Fantasy Football Week 8 QB and TE FAAB Bids: Aaron Rodgers, Oronde Gadsden, and More

What do you do with expectations? Expectations are usually put on us by other people, and when that's the case, it's best to ignore them and look within.

In the world of fantasy football, expectations are important because they allow us to project player performance and make the best calls for our lineups each week. And besides, our fantasy expectations don't have any real-world impact on NFL players; it's all about fun.

When we see a player excel, we expect them to continue that success. Sometimes, there is sustainability, but other times, a player just gets lucky and finds the end zone; fantasy owners must set their expectations accordingly (which is easier said than done).

Let's look at some of the hottest quarterback and tight end names on the waiver wire entering Week 8 and reasonable FAAB bid ranges. Your numbers might vary a little based on your remaining budget and roster needs, but this is a good baseline to start from. Bids are based on a $100 budget.

Check out FantasySP's waiver wire tool to find the players who are being added to fantasy rosters the most each week!

Quarterback

Jaxson Dart, New York Giants

I'm done. I spent a month doubting Dart among tough matchups, but he keeps putting up big fantasy performances every week, so I'm done betting against him. Dart should be on a roster in every fantasy league; he's currently under 50%. This might be your last chance to add the rookie QB.

It wasn't always pretty, but Dart threw for 283 yards on 8.6 per attempt with three touchdowns and one interception against one of the best defenses in the league in Denver. He added 11 rushing yards and another score on the ground. That performance has him at QB3 before Monday's games.

Since he took over as the starter in Week 4, Dart ranks as fantasy QB4, averaging 44.5 rushing yards per game and scoring three touchdowns. His passing was rough the first two games, but he has above-average numbers the past two weeks. Dart is unafraid to throw the ball down the field, picking up big chunks of yardage along the way.

Anyone without a weekly starter should look to grab Dart. If you already have a QB, it's not urgent to throw down big money, but maybe putting in a few dollars on a bid could get you a high-upside player on your bench and allow for a trade if you're weak at a skill position. Dart is a worthy pickup for any roster.

Conservative Bid: $3-5

Need Bid: $6-8

Desperation Bid: $11-16

Joe Flacco, Cincinnati Bengals

With their season on the brink, Cincinnati sought an upgrade at quarterback, and the best option on the market was Flacco, the 40-year-old who had been benched by the Cleveland Browns several weeks prior. Hopes weren't high.

Flacco had a huge game on Thursday night, though, throwing for 342 yards and three touchdowns, as he led the Bengals to a 33-31 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. It took him 47 attempts to get there (a very average 7.3 per attempt), but Flacco showed both a floor and a ceiling that Jake Browning doesn't possess, and he might have saved Cincinnati's season.

Flacco will be the long-term starter until Joe Burrow can return, which isn't expected until December. That gives him a little FAAB value, as he isn't just a short-term fill-in.

There is intrigue here because Flacco is throwing to one of the best receivers in the game in Ja'Marr Chase and a high-level WR2 in Tee Higgins. Cincinnati is likely to throw the ball often, giving Flacco a chance to rack up stats. The defense is also poor, so the offense will likely be tasked with scoring a lot of points to keep up.

This all makes Flacco a decent streamer, but I don't want to count on him every week. He is fine to rotate in when the matchup is right. This week's game against the Patriots is a positive matchup, as New England has allowed the third-most yards per pass attempt, though they are in the middle in fantasy points given up to quarterbacks.

Don't go all out for Flacco, but if you're desperate, there is upside here. With a good matchup in Week 8, Flacco will be a hot topic on the fantasy wire.

Conservative Bid: $1-2

Need Bid: $3-4

Desperation Bid: $6

Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers

Opposing Flacco on Thursday night was Rodgers, who took advantage of the porous Cincinnati defense to rack up 249 yards and four touchdowns. It is just his second week as a top-10 fantasy performer, last reaching the mark in Week 1.

Rodgers has been inconsistent. He struggled mightily in Weeks 2 and 3 against the Seahawks and Patriots, but then he recovered to perform well against tougher defensive teams in Minnesota and Cleveland on either side of Pittsburgh's Week 5 bye.

On top of fluctuating passing stats, Rodgers never runs the ball, so his fantasy ceiling is capped in most cases. He is QB14, a fine mark, but we can't expect him to sustain much higher because he will have bad weeks against tougher defenses.

A good example might come in Week 8, when the Steelers face Green Bay on Sunday Night Football. The Packers have allowed the fewest yards per pass attempt but sit in the middle in fantasy performance against QBs because they face a ton of volume. Maybe Rodgers racks up volume also, but it won't be as easy as Week 7.

Conservative Bid: $0

Need Bid: $1

Desperation Bid: $2

Tight End

Daniel Bellinger and Theo Johnson, New York Giants

If we are going to believe in Dart, then why not his pass catchers? Bellinger and Johnson both had good numbers in Week 7, with the former catching three passes for 88 yards and a touchdown, and Johnson turning his three receptions into 66 yards and a score of his own.

Bellinger's touchdown was 44 yards, and Johnson's was 41 yards and was deflected before bouncing into his arms. Without their long gains, both players had pedestrian games. That's probably the best thing to expect going forward: inconsistency with fantasy relevance hinging on a big play and/or touchdown.

These guys are fine to consider in the right matchups, particularly Johnson. They will have slow weeks, though, and will rely on TDs for most of their value. Johnson has scored four touchdowns on 20 receptions; that rate won't continue.

Don't use much FAAB budget on them, as both players are probably free pickups, and you can easily find a guy of similar value by streaming most weeks.

Conservative Bid: $0-1

Need Bid: $2

Desperation Bid: $3

Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers

Freiermuth may have had the best game of his career on Thursday, catching five passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns. He had previously topped five receptions several times, and he had gone over 111 yards before, but Freiermuth had only scored two touchdowns in a game once before, and that was in his rookie season of 2021.

It has been a quiet 2025 for Freiermuth after the team added Jonnu Smith at his position in the offseason. Both Smith and Darnell Washington have played more snaps than Freiermuth. Prior to Week 7, Freiermuth had topped out at three catches and 31 yards and hadn't scored.

That's what we're likely to see more of moving forward. He will still have to fight with Smith and Washington for snaps and targets, and the game against Cincinnati is maybe the best matchup available for tight ends. It won't be as easy moving forward.

Freiermuth is likely to revert back to his status off the fantasy radar, starting with a tougher Week 8 against the Packers.

Conservative Bid: $0

Need Bid: $1

Desperation Bid: $2

Oronde Gadsden II, Los Angeles Chargers

Here's a player with some intrigue! A fifth-round rookie, Gadsden has now played the most snaps among all LA tight ends in four straight games, and he has back-to-back outings with seven catches.

Gadsden had 68 yards last week, and he bumped that up to 164 yards and a touchdown on Sunday. He has suddenly burst onto the fantasy scene, particularly of interest because he plays with a strong quarterback in Justin Herbert.

It's dangerous to count on Gadsden as your weekly starter, especially because those matchups were against easier defenses in Miami and Indianapolis. This week's game, a Thursday night contest against the Minnesota Vikings, will be a tougher test and maybe give us a better idea of Gadsden's ceiling.

If you don't have a weekly tight end option, Gadsden is a good player to add with hope that he can continue his breakout. The most likely outcome is that he is inconsistent as a rookie, which would make it important to play matchups and only deploy him in the best scenarios.

Conservative Bid: $1-2

Need Bid: $3-4

Desperation Bid: $5-6