Fantasy football Week 8: Add and drop

Each week I’ll list the best widely available free agents for fantasy football — I define “widely available” as being owned in around half of all ESPN or Yahoo leagues — and some guys who are probably better off in the free-agent pool than collecting dust on your roster.

Follow me on X (formerly known as Twitter) @UTEddieBrown if you have questions throughout the week.

Here’s my NFL Week 8 waiver wire cheat sheet for all league sizes and formats, with players you need to add, drop and stream in your fantasy football league:

ADD

— WR Jauan Jennings, 49ers (ESPN: 46%; Yahoo: 31%): Most people are finally familiar with what Jennings is capable of after his stellar play earlier in the season, highlighted by a monster performance against the Rams in Week 3 — 11 receptions for 175 yards and three touchdowns. With Brandon Aiyuk (knee) lost for the season, Jennings will have WR3/flex upside going forward, and it sounds like the team is optimistic he’ll be ready to go against the Cowboys on Sunday night after missing the Chiefs game with a hip injury. Deebo Samuel only played a few snaps and was later hospitalized with pneumonia, which could mean two things. The football gods are clearly upset with the Niners, and Samuel could conceivably miss this week’s game against Dallas. Both Ricky Pearsall (ESPN: 6%; Yahoo: 14%) and Jacob Cowing (ESPN:

— QB Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins (ESPN: 27%; Yahoo: 46%): Tagovailoa is eligible to return from IR this week, and Miami is one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL when Tua is healthy. Tagovailoa finished as the overall QB9 in 2023, so if you don’t have a “set it and forget it” quarterback, it’s worth taking the risk.

— RB Jaylen Warren, Steelers (ESPN: 45%; Yahoo: 41%): Warren looked healthy on Sunday night against the Jets and the offense looked more robust with Russell Wilson under center. Arthur Smith’s offense is very RB-friendly, and Warren is a more dynamic option than Najee Harris. Both have RB2/flex upside going forward.

— WR Jalen McMillan, Buccaneers (ESPN: 1%; Yahoo: 2%): Mike Evans entered the Monday night matchup against the Ravens managing a hamstring strain, and it appears he hurt it worse, while it looks like Chris Godwin might be lost for the season after dislocating his ankle. After Evans aggravated his hamstring injury, Trey Palmer (ESPN:

— TE Cole Kmet, Bears (ESPN: 58%; Yahoo: 69%): George Kittle, Brock Bowers and Tucker Kraft are the only tight ends who have more fantasy points in standard formats than Kmet this season — Kmet is the overall TE3 in PPR — and he may have been dropped with Chicago on a bye last week. Pounce if he’s available in your league.

— BONUS: WR Romeo Doubs, Packers (ESPN: 37%; Yahoo: 45%): After serving a one-game suspension for skipping practices, Doubs is the overall WR5 in standard formats (WR7 in PPR) since returning in Week 6.

— BONUS: TE Cade Otton, Buccaneers (ESPN: 42%; Yahoo: 39%): Otton is the overall TE6 in standard formats (TE5 in PPR) since Week 3. The position has been a dumpster fire this season with only one tight end averaging double-digit points in standard formats (George Kittle). There’s only seven tight ends averaging at least 10 points in PPR. Otton practically never leaves the field, and runs more routes than almost anyone else at the position. He could see a boost in usage, especially in the red zone, with Godwin likely lost for the season.

— BONUS: WR Rashod Bateman, Ravens (ESPN: 8%; Yahoo: 18%): It only took four years, but I believe the No. 27 overall pick of the 2021 NFL draft is finally blossoming into the receiver many of us believed he could be coming out of the University of Minnesota. Bateman is the overall WR20 in standard formats (WR26 in PPR) through seven weeks, with at least 53 yards or a TD in five of seven games. He’s the overall WR14 in standard (WR20 in PPR) since Week 3.

— BONUS: RB Alexander Mattison, Raiders (ESPN: 43%; Yahoo: 54%): I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but Zamir White is no longer the starting running back in Las Vegas. Mattison is the overall RB22 in standard formats (RB21 in PPR) through seven weeks, producing at least 60 total yards or a TD in every game this season. He’s averaging almost 21 touches per game since Week 5.

— BONUS: QB Aaron Rodgers, Jets (ESPN: 59%; Yahoo: 50%): Trading for Rodgers’ BFF Davante Adams and benching Nathaniel Hackett as playcaller sets the future Hall of Famer up for a big second half this season.

