2026 Fantasy Football: Players You Can Drop in Week 8

Your lineup might be strong, but it’s never bad to look it over. Whether you’re 7-0 or struggling for the playoffs, your bench matters. Keep your team ready for that playoff push by dropping these players and finding higher upside options on the waiver wire in Week 8.

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Week 8 Players You Can Drop

All players are rostered in over 50% of Fantrax leagues

Bo Nix – QB, Denver Broncos

Despite a 28.5 fantasy point performance, Bo Nix should not be starting for your fantasy football team. The Broncos scored 30 points against a Cardinals defense that allows the fourth-most fantasy points to QBs. Nix scored 12.2 of his 28.5 fantasy points on a 62-yard TD run. While it is great to see Nix flash the rushing upside again, that is not something you can bank on every week. Nix only threw for 222 passing yards and gained just 11 yards on his other six carries this week.

Nix doesn’t have another game this year with more than 18 fantasy points, and the passing game is just not working. The schedule does get lighter after the bye week, but there is no reason to trust Nix after just one game. This may be a chance to sell Nix while you still can. If there are no buyers, you can cut Bo Nix in Week 8.

Baker Mayfield – QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

In Baker Mayfield’s return from injury, the Buccaneers scored a whopping 43 points against the Panthers. Despite that, Mayfield only threw for 64 yards and one TD. Mayfield was not asked to do much as Bucky Irving, Kenny Gainwell, and Sean Tucker combined for 246 rushing yards and three rushing TDs this week. Baker Mayfield only threw 11 times in the victory. Tampa Bay’s defense has been one of the league’s best and, paired with a successful run game, could lead to more scenarios like this down the line. Even when Mayfield is asked to throw a lot, there is no reason to trust him.

Baker Mayfield averaged just 205 passing yards per game before getting hurt. Mayfield threw just two TDs while getting picked off twice. He’s also one of the league’s most sacked QBs, taking 13 sacks in his three previous games. We can’t trust this Buccaneers passing game right now. Baker Mayfield should be on the waiver wire in Week 8.

Keaton Mitchell – RB, Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers had a much-needed bye week. Struggles on both sides of the ball leave Los Angeles as the only winless team left in the league. Perhaps things will change after the bye week, but the schedule is daunting. Games against the Rams, Texans, Ravens, Patriots, Buccaneers, 49ers, and Chiefs highlight their post-bye opponents. Keaton Mitchell is unlikely to offer much in those games. The Chargers RB has carried the ball 35 times for 139 yards but has yet to score a TD. Omarion Hampton still leads the backfield in opportunities with 80 rushes and 10 targets despite having a massive down year. Hampton also leads the team in red zone rushes and has all of the team’s goal-line work.

Mitchell may look like a bench stash in case Hampton misses time, but he may not be the direct backup. Kimani Vidal has seen an uptick in usage that coincides with Mitchell seeing less work. Over the last three weeks, Vidal has ran the ball 20 times and drawn nine targets while Mitchell has 18 carries and 11 targets. Those numbers are close but a game against the Seahawks accounted for over half of Mitchell’s numbers in both statistics. Mitchell has not even played 40% of offensive snaps in a single game this year. Vidal did that in Week 5. While both backs may warrant stashing in deeper leagues, Vidal has been trending in the right direction while Mitchell is falling. Cut bait and find a handcuff with a clearer role or on a better offense.

Josh Downs – WR, Indianapolis Colts

Alec Pierce’s injury opened the door for Josh Downs to be the Colts WR1. That has not happened. While Downs is averaging 6.5 targets per game, his production has been severely lacking. Downs peaked with two 70+ yard games in September, but he has failed to score double-digit PPR points since then. Keenan Allen has been a higher upside option and is outscoring Downs this year. Part of the struggle has been Daniel Jones. Jones has not thrown for 300 yards or two TDs in a single game this season. In last week’s loss to the Vikings, Jones only managed 108 passing yards on 22 attempts. The Vikings boast a strong defense, but Jones and Downs have failed to perform even in great matchups. The schedule is just a bit lighter starting in Week 9, but the Colts have a problem at QB. Downs cannot be rostered unless there is a major change.

Courtland Sutton – WR, Denver Broncos

While Bo Nix and the Broncos had a successful day, the passing attack as a whole still struggled. Nix only completed 15 of 29 pass attempts for 222 yards and a TD. Most of the team’s success came on the ground. Both Jaylen Waddle and Courtland Sutton have been unusable in fantasy football due to Nix’s struggles with throwing the ball. Sutton is averaging just under 5 targets per game and the Broncos spread the ball around quite a bit. Jaylen Waddle gets enough volume to stay relevant, but Sutton’s not getting that some workload. Even in his higher target games, Sutton is only catching about half of his passes and averages just 24 yards per game. Sutton does lead the team in red zone targets, but this offense still stinks. Unless Bo Nix has a sudden turnaround, Sutton can be dropped in Week 8.

Make sure to check out all of our Week 8 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!