Week 8 Byes: N/A

Quarterbacks

Tua Tagovailoa, MIA vs ARI

Tua couldn’t come back from IR at a better time. The Dolphins have been struggling with Tyler Huntley at quarterback as evidenced by just two catches for Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle combined in Week 7. While nothing is official, Tua looks set to start this week against the 4th-worst defense against QBs.

Bo Nix, DEN vs CAR

Nix has put together several solid games in a row, as the Broncos have won four of their last five. On Thursday Night, Nix threw for only 164 yards but continued to show his mobility, as he rushed for 10-75-0 and has 3 rushing TDs on the season. Up next is a terrible Panthers defense that has allowed the 2nd-most passing TDs.

Jameis Winston / Dorian Thompson-Robinson, CLE vs BAL

With Deshaun Watson likely out for the season with an Achilles tear, the backups will take over. DTR took over for Watson initially but injured his finger, so it will most likely be Winston starting against Baltimore’s 3rd-worst pass defense against QBs. Joe Flacco performed well in a similar situation last year, so Winston could have some success now that Nick Chubb is back to take some pressure off the passing game.

Other QBs to consider: Aaron Rodgers NYJ (@ NE)

Last week’s waiver adds:

Andy Dalton, CAR @ WAS: Dalton imploded in a smash spot against the Commanders, throwing 2 interceptions and 0 touchdowns in a blowout loss to a pass defense that has been getting shredded. He won’t be a great option against a surging Broncos defense this week.

Sam Darnold, MIN vs DET: Darnold had a decent day against a tough Lions defense, going 259-1-1 throwing with 4-39-0 rushing. He has a much easier task this week against the Rams, who have allowed the 6th-most TDs to QBs.

Daniel Jones, NYG vs PHI: Jones struggled again, this time against the Eagles, throwing for only 99 yards on a 66% completion percentage. He only added 5-20-0 rushing, and won’t be a streaming option against the Steelers this week.

Running Backs

Alexander Mattison, LV vs KC

Mattison has taken over this backfield, as he dominated the touches even with Zamir White back. He rushed for 23-92-0 and went 3-3-31-0 through the air against the Rams. Up next is a much tougher task against the Chiefs, but if he sees 20+ touches again he could be useful on volume alone.

JaMycal Hasty, NE vs NYJ

Hasty came in for an injured Antonio Gibson and caught all 5 targets for 49 yards and a touchdown in a blowout loss to the Jaguars. Up next is a tougher matchup against the Jets, who they lost to Week 3 by the score of 24-3, so the passing down back should again be busy.

Jaylen Warren, PIT vs NYG

Warren missed a few games, but has been back for the last two. This past week he went 12-44-0 on the ground and 3-2-15-0 through the air for his 2nd best game of the season. He’s behind Najee Harris, but with Russell Wilson now at the helm, passes to RBs should ramp up and Warren should be the primary beneficiary. Up next is an average matchup against the Giants, but they have allowed the 7th most receiving yards and 9th most receptions to RBs.

Other RBs to consider: Jaleel McLaughlin DEN (vs CAR)

Last week’s waiver adds:

Tyrone Tracy Jr. NYG vs PHI: Devin Singletary was back for this week’s game, and the two ended up splitting touches. Tracy put up a 6-23-0 line rushing and 3-3-9-0 receiving, although he slightly edged Singletary in touches. This backfield may be a committee going forward and up next is a tough matchup against the Steelers.

Ty Chandler, MIN vs DET: Just two touches for Chandler with Aaron Jones healthy enough to get the start against the Lions. Chandler makes a top-tier handcuff, but isn’t usable when Jones is healthy.

UPDATE - Sean Tucker, TB vs BAL: With Rachaad White back healthy, Tucker was relegated to RB3 on Monday Night. Even in a loss, Tucker managed a 5-29-0 rushing line and 2-1-9-0 receiving line. As long as White and Bucky Irving are healthy, Tucker can’t be counted on for sufficient snaps.

D’Ernest Johnson, JAX vs NE: Johnson delivered a nice stat line as the Jags blew out the Patriots in London, rushing for 9-38-0 and going 4-3-32-0 receiving as the passing down back behind Tank Bigsby. If Etienne sits again, Johnson could have some flex appeal against a tough Packers team where they will likely play from behind.

Ray Davis, BUF vs TEN: James Cook came back from injury so Davis was largely an afterthought, although he did score a late TD in a blowout win over the Titans. Up next is a decent matchup against the Seahawks, although with Cook back his touches will be limited.

Kimani Vidal, LAC @ ARI: TBD based on MNF.

