Fantasy Football 2024: Week 8 Waiver Wire

Week 8 brings hope for a pair of offenses in Cleveland and Miami with the exit of Deshaun Watson and the return of Tua Tagovailoa.

Meanwhile, a big opportunity has opened up in Tampa Bay’s passing game after injuries to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. As always, I’ll be here every Tuesday with my top targets on waivers. Player percentages are based on ESPN’s rostered player data.

Quarterbacks

Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins (26.5%)

Signs point to Tagovailoa coming off injured reserve this week to suit up against the Cardinals. While he rarely offers high-end fantasy performances, he produces low-end QB1 numbers with ease thanks to his elite weapons and Mike McDaniel’s scheme.

Drake Maye, New England Patriots (13.2%)

After a pair of strong fantasy performances in his first two starts, Maye’s rostership should be higher.

I would discourage people from starting him against the Jets this week, however. New York’s pass rush gets a boost with Haason Reddick back, and the Patriots’ poor offensive line makes for a bad matchup. Overall, Maye has shown plenty of reason for optimism moving forward, and the schedule is fine down the stretch.

Running Backs

Kimani Vidal, Los Angeles Chargers (7.5%)

So long as Vidal’s rostership remains low, he’ll be a weekly fixture in this column. The thesis remains the same: J.K. Dobbins‘ extensive injury history makes the talented Vidal a must-roster player given Dobbins is the only player in front of Vidal on the depth chart. We’ve seen a glimpse of Vidal’s playmaking ability already, so it’s important to get ahead on this one.

Kendre Miller, New Orleans Saints (7.2%)

Miller looked good in garbage time during Thursday’s loss to Denver, rushing for 36 yards on six carries while catching two passes.

Things are ambiguous right now behind Alvin Kamara, as Jamaal Williams is still listed as the No. 2 back on the depth chart, but Miller is the superior talent. Now healthy and coming off a lengthy hamstring injury, Miller could overtake Williams on the depth chart and eventually find significant playing time if Kamara picks up an injury.

Tyler Goodson, Indianapolis Colts (8.8)

Jonathan Taylor has a good shot to return from injury this week, making Goodson a low-priority add. He outsnapped Trey Sermon in Week 7, so he looks like the backup to own in Indianapolis, but given the troubles on offense, it’s not a very appealing situation to buy into.

Wide Receivers

Cedric Tillman, Cleveland Browns (0.3%)

Tillman proved to be the top beneficiary of the Amari Cooper trade, sliding in as the No. 3 receiver and producing instantly.

The Browns offense should get a boost as well thanks to Deshaun Watson’s Achilles injury. The Browns fell victim to the sunk-cost fallacy and continued playing Watson despite him performing as the worst quarterback in the league all season. The Browns’ weapons should benefit from addition by subtraction. Everyone in Cleveland should enjoy a more efficient offense going forward, regardless if it’s under the command of Jameis Winston or Dorian Thompson-Robinson.

Dontayvion Wicks, Green Bay Packers (19.2%)

Wicks lost a lot of trust from fantasy managers due to his drop issues when he was in a full-time role with Christian Watson out, and he decided to pick up his play once Watson returned. So, while Wicks is a frustrating player to manage given the unpredictable target distribution in Green Bay, he’s still a talented player on one of the best offenses in the league.

Jalen McMillan, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1.5%)

With both Mike Evans and Chris Godwin going down Monday night, McMillan earned eight targets but didn’t do much with them, posting three catches for 15 yards. Evans’ return timeline is unclear, and Godwin will miss the rest of the season, opening up a big opportunity for the rookie wideout.

Other potential beneficiaries include Sterling Shepard and Trey Palmer, but both players saw just one target during Monday’s contest. If I’m picking up a Buccaneers receiver this week, I’m going with McMillan.

Tight Ends

Hunter Henry, New England Patriots (27.4%)

Henry has emerged as a top-10 fantasy option since Drake Maye took over, posting more than 10 points in his past two games. While this correlates with a pair of soft matchups, there’s no reason to doubt Henry’s position as the top weapon on this Patriots team dealing with the consequences of its poor receiver scouting.

Noah Fant, Seattle Seahawks (7.7%)

Fant’s involvement in the Seahawks offense has picked up over the past two weeks, as he’s caught all 10 of his targets for 128 yards. In a world devoid of tight-end production, Fant offers a glimmer of hope.