Week 8 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Deep Sleepers to Grab on Waiver Wire
The good news for fantasy managers is that no NFL teams will be on bye in Week 8. The bad news is that injuries, underwhelming performances and tough matchups will still lead to many difficult decisions.
Two big-name receivers exited the fantasy landscape in Week 7 when Brandon Aiyuk (knee) and Chris Godwin (ankle) suffered season-ending injuries. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, meanwhile, suffered a rib injury that may lead to week-to-week evaluation.
"We're hopeful he can play," Washington Commanders head coach Quinn said, per ESPN's John Keim. "but we'll also make sure to take every precautionary step and do it smartly for the player and the man."
Fortunately, some quality replacement options may still be available on the waiver wire. Here, you'll find a look at some of the top sleepers for the week along with a flex cheat sheet based on point-per-reception (PPR) scoring.
Week 8 PPR Flex Rankings
1. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings
2. Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
3. Derrick Henry, RB, Baltimore Ravens
4. A.J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
5. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
6. Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets
7. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys
8. Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons
9. Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seattle Seahawks
10. Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
11. Joe Mixon, RB, Houston Texans
12. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB Detroit Lions
13. Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Detroit Lions
14. Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles Rams
15. De'von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins
16. Aaron Jones, RB, Minnesota Vikings
17. Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins
18. Malik Nabers, WR, New York Giants
19. Jordan Mason, RB, San Francisco 49ers
20. D'Andre Swift, RB, Chicago Bears
21. Jayden Reed, WR, Green Bay Packers
22. Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams
23. Kareem Hunt, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
24. Stefon Diggs, WR, Houston Texans
25. Josh Jacobs, RB, Green Bay Packers
26. Davante Adams, WR, New York Jets
27. Zay Flowers, WR, Baltimore Ravens
28. D.J. Moore, WR, Chicago Bears
29. James Cook, RB, Buffalo Bills
30. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints
31. Brian Thomas Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
32. Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
33. JK Dobbins, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
34. Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
35. Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Commanders
36. James Conner, RB, Arizona Cardinals
37. DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
38. Tony Pollard, RB, Tennessee Titans
39. Amari Cooper, WR, Buffalo Bills
40. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs
Sleeper: Russell Wilson, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers finally made the switch from quarterback Justin Fields to Russell Wilson in Week 7. The results were mostly positive, both on the field and in the stat sheet.
Pittsburgh handled the New York Jets 37-15 on Sunday night. While Wilson got off to a slow start, he finished strong against a very capable Jets defense. He rushed for one touchdown while tossing two more and throwing for 264 yards.
While Wilson isn't nearly the rushing threat that Fields was, he's still a viable streaming option in fantasy. He'll be back at home on Monday night and hosting a New York Giants team that hasn't been particularly good defensively—New York has allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing QBs in 2024.
Wilson is still available in over 80 percent of Yahoo and ESPN leagues. Other QB sleepers to target in Week 8 include:
- Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
- Drake Maye, New England Patriots
- Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
Sleeper: Ray Davis, RB, Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills got themselves a new playmaker when they traded for wideout Amari Cooper—who had four catches for 66 yards and a touchdown in his Buffalo debut. However, the arrival of Cooper shouldn't overshadow the emergence of rookie running back Ray Davis.
Davis racked up 152 scrimmage yards in Week 6, while starter James Cook was out with a toe injury. Cook returned in Week 7, but Davis remained a big piece of the offensive game plan. He caught one pass, tallied 47 scrimmage yards and scored his second NFL touchdown.
Managers should target Davis, not only as a handcuff for Cook, but also as a viable flex option. There's still a boom-or-bust element to his fantasy value, but the Kentucky product is unlikely to draw a blank in any given week, if healthy.
This week, Davis will face a Seattle Seahawks defense that has allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing RBs. He's still available in more than 70 percent of ESPN and Yahoo leagues.
Other RB sleepers to consider include:
- Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers
- Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons
- Justice Hill, Baltimore Ravens
Sleeper: Romeo Doubs, WR, Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs was on our list last week, after he returned from a one-game, team-imposed suspension to post three catches for 49 yards and two touchdowns against the Arizona Cardinals.
Doubs was again a top target for Jordan Love in Week 8, finishing with eight catches for 94 yards against the Houston Texans. Yet, the 24-year-old is still widely available in many fantasy formats—he's rostered in roughly 50 percent of Yahoo and ESPN leagues.
This week, Doubs and the Packers will face the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are starting to find an offensive rhythm but are still defensively inconsistent. Jacksonville has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers.
While Doubs does carry boom-or-bust value because of Green Bay's deep roster—Dontayvion Wicks, Tucker Kraft and Josh Jacobs all caught touchdown passes in Week 8—he's worth flex consideration against the Jags.
Other WR sleepers to consider include:
- Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers
- Keon Coleman, Buffalo Bills
- Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco 49ers
*Fantasy scoring and roster information from FantasyPros.