Wide Receivers / Tight Ends

Romeo Doubs / Dontayvion Wicks, GB @ JAX

Doubs and Wicks were 1-2 in targets against the Texans, with Doubs going 10-8-94-0 and Wicks going 6-3-48-1. Up next is a cupcake matchup against the Jaguars who have given up the 4th-most points to WRs. Doubs is probably the priority add given his edge in targets and snap counts, although Wicks is dangerous when he gets the ball.

Demario Douglas, NE vs NYJ

Douglas struggled due to illness against the Jaguars, going 3-2-14-0 in the first half and sitting out the 2nd half. He didn’t deliver in a smash spot, but you should get another chance to add him this week against a banged up Jets defense that he went 9-7-69-0 against in Week 3.

Jakobi Meyers, LV vs KC

Meyers has sat out the last two games with an ankle injury, but hopefully he comes back against the Chiefs. Despite missing two of seven games, he’s still 2nd on the team in targets behind Brock Bowers, and Gardner Minshew has heavily targeted him in the past. Minshew looks set to start again as Aiden O’Connell left with a hand injury. With Davante Adams being traded to the Jets, Meyers could be a midseason league winner as the underrated WR1 for the Raiders.

Cedric Tillman, CLE vs BAL

Tillman seemed to fill in for the traded Amari Cooper, and led the team in targets while going 12-8-81-0 through the air. It remains to be seen if this usage will hold up or Jerry Jeudy will get more involved, but with Winston possibly in the driver’s seat, the Browns should be able to pass better. Up next is a dream matchup against the Ravens, who have allowed the 3rd-most points to WRs.

Ricky Pearsall, SF vs DAL

First-round rookie Pearsall played his first game of the season after recovering from a gunshot wound suffered during training camp. He delivered a solid 5-3-21-0 line in his first NFL game, and should be called upon more with Brandon Aiyuk likely done for the year with a knee injury. Up next is a neutral matchup against the Cowboys.

UPDATE - Jalen McMillan / Sterling Shepard, TB vs ATL: Mike Evans (hamstring) left early in the Monday Night Football loss to the Ravens, and the injury could keep him out multiple weeks. Chris Godwin dislocated his ankle at the end of the game, ending his season. The Bucs will need two WRs to step up, and it’s most likely going to be McMillan and Shepard. McMillan saw a season-high 8 targets, catching 3 for 15 yards, with most of them after Evans left. Shepard only had 1 catch for 15 yards, but he’s the best fit to replace Godwin in the slot.

UPDATE - Jauan Jennings, SF vs DAL: Jennings didn’t play in Week 7 due to a hip injury, but there’s a chance he plays in Week 8. He is 3rd on the team in targets (behind Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle), and with Aiyuk done for the year with a torn ACL, Jennings should continue to see a high target rate. If there’s any question about his health, he may sit this week, as he’d get additional rest with the 49ers having their bye in Week 9.

UPDATE - Rashod Bateman, BAL @ CLE: Bateman is the clear 3rd option behind Zay Flowers and the TE pairing of Isaiah Likely and Mark Andrews, but against weaker defenses, he can still do damage. That was the case on Monday Night, where Bateman caught all 4 targets for 121 yards and a touchdown. He’s had at least 4 targets in all but one game this year, but only had more than 5 targets once, so that puts a ceiling on what he can deliver. He could have another nice day against the Browns in Week 8, who haven’t given up a lot of receptions but have given up the 7th-most TDs to WRs and the 9th-most points.

TE Hunter Henry, NE vs NYJ

Henry had another big day with Drake Maye at QB, going 9-8-92-0 against the Jaguars in London. He gets a tougher matchup against the Jets this week, but if he keeps working as the QB safety blanket, he can still produce.

UPDATE - TE Will Dissly, LAC vs NO: Dissly has been a solid but underwhelming contributor for the Chargers, but had a monster game against the Cardinals, posting a 11-8-81-0 line to lead the team in targets, yards, and receptions. It’s unclear if this is a mirage or the start of something beautiful, but with Quentin Johnston being out this will probably be his high-water game of the season. Up next is a neutral matchup against the Saints who are struggling without Derek Carr.

TE Lucas Krull, DEN vs CAR

Krull has taken over the TE spot from Greg Dulcich. He hasn’t had great production, but after sitting the first four games of the year, he’s increased his catch/target/yard totals in each of the last three games as he improves with Bo Nix. Up next is a great matchup against the Panthers, who have allowed the 5th-most points to TEs, and allowed both Ben Sinnott and Zach Ertz to score against them Week 7. After that, he gets two more top-10 matchups: Chiefs (worst against TEs) and Ravens (7th-most).

