College Football Fantasy Waiver Wire: Week 8 Adds and Drops
Which college football players to add or drop for Week 8: three quarterbacks and three running backs to add, four quarterback drops, one injury to watch and one unconfirmed rumor.
Overview
This is a weekly college football fantasy waiver-wire guide. It lists the players worth adding or dropping after the Week 8 games on Oct. 17, 2026, with the reason for each and how confident the call is. Use it to decide waiver claims before your league's deadline, to find quarterbacks and running backs who have just won or lost a starting job, and to separate confirmed news from rumor. Ownership percentages appear only where a dated source was available.
At a glance
- Add: Tramell Jones Jr. (Florida QB), Tommy Carr (Michigan QB), George MacIntyre (Tennessee QB), DeSean Bishop (Tennessee RB), Cardae Mack (Arizona State RB), Jaziun Patterson (Michigan State RB), Dominic Kelley (Nevada RB).
- Injury to watch: Julian Sayin (Ohio State QB), reported out several weeks; true freshman Luke Fahey is next in line.
- Unconfirmed rumor: talk of benching Arch Manning (Texas QB). No change has been made, but Texas says everything is being evaluated.
- Drop candidates: Bryce Underwood (Michigan), Aaron Philo (Florida), Faizon Brandon (Tennessee), Gunner Stockton (Georgia).
Add candidates
Tramell Jones Jr., QB, Florida (confidence: high)
Jones made his first career start on Oct. 17 at No. 7 Texas after incumbent Aaron Philo was sidelined by a shoulder injury (listed questionable on the SEC injury report). In his debut he completed 22 of 35 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns with no turnovers, and rallied Florida from a 17-3 deficit to a 27-24 upset win, repeatedly converting third downs in the fourth quarter. Both of his touchdown passes went to tight end Lacota Dippre, who is worth a look in deeper leagues.
Tommy Carr, QB, Michigan (confidence: high)
The true freshman relieved starter Bryce Underwood at halftime against Penn State on Oct. 17, after Underwood went 5-of-11 for 43 yards with two interceptions. Carr went 5-of-7 for 47 yards and ran for 36 yards and a touchdown on 4 carries as Michigan rallied from a first-half shutout to win 21-18. Michigan has not named a starter for next week; coach Kyle Whittingham has said a decision is coming early in the week.
George MacIntyre, QB, Tennessee (confidence: moderate-high)
The true freshman made his second straight start on Oct. 17 against No. 6 Alabama and led Tennessee to a 26-10 win. Faizon Brandon was available but did not play. The job has not been handed to him outright, so this is a step below high confidence.
DeSean Bishop, RB, Tennessee (confidence: moderate-high)
Bishop was Tennessee's fantasy engine against Alabama on Oct. 17, with 32 carries for 159 yards and two touchdowns. Check your league's ownership before bidding, since a performance like this usually draws claims quickly.
Cardae Mack, RB, Arizona State (confidence: moderate-high)
The true freshman ran for 154 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-12 win over Hawaii on Oct. 10, including a 67-yard touchdown, and was named Big 12 Freshman of the Week, putting starter Kyson Brown on notice. Follow-up: on Oct. 17 Arizona State lost 53-25 at No. 10 Texas Tech and managed only 35 rushing yards as a team; Mack had 7 carries for 27 yards and two catches for 17 yards, with a 12-yard touchdown catch as his only score, so treat him as a boom-or-bust add. The Texas Tech back to know is J'Koby Williams, who ran 11 times for a career-high 165 yards and two touchdowns. Reported independently by AZFamily, RotoBaller and the Hawaii Tribune-Herald. Rostered: Yahoo 0% (column dated Oct. 11).
Jaziun Patterson, RB, Michigan State (confidence: moderate)
Per Yahoo's Oct. 11 column, Patterson became Michigan State's lead back after RB1 Cam Edwards was lost for the season, and scored 37.4 fantasy points under half-PPR scoring against Illinois on Oct. 10 (standard scoring gives 35.9). Follow-up: in Michigan State's 24-21 loss to No. 25 Northwestern on Oct. 17, he had 15 carries for 72 yards. The ownership figure comes from a single source. Rostered: Yahoo 5% (column dated Oct. 11).
Dominic Kelley, RB, Nevada (confidence: moderate)
Per FantraxHQ's Oct. 12 column, Kelley led Nevada's backfield through the first five games with a weighted opportunity score of 63.08 to Herschel Turner's 47.06, and 15 red-zone carries to Turner's 5. Through six games his workload was about 16.5 touches and 100.3 scrimmage yards per game. In Nevada's 31-17 loss at North Dakota State on Oct. 17, Kelley had 11 carries for 60 yards and five catches for 33 yards, while Turner had five carries for 10 yards. Rostered: Fantrax 20% (column dated Oct. 12).
Injury watch
Julian Sayin, QB, Ohio State
Sayin left the Oct. 17 game against Indiana and returned to the sideline in a sling. Coach Ryan Day said he will probably be out several weeks. Ohio State won 19-15 and has a bye before visiting No. 19 USC on Oct. 31. Backup Luke Fahey, a true freshman, finished the game and is reported as next in line, but he went 0-for-2 as a passer in relief, so treat him as a speculative stash rather than a clean add. Sayin is likely rostered well above the ownership ceiling used for add candidates.
Rumor mill
Arch Manning, QB, Texas
Fan and social-media calls for Manning to be benched spread after Texas lost 27-24 at home to Florida on Oct. 17, and a Sportskeeda opinion piece called his performance disastrous. Texas has made no quarterback change. Asked afterward, head coach Steve Sarkisian said everything would be evaluated and did not rule out a change. No source confirms any actual or pending change.
Drop candidates
- Bryce Underwood, QB, Michigan: Benched at halftime against Penn State on Oct. 17 after going 5-of-11 for 43 yards with two interceptions. Tommy Carr sparked the comeback, and the staff has not committed to a starter for next week.
- Aaron Philo, QB, Florida: Lost his starting job for the Texas game on Oct. 17 to a shoulder injury (listed questionable). Tramell Jones Jr. started in his place and won, and Philo is reported to be out about two weeks.
- Faizon Brandon, QB, Tennessee: Did not play on Oct. 17 against Alabama, though he was reported available. George MacIntyre has started back-to-back games, with Tennessee winning both.
- Gunner Stockton, QB, Georgia: Threw two interceptions and lost a fumble late in Georgia's 27-24 home loss to Auburn on Oct. 17, which ended the Bulldogs' unbeaten start.
Frequently asked questions
Which college football quarterbacks should I add for Week 8?
Tramell Jones Jr. (Florida) and Tommy Carr (Michigan) are the highest-confidence adds after stepping in and winning on Oct. 17. George MacIntyre (Tennessee) has started two straight games, but the job is not locked down.
Is Arch Manning being benched?
No change has been made. Fans and commentators called