Week 8 Waiver Wire Pickups: Available Sleepers in Most Yahoo Leagues

It's rare that a waiver-wire addition helps you win a fantasy football league.

However, it's common the right pull from the available player pool is enough to push you over the edge in a weekly matchup.

In other words, while you should carry realistic expectations to the waiver wire, you should absolutely go shopping there every single week. Whether targeting an injury replacement, a bye week fill-in or a sleeper with the potential to contribute beyond just the upcoming weekend, there's usually at least one player worth your attention.

The following three all fit the bill for Week 8 and, per FantasyPros, are available in more than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Russell Gage had a good bit of helium entering the 2021 campaign after delivering 72 receptions for 786 yards and four scores last season.

But a Week 1 dud let air out of his balloon (zero catches and two targets), and his balloon basically popped following an ankle injury that cost him three weeks.

He made it back for Week 7, though, and it seems like the fantasy community was slow to realize that. Time is probably already running short to make their loss your gain, as Gage's roster percentage could spike after returning with four receptions on six targets for 67 yards and a score.

While he's probably the third mouth to feed behind Calvin Ridley and Kyle Pitts, Matt Ryan's passing volume can support three fantasy-relevant pass catchers. The next time Ryan throws fewer than 35 passes will be the first in 2021. Gage should see enough of those throws to deliver at least WR3 production most weeks.

Philadelphia Eagles running back Miles Sanders suffered an ankle injury Sunday that saw him carted off the field and later tagged with a week-to-week status for his return.

Assuming that keeps Sanders out of the action for at least this weekend, Philly will need someone to fill the void in a juicy matchup against a Detroit Lions defense allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to running backs, per NFL.com.

It's possible Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott split carries in relief of Sanders, but Gainwell has the higher fantasy ceiling. When the Eagles have needed someone to spell Sanders this season, Gainwell has most often received the call.

He can make things happen on the ground (26 rushes for 120 yards and two touchdowns) and through the air (19 receptions for 164 yards and a score). His edge in versatility and electricity make him the preferred add over Scott, although if Sanders is ruled out, both Gainwell and Scott should be rostered in most leagues.

Carson Wentz is in such a good grove that even a torrential downpour and unrelenting wind couldn't knock him out of it.

Instead, Indy's new quarterback shrugged off the elements to record his fourth straight game with at least two touchdown passes and zero interceptions. As ESPN Stats & Info noted, that ties Wentz with Peyton Manning for the longest such streak in Indianapolis Colts history.

Wentz also recorded his first rushing score of the season in that game and topped 20 rushing yards for the first time since Week 2. It would be nice if his running work was a bit more reliable, but the option of it gives him another avenue to fantasy production.

The Tennessee Titans will be a tricky matchup in Week 8, but Wentz could have T.Y. Hilton back for that contest. Given the chemistry those two showed in their lone game together—four receptions on four targets for 80 yards in Week 6—that could be a shot in the arm for a quarterback who was already rolling without one of his top playmakers.