Other WRs/TEs to consider: Alec Pierce IND (@ HOU), Jerry Jeudy CLE (vs BAL), TE Colby Parkinson LAR (vs MIN)

Last week’s waiver adds:

Demario Douglas, NE @ JAX: See above.

Allen Lazard, NYJ @ PIT: Lazard dropped down the pecking order with the Jets trading for Davante Adams, posting a 4-4-58-0 line while Adams saw 9 targets. The Jets play the Patriots this week but Lazard is clearly the WR3 in this offense.

Josh Downs, IND vs MIA: Downs struggled without Joe Flacco under center, as he put up a 3-1-3-0 receiving line with Anthony Richardson at QB. Alec Pierce is probably the WR2 to own behind Pittman for as long as Richardson starts.

Christian Watson, GB vs HOU: Watson struggled in a back-and-forth game against the Texans, catching 1 of 2 targets for 9 yards. Watson seems to be splitting reps with Dontayvion Wicks, and Wicks out-produced him in this game. Up next is a smash spot against the Jaguars.

JuJu Smith-Schuster, KC @ SF: JuJu left early against the 49ers with an aggravated hamstring injury. It remains to be seen if he can get healthy for a Week 8 matchup against the Raiders.

UPDATE - Michael Wilson, ARI vs LAC: Wilson caught only 1 of his 3 targets for a 15-yard gain against a stingy Chargers secondary. Up next is another tough test against the Dolphins, although if Tua Tagovailoa is back it may force Arizona to take to the air more to keep pace with a team desperate to get its playmakers going again.

Bub Means, NO vs DEN: Means took a backseat to both Cedrick Wilson and Mason Tipton, with both Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed out, going 5-3-37-0. He should have better nights when Olave and Derek Carr are back, but that won’t be this week against the Chargers.

Zach Ertz, WAS vs CAR: Ertz had another solid day against the hapless Panthers, going 5-4-40-1 receiving in a blowout win and with Marcus Mariota playing most of the game. Up next is a tougher matchup against the Bears.

UPDATE - Cade Otton, TB vs BAL: Otton exploded against a soft Ravens pass defense, catching 8 of 10 targets for 100 yards on Monday Night Football. He won’t always have games like this, but with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin likely out for the foreseeable future, Otton could be heavily targeted as a trusted option for Baker Mayfield. Up next is a neutral matchup against the Falcons.

Grant Calcaterra, PHI @ NYG: Calcaterra got the start with Goedert on the shelf, but with DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown also back, Calcaterra wasn’t needed in a lopsided win over the Giants (Saquon Barkley had 176 rushing yards on 17 carries). If Goedert is out again, Calcaterra could be worth a look against a Bengals team that has allowed the 2nd-most TDs to tight ends.

Defense/ Special Teams

The Lions took it to the wire against the undefeated Vikings, but still got a turnover and 4 sacks. Up next they face the Titans, who have allowed the most points to opposing defenses. It shouldn’t matter whether turnover prone Will Levis or backup Mason Rudolph starts at QB, the Lions should feast in a likely blowout.

Chargers vs NO

The Chargers have yet to play against the Cardinals on MNF, but they’ve been producing solid numbers through their first five games. In Week 8, they’ll face a Saints team that is reeling with Spencer Rattler (hip) at QB for the injured Derek Carr. The Saints allowed 5 sacks and 6 turnovers through the first five games with Carr, but have allowed 11 sacks and 5 turnovers in their last two games without him.

Packers @ JAX

The Packers got 4 sacks and held the dangerous Texans offense to only 22 points. They’ve been solid all season, ranking 1st in fumbles, 3rd in interceptions, and 5th in sacks. Up next they get a struggling Jaguars team that has averaged 0 sacks and 34.5 points scored in two wins, but 3.5 sacks and 15 points scored in its five losses.

Other DST to consider: Texans vs IND

Last week’s waiver adds:

Bengals @ CLE: The Bengals D smothered Deshaun Watson and the Browns, getting 4 sacks and 2 INTs and allowing only 14 points. Up next is a surprisingly positive matchup against the Eagles.

Falcons vs SEA: The Falcons couldn’t take advantage of a turnover-prone Seahawks team, getting only 1 sack and 0 turnovers in a home loss. Up next they get a tough division tilt against the Buccaneers.

Rams vs LV: The Rams had a big day against a struggling Raiders team, getting 4 turnovers, 2 sacks, and a defensive TD in a home win. Up next is a much tougher matchup against the Vikings.