Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Rankings & Pickups (Week 8)

Our analysts combine to provide rankings for weekly fantasy football waiver wire targets. We’ll help you prioritize your bids for the week ahead. Check out our full expert consensus fantasy football waiver wire rankings and all of our fantasy football waiver wire pickups for the week.

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Rankings

Note: Players chosen based upon having early-week consensus roster percent below 50%.

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups to Target

Kyle Monangai (RB – CHI): 44% Rostered

Next Opponents: @BAL, @CIN, NYG
True Value: $9
Desperate Need: $15
Budget-Minded: $5

Analysis: Bears head coach Ben Johnson has found the secret sauce to the Chicago running game. Over their last two games, the Bears have dominated on the ground. They piled up 222 rushing yards against the Saints, and both D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai found pay dirt. Although Swift continues to operate as the lead back, the snap divide has been closing. Last week, Swift saw 52.9% of the snaps to Monangai’s 45.6%. This allowed both backs to pay off, with Swift rushing for 124 yards and a score, and Monangai rushing for 81 yards and a score. We know Johnson is no stranger to split backfields. In fact, Johnson presided over a split backfield in Detroit that included Swift. The Bears’ two running backs should continue to operate as a Walmart version of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. With Swift taking the Gibbs role and Monangai a discount version of Montgomery.

Jaxson Dart (QB – NYG): 41% Rostered

Next Opponents: @PHI, SF, @CHI
True Value: $12
Desperate Need: $21
Budget-Minded: $7

Analysis: Here we thought Tommy DeVito was the only Giants quarterback to serve up saucy starts. It turns out Jaxson Dart has stolen the recipe and opened a chain of great performances. The Giants have something special going on. Despite not being able to hang onto the 19-0 lead they took into the fourth quarter, the Giants played valiantly Sunday in Denver, and Dart gave it his all. It’s hard to blame the quarterback when your defense allows 33 points in the fourth quarter. Dart has now proven he is matchup-proof. He had a season-low 11 rushing yards against the Broncos (with one touchdown run), but passed for 283 yards and three scores on the way to a top-five fantasy finish. It’s daunting to see the Eagles and 49ers coming up on the Giants’ schedule, but stay in the flames with the hottest young quarterback in the league.

Oronde Gadsden II (TE – LAC): 3% Rostered

Next Opponents: MIN, @TEN, PIT
True Value: $3
Desperate Need: $5
Budget-Minded: $1

Analysis: In Week 6, Oronde Gadsden II became the Chargers’ full-time tight end with a 69.2% route share, a 21.1% target share, 68 receiving yards (2.52 yards per route run) and a 31.6% first-read share, per Fantasy Points Data. He even saw an end-zone target. He was the TE12 for the week. Gadsden made that look like a weak-sauce box score in Week 7. He destroyed the Colts in comeback mode with a 77% route share, a 16.3% target share, 164 receiving yards and a score. I’m not expecting these types of numbers weekly from him, but Gadsden could easily be a TE1 again this week. Minnesota has allowed the 10th-most schedule-adjusted fantasy points per game to tight ends.