Top Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Picks Under 40% Owned This Week

Scouring the Wire: Slim Pickings in a Brutal Bye Week

Welcome to another edition of Waiver Wire Wednesday, and this week might be the toughest yet. With injuries piling up and six teams on bye, fantasy managers are scraping the bottom of the barrel for playable talent. Still, a few under-the-radar names—each under 40% owned—can make a real difference. Let’s dig into the best Week 8 pickups, complete with fantasy outlooks and betting context.

Kyle Monangai & D’Andre Swift, RBs – Chicago Bears

It finally happened: Monangai rewarded patient fantasy managers with his first touchdown and a six-catch performance in Week 7. While the Bears’ backfield still features Swift, who’s averaged over 110 rushing yards per game over his last two outings, Meanja is carving out real value in PPR formats.

Swift remains the lead back, but Monangai’s role as a pass-catcher and change-of-pace option gives him RB2/flex appeal—especially with bye weeks gutting the RB pool. The matchup against the Baltimore Ravens might look scary on paper, but the Ravens’ defense has been anything but dominant against versatile backs in recent weeks.

Fantasy Verdict:

Swift: Locked-in RB2 with RB1 upside.
Meanja: Flex-worthy, especially in PPR or deep leagues.

Betting Angle: Bears games have hit the over in 4 of 5, as their pace has increased since Week 4. Swift’s Anytime TD (+120) is worth a look in an expanded role.

Devin Neal, RB – New Orleans Saints

With Alvin Kamara fading and the Saints shifting toward evaluation mode, Neal (15% owned) is a name to monitor and stash immediately. The rookie’s burst and open-field vision have started to earn him snaps, and with New Orleans unlikely to push Kamara through another heavy workload, Neal could emerge as a fantasy factor by midseason.

Fantasy Verdict: Deep-league stash now, potential RB2 later.

Betting Angle: Saints are just 1–6 ATS, signaling potential game scripts that favor check-down work for backs like Neal.

Cade Otton, TE – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

If you missed out on the Oronde Gadsden of the Los Angeles Chargers sweepstakes, don’t worry—Otton might be the next-best streaming tight end. His target share is quietly climbing, and with Mike Evans likely out long-term and Chris Godwin banged up, someone has to catch passes in the red zone.

Otton has 31 targets on the year but has yet to score. That changes soon. With Baker Mayfield forced to spread the ball among a depleted receiving corps, Otton becomes a sneaky top-12 play in Week 8.

Fantasy Verdict: Tight end streaming gold.

Betting Angle: Otton Anytime TD (+260) is a strong value—especially against defenses that struggle against tight ends in zone coverage.

Kayshon Boutte, WR – New England Patriots

The Patriots finally found a spark on offense, and his name is Boutte. After doing virtually nothing early, he’s caught fire over the last few weeks—posting 356 yards and four touchdowns during that span. That’s nearly 1,000-yard pace over a full season for a player who was undrafted in nearly every 12-team league.

Boutte’s route share has jumped dramatically, and New England’s upcoming schedule is favorable, with multiple soft secondaries on deck. Even if you don’t start him this week against the Cleveland Browns, stash him now before his ownership spikes.

Fantasy Verdict: WR3/flex rest of season, with WR2 upside in plus matchups.

Betting Angle: Patriots’ team total overs have hit in three straight; Boutte’s Receiving Yards Over 44.5 is a sneaky prop to monitor.

Xavier Legette, WR – Carolina Panthers

The Panthers are turning to Andy Dalton this week, and that’s good news for Legette (22% owned). Dalton’s tendency to favor intermediate routes matches perfectly with Legette’s skill set, and the two already have established chemistry from spot duty last year.

Legette’s 17 receptions and two touchdowns might not jump off the page, but his target share has been climbing steadily. If Dalton can stabilize the offense, Legette becomes a strong flex play in PPR leagues.

Fantasy Verdict: Add-and-start in 12+ team leagues.

Betting Angle: Carolina’s passing yard overs have cashed in 5 of 6; Legette’s Longest Reception Over 20.5 yards (-115) is worth a sprinkle.

Xavier Hutchinson, WR – Houston Texans

With Nico Collins still in concussion protocol and Dalton Schultz drawing extra defensive attention, someone in Houston must step up. The sneaky play here is Xavier Hutchinson, who has flashed on limited snaps and could see a major bump if Collins sits again.

CJ Stroud continues to spread the ball around—completing 15–20 passes every week—but Hutchinson’s big-play ability and red-zone routes make him an ideal speculative pickup.

Fantasy Verdict: Deep-league add with short-term upside.

Betting Angle: Texans are averaging 287.3 passing yards per game; any active Houston receiver has correlated prop upside in what’s expected to be another pass-heavy script.

Waiver Wire Wrap-Up: Week 8 Priorities

Kyle Monangai (RB, Bears) – PPR flex with real workload growth.
Cade Otton (TE, Buccaneers) – Immediate TE1 streamer.
Kayshon Boutte (WR, Patriots) – Emerging WR3 with a friendly schedule.
Devin Neal (RB, Saints) – Deep stash who could be a December starter.
Xavier Legette (WR, Panthers) – Dalton’s new go-to weapon.
Xavier Hutchinson (WR, Texans) – Deep-league dart with volume upside.

Betting & Fantasy Outlook

Bye-week chaos creates opportunity — and value. Teams forced into new rotations often open the door for players like Monangai, Otton, or Legette to become weekly flexes. In betting markets, it also means player props and overs on fresh faces can offer plus-value before the lines adjust.

Best Bets:

Cade Otton Anytime TD (+260)
Kayshon Boutte Receiving Yards Over 44.5 (-110)
Bears Team Total Over 20.5 (-115)

You can read all about what’s going on in the National Football League at SportsGrid.com.