Jaxson Dart and the Best Week 8 Fantasy Football Waiver-Wire Pickups

Week 8 of the 2025 NFL season brings with it "bye-mageddon," the nickname for the period in which a campaign-high six teams will be out on a break.

With the Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks all resting, fantasy managers will be scrambling to find replacements for a slew of fantasy stars.

If you forgot to look ahead and line up replacements for your absent starters—or simply didn't have the roster space, suffered an unexpected injury, or had any of the other reasons a fantasy manager might need to make free-agent acquisitions—there are still plenty of suitable options available in most leagues.

With that in mind, let's highlight the best waiver-wire targets for Week 8.

Suggestions are available in approximately half or more of all Yahoo! Sports leagues. Fantasy points and rankings courtesy of FantasyPros' PPR data. Suggested free-agent acquisition budget (FAAB) bids are based on a $100 dollar starting budget.

Quarterback

AP Photo/Adam Hunger

New York Giants QB Jaxson Dart

Jaxson Dart, New York Giants (42 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $10-15

Jaxson Dart may have suffered a heartbreaking defeat to the Broncos on Sunday, but he still proved he can be a matchup-proof starting fantasy quarterback in the process.

Despite going against a vaunted Denver defense that was largely expected to limit the rookie signal-caller, he still managed to put up nearly 30 fantasy points and notch a second consecutive top-five finish. He's now up to three top-12 showings and has yet to finish below QB16 in any of his four starts.

Thanks to a rare blend of passing and rushing talent—he has scored touchdowns on the ground in three of his last four games—the Ole Miss product is emerging as a legitimate fantasy superstar.

Dart is going to be an immensely popular waiver pickup this week as teams look to find a bye week fill-in for their usual starter, so make sure you prioritize landing him if you need a quality rest-of-season option under center.

Joe Flacco, Cincinnati Bengals (11 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $2-4

Flacco has found new life with the Bengals. While his four-game run as the Browns' starter was abysmal—he averaged a mere eight points per game—the longtime veteran has nearly tripled his fantasy output since shifting to southwest Ohio.

With Flacco averaging 22.4 points in his two Cincinnati starts—including finishing as Week 7's QB6 with a 26-point Thursday Night Football outing—he's become a potential liferaft for fantasy managers desperate for production at the position.

The 40-year-old should continue to feast over the next few weeks, as his Bengals have back-to-back favorable matchups on tap before a Week 10 bye. You can start him with confidence against the Jets in Week 8 and then continue to lean on him for a Week 9 clash with the Bears.

Tyrod Taylor, New York Jets (1 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $0-1

The Jets finally made the decision to bench Justin Fields in the second half of what became a seventh consecutive loss to open the 2025 season.

With veteran Tyrod Taylor taking over, there is hope Gang Green's putrid offense—which rates dead-last in passing yardage going into Week 8—could show signs of life.

While Taylor has yet to be officially named the starter, the team should have better luck with the 36-year-old under center on a full-time basis. Notably, he posted a QB9 finish while replacing an injured Fields in Week 3, a contest in which the Jets put up 29 points and looked competitive on the offensive end.

While Taylor is only a desperation fantasy play in deep leagues for now, a few more performances like the 17.7 points he put up in September could elevate him to a high-end QB2 option.

Running Back

AP Photo/John Locher

Chicago Bears RB Kyle Monangai

Kyle Monangai, Chicago Bears (7 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $8-12

It took nearly two months, but Monangai has finally earned a key role in Chicago's backfield.

Although he will likely continue to work behind starter D'Andre Swift, the rookie turned in a notable 17.4 points on Sunday after reaching career highs in carries, rushing yards, targets and receptions.

With Monangai also finding pay dirt for the first time in the pros on Sunday, he's emerging as a viable flex play and bye-week starter. He has a real chance to build on the 94 yards he put up on 15 touches when the Bears match up against an abysmal Ravens defense in Week 8.

Bam Knight, Arizona Cardinals (22 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $3-5

Bam Knight isn't the most exciting pickup—nor the most useful for managers who need RB help in Week 7 due to Arizona's impending bye—but the back has carved out a role in the Cardinals' backfield that will be fantasy relevant until Trey Benson returns.

With Benson stuck on the IR until Week 10 at the earliest, those with bench space should look ahead and capitalize on Arizona's impending matchup with a sieve-like Cowboys rushing defense in Week 9.