— BONUS: WR Jerry Jeudy, Browns (ESPN: 51%; Yahoo: 48%): Jeudy has a single reception in three straight games, but I expected much more in his first game after Amari Cooper was traded to the Bills. I still believe Jeudy and tight end David Njoku will be the main targets in the passing game most weeks, especially if Jameis Winston (ESPN:

— BONUS: RB Tyler Goodson, Colts (ESPN: 9%; Yahoo: 14%): Clearly Goodson is the Jonathan Taylor’s handcuff. He out-snapped, out-touched and out-gained Trey Sermon against the Dolphins and has produced at least 57 total yards or a TD in three straight games.

— BONUS: WR Keon Coleman, Bills (ESPN: 44%; Yahoo: 33%): The rookie had his best game of the season against the Titans with four receptions for 125 yards on seven targets. He even helped new teammate Amari Cooper on his TD reception by clarifying an audible for the veteran. I expect Cooper’s addition to have a rising tide effect in Buffalo’s offense. Josh Allen surpassed 300 yards passing for the first time this season, and Cooper’s presence makes it even harder for a defense to focus on Coleman or Dalton Kincaid or Khalil Shakir or James Cook.

— BONUS: TE Hunter Henry, Patriots (ESPN: 27%; Yahoo: 31%): Henry has a solid rapport with rookie QB Drake Maye, catching 11 balls for 133 yards and a TD the last two weeks. He’s the overall TE9 in standard formats (TE6 in PPR) through seven weeks.

— BONUS: RB Justice Hill, Ravens (ESPN: 23%; Yahoo: 19%): Hill is the overall RB34 in PPR formats this season, giving him flex appeal most weeks if you’re in a pinch.

— BONUS: QB Russell Wilson, Steelers (ESPN: 5%; Yahoo: 8%): Only Lamar Jackson and Baker Mayfield outscored Wilson in fantasy last week. He had 264 passing yards, two TD passes and a rushing TD in his debut with Pittsburgh. Wilson’s upcoming schedule against the Giants, Commanders and Ravens means he’ll definitely deserve streaming consideration well into November.

— BONUS: TE Taysom Hill, Saints (ESPN: 20%; Yahoo: 29%): New Orleans has been dealt a rash of injuries recently, and it sounds like Hill could return this week against the Chargers. If you don’t have a “set it and forget it” tight end, and honestly, only a few of us in each league does, then why not lock Hill in every week (assuming he’s healthy) and ride the wave.

— BONUS: RB Kimani Vidal, Chargers (ESPN: 8%; Yahoo: 16%): With Gus Edwards on IR, Vidal is the next man up, and with J.K. Dobbins’ checkered injury history, an important insurance policy.

— BONUS: D/ST Packers (ESPN: 34%; Yahoo: 47%): Green Bay just held C.J. Stroud to 86 passing yards and sacked him four times. The Packers are one of only four defenses averaging double-digit fantasy points this season. The other three are the Vikings, Broncos and Bears.

— BONUS: D/ST Chargers (ESPN: 31%; Yahoo: 41%): Remember that banged-up Saints offense I mentioned earlier? The Bolts get them at SoFi this week. Los Angeles hasn’t allowed a single team to surpass 20 points this season. New Orleans is allowing the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing defenses, and the Chargers face the Browns and Titans the following two weeks, who have allowed the third-most and most fantasy points.

DROP

— WR Chris Godwin, Buccaneers: Godwin suffered a dislocated ankle in the final moments of Monday Night Football. It’s hard to imagine the ankle twisting the way it did without suffering a fracture or ligament tear of some sort.

— QB Deshaun Watson, Browns: Watson ruptured his right Achilles against the Bengals, marking the second straight year Cleveland has lost Watson to a season-ending injury.

— WR Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers: Aiyuk tore both his ACL and MCL in a loss to the Chiefs on Sunday. There may also be further damage in his knee, clouding his recovery timetable for next season.

— QB Justin Fields, Steelers: It doesn’t make sense to stash Fields, waiting on Wilson to fail. Roster spots are too valuable, especially with so many byes yet to be had.

— WR Rashid Shaheed, Saints: Shaheed was placed on IR last week after he underwent season-ending knee surgery to repair his meniscus, which usually comes with a four- to six-month recovery timetable.