KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – OCTOBER 07: Xavier Worthy #1 of the Kansas City Chiefs rushes for a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Saints at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on October 07, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
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In terms of good news on the injury front, CeeDee Lamb made his return to provide a boost for his fantasy managers in Week 7. However, there was more bad news with Mike Evans (shoulder) being lost for the majority of the season. In addition to players seeing increased fantasy value because of injuries, others could see their stock fall because of a declining role or disappointing performance. Here are the top Week 8 fantasy football risers and fallers to keep in mind for your waiver wire claims, lineup decisions, and long-term roster strategy.
Week 8 Fantasy Football Risers
Emeka Egbuka, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Egbuka played through a hamstring injury against the Lions, catching four passes for 58 yards. While his overall stat line wasn’t great, he was targeted 12 times. Now that Evans is expected to miss most, if not all, of the regular season, Egbuka is the clear top wide receiver option for the Buccaneers.
Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, New York Giants
Somewhat lost in the Broncos’ comeback win over the Giants in Week 7 was the performance of Robinson, who caught six of 12 targets for 95 yards. With Jaxson Dart making their offense more explosive, Robinson has 12 receptions for 179 yards and one touchdown over the last two games. He has also been targeted at least seven times in three straight. Malik Nabers (knee) is done for the season, so Robinson has the potential to be low-end WR2 or a high-end WR3 in fantasy moving forward.
Joe Flacco, QB, Cincinnati Bengals
Across four games with the Browns, Flacco threw for 815 yards, two touchdowns, and six interceptions. Over two games since being traded to the Bengals, he has thrown for 561 yards, five touchdowns, and no interceptions. He has far better wide receiver options at his disposal now, so while he shouldn’t be viewed as a viable starting fantasy option, he can be a viable streaming option when he has a good matchup.
Week 8 Fantasy Football Fallers
Xavier Worthy, WR, Kanas City Chiefs
Rashee Rice made his return from his suspension in Week 7 against the Raiders, posting seven receptions for 42 yards and two touchdowns. He was targeted 10 times, compared to Worthy’s four targets. With a reduced role, Worthy finished with three receptions for 35 yards. Rice will be the Chiefs’ top wide receiver moving forward, making Worthy someone difficult to rely on in fantasy.
Justin Fields, QB, New York Jets
Fields’ rushing ability makes him a fantasy-friendly option. However, he threw for just 45 yards against the Broncos in Week 6. With only 46 passing yards under his belt against the Panthers last week, he was benched for Tyrod Taylor. The Jets have yet to officially name their starting quarterback for Week 8, but even if it is Fields, he should only be viewed as a viable fantasy option in deeper formats.
Jake Tonges, TE, San Francisco 49ers
Heading into Week 7, Tonges had a three-game stretch in which he totaled 16 catches for 157 yards and two touchdowns. However, George Kittle made his return against the Falcons, which resulted in Tonges failing to receive a single target. He only played a total of seven offensive snaps. It would likely take another injury to Kittle for Tonges to be fantasy relevant again.
Takeaway
Egbuka and Robinson are two wide receivers who are seeing their fantasy value rise, while Flacco has worked his way back into fantasy relevancy at the quarterback position. Worthy, Fields, and Tonges have seen their fantasy values fall to the point where they shouldn’t be started in most leagues. Staying ahead of these trends is key to winning matchups — check out our Week 8 Fantasy Football Sleepers article for more fantasy football insights.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikebarner/2025/10/22/week-8-fantasy-football-stock-report-risers-and-fallers/