Making the claim now will let you get ahead on what is sure to be a popular waiver target at this same point next week.

Brashard Smith, Kansas City Chiefs (6 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $2-4

It seems Andy Reid has seen enough pedestrian performances from Kansas City's backfield tandem of Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt. The Chiefs finally elected to get Smith involved in Week 7 and the rookie running back took full advantage.

Although a good chunk of his rushing production (39 yards on 14 carries) came with the club's 31-0 blowout of the Raiders well in hand, four of his five receptions on the day came before the halftime whistle blew.

If Smith is going to be a go-to pass catching back for the Chiefs, he has serious upside in PPR formats and should be rostered in leagues using that format.

Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans (30 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $1-3

While Tony Pollard is still leading the Titans' backfield at this juncture, it may not be long before the team tries to get Spears more involved following a 1-6 start to the campaign.

Although he missed the first month of the campaign with an ankle injury, Spears may soon be ready for a larger workload.

After posting a meager 1.4 points in his 2025 debut, the 24-year-old has gone on to average eight points over the past two games. Those promising showings have him set up to cut further into Pollard's playing time as the Titans try to get something going offensively.

Isaiah Davis, New York Jets (4 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $0-1

The Jets may have hit rock bottom at a fortunate time for Davis.

With the November 4 trade deadline looming, Breece Hall has become a popular name in the rumor mill. If the starter is dealt, Davis would be in line to lead Gang Green's platoon while Braelon Allen remains on the IR.

While adding Davis now is nothing more than a speculative play, and he shouldn't leave your bench unless Hall is sidelined or traded, major changes do appear to be in the pipeline.

The team already benched Justin Fields for Tyrod Taylor, so shipping Hall off might be the next domino to fall as head coach Aaron Glenn desperately tries to find a solution to his squad's woes.

Wide Receiver

AP Photo/Stew Milne

New England Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte

Kayshon Boutte, New England Patriots (32 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $4-6

Drake Maye's rapid ascent to franchise quarterback status has made several members of the Patriots receiving corps fantasy relevant.

While Stefon Diggs has been a decent starting option for a good portion of the campaign, Boutte is emerging as the unit's top touchdown creator.

Boutte just proved his 26.3-point explosion in Week 6 wasn't a flash in the pan. While he only garnered two targets in a big win over the Titans, he made the most of them by tallying 55 yards and his third score of the last two weeks.

While fantasy managers would feel more confident if Boutte's volume was just a touch higher, he's still a great flex option considering Week 8's many bye absences.

Troy Franklin, Denver Broncos (26 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $1-3

Franklin's sophomore season hasn't been too stellar—he's posted just a single finish inside the top 20 and hasn't put up a double-digit fantasy points in five outings—but he may be on cusp of breaking out.

Although he only managed to catch three of the 10 looks that came his way in Week 7, the dynamic playmaker saw promising volume and still put up his second-best fantasy line of 2025.

Franklin ultimately salvaged his day by hauling in a deflected pass that helped Denver pull off a comeback victory, and he's a major threat to score again in a dream showdown with the Cowboys secondary in Week 8. That matchup alone has the 22-year-old on the flex radar.

Darnell Mooney, Atlanta Falcons (29 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $2-4

Mooney returned to action for Atlanta's Sunday Night Football clash with the 49ers. He wound up leading the Falcons with 68 receiving yards, putting up nearly 10 fantasy points despite hauling in just three catches on the evening.

With Mooney still getting back up to speed after missing two games and most of Week 7's practice sessions with a hamstring injury, there is upside for him to play a larger role going forward.

He will have a prime opportunity to log his first top-25 finish of the year against a vulnerable Dolphins secondary this coming week.

Malik Washington, Miami Dolphins (15 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $2-4

In an unlikely turn of events, Washington could soon be the No. 1 wideout on Miami's depth chart. He is next in line for the job with Tyreek Hill out for the year and Jaylen Waddle getting helped off the field late in the fourth quarter of Sunday's loss to the Browns.

Washington is an especially strong pickup for managers who have the roster space available to hang onto him for a couple weeks. He was already seeing decent usage—averaging six targets per game over the last three weeks—since Hill went down and could have strong rest-of-season value should Waddle (a trendy trade candidate) be out a while or moved leading up to the deadline.

Xavier Legette, Carolina Panthers (6 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $0-1

After sitting out two games with a hamstring injury, Legette returned to start playing his best football yet. His 11.1-point showing in Week 5 put him on the WR3 radar, while his 24.2-point outing finish in Week 7 represented a career-high and resulted in his first-ever top-10 finish.

