Waiver Wire Week 8 (2026): the best fantasy pickups, ranked
Updated October 30, 2026
The best waiver wire pickup for Week 8 of 2026 is DeMario Douglas, wide receiver for the Patriots: STM waiver score 75 out of 100, rostered in 26% of leagues after Week 7 (games through October 22 to 26, 2026). 6 players on the board score 65 or better, the line where a claim is worth real budget.
Every running back, receiver and tight end rostered in under 35% of leagues, ranked by how much his role is worth from here. The score weighs the looks he is getting (45%), what he has scored over his last four games (40%) and his share of the team's snaps and targets (15%), each against every skill player who played last week. Looks show up before points.
Week 8 waiver wire: all 40 pickups
| # | Player | Waiver score | Call | Rostered | Why now | Last game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  DeMario Douglas WR · Patriots | 75 | Spend big | 26% | Targets 3 → 5 → 8 | 8 looks, 21.6 pts, 59% snaps |
| 2 |  Michael Mayer TE · Raiders | 70 | Claim | 14% | 79% snaps, 9 targets | 9 looks, 16.5 pts, 79% snaps |
| 3 |  Kendrick Bourne WR · Cardinals | 68 | Claim | 8% | Targets 0 → 8 → 8 | 8 looks, 9.7 pts, 57% snaps |
| 4 |  Ryan Flournoy WR · Cowboys | 68 | Claim | 26% | 87% snaps, 9 targets | 9 looks, 17.0 pts, 87% snaps |
| 5 |  Cooper Kupp WR · Seahawks | 67 | Claim | 12% | Snaps 57% → 81% → 85% | 10 looks, 10.0 pts, 85% snaps |
| 6 |  Tyler Higbee TE · Rams | 66 | Claim | 15% | Snaps 65% → 67% → 83% | 4 looks, 6.2 pts, 83% snaps |
| 7 |  Roschon Johnson RB · Bears | 64 | Stash | 17% | Touches 5 → 12 → 15 | 15 looks, 16.5 pts, 40% snaps |
| 8 |  Kendre Miller RB · Saints | 63 | Stash | 22% | Touches 9 → 10 → 22 | 22 looks, 9.0 pts, 44% snaps |
| 9 |  Darnell Washington TE · Steelers | 61 | Stash | 4% | 71% snaps, 6 targets | 6 looks, 12.5 pts, 71% snaps |
| 10 |  Jahan Dotson WR · Falcons | 60 | Stash | 3% | Snaps 63% → 66% → 85% | 5 looks, 17.7 pts, 85% snaps |
| 11 |  Laquon Treadwell WR · Colts | 58 | Stash | 0% | 93% snaps, 5 targets | 5 looks, 4.1 pts, 93% snaps |
| 12 |  Dalton Schultz TE · Texans | 56 | Stash | 33% | Targets 2 → 4 → 6 | 6 looks, 7.3 pts, 40% snaps |
Ranks 13 to 40: the rest of the board
| # | Player | Waiver score | Call | Rostered | Why now | Last game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 |  Jerry Jeudy WR · Browns | 56 | Stash | 13% | 62% snaps, 4 targets | 4 looks, 10.9 pts, 62% snaps |
| 14 |  Rashid Shaheed WR · Seahawks questionable | 55 | Stash | 26% | Targets 3 → 4 → 8 | 9 looks, 11.8 pts, 46% snaps |
| 15 |  Isaac TeSlaa WR · Lions | 54 | Stash | 3% | 39% snaps, 2 targets | 2 looks, 0.0 pts, 39% snaps |
| 16 |  Darren Waller TE · Panthers | 51 | Stash | 12% | 46% snaps, 2 targets | 2 looks, 0.0 pts, 46% snaps |
| 17 |  AJ Barner TE · Seahawks | 51 | Stash | 11% | 93% snaps, 4 targets | 4 looks, 4.6 pts, 93% snaps |
| 18 |  Malachi Fields WR · Giants | 51 | Stash | 9% | Snaps 66% → 72% → 94% | 8 looks, 3.9 pts, 94% snaps |
| 19 |  Mike Gesicki TE · Bengals | 50 | Stash | 18% | 45% snaps, 2 targets | 2 looks, 7.4 pts, 45% snaps |
| 20 |  Dohnte Meyers WR · Bengals | 50 | Stash | 2% | 29% snaps, 2 targets | 2 looks, 3.2 pts, 29% snaps |
| 21 |  Xavier Hutchinson WR · Texans | 50 | Stash | 2% | Snaps 31% → 41% → 54% | 3 looks, 3.0 pts, 54% snaps |
| 22 |  Tommy Tremble TE · Panthers | 49 | Stash | 1% | Snaps 48% → 51% → 68% | 4 looks, 20.6 pts, 68% snaps |
| 23 |  Kevin Coleman Jr. WR · Dolphins | 48 | Stash | 1% | Targets 4 → 4 → 7 | 7 looks, 12.0 pts, 64% snaps |
| 24 |  Mason Taylor TE · Jets | 48 | Stash | 6% | Targets 0 → 3 → 6 | 6 looks, 7.3 pts, 55% snaps |
| 25 |  George Holani RB · Seahawks | 46 | Stash | 5% | Snaps 37% → 41% → 58% | 5 looks, 8.0 pts, 58% snaps |
| 26 |  Jaleel McLaughlin RB · Browns | 46 | Stash | 3% | Touches 1 → 1 → 13 | 13 looks, 9.5 pts, 62% snaps |
