Fantasy Football Week 8: Waiver-Wire Pickups, Rankings and Stat Projections

Week 7 was difficult for many fantasy football managers because there were six NFL teams on byes, making it more challenging to fill out lineups. In Week 8, that won't be quite as much of an issue for most.

However, if you're a manager whose roster is filled with players from the Baltimore Ravens and/or Las Vegas Raiders, then you may have some work to do. Those are the two teams that won't be in action during the upcoming gameweek. Regardless, it may be wise to be active on the waiver wire because there will be some solid players being pursued.

With Week 7 wrapping up Monday, here are some early Week 8 rankings, along with several top waiver-wire targets for the week.

1. Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen vs. MIA

2. Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray vs. GB

3. Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes vs. NYG

4. Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford at HOU

5. Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts at DET

6. Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott at MIN

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady at NO

8. Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers at ARI

9. Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow at NYJ

10. Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert vs. NE

                 

Waiver-Wire Target: Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence at SEA

Coming off a bye week, Trevor Lawrence will have a favorable matchup when the Jaguars travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks, who are allowing 292.3 passing yards per game. There will likely be plenty of offense on both sides, meaning Lawrence will have plenty of opportunities to throw.

Lawrence, who is rostered in 40 percent of Yahoo leagues and 36 percent of ESPN leagues, will be a great Week 8 streaming option for fantasy managers who need a fill-in QB. The Jacksonville rookie hasn't had multiple passing touchdowns in a game since Week 1, but he threw for 319 yards in a win over Miami in Week 6, providing optimism for the rest of his season.

Expect Lawrence to air it out plenty in Seattle and put up some solid numbers in the process.

Projection: 296 yards and two touchdowns.

1. Tennessee Titans RB Derrick Henry at IND

2. Minnesota Vikings RB Dalvin Cook vs. DAL

3. Indianapolis Colts RB Jonathan Taylor vs. TEN

4. Dallas Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott at MIN

5. Cincinnati Bengals RB Joe Mixon at NYJ

6. Jacksonville Jaguars RB James Robinson at SEA

7. Los Angeles Chargers RB Austin Ekeler vs. NE

8. Los Angeles Rams RB Darrell Henderson Jr. at HOU

9. Detroit Lions RB D'Andre Swift vs. PHI

10. New England Patriots RB Damien Harris at LAC

                

Waiver-Wire Target: Philadelphia Eagles RB Kenneth Gainwell at DET

One of the most notable injuries of Week 7 occurred when Eagles running back Miles Sanders (ankle) went down. If Sanders misses any time, then Kenneth Gainwell will emerge as a strong fantasy option as the clear lead back in Philadelphia's offense.

Gainwell scored a receiving touchdown in the Eagles' loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, and he finished with 61 total yards (20 rushing and 41 receiving). Most of the rookie running back's involvement to this point has been in the passing game, but that could change if Sanders doesn't play.

With a favorable Week 8 matchup against the Detroit Lions, Gainwell is likely to be the top running back target on the waiver wire, as he could be poised for a breakout if he has an expanded role. He's rostered in only 21 percent of Yahoo leagues and 26 percent of ESPN leagues as of Monday morning.

Projection: 88 total yards and a touchdown.

1. Los Angeles Rams WR Cooper Kupp at HOU

2. Green Bay Packers WR Davante Adams at ARI

3. Kansas City Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill vs. NYG

4. Buffalo Bills WR Stefon Diggs vs. MIA

5. Arizona Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins vs. GB

6. Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson vs. DAL

7. Tennessee Titans WR A.J. Brown at IND

8. Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase at NYJ

9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Mike Evans at NO

10. Carolina Panthers WR DJ Moore at ATL

                

Waiver-Wire Target: Baltimore Ravens WR Rashod Bateman (Bye)

Rashod Bateman hasn't made a huge impact in 2021, but he's also played only two NFL games. And the rookie wide receiver had an encouraging performance Sunday, when he had three catches for 80 yards in a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Although the Ravens have a bye in Week 8, it will be wise to try to add Bateman, who is rostered in 32 percent of Yahoo leagues and 17 percent of ESPN leagues, now rather than trying to wait until Baltimore is back in action. He may be on the cusp of a breakout, so it's worth stashing him on the bench for at least one week.

It may take a bit longer before Bateman is a starting option, but it should happen once he gains more experience.

Projection: 44 yards and a touchdown (in Week 9 vs. MIN).

1. Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce vs. NYG

2. Atlanta Falcons TE Kyle Pitts vs. CAR

3. Denver Broncos TE Noah Fant vs. WAS

4. Detroit Lions TE T.J. Hockenson vs. PHI

5. New England Patriots TE Hunter Henry at LAC

6. Philadelphia Eagles TE Dallas Goedert at DET

7. Los Angeles Rams TE Tyler Higbee at HOU

8. Arizona Cardinals TE Zach Ertz vs. GB

9. Miami Dolphins TE Mike Gesicki at BUF

10. Dallas Cowboys TE Dalton Schultz at MIN

             

Waiver-Wire Target: Cincinnati Bengals TE C.J. Uzomah at NYJ

C.J. Uzomah has been inconsistent through the first seven weeks of the season. But when he's had big games, they have put him among the top tight ends of the gameweek.

That happened Sunday, when Uzomah had three catches for 91 yards and two touchdowns against the Ravens. It was the second week in a row that he got into the end zone, and it came three weeks after he had 95 yards and two touchdowns against the Jaguars.

If you're in need of a streaming option at tight end for Week 8, try to land Uzomah, who is rostered in 19 percent of Yahoo leagues and 9 percent of ESPN leagues.

Projection: 64 yards and a touchdown.

            

All fantasy roster info according to FantasyPros.