Fantasy Football is hard, and this year it seems to be harder than ever. Whether it’s injuries or just players underperforming, the waiver wire has never been more important than it is this year.

This is a critical time in fantasy football. We’re about halfway through the fantasy football regular season, and the waiver wire is getting mighty thin. However, there are still some players you can add that can help you out.

Today, we’re going through some of the top waiver options and identifying them as short-term, intermediate, or long-term options.

Note: Only players who are rostered in under 60 percent of sleeper redraft leagues are eligible for this list

What to Know

Key Week 7 Injuries

• Jayden Daniels (hamstring) exited the game and did not return.
• Bryce Young (ankle) exited the game and did not return.
• Cole Kmet (back) exited the game and did not return.
• Darren Waller (pectoral) exited the game and did not return.
• Kendre Miller tore his ACL and is on season-ending IR.

Week 8 Byes

• Detroit Lions
• Las Vegas Raiders
• Los Angeles Rams
• Arizona Cardinals
• Seattle Seahawks
• Jacksonville Jaguars

Short-Term Burst Points

Troy Franklin, WR, Denver Broncos

If you need to find a receiver on the waiver wire that you can plug into your roster for this week only, Troy Franklin could be your guy. He and Bo Nix played together in college and have a connection, and last week, he saw a season-high 10 targets while playing 62 percent of the team’s snaps. He only caught three of those passes, but this week he plays a Dallas Cowboys defense that gives up a ton of fantasy points to receivers.

I’m not telling you Franklin is going to get 15+ points, but based on his matchup and his production last week, he could hit that double-digit mark and give you a solid replacement for someone on a bye.

FAAB: 5 percent

Rostered: 28 percent

Tez Johnson, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tez Johnson is another wide receiver who could help you out for at least another couple of weeks. He’s thrived in Tampa’s offense with all their injuries at wide receiver, catching nine passes for 162 yards and two touchdowns in his last three games.

He’s a viable WR2 option in all leagues, but once Emeka Egbuka is back to 100 percent and Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, and Jalen McMillan return, he’ll be virtually useless in fantasy. So if you need some help at WR for this upcoming week, see if he’s still available in your league.

FAAB: 5 percent

Rostered: 24 percent

Cade Otton, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Cade Otton has been one of the more consistent fantasy performers at the tight end position. Much like Johnson, he’s capitalized on all of the Buccaneers’ offensive injuries, and while he could be in our multi-week upgrade tier, the Bucs play the New Orleans Saints, then go on a bye, and could begin to get some of their best players back.

The tight end position is always thin, especially with six teams on a bye this week, so if you need some help, go get Otton.

FAAB: 5-10 percent

Rostered: 32 percent

Jaylin Noel, WR, Houston Texans

If Nico Collins and Christian Kirk can’t go next week, which looks fairly likely, Jaylin Noel could have himself another big game. With Collins leaving Monday night with a concussion, Noel was the main beneficiary, catching four passes for 77 yards. Xavier Hutchinson will be the Texans’ WR1 in this scenario, but that just means less attention will be paid to Noel on the opposite side.

FAAB: 5 percent

Rostered: 4 percent

Multi-Week Upgrade

Joe Flacco, QB, Cincinnati Bengals

Joe Flacco finished as the No. 7 QB in fantasy last week and is averaging about 22 points per game since joining the Cincinnati Bengals a couple of weeks ago. He has some of the best weapons in football, so as long as the offensive line can hold up and he keeps getting the ball out quickly, there’s no reason he should see a significant drop off in production.

The only concern about him in the long term is Joe Burrow’s return. He’s expected back late this year, but if we get to Week 14 (the start of fantasy playoffs) and the Bengals are still in contention, he could try to return early.

Either way, Flacco isn’t your ideal starter week after week, but if you really need help at QB for a few weeks (say you have Jayden Daniels, who could miss a couple of games), he could be a good option.

FAAB: 10-15 percent

Rostered: 17 percent

Kayshon Boutte, WR, New England Patriots

If you’re in a very serious fantasy league, odds are Kayshon Boutte has already been claimed, but he’s available in 56 percent of Sleeper leagues, so he could still be out there.

Boutte has turned into one of Drake Maye’s favorite targets these last few weeks, especially in the red zone. Over his last two games, Boutte has caught seven passes for 148 yards and three touchdowns. He’s been very dependent on the big play, which is a bit worrisome, but if you’re in desperate need of a FLEX or WR2 option, he could be playable against a good matchup.

My only long-term worry is if the Patriots trade for a wide receiver at the deadline. Boutte will still be involved, but depending on who they get, he could be pushed one spot down the depth chart.

FAAB: 5-10 percent

Rostered: 44 percent 

Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay Packers

Christian Watson is close to returning, and could even be back on the field this week. It’s going to take him some time to ramp up, but once he’s 100 percent, he should be a top two option for the Green Bay Packers, who already have a very strong passing attack.

With Matthew Golden still coming into his own and Jayden Reed out for a couple more weeks at least, Watson could be a real WR2 option in most fantasy leagues for at least a few weeks, if not longer.

FAAB: 5-10 percent

Rostered: 11 percent

Long-Term Playoff Push

Jaxson Dart, QB, New York Giants

Somehow, Jaxson Dart is still available in 44 percent of redraft leagues on Sleeper. The New York Giants QB1 has been a fantasy beast, scoring 19+ in three of his first four games and 20+ in each of his last two. He’s doing a great job throwing the football, but his best fantasy contribution has been with his legs, averaging nearly 50 rushing yards per game.

If Dart is somehow still available in your league, do yourself a favor and go get him. You won’t regret it.

FAAB: 25-35 percent

Rostered: 56 percent

Oronde Gadsden II, TE, Los Angeles Chargers

The tight end position is always incredibly hard to figure out in fantasy football, but this year seems to be especially tough. However, there’s one guy out there that has legit top-five potential, and he’s still available in 85 percent of leagues.

Oronde Gadsden burst onto the scene last week and followed up his big performance with a seven-catch, 164-yard game this week. With all the injuries the Los Angeles Chargers have on their offensive line and at running back, Justin Herbert’s going to keep slinging the football, and Gadsden will be a big part of their passing attack from here on out.

FAAB: 20 percent

Rostered: 15 percent

Kyle Monangai, RB, Chicago Bears

Kyle Monangai has been waiting to break out for a while now, and he finally did on Sunday. The Chicago Bears’ rookie ran for 81 yards on 13 carries and scored his first career touchdown.

I am a bit worried, just because D’Andre Swift is playing well and is going to get the majority of touches for now, but if Monangai keeps playing well and/or Swift gets injured, he’s going to keep seeing a significant amount of work, and it could pay off down the line.

FAAB: 10 percent

Rostered: 13 percent

Josh Downs, WR, Indianapolis Colts

Josh Downs is one of my favorite waiver adds this week. Before missing this past week with a concussion, Downs posted back-to-back games with 11.4+ fantasy points. He was targeted 7+ times in both of those games despite playing just 50 percent of the Colts’ offensive snaps, so once he’s back, his production should only ramp up.

FAAB: 10-15 percent

Rostered: 50 percent