| 27 |  Kayshon Boutte WR · Texans | 44 | Stash | 12% | 41% snaps, 3 targets | 3 looks, 3.6 pts, 41% snaps |
| 28 |  John Metchie III WR · Panthers | 42 | Stash | 0% | 34% snaps, 3 targets | 3 looks, 4.4 pts, 34% snaps |
| 29 |  Samaje Perine RB · Bengals | 42 | Stash | 10% | 16 touches, up from 4.3 a game | 16 looks, 15.8 pts, 0% snaps |
| 30 |  Eli Raridon TE · Patriots | 41 | Stash | 2% | 57% snaps, 3 targets | 3 looks, 2.1 pts, 57% snaps |
| 31 |  Justice Hill RB · Ravens | 40 | Stash | 7% | 42% snaps, 3 touches | 3 looks, 3.9 pts, 42% snaps |
| 32 |  Josh Cuevas TE · Ravens | 40 | Stash | 1% | Targets 0 → 2 → 5 | 5 looks, 14.4 pts, 40% snaps |
| 33 |  Corey Kiner RB · Patriots | 40 | Stash | 1% | Touches 0 → 7 → 11 | 11 looks, 5.7 pts, 18% snaps |
| 34 |  Darnell Mooney WR · Giants | 40 | Stash | 3% | 36% snaps, 3 looks | 3 looks, 2.0 pts, 36% snaps |
| 35 |  Ted Hurst III WR · Buccaneers | 38 | Stash | 7% | 50% snaps, 6 targets | 6 looks, 7.0 pts, 50% snaps |
| 36 |  Jalen Royals WR · Chiefs | 36 | Stash | 1% | Snaps 19% → 63% → 74% | 4 looks, 4.4 pts, 74% snaps |
| 37 |  Tory Horton WR · Seahawks | 35 | Stash | 2% | Snaps 17% → 17% → 46% | 5 looks, 2.3 pts, 46% snaps |
| 38 |  Bam Knight RB · Cardinals | 33 | Stash | 13% | Touches 0 → 1 → 17 | 17 looks, 11.8 pts, 44% snaps |
| 39 |  Brevyn Spann-Ford TE · Cowboys | 33 | Stash | 0% | Targets 1 → 2 → 5 | 5 looks, 7.5 pts, 46% snaps |
| 40 |  Marvin Mims Jr. WR · Broncos | 32 | Stash | 3% | 27% snaps, 4 targets | 4 looks, 3.3 pts, 27% snaps |
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Who is the best waiver wire pickup for Week 8?
DeMario Douglas, wide receiver for the Patriots: STM waiver score 75 out of 100, rostered in 26% of leagues after Week 7. Targets 3 → 5 → 8.
Which running backs should I pick up for Week 8?
The top running back claims entering Week 8: Roschon Johnson (Bears, score 64, 17% rostered), Kendre Miller (Saints, score 63, 22% rostered), George Holani (Seahawks, score 46, 5% rostered). Every RB on the board is ranked in the table above.
Which wide receivers should I pick up for Week 8?
The top wide receiver claims entering Week 8: DeMario Douglas (Patriots, score 75, 26% rostered), Kendrick Bourne (Cardinals, score 68, 8% rostered), Ryan Flournoy (Cowboys, score 68, 26% rostered). Every WR on the board is ranked in the table above.
Which tight ends should I pick up for Week 8?
The top tight end claims entering Week 8: Michael Mayer (Raiders, score 70, 14% rostered), Tyler Higbee (Rams, score 66, 15% rostered), Darnell Washington (Steelers, score 61, 4% rostered). Every TE on the board is ranked in the table above.
What is the STM waiver score?
A 0 to 100 number that ranks a player against every running back, receiver and tight end who played at least 20% of snaps in Week 7; 50 is average. It is 45% opportunity (the expected PPR points his carries and targets are worth, with credit when the starter ahead of him went down), 40% floor (his median PPR score over his last four team games) and 15% usage (his share of the team's targets and snaps). A score of 75 or more is a player to spend real waiver budget on; 65 is a claim; under 65 is a stash.
Who counts as a waiver wire pickup here?
Running backs, receivers and tight ends rostered in under 35% of leagues in the FantasyPros consensus (ESPN and Yahoo leagues together) on the Tuesday after Week 7, with the box scores through October 22 to 26, 2026. Quarterbacks and defenses are not on the board.
Rostered % is the FantasyPros consensus of ESPN and Yahoo leagues on the Tuesday after Week 7 (ESPN alone when the consensus is unavailable). Opportunity prices each target and carry by depth and field position (nflverse expected points). The method was tested on the 2024 and 2025 seasons: the top ten by this score outscored the top ten by last week's points over the following three weeks. Players ruled out, on injured reserve or suspended are left off; questionable players keep 85% of their score.