Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Adds: Week 8

I want to thank Bobby for taking some of the load off my plate over the last year in a half by writing these waiver wire and trade target articles. It can be a grind breaking down the fantasy landscape week after week to try and help your teams get to the championship! In the last 7 weeks, I have given you 27 articles, 30 videos/live streams, and 67 graphics. Now you get an article with my favorite picks on this week's waiver wire! As in the past, I try to find players under 50% ownership according to Fantasy Pros with the exception of one player this week! With all that out of the way, let's get into the picks and sign up to place your picks on Sleeper using code "Bettorgreen" or using the link at the end of this article!

Mason Taylor, TE, New York Jets, 36.8% Owned

Mason Taylor is quietly seeing low-end TE1 usage, tied for 12th in both targets and receptions among tight ends. He’s commanding a solid 17% team target share — and with Wilson sidelined and few other reliable options in the passing game, that number should only rise. Taylor has run the 8th-most routes among tight ends this season, a clear sign he’s not just being used as a blocker. Of the seven TEs ahead of him in routes run, their fantasy ranks are TE3, TE28, TE15, TE6, TE21, TE1, and TE13 — showing he’s in elite usage company even if the production hasn’t yet caught up. The team clearly wants to utilize his receiving skills, but poor quarterback play has capped his upside. That could change soon, as mounting pressure on Justin Fields could either lead to improved play or open the door for Tyrod Taylor — either outcome benefits Mason Taylor. He’s 2nd among all tight ends in route participation, running routes on an impressive 92.3% of offensive plays. The vibes in New York might be grim, but Taylor’s opportunity share is massive — and opportunity often precedes breakout production.

Malik Washington, WR, Miami Dolphins, 16.5% Owned

Taking a receiver tied to Tua Tagovailoa isn’t exactly a fun pick right now — Miami’s passing game has been turbulent and inconsistent. But Malik Washington is quietly emerging as a rare bright spot. He’s posted the same target-per-route-run rate (0.25) as Brian Thomas Jr., and his route participation has spiked since Tyreek Hill’s injury, cementing him as the Dolphins’ de facto WR2. When Tua looks his way, good things happen — Washington ranks 14th in target separation (nearly 2 yards per target), easing the load on a struggling quarterback, and he’s caught 100% of his catchable targets. Even more encouraging is his usage: Washington ranks 14th in designed targets, showing that Mike McDaniel is actively scheming plays for him. After Jaylen Waddle and Darren Waller's injuries, his first-read target rate exploded to 25.8%, a massive jump that matters — first reads are about 4% more catchable and lead to touchdowns 45% more often than other throws. To put that in perspective, when you strip away first-read and designed targets, the 2022 fantasy WR leaders wouldn’t have been Jefferson, Hill, or Brown — it would’ve been names like JuJu Smith-Schuster and Gabe Davis. Washington is getting the kind of usage that defines fantasy relevance, even in a messy Miami offense.

Trey Benson, RB, Arizona Cardinals, 55.8% Owned

I’ll keep this one shorter than the last two. Trey Benson is a sneaky stash with legitimate league-winning upside. The Cardinals rank in the bottom half of the league in rushing offense and have clearly lost confidence in their current backfield of mediocrity. Benson could return as early as Week 9 and should be back by Week 11 against San Francisco. While it’s never fun to clog a bench spot with another injured player, every week that passes makes it less likely he’ll still be available. Before his injury, Benson was averaging 5.5 yards per carry — a mark Arizona desperately needs — and his explosive play rate sits above names like JCM and Jordan Mason. If you’re a team eyeing a playoff run, Benson is the kind of forward-thinking add that could pay off huge. I expect him to hold equal or even higher value than Isiah Pacheco within a few short weeks.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Brashard Smith, Cade Otton, Elic Ayomanor, Marquise Brown

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