Welcome to the Week 8 waiver wire watch!
Best fantasy football TE waiver wire pickups for Week 8
Oronde Gadsden II, Theo Johnson highlight the top waiver wire tight end targets entering Week 8.
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Another weekend of NFL action is mostly in the books and we’re quickly approaching the midway point of the 2025 regular season. A new tight end seemingly emerges with a strong effort each week and that was once again the case this past weekend.
We’ll go over some Week 7 performers that you should consider scooping off the waiver wire ahead of Week 8 and as always, we’ll classify a waiver add as someone who is rostered in 60% of leagues at the max. Something to note is that six teams are on byes this week, so you’ll really have to be attentive to your roster situation.
Week 8 byes: Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks
Oronde Gadsden II, TE, Los Angeles Chargers (5.6%)
Continuing the trend of rookie players having breakout games this week, there was none bigger than Gadsden’s performance in the Chargers’ 38-24 loss to the Colts. The fifth-rounder out of Syracuse was a monster throughout the entire afternoon at SoFi Stadium, coming away with seven grabs for 164 yards and his first career touchdown. He ended up finishing Sunday’s slate as the top fantasy tight end in half PPR formats.
After a quiet first month of the season, Gadsden has combined for 17 targets over the last two weeks and he’s quickly joined Quentin Johnston, Keenan Allen, and Ladd McConkey in the stable of dangerous pass-catching options for Justin Herbert. His stock is quickly rising and you have a capitalize on this by submitting a waiver bid this week.
Week 8 matchup: vs. Minnesota Vikings, 8:15 p.m. ET (Thursday night)
Theo Johnson, TE, New York Giants (14.2%)
Johnson has continued to step up for the Giants and he at least did his part in the team’s 33-32 collapse against the Broncos on Sunday. Three receptions for 66 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown was his stat line for the day and it was good enough for 14.1 fantasy points for the week.
The second-year tight end has now caught four touchdown passes over the last month and is one of several young playmakers forming an intriguing offensive core in New York. He’s still readily available in the majority of leagues, so jump on him if you have the opportunity.
Week 8 matchup: @ Philadelphia Eagles, 1 p.m. ET
Pat Freiermuth, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers (6.9%)
Some of you were probably thinking “hey, where’s Pat Freiermuth? I haven’t really heard much from him this season” and then, boom. He goes off in primetime this past Thursday. The fifth-year veteran played a vital role in the Steelers 33-31 loss to the Bengals with five receptions for 111 yards and two touchdowns, the second score being a 68-yarder that gave the Steelers a brief lead late in the fourth quarter.
Prior to last Thursday, the veteran had mostly been sharing the workload with Jonnu Smith and it’s depressed both of their fantasy values so far this season. However, a strengthening rapport with Aaron Rodgers could bear fruit in the coming weeks and could be something worth looking into if you need tight end depth.
Week 8 matchup: vs. Green Bay Packers, 8:20 p.m. ET
Noah Fant, TE, Cincinnati Bengals (2.6%)
And in that same Bengals-Steelers showdown, Fant contributed to the winning effort with four receptions for 44 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown for Cincy. The veteran got lost in the shuffle a bit during the team’ three-game losing streak, but the presence of Joe Flacco may boost his value as the offense suddenly looks alive again. He’s another name that should be readily available on the wire this week.
Week 8 matchup: vs. New York Jets, 1 p.m. ET