Although it would be unwise to expect Legette to breach the 20-point mark on a regular basis, he's a decent bet to flirt with 10 or more points going forward. Managers could do far worse for a flex play during a lean Week 8 slate.

Chimere Dike, Tennessee Titans (2 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $0-1

The absence of Calvin Ridley has opened the door for Chimere Dike to shine. The rookie wideout took advantage of the veteran's vacated targets by reeling in all four of his looks for 70 yards and a touchdown.

Although Dike still must prove he can achieve this type of production on a consistent basis, his 16.9 points and top-15 finish make him a strong speculative pickup. He has stated a strong case to see more action regardless of Ridley's status, as the Titans search for a much-needed spark in the post-Brian Callahan era.

Tight End

AP Photo/Kyusung Gong

Los Angeles Chargers TE Oronde Gadsden II

Oronde Gadsden II, Los Angeles Chargers (3 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $5-8

After making waves for his impressive Week 7 outing, Gadsden took his game to another level and should now be considered a must-add for any manager lacking a top-flight tight end.

The rookie followed up a seven-catch, 68-yard performance with a career-best 7/164/1 line on Sunday, resulting in 22.4 points and a TE2 finish.

Gadsden has earned the trust of quarterback Justin Herbert, who has looked for the hulking pass-catcher 17 times over the past two weeks alone. That type of volume puts him on the TE1 radar with upside to be a top-five finisher on a weekly basis in the back half of the campaign.

Mason Taylor, New York Jets (39 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $3-5

Although Aaron Glenn hasn't officially named Tyrod Taylor his team's new starter in wake of Justin Fields' benching, managers should get ahead of the likely announcement and put a claim in for Mason Taylor.

While Taylor struggled along with the rest of Gang Green's passing attack under Fields, there is a good chance the Taylor-Taylor connection becomes a common sight in the Big Apple.

The rookie is only two weeks removed from posting the most recent of his back-to-back top-12 games and could become a consistent TE1 if the Jets find their footing with the veteran signal-caller taking the reins.

Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears (22 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $1-3

Although he may be off to a relatively slow start to his career, rookie tight end Colston Loveland could soon emerge as a playmaker in Chicago's offense.

After seeing his target count steadily tick up each week—culminating in a career-most four looks against the Saints this past weekend—Loveland may be on the cusp of getting a significant increase in volume due to the potential absence Cole Kmet.

With Kmet exiting Sunday's contest with a back injury, Loveland could be the primary pass-catching tight end for the Bears in Week 8 and potentially beyond. He should only be trusted to start in deeper formats, but those who can spare a bench spot for a backup TE shouldn't hesitate to roll the dice on Loveland.

D/ST

AP Photo/Zach Bolinger

Indianapolis Colts LB Germaine Pratt

Indianapolis Colts (48 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $1-2

The Colts are the easiest D/ST streaming call a manager could make in Week 8. The team has a juicy matchup against the lowly Titans, an opponent that has allowed the most points to opposing defenses this season.

With Indianapolis tallying respectable totals against quality teams—including a seven-point day against the Chargers this past week—and putting up a whopping 15 points against Tennessee earlier in the year, this is the best D/ST play on the board for Week 8.

Atlanta Falcons (8 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $0-1

As good as the Falcons have been defensively this year, they haven't been an elite fantasy unit. This D/ST has just one game with 10 or more points and only managed to put up four points against the 49ers, squandering a solid opportunity to tally some fantasy marks.

That should change with the Dolphins visiting Atlanta in Week 8. Miami has only allowed a league-average number of fantasy points in 2025, but just gave up an absurd 25 points to a middling Browns D/ST during a Week 7 implosion.

With the 'Phins in a state of upheaval, the Falcons could easily set a season high for points scored.

Buffalo Bills (38 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $0-1

The Bills defense has been one of the more disappointing units of the 2025 season. Although projected to be a top-eight unit this year, Buffalo ranks near the bottom of the league with just 28 total points over its first six games.

Expect the Bills to get off the schneid in Week 8 with the Panthers on tap. The team is coming off a bye and will be both well-rested and incredibly prepared to shut down an already-tepid offense that will likely be without Bryce Young.

Carolina wasn't much of an offensive threat before Young's injury and is a strong candidate to concede a flurry of points with Andy Dalton under center.