Last Minute Waiver Wire Pickups Week 8: Kyler Murray, Pierre Strong, Demario Douglas, Trey McBride and More

The waiver wire period has come and gone and you may have missed out on the guy you wanted. The waiver wire darlings everyone was clamoring for are long gone and you're still looking to fill out your roster and maybe even your lineup. These are the late waiver wire adds that you should be picking up. Everyone listed is rostered in less than 50% of leagues.

Last Minute Waiver Wire Pickups

Quarterbacks

Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals 

Rostered: 33.1%

Based on reports and his 21-day window, we suspect the Cardinals will announce Kyler Murray as their Week 9 starter next week. You should get ahead of the curve now and add him for nothing instead of potentially competing on the waiver wire for him next week. It's rare that a quarterback of Murray's caliber becomes available on the waiver wire at this point in the season. So if you're in need of a starting QB, and a lot of people are, you need to cut some dead weight or move someone into an IR spot and pick him up as soon as possible instead of waiting.  

Will Levis, Tennessee Titans

Rostered: 0.2%

Full disclosure, we think Levis is going to be terrible. However, we are also willing to admit there is a possibility that we're wrong about him. He is going to play this week and it's very possible that he shows enough to take over that job and never gives it back. At least not this season. If he were to become the starter and go off, he could become a league winner this season. It's worth it to pick him up and see how he looks. If he's terrible, send him back to the waiver wire on Tuesday. No harm, no foul. This is a low-risk, high-upside move worth making. Just to be clear though, do not start him this week.  

Running Backs

Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans

Rostered: 17.7%

Spears has proven to be a very capable back with standalone value while playing alongside Derek Henry. So you could imagine the upside if Henry were to miss time. There is a real chance that Henry misses a whole lot of time for the Titans because rumors have circulated that he could be traded before the Halloween trade deadline. Grab Spears now and hold on to him through the trade deadline. If Henry doesn't get moved then you can decide whether or not you want to keep him on your roster then. Either way, he won't be an auto-cut and does hold value regardless.  

Pierre Strong, Cleveland Browns

Rostered: 1.0%

After Jerome Ford went down with an injury in Week 7, Strong led the Browns backfield in both snaps and touches. The Browns' running back is a high-value fantasy position and Strong could lead it this week. They have an elite offensive line and will likely lean on their rushing attack even more than usual with PJ Walker once again getting the start. Kareem Hunt will get his share of the workload too, but he's been banged up and probably isn't available. If you need a flex start this week, Strong is a good one. It also looks like Ford is going to miss time beyond this week so adding Strong could be helpful beyond Week 8 as well. 

Wide Receivers

Joshua Palmer, Los Angeles Chargers

Rostered: 30.4%

It's crazy that Palmer is still available in over 30% of leagues despite his performance last week and the fact that he's the WR2 on one of the highest-volume passing attacks in the league. He's an immediate flex option and has a decent matchup this week against the Chicago Bears who are in the bottom half of the league when it comes to slowing down fantasy wide receivers. If he's on your waiver wire, he shouldn't be. Go pick him up. 

Demario Douglas, New England Patriots

Rostered: 2.3%

The rookie is starting to shine in New England and could be the wideout that the Pats have been trying to draft for years. Last week he saw six targets and a carry, totaling four receptions for 54 yards and added 20 rushing yards. This is the time of year when rookie wide receivers can really start to go off and the Pats desperately need a weapon on the outside. While his upside may ultimately be limited by the noodle-like arm of McCorkle Jones, he's still worth a speculative add in deeper leagues. 

Tight Ends

Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints

Rostered: 11.5%

With the exception of Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews, and even that is questionable, no tight end has more upside than Taysom Hill. Recently Hill has even been doing something he rarely does, and actually playing tight end. Last week Hill handled five carries for 18 yards and a TD and caught four of his five targets for 50 yards. Of course, you also always have the possibility of him throwing a TD or coming in for an already beat-up Derek Carr. On any given week, Hill can be the TE1 by a long shot and should be everyone's streaming option most weeks if he's available.  

Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals

Rostered: 0.9%

Zach Ertz has already seen 43 targets this season and McBride 21. The Cardinals target their tight ends a lot. With Ertz now heading to IR, McBride should see a ton of targets and be an outstanding PPR option. He's available in almost every league and could become a TE1 in PPR leagues while Ertz is sidelined. If you are starting a TE who is at best a fringe TE1, we suggest you cut bait and roll the dice on McBride instead.