There are only two bye weeks in Week 8 of the NFL season, so which players around the league should be on the fantasy football waiver wire for Week 8?
Week 7 of the 2021 NFL season was an absolutely brutal week for Fantasy Football managers, especially in redraft or dynasty formats. So many big-name players were on a bye week in Week 7, but things are getting a bit back to normal for Week 8.
Only the Ravens and Raiders are on bye weeks for Week 8 of the NFL season and that means fantasy lineups are going to be mostly loaded, but injury replacements will still be necessary, and there are certainly plenty of significant fantasy football stars on both the Ravens and Raiders that will need some replacing on the waiver wire.
Which players lead the way?
Whether you need a bye week replacement, injury replacement, or you’re simply looking to strengthen your roster, here are some top fantasy football waiver wire pickups ahead of Week 8.
Fantasy Football waiver wire, Week 8: Kenneth Gainwell or Boston Scott?
Running Backs
1. Kenneth Gainwell, Eagles
In case he’s still available in your league, Kenneth Gainwell is a must-have right now. Even if Miles Sanders is healthy, Gainwell is going to have a role in the Eagles’ offense as Nick Sirianni’s new Nyhiem Hines as a receiver out of the backfield.
With Sanders suffering an ankle injury, Gainwell is even more important to have right now. He has been targeted eight times as a receiver in two of the last four games and his usage could continue to increase.
2. Boston Scott, Eagles
Right now, it remains to be seen whether Boston Scott or Kenneth Gainwell will shoulder the majority of the load running the ball for the Eagles if Miles Sanders misses significant time.
It’s likely both guys will play plenty.
Although Gainwell is a must-have right now, I would say Boston Scott is not far behind.
3. Brandon Bolden, Patriots
Is it possible to know which Patriots back to use on a weekly basis? It’s hard to know.
If you need to stream a back for a week, however, you could do worse than Brandon Bolden, who is coming off of one of the best games of his NFL career as a receiver.
He caught six of seven targets for 79 yards and a touchdown last week against the Jets.
Bolden should get consistent work as a receiver in James White’s absence and you never know when the Patriots are going to decide to feature him as a runner.
Other options (if available)
Samaje Perine, Bengals
Elijah Mitchell, 49ers