Welcome to the byepocalypse. Week 8 brings six teams on bye, and fantasy managers everywhere are scrambling to fill out a starting lineup. This waiver wire run was probably the most competitive one of the season as the options were thin and most teams in your league were submitting multiple bids. 

You may not have gotten all the players you wanted and are trying to figure out where to go from here. But don't worry, I've got you covered with some late week waiver moves you can make to improve your team in Week 8 and beyond.

Week 8 Players To Add

For this article, I will only be covering players who are still available in more than 50% of leagues after Wednesday's waivers run. I am looking for both players that you can start this week as well as long-term stashes that should gain value as the season progresses.

Tez Johnson, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 44% rostered

The Tampa Bay offense has been decimated by injuries this season, which has led to increased playing time for guys like Tez Johnson and Sterling Shepard. Of those backups to see the field, Johnson has impressed me the most, and his solid play is being rewarded with a larger role. His Utilization Score has risen every week of the season, and he has now had 70+% route participation in two straight games.

With Mike Evans done for the season and Chris Godwin out for at least another week, Johnson is startable in Week 8. He's scored double-digit fantasy points in three straight games and should be locked in to 70+% route participation again in a good matchup against New Orleans. 

The Saints rank in the bottom five of EPA allowed per dropback and dropback success rate, and Baker Mayfield has been playing at a high level this season, so I expect Tampa Bay to be able to move the ball through the air. New Orleans has also been vulnerable to deep passes, giving up five receptions of 40+ yards this season, tied for fourth most in the NFL. Tez Johnson leads all Bucs pass catchers in ADoT and has already connected with Baker for a long TD in Week 6. 

Tez is a boom-or-bust Week 8 option, but he has more upside than almost anyone else that is available in more than 50% of leagues and should have a solid role for the rest of the year, so he is my favorite late-week waiver add.

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Tyjae Spears, RB, Tennessee Titans - 29% rostered

Before his preseason injury, Tyjae Spears was moving up draft boards on talk that the Titans' backfield was going to have a relatively even split. Spears missed the first four games but has been on the rise ever since. His share of the rush attempts has risen each week, and he has been involved in the passing game as well. 

The biggest issue with Spears's fantasy value is the offensive environment in Tennessee. The Titans are dead last in offensive TDs and rank second-to-last in rushing yards this season. That isn't a compelling fantasy environment, but Spears is a solid receiving back who can generate fantasy points even when the offense is struggling. Spears has also been noticeably more efficient than Pollard this season, which could lead to the 50/50 committee situation that was rumored throughout the offseason.

Lastly, there is also a chance that Tony Pollard becomes a trade piece given his age and the trajectory of this team. If Spears becomes the clear lead back, he would be a low-end RB2 each wee,k which would be a massive win for fantasy managers who added him on waivers.

Jaylin Noel, WR, Houston Texans - 2% rostered

The Texans look likely to be without their top two WRs in Week 8. That should mean more playing time for the three former Iowa State WRs: Xavier Hutchinson, Jayden Higgins, and Jaylin Noel. All three will gain fantasy value this week, but I am most interested in Noel because he has shown the most ability to earn targets when on the field.

Noel has an 18% TPRR rate this season, while Hutchinson (10%) and Higgins (13%) have been meaningfully lower. Noel has also been above 25% TPRR in each of his last two games, suggesting a growing chemistry with QB C.J. Stroud. As the slot receiver, Noel will probably run fewer routes than the other two, but I believe he can match their target totals on fewer routes. 

The other thing I like about Noel is that he has a chance to just win the starting slot WR job if he plays well. Nico Collins will return to his regular role when healthy, and the Texans seem to like Hutchinson enough that I expect him and Higgins to split snaps when all three perimeter receivers are healthy. Christian Kirk is on a one-year deal, so my expectation was always that Noel would ascend over the course of the season, and Kirk's hamstring injury may only be expediting that process. 

Noel is a sneaky option to start in Week 8 if you are struggling with injuries and bye weeks at the WR position, and I really like him as a rest-of-season bench stash who could see his role increase meaningfully over the next few weeks.

Kyle Monangai, RB, Chicago Bears - 34% rostered

The Chicago Bears seem to have figured out their running game over the last two weeks, rushing for 367 yards as a team. D'Andre Swift is the lead back and has been good in recent games, but Kyle Monangai has solidified himself as the clear number two in this backfield. This gives the rookie solid contingent value as well as the ability to earn a larger role if Swift's efficiency falls off at some point.

For the short term, the Bears have three extremely favorable rushing matchups in their next three games. They get to face the Ravens, Bengals, and Giants, who all rank in the bottom four of rush EPA allowed per play. This schedule sets up to allow the Bears to run the ball a lot, which will benefit both RBs. Swift isn't really a workhorse, so if Chicago is going to run the ball 25+ times in a gam,e that should lead to a decent number of carries for Monangai.

It is also worth noting that Monangai got his first shot at the goal line work against the Saints and converted for a one-yard TD. If he earns that role, it will make him a viable flex option in deeper leagues.

Jalen Coker, WR, Carolina Panthers - 9% rostered

This is more of a long-term stash, but I firmly believe Jalen Coker is the second-best WR on the Carolina Panthers. He flashed in the second half of last season despite being an undrafted free agent and was set to have a large role in the offense before suffering a serious quad injury. He returned to the lineup in Week 7 but ran just 47% of routes. His routes came at the expense of Hunter Renfrow, who had a season-low 37% route participation.

As Coker gets up to speed, I expect him to replace the role that Renfrow had early in the season and then some. That could look something like an 80% route rate and 20% target share, which is similar to what Coker saw down the stretch last season. 

It also helps that we could see a few games of Andy Dalton at QB while Bryce Young is hurt, which I expect to be an upgrade for the pass catchers. I wouldn't want to start Coker in Week 8, but he is a good player to add for the second half of the season if you have room on your bench.

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