Fantasy football waiver wire adds for Week 8: Pick up Rashard Higgins

Five Fantasy football waiver wire adds to make for Week 8 to help your playoff push.

The fantasy football world has seen some fascinating developments as of late. Most notably, Antonio Brown is signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Though that’s a crowded wide receiver room and we don’t yet understand Brown’s role, you’re doing yourself a disservice if you’re not trying to add the former All-Pro from your fantasy football waiver wire.

Having said that, the 2020 NFL season has brought us plenty of other changes as we come into Week 8, whether that’s due to injuries or changing roles. Subsequently, as you’re looking to make a playoff push in your fantasy football league, you should be working the waiver wire to add players who could be valuable in both the short and long term.

With apologies to Harrison Bryant, the Browns tight end might just be a one-week wonder. Outside of him, though, these are the five players rostered in less than 50 percent (actually 25 percent) of ESPN Fantasy Football leagues that you should add off the waiver wire coming into Week 8.

Fantasy football waiver wire pickup No. 5: Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Dolphins

Rostered Percentage: 20.8 percent – This is all supposition — that has to be said from the jump. All we have seen from rookie Tua Tagovailoa in his NFL career is two pass attempts in garbage time. However, he’s now the starting quarterback in Miami, an offense that has been productive for fantasy at times.

If you’re an unlucky soul who banked on Drew Brees, Matthew Stafford, Cam Newton or Ben Roethlisberger in fantasy this season, all of whom rank 19th or worse this season, then taking a flier on Tua is not the worst move. We’ve seen Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert thrive almost immediately and Tagovailoa could be the next rookie in line to do exactly that.

Fantasy football waiver wire pickup No. 4: JaMycal Hasty, RB, 49ers

Rostered Percentage: 3.5 percent – Jeff Wilson Jr. stepped in for San Francisco at running back due to injuries and all he did was finish as the RB1 in fantasy football in Week 8. However, he left that game with an injury of his own, which now leaves rookie JaMycal Hasty as the presumed lead back, as long as Jerick McKinnon doesn’t eat into his workload.

Once Wilson went out, Hasty came in and rushed nine times for 57 yards while also notching a 16-yard reception. He’s looked explosive and, playing in the best rushing offense in the NFL this season, Hasty could be a big-hitter for your fantasy team.

Fantasy football waiver wire pickup No. 3: Logan Thomas, TE, Football Team

Rostered Percentage: 8.5 percent – Logan Thomas is a player who’s popped up on fantasy football radars throughout the season, especially after catching a touchdown in Week 1. But since Kyle Allen has taken over as the starting quarterback in Washington, Thomas has been a solid fixture in the offense.

Thomas now has at least three catches and a touchdown in each of the past two weeks (the two games with Allen) and has 102 total receiving yards over that span. He may not be Travis Kelce but, if you’re hurting at tight end, Thomas appears to be a relatively high-floor option with Allen as his quarterback.

Fantasy football waiver wire pickup No. 2: Brandon Aiyuk, WR, 49ers

Rostered Percentage: 20.4 percent – Considering that the San Francisco 49ers used a first-round pick on Brandon Aiyuk, the team is obviously high on him. And he’d already flashed his big-play ability this season with two games of 13 or more fantasy points this season.

Now Deebo Samuel is out for some time with a hamstring injury and Aiyuk stepped up in Week 8 with Samuel out, catching six passes for 115 yards. With the lack of wide receiver depth for the Niners, Aiyuk is going to get a heavy workload and should be picked up in your league.

Fantasy football waiver wire pickup No. 1: Rashard Higgins, WR, Browns

Rostered Percentage: 0.2 percent – For whatever reason, Freddie Kitchens put Rashard Higgins in the doghouse and the wideout who caught 39 passes for 572 yards and four scores in Baker Mayfield’s rookie season was a forgotten part of the offense. But over the past two games, that’s started to change.

He had a touchdown reception in Weeks 5 and 6 and then, when Odell Beckham Jr. — who is now out for the season with a torn ACL — went out in Week 7, he caught six balls for 110 yards. He clearly has a rapport with Mayfield and, with targets to be had in the offense, Higgins could score big for your fantasy football lineup.