Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Early pickups to consider going into Week 8's bye-mageddon
It's the eve of "bye-mageddon" in the 2025 NFL season as we approach Week 8. There will be six teams on bye in Week 8 - the Lions, Raiders, Rams, Cardinals, Seahawks and Jaguars. That means plenty of fantasy football managers will be looking for replacement players like the Washington Sentinels in the 2000 football comedy The Replacements, starring Keanu Reeves and the late Gene Hackman.
If you're looking for a weekly plug-and-play or just someone to add depth to your bench, we've got some fantasy football early waiver wire pickups to consider going into Week 8.
Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Early Week 8 PickupsRashod Bateman, WR, Ravens (22% rostered on Yahoo)The Ravens are coming off their bye and there's a good chance QB Lamar Jackson is ready to return from his hamstring injury. If that's the case, Baltimore's offense should be somewhat back to normal. Bateman was drafted with hopes he could be a key piece of the passing game behind Zay Flowers at WR for the Ravens. Things haven't really worked out but that's mostly due to the injury to Jackson.
What is encouraging for Bateman outside of Week 3 vs. the Lions (14.8 fantasy points) is his snap percentage, which is around 68% per game. The Ravens also face a Bears secondary that has given up plenty of points. If you're in a deeper league, chances are there aren't many good WR options on the wire. Bateman isn't a bad add in hopes Baltimore bounces back.
Joe Flacco, QB, Bengals (11% rostered)We saw Flacco turn back the clock on Thursday Night Football vs. the Steelers in Week 7, throwing for 342 yards and three TDs in the win. Clearly, Flacco grasps the offense much better than Jake Browning and this doesn't feel like a fluke. Even in his first start for Cincy a week prior vs. the Packers, Flacco was serviceable with two TDs and 219 yards for 18.76 fantasy points. That's back-to-back top-15 QB finishes for Flacco.
We know he has plenty of weapons with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, so as long as he can get the ball out quick and avoid sacks, Flacco should continue to perform well. If you're looking for a QB streamer in Week 8, Flacco is a decent option against a winless Jets team.
Kyle Monangai, RB, Bears (6% rostered)The Bears backfield is led by D'Andre Swift and that likely won't change. But Monangai is coming off his best game as a rookie with 13 carries for 81 yards and a score in Chicago's win over the Saints in Week 7. He also caught two passes for 13 yards, racking up 16.4 fantasy points. The Bears jumped out to a 20-7 lead at halftime, so the script helped Monangai get more work. He isn't going to get this much usage each week but Monangai becomes a very clear "one injury away" type of backup RB. If Swift were to go down, Monangai could be thrust into a bellcow role in what's looking like a solid offense.
Chimere Dike, WR, Titans (2% rostered)It's been a busy week for the Titans, who fired head coach Brian Callahan after another loss dropped the team to 1-5. Tennessee also entered Week 7 vs. the Patriots without top WR Calvin Ridley, which opened up more opportunity for Dike, who took advantage. The rookie out of Florida led all Titans receivers with 70 yards, catching all four of his targets and scoring a TD. That netted Dike 14.9 fantasy points.
The Titans are a mess, so if you're in a shallow league, please ignore this. If you're in a deeper league and need a WR, Dike isn't a bad shot in the dark. Tennessee may want to play its younger players to see what it has for the future. Dike could continue to see more opportunities if Ridley remains out.