Week 8 Waiver Wire Additions: Get Your Hands on Jauan Jennings

I had a conversation recently about how it feels like injuries get completely out of hand every season, but this year, the injury bug seems to be working overtime. Hey, even I’ve done a quick stint on IR, hence why I’ve been missing in action on this article. The difference between this year and years past is that there hasn’t really been a waiver wire darling to emerge who has equaled the production of the starter they’re replacing. The Week 8 waiver wire may change that.

Brandon Aiyuk is out for the season with a torn ACL, Deebo Samuel was hospitalized for pneumonia on Monday, D.K. Metcalf is week-to-week with a knee injury, and standout rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels is week-to-week with a rib injury. Luckily, there are no byes to contend with this week, so you should be able to focus on strengthening your roster before going into a brutal Week 9. Let’s check out some of the best waiver wire options for Week 8.

Week 8 Waiver Wire Additions

Jauan Jennings/Ricky Pearsall, WRs, San Francisco 49ers

Available in 54% and 96% of ESPN leagues, 70% and 87% of Yahoo leagues, and 63% and 75% in Sleeper leagues

I’m going with kind of a two-fer here, depending on how deep of a league you’re in. But honestly, both of these options could return value depending on how much time Deebo Samuel misses. I mentioned earlier that Brandon Aiyuk is out of the season. In his absence earlier in the year, Jennings crushed, finishing with 175 yards and three touchdowns on 11 grabs. We understandably haven’t seen anything yet from Pearsall, but he was a highly touted prospect out of college. He should see plenty of opportunity now that he’s returned from a gunshot wound that could have taken his life. If Jennings is available, I would prioritize him first, but Pearsall should still have spike weeks.

Romeo Doubs, WR, Green Bay Packers

Available in 63% of ESPN leagues, 56% of Yahoo leagues, and 37% of Sleeper leagues

I was hesitant to even include Romeo Doubs in this article since there is such a wild swing in rostership from platform to platform, but I would be remiss not to bring him up. Two weeks ago, he finished with two touchdowns on just three receptions. We had to somewhat ignore that to avoid point chasing, but his usage this week was much more in line with what we hoped for. In Week 7, he finished with 94 yards on eight receptions, and it seems that he is emerging as the number-one target of Jordan Love. With games against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions, and Chicago Bears in the coming weeks, Doubs should continue this streak.

Tyler Goodson, RB, Indianapolis Colts

Available in 91% of ESPN leagues, 86% of Yahoo leagues, and 86% of Sleeper leagues

True, we know that Jonathan Taylor should be returning soon. However, even in an anemic offense, it seems that Tyler Goodson has earned a role as a complementary back. He finished Week 7 with 51 yards and a touchdown, well ahead of fellow running back Trey Sermon. Taylor could miss another week or two to get back to 100%. Until he returns, look for Goodson to be at least a solid flex option. Even when Taylor is back, it seems that he is the primary handcuff to roster in this backfield.

Ray Davis, RB, Buffalo Bills

Available in  85% of ESPN leagues, 74% of Yahoo leagues, and 72% of Sleeper leagues

After a breakout game in Week 6, rookie running back Ray Davis continued his streak in Week 7, finishing with 41 yards and a touchdown on just five carries. While the Bills were playing a soft defense against the Tennessee Titans, Davis’ usage has been encouraging, and in the current landscape of waiver wire options, you could definitely do worse. With games against the Seattle Seahawks, Miami Dolphins, and Indianapolis Colts coming up, I expect Davis to maintain his momentum.

Hunter Henry, TE, New England Patriots

Available in 73% of ESPN leagues, 69% of Yahoo leagues, and 71% of Sleeper leagues

Look, I know the last thing you probably want to do is roster anyone on the New England Patriots with their offensive woes, but since Drake Maye took over at quarterback, they seem to have turned a corner. Hunter Henry has been the main beneficiary of this change, seeing 14 targets over the past two weeks and finishing as one of the top tight ends in the league over that span. Tight end has been an absolute wasteland this season, so while it may not be the most palatable option, at least you may see some consistency that you won’t see with other streaming options.

*Bonus Pick*

Cedric Tillman, WR, Cleveland Browns

After Amari Cooper was traded to the Buffalo Bills earlier last week, the battle for the number one wide receiver in Cleveland is up for the taking. From what we saw this week, it looks like Cedric Tillman may be the guy. He finished second on the team in targets behind tight end David Njoku, and while starting quarterback DeShaun Watson is out for the season with an Achilles injury, Jameis Winston could actually be better suited for Tillman’s downfield abilities. He’s available in basically all formats, so if you want to avoid the waiver-feeding frenzy, he may be a sneaky option with unique upside.

Be sure you’re following Britt on Twitter! Also, you can find our Week 8 rankings here and the rest of our Week 8 content here!