We've reached a rather dire point in the fantasy football calendar as Week 8 of the NFL season begins. Injuries continue to run rampant, and six teams are on bye this week. Guys like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Puka Nacua, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Ashton Jeanty headline those who are on byes this week, meaning just about every fantasy football manager is scrambling.
With that in mind, 99 percent of managers with at least a couple of key players either hurt or on bye have no choice but to rely on under-the-radar players to carry them. These five sleepers give managers the best chance of doing some damage in Week 8.
WR Tez Johnson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan are on Injured Reserve, and both Chris Godwin and Bucky Irving appear unlikely to play in Week 8 with injuries of their own. This leaves Emeka Egbuka as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' only starting skill position player who appears likely to play, and even he is banged up as well. Given all of the injuries, the Bucs have needed depth pieces to step up, and Tez Johnson is a prime example of that.
Johnson never figured to get much burn this season as a seventh-round pick on a team with a stacked wide receiver corps, but he's made an impact in the last three weeks, scoring at least 9.9 fantasy points. He's scored a touchdown in back-to-back weeks, and while he only had four receptions in Week 7, he was targeted nine times, shattering his previous high of four. Johnson wound up producing 15.8 points in this game.
Baker Mayfield needs someone to throw to, and all eyes will be on Egbuka if he's even able to play. Johnson has proven to be a capable big-play weapon. With a matchup against a beatable New Orleans Saints defense on tap, Johnson should have another good game.
RB Kyle Monagai, Chicago Bears
This might seem like a strange pick because D'Andre Swift is the Chicago Bears' RB1, and he had a great game in Week 7, but the same can be said about Kyle Monagai, who rushed for 81 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. He had 17.4 fantasy points after combining for 16.9 in the first six weeks of the year.
In many cases, it isn't ideal to start or even roster an RB2, but the Ben Johnson-led Bears present a different situation. I'm not going to say a Swift-Monagai backfield is nearly as dynamic as the Detroit Lions' dynamic duo of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, but I will say Johnson is a guy who likes relying on two running backs and who are we to say he won't get the most out of them? He certainly did in Week 7. Who knows, maybe Managai can even take Swift's spot sometime down the line.
The Bears are set to face the Baltimore Ravens, a team that's allowed 134.3 rushing yards per game (seventh-most in the NFL), in Week 8. Swift should get his, and after seeing how involved he was in Week 7, the same can realistically be said about Monagai.
WR Chimere Dike, Tennessee Titans
I totally understand anyone who might not have any faith in starting anyone in a Tennessee Titans uniform, but things with that team looked different in Week 7. Cam Ward played one of the best games of his career thus far immediately after Brian Callahan's firing, throwing for over 250 yards and a touchdown against the New England Patriots.
Chimere Dike recorded 70 of those yards on four receptions and caught the touchdown pass, en route to a rock-solid 16.9 point day. Dike went from being a non-factor to one of the biggest surprises in Week 7.
Calvin Ridley hasn't practiced at all this week, putting his status for Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts in serious question. Dike might be the WR1 in an improving offense against a Colts team without Charvarius Ward in a game the Titans should have to throw a lot, as they'll likely be playing from behind. The track record might not be strong, but there are enough reasons to like this.
TE Theo Johnson, New York Giants
New York Giants tight end Theo Johnson has played four games with Jaxson Dart under center and has caught at least one touchdown pass in three of those contests, recording four total. He had three receptions for 66 yards and a touchdown in Week 7, recording 15.6 points. He's had at least 10.7 points in three of his four games with Dart.
Johnson is unlikely to average close to the 22 yards per reception he averaged in Week 7, but he's proven to be the red zone target for Dart, and there's no reason to expect that to change with Malik Nabers still out.
Admittedly, Johnson's one disappointing effort did come against the Philadelphia Eagles a couple of weeks ago, but I like his chances of, at the very least, getting into the end zone. The floor for tight ends is so low that it shouldn't be overly difficult for Johnson to be starter-worthy in Week 8.
QB Joe Flacco, Cincinnati Bengals
I never thought I'd be writing about Joe Flacco in 2025, let alone recommending starting him in fantasy football, but here we are. The 40-year-old continues to find opportunities, and to his credit, he's taking advantage of his chance to start with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Flacco played well in his Bengals debut in Week 6, and he followed that up with one of his best performances in recent memory in Week 7. He threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns in a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, recording 25.98 points in the process.
I don't necessarily trust Flacco long-term, even with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to throw to, but I certainly trust him against a winless New York Jets team that will be without Sauce Gardner. Chase should have another field day, and Flacco will have no issues airing it out against the hapless Jets.