If you happened to snag Oronde Gadsden II from last week’s waiver wire steals piece, you were handsomely rewarded with seven receptions for 164 yards and a score on Sunday. Entering Week 8, there are still some waiver wire options to target to help improve your squad entering the back half of the 2025 NFL season.
Oronde Gadsden II, TE, Los Angeles Chargers
Oct 12, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Chargers tight end Oronde Gadsden II (86) looks on after carrying the football against the Miami Dolphins during the third quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Apparently people who play in ESPN leagues didn’t read my article because he is rostered in just 2.1% of leagues — but I don’t imagine that will be the case for much longer after Sunday’s breakout performance.
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The writing was on the wall for Gadsden with his snap share consistently climbing in four consecutive weeks, but this performance taking place with Keenan Allen, Ladd McConkey, and Quentin Johnston likely means this wasn’t a fluke.
Gadsden’s receiving profile during his days at Syracuse foreshadowed this potential in the right offensive scheme in the NFL. If Justin Herbert is willing to pepper Gadsden with targets in consecutive weeks, this player is more than worthy of a roster spot.
Kyle Monangai, RB, Chicago Bears
Oct 19, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai (25) runs the ball against New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis (56) during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
The Chicago Bears got their fourth straight win on Sunday by leaning heavily on the running game, which saw Kyle Monangai finish with 81 yards and a score on 13 carries against the New Orleans Saints.
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D’Andre Swift played well with 124 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown while battling through a groin injury, which makes Monangai a nice speculative add with a realistic path to bell cow workload if Swift aggrevates that groin injury over the next few weeks.
Jaxson Dart, QB, New York Giants
Giants QB Jaxson Dart
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) talks with players after winning the Thursday Night Football game between the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on Oct. 9, 2025.
Excitement for Jaxson Dart taking over under center was likely reserved mostly for New York Giants fans early on, but his production over the last four games should be enough to start getting fantasy managers excited too.
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Dart has 791 passing yards and three passing scores to go with 178 rushing yards and three rushing scores since he took over the starting job. That production has made him the QB4 in fantasy football during that stretch.
When you take into consideration these numbers came against the Los Angeles Chargers, New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, and the Denver Broncos — it should give fantasy managers confidence that this type of production could be sustainable moving forward.
Dart gives you enough with his legs to have a reliable fantasy floor on weekly basis. Sure, there will be some bumps in the road with an inconsistent offensive line and a suspect collection of wide receivers for a rookie quarterback, but the Ole Miss product feels like a fringe top 12 option at quarterback moving forward.
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