Week 8 Waiver Wire: Michael Penix Jr., Jonah Coleman, Emanuel Wilson and Braelon Allen Lead the Adds With Four Teams on Bye

Week 8 is the first bye week this season that genuinely hurts. The San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans, New York Giants and New Orleans Saints are all off on Nov. 1, which removes Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, C.J. Stroud, Nico Collins, Malik Nabers and Alvin Kamara from lineups for a week. Sunday's games also produced a fresh set of injuries and role changes, and several of the most useful adds are on waivers in most leagues right now.

Here is the priority list, built around what actually happened on the field in Week 7. Rostered rates vary by platform, so check your own league before bidding.

Quarterback

Michael Penix Jr., Falcons. Penix threw three touchdown passes and no interceptions in Atlanta's 29-20 win over the previously unbeaten 49ers, completing 25 of 34 passes. He was pressured on only three of his 34 dropbacks, according to one game report, which is a sign the protection in front of him is holding up. Atlanta's next two games are at Tampa Bay and home against Cincinnati, and the Falcons do not have their bye until Week 11. Penix is the top streaming quarterback for managers who lost Stroud, Brock Purdy or J.J. McCarthy to byes.

Malik Willis, Dolphins. Willis led Miami to its first win of the season, a 28-25 victory over the Jets that, according to game recaps, gave head coach Jeff Hafley his first NFL win. Game recaps credit him with two touchdown passes, a rushing touchdown and the fourth-down sneak that sealed the game. A quarterback who adds rushing production has a higher weekly floor than his passing totals suggest. He is a strong streamer and a reasonable superflex hold.

Running back

Jonah Coleman, Broncos. Coleman returned from an ankle injury and immediately took over Denver's backfield in the 30-16 win at Arizona. He played 30 snaps, according to PFF, more than RJ Harvey (16) and J.K. Dobbins (14) combined, and finished with nine carries for 54 yards plus two catches for 15 yards. He did not score while Harvey and Dobbins did, but snap share is what predicts future production. Coleman is the top running back add of the week, ahead of a home divisional game against Kansas City.

Emanuel Wilson, Seahawks. Wilson carried 24 times for 100 yards and a touchdown in Seattle's 20-3 Sunday night win over the Chiefs. The catch is Zach Charbonnet, who was activated but ruled out on Sunday and should reclaim a big share of the work once healthy. Wilson is a high-upside handcuff with standalone value if Charbonnet misses Week 8 against Chicago.

Braelon Allen, Jets. Breece Hall missed his fourth straight game with a quad injury, and Allen handled lead duties again, rushing for 104 yards in the loss to Miami. As long as Hall is out, Allen is a volume-driven RB2 or flex. When Hall returns, Allen drops back to a handcuff.

Devin Singletary, Giants. Both Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy Jr. hurt hamstrings in New York's overtime win, and Singletary scored the game-winning touchdown. The Giants are on bye this week, so he is a stash, not a start, but he could open November as the healthiest back on a first-place team.

Kenny Gainwell, Buccaneers. Gainwell ran 14 times for 88 yards behind Bucky Irving in Tampa Bay's 43-13 rout of Carolina. He is a valuable handcuff with flex appeal in games Tampa Bay controls.

Wide receiver and tight end

The receiver wire is thinner than usual because Week 7's passing production was spread out, but there are still two names worth a claim.

Jordyn Tyson, Saints. Tyson is a stash. PFF reported he could return around Week 9, and New Orleans is on bye this week, so there is no cost to waiting. Rostering him now saves a bidding war later.

Makai Lemon, Eagles. The rookie first-round pick becomes Philadelphia's top healthy wide receiver on Monday night with DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks both ruled out. If he produces against Dallas, he will be the most-claimed receiver of the week, so managers who wait until Tuesday may miss him. Put in a speculative claim now if your league allows it.

At tight end, the Bengals' red-zone touchdowns were split between Mike Gesicki and Drew Sample, which makes neither a reliable add. Managers who lost Kittle are better off streaming by matchup than chasing a one-week touchdown.

Defense to stream

Cincinnati Bengals D/ST. The Bengals host the Tennessee Titans in Week 8, coming off a second half in which they held Baltimore scoreless. They are the cleanest streaming defense of the week.

The priority list at a glance

The table below ranks this week's adds by how aggressively to pursue them.

The Verdexed angle

The best waiver managers spend on role, not on box scores. Coleman's snap share, Allen's lead-back work and Singletary's path to touches all reflect roles that are likely to persist, while Wilson's value depends on someone else's health. Weight your bids accordingly.

For game-level context on where these players land in Week 8, the model's picks for every game post at /blog/nfl-week-8-picks-2026, and the NFL predictions page updates as lines move. Use those to break ties between streamers: a quarterback in a game the market expects to be competitive and high-scoring is the better bet.

What to do before waivers run

Make Coleman your top running back claim and Penix your top quarterback claim. If you lost a running back to the Giants' or 49ers' bye, add Allen or Wilson as your flex fill. Stash Singletary and Tyson if you have bench room, and drop players whose roles have disappeared rather than players who are simply on bye.