Week 8 Fantasy Football Sleepers Featuring Brashard Smith and Cade Otton

Injuries and bye weeks have fantasy managers scrambling, so we’ve dug deep to uncover the best Week 8 sleepers — including Brashard Smith, Cade Otton, and a few under-the-radar breakout candidates.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton (88) reacts after making a catch against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half at Lumen Field. | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

This is going to be a tough week for fantasy owners because of all the injuries and bye weeks. Fantasy owners are going to have to dig deeper than usual. There are going to be a lot of players in lineups that usually don't make the cut because we are going to need sleepers this week. These are the top sleepers for Week 8. 

QB Michael Penix Jr, Atlanta Falcons

Penix is listed as day-to-day with a bone bruise in his leg, and there is a chance he doesn't play this week, but so far it sounds like he'll be okay. With that said, he has a fantastic matchup this week against the Miami Dolphins, who are allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season. He has been playing well as of late against better defenses than Miami's. Over the past three games, he's averaged 268 yards per game and has thrown four touchdowns with one interception.  

RB Brashard Smith, Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs running back Brashard Smith (24) runs during the second half against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. | Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

Smith is a risky option this week, but last week he saw 14 carries and five targets, which he turned into 81 yards. The concern is that Week 7 was a blowout against the Las Vegas Raiders, which did see backups get some run in the fourth quarter. Still, Kareem Hunt had been getting fazed out, and Smith had been seeing more work leading up to this game. This week, he could be an option if you're desperate.  

RB Kyle Monangai, Chicago Bears

Week 7, may have been Monangai's coming-out party. He got 13 carries and three targets, while D'Andre Swift saw 19 carries and one target. Monangai averaged 6.2 yards per carry, rushing for 81 yards and a TD, and tacked on two catches for 13 yards through the air. This could be becoming a full split backfield in Chicago. 

WR Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts

Pierce saw 10 targets last week and caught five passes for a team-high 98 yards. He has had a safe floor this season, excluding Week 1. Over the past four games, he has caught 15 of 24 targets for 281 yards. His worst game was 48 yards, and his best game was last week. We know he has big play upside that we haven't seen yet this season, so he's a solid option on both sides of the spectrum.   

WR Elic Ayomanor, Tennessee Titans

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Elic Ayomanor (5) leaves the field after the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While Chimere Dike is getting all the attention for leading the Titans' WR corps with 70 yards and scoring a TD last week, Ayomanor still saw the most targets out of the group. The Titans' wide receiver options are a bit of a dart throw, but Ayomanor showed early in the season that he can be the lead wideout, and the volume is still there. 

TE Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

Otton led the Buccaneers on Monday Night Football with seven receptions for 65 yards. His nine targets were tied for second on the team behind only Emeka Egbuka. He has a solid matchup this week against the New Orleans Saints, who are in the bottom half of the league when it comes to slowing down fantasy tight ends. With Mike Evans now likely out for the rest of the regular season, and no word on a return from Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan, there will be plenty of targets to go around.