Los Angeles Chargers tight end Oronde Gadsden II (86) makes a catch during the NFL game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Los Angeles Chargers on October 19, 2025, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA.
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They’re calling it bye-maggedon, and for good cause. In Week 8 of the NFL season, a whopping six teams will be on bye: the Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks. It means there’s a wave of waiver wire activity coming in your league.
This means fantasy category leaders like quarterbacks Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff (Nos. 3 and 9, respectively, in passing yards), running backs Travis Etienne and Kyren Williams (Nos. 7 and 9, respectively, in rushing yards) and wide receivers Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Amon-Ra St. Brown (Nos. 1 and 5, respectively, in receiving yards) will be unavailable.
Injuries have also begun to pile up by this point in the season, further straining managers’ bench depth.
Here are must-add players likely to be available in your league as you search for bye-week replacements ahead of Week 8.
Rostered percentage and scoring data via FantasyPros.
Joe Flacco #16 of the Cincinnati Bengals celebrates during an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium on October 16, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
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Quarterback
Joe Flacco (Cincinnati Bengals)
Rostered: 11%
Week 7 stats: 31 cmp, 342 pass yds, 3 pass TDs, 26 pts
Whether your preferred starting quarterback is injured or inactive in Week 8, if you’re looking for a plug-and-play replacement, look no further than seasoned veteran Joe Flacco.
Flacco has now played two games in a Cincinnati Bengals uniform, and if his performance in Week 7 is any indication, he’s settling into the offense nicely. His 342 yards and three touchdowns helped lead the Bengals to a 33–31 victory over division rival Pittsburgh. His 26 fantasy points were the sixth-highest among any quarterback in Week 7.
Caleb Williams #18 of the Chicago Bears hands off the ball to teammate Kyle Monangai #25 during the first half of the game against the New Orleans Saints at Soldier Field on October 19, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.
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Running Back
Kyle Monangai (Chicago Bears)
Rostered: 7%
Week 7 stats: 13 att, 81 yds, 1 rush TD, 2 rec, 13 rec yds, 17.4 pts
It’s a small sample size, but Kyle Monangai nevertheless enjoyed the best game of his rookie season so far in Week 7, contributing 81 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground as the Bears felled the Saints 26–14. It was a new career high in yards as well as his first touchdown.
Monangai was one of only 12 running backs to score 17 or more points in Week 7. Incidentally, so too was lead back D’Andre Swift.
Rather than vulturing Monangai’s opportunities, think of Swift’s continued heavy usage as evidence that Bears coach Ben Johnson has fully embraced a black-and-blue style of football in Chicago, with plenty of carries to go around.
New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte catches a touchdown pass in the second quarter at the Caesars Superdome on October 12, 2025.
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Wide Receiver
Kayshon Boutte (New England Patriots)
Rostered: 32%
Week 7 stats: 2 rec, 55 rec yds, 1 rec TD, 13.5 pts
It’s important to note that, as of right now, Boutte’s fantasy potential is directly dependent on scoring. In three of the four games this season in which the Patriots wideout hasn’t had a touchdown, he’s failed to hit double-digit scoring numbers. (His Week 1 outing, in which he had a season-high eight targets and six receptions for 103 yards, has so far proven to be an aberration.)
However, Boutte has now logged three touchdowns on seven receptions and has found the end zone in back-to-back games, making him a high-upside flex option in Week 8 when the Patriots take on the Cleveland Browns. Per FantasyPros’ Pat Fitzmaurice, the Browns have allowed the third-most PPR points per target to perimeter wide receivers.
Quarterback Justin Herbert #10 celebrates with teammate tight end Oronde Gadsden II #86 of the Los Angeles Chargers after a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts in the second half of a NFL football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on Sunday, October 19, 2025. (
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Tight End
Oronde Gadsden II (Los Angeles Chargers)
Rostered: 4%
Week 7 stats: 7 rec, 164 rec yds, 1 rec TD, 29.4 pts
Numerous tight ends are listed on the injury report ahead of Week 8, including Dalton Kincaid (Buffalo Bills), Cole Kmet (Chicago Bears), David Njoku (Cleveland Browns) and Darren Waller (Miami Dolphins). If you roster one of these players or if you’re unhappy with poor play from your starter, know that Chargers Oronde Gadsden II will be a hot commodity on waivers this week.
All Gadsden did in Week 7 was enjoy one of the best all-time performances by a rookie tight end. His 164 yards were the fourth-most in NFL history by a rookie tight end. His touchdown was the cherry on top, vaulting his output to a whopping 29.4 points in Week 7, tied with the Arizona Cardinals’ Trey McBride for the most among tight ends.
Gadsden will be rostered in a lot more than just 4% of leagues after this week. The time to submit a waiver wire claim is now.