, having most recently coached with the Lions and their elite running back dueo. Also over the past couple of weeks, the Bears running attack has improved. Ben Johnson is telling us that Kyle Monangai is going to have the David Montgomery role in his offense and if you are smart, you will listen. Kyle Monangai should be the number one waiver wire add of the week.
Brashard Smith Kansas City Chiefs (6% rostered)
If you have watched Isiah Pacheco or Kareem Hunt play football this year, it will not come as a shock to you that Brashard Smith led the Kansas City Chiefs in touches in week eight. Smith was on the field for 35% of the team snaps and had 81 all-purpose yards. While usage thus far has not shown it, Brashard Smith is the best running back on the Chiefs roster. At some point, talent is going to win out and Smith will consistently have the lead back role. When that happens, you will hope that he is already on your roster because the lead back on an improving Kansas City Chiefs offense can win championships.
Week Eight Waiver Wire WRs
Wan’Dale Robinson, New York Giants (54% rostered)
Now I usually don’t go above the 50% roster threshold when picking waiver wire candidates. Still, Wan’Dale Robinson’s roster rate of 54% is so egregiously bad that I feel it has to be addressed because it means that 46% of fantasy leagues are full of idiots. Wan’Dale Robinson finished the week with six catches for 95 yards and a solid WR2 outing. Robinson is the number one receiver on a football team that is bad and will be playing from behind a lot. Even if you won’t start him, he needs to be on your bench because when one of your starters is inevitably hurt, you don’t feel quite so terrible starting Wan’Dale and players like that are hard to find in week eight of the waiver wire.
Tez Johnson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0% rostered)
While Mike Evans started the game against the Lions, he did not finish. Johnson had four catches for 58 yards and a touchdown in week eight. More importantly, he is the clear number two receiver on the Bucs when all the Bucs receivers are injured, which means all of them. Baker Mayfield is having a great year and if Tez Johnson is his second target, then I want Tez Johnson on my roster.
Xavier Legette, Carolina Panthers (14% rostered)
In week seven, Xavier Legette had nine catches for 92 yards and a touchdown. Once Bryce Young got hurt, we saw Andy Dalton focus on getting the ball to Legette and he produced. I really want Legette to be good, but I need to see more from him than beating up on a bad Jets team. I would wait one more week before making a move.
Week Eight Waiver Wire TEs
Oronde Gadsden II, Los Angeles Chargers (6% rostered)
Every week I mention a tight end and every week I say not to burn FAAB or waiver priority on a tight end. So I hope you appreciate when I say that Oronde Gadsden is one of my few exceptions to that rule. The reason I don’t think it is worthwhile to lose positioning or FAAB on a tight end is because if I am going to make that commitment to a player, they have to have game-breaking ability if I am going to make that type of commitment. In week 8, Gadsden showed that type of ability with seven catches for 164 yards and a touchdown. Before the season started, a lot of smart bettors had Gadsden as a potential rookie breakout candidate. Hype coupled with an explosive game from a rookie at the worst position in fantasy football is something I will take a risk on because if it hits, it puts me in a much stronger position to win my league.
