Even with six teams on a bye week, the NFL still brings a fourth straight 10-game main slate this Sunday afternoon. With 20 teams once again in the player pool, there are many options to consider at wide receiver. With so many significant injuries and changes at the position in the last few weeks, several players will be getting a chance to take on larger roles. In this post, we’ll dive into the fantasy football sleeper options at wide receiver who can make a huge difference in your DFS fantasy football lineups, but still have a bargain DraftKings salary.
The fantasy football sleeper plays at wide receiver in this post each week can be excellent values for DFS contests, and they can also be sneaky plays in your season-long league since they are in line to exceed expectations and many are still on the waiver wire. Earlier this week, I highlighted my top-30 starters at wide receiver. In this list, we’ll focus on players outside those 30 who still bring a high ceiling.
Week 8 Fantasy Football Sleeper WR picks (analysis below)
- Tez Johnson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($4,300)
- Marvin Mims Jr., Denver Broncos ($3,900)
- Jaylin Noel, Houston Texans ($3,500)
- Chimere Dike, Tennessee Titans ($3,400)
- Jahan Dotson, Philadelphia Eagles ($3,000)
Week 7 Results:
- Luther Burden III, Chicago Bears ($4,300; 3.1 FPTS)
- Jalen Coker, Carolina Panthers ($4,000; 0.0 FPTS)
- Arian Smith, New York Jets ($3,500; 1.9 FPTS)
- Van Jefferson, Tennessee Titans ($3,200; 8.1 FPTS)
- Chris Moore, Washington Commanders ($3,000; 7.9 FPTS)
Whether you’re looking for value plays in your DFS contests like the NFL $2.75M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st] or a last-minute addition from the waiver wire in season-long formats, here are my top five fantasy football sleeper wide receivers for Week 8 of the 2025 season:
Tez Johnson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($4,300)
Johnson found the end zone for the second straight week in Week 7, and he should continue to have a big role for the Bucs this week against the Saints. The Bucs won’t have Mike Evans (collarbone), Chris Godwin Jr. (fibula), and Jalen McMillan (neck, IR). Rookie Emeka Egbuka (hamstring) was limited last week and in practice.
Amidst all the injuries, Johnson has stepped in to help pick up the slack. In Week 5, he had four catches on four targets for 59 yards against the Seahawks. In Week 6, he only had one catch, but it was a 45-yard touchdown against the 49ers. Last week in Week 7, he had four catches on career-high nine targets for 58 yards and another touchdown.
Johnson played a season-high 47 snaps against the Lions (68%) and has played over 65% of snaps in each of the last two weeks. The coaching staff seems to be building plays for him into the game plan, and Baker Mayfield trusts him to make plays. At under $4,300, Johnson has a high ceiling due to his playmaking ability but also a high floor since he should have so much volume potential.
The Saints have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per target to perimeter wide receivers like Tez, so he brings enough upside to deserve a start if you are shopping in this price range for Sunday.
Marvin Mims Jr., Denver Broncos ($3,900)
The Broncos face the Cowboys in one of the late games, which is the matchup with the highest over/under on the weekend at 50.5 on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Cowboys have been especially generous to wide receivers, allowing the second-most fantasy points per game to the position. Wide receivers have averaged 168.9 receiving yards per game against Dallas and have scored 12 touchdowns in seven games this season.
While Courtland Sutton ($5,200) leads the way, Troy Franklin ($4,200) and Marvin Mims Jr. ($3,900) are both great value plays. Franklin drew 10 targets last week against the Giants, but Mims has more big-play ability and checks in with an affordable salary under $4,000. Both value receivers had big catches last week as the Broncos stormed back to defeat the Giants with 33 points in the fourth quarter. Mims finished with six catches on his seven targets, totaling 85 yards and a touchdown. He ran a season-high 56.6% of the routes and could continue to be more involved in the offense if they need big plays to keep up with the Cowboys.
The Broncos will also be wearing their A+ throwbacks this week, so Mims can bring great big-play value upside and look good doing it.
Jaylin Noel, Houston Texans ($3,500)
The Texans won’t have Nico Collins (concussion) or Christian Kirk (hamstring) this week against the 49ers, so Noel could step up into a very prominent role for C.J. Stroud ($5,100) and the offense. The third-round rookie is coming off his best game of the season, after hauling in a season-high four catches for 77 yards against the Seahawks.
He played a season-high 43% of snaps in that game and led the all of Houston’s wide receivers in yardage. He finished third on the team in targets behind only Collins (before he left) and tight end Dalton Schultz ($3,300), who is another good value play this week.
Noel seems set up for a breakout game against the 49ers, who have allowed the fourth-most receiving yards and fantasy points per target to slot receivers like Noel.
Chimere Dike, Tennessee Titans ($3,400)
The Titans won’t have Calvin Ridley (hamstring) for a second straight week sa they roll into Indy and try to keep up with the high-scoring Colts in a divisional matchup. Last week, I highlighted Van Jefferson ($3,300), who had four catches for 41 yards, and is in play again this week along with Elic Ayomanor ($3,900).
However, there’s another option that caught everyone’s attention last week with a big game who has an even higher ceiling–rookie Chimere Dike ($3,400).
Most of Dike’s production came on this big play:
He finished with four catches on his four targets for 70 yards and a touchdown, and he could work his way into more playing time now that interim head coach Mike McCoy has taken over for Brian Callahan. Dike’s snap share has been steadily increasing since Week 1, and he was up to a career-high 57% in Week 7. He has multiple catches in five of his last six games, and the former Florida receiver brings lots of big-play upside.
Dike and the Titans will be in a good matchup against the Colts, who have allowed the most fantasy points to receivers this season. Opposing receivers have averaged 173.1 yards per game against Indy and have scored a total of nine touchdowns in seven games.
Jahan Dotson, Philadelphia Eagles ($3,000)
The Eagles won’t have A.J. Brown (hamstring) this week against the Giants, which opens the door for Dotson to step in as a much more involved part of the offense. While DeVonta Smith ($5,900) and Dallas Goedert ($4,200) will pick up most of Brown’s targets, there could be some left for Dotson, who will likely play a much higher percentage of snaps with Brown out than he has so far this season.
Dotson typically plays around 50% of snaps as the team’s third receiver, while Brown is almost always over 90%. John Metchie III ($3,000) is the team’s fourth receiver but has only played a few snaps not getting very involved. Dotson didn’t have any catches or targets in Week 7, but he does have seven catches on 12 targets for 111 yards in his seven games this season.
If you have to spend the minimum on a receiver, he’s worth a flier play due to his potential volume increase and upside against the Giants, who have allowed the third-most fantasy points to receivers this season and may focus so much on Smith that Dotson is open on the other side. In the event the Eagles do end up moving Brown (who is rumored to be unhappy with his usage) before the upcoming trade deadline, Dotson would be one of the players who would need to step up and take on a bigger role. He may start doing that in Week 8 against the Giants and be a great value play in the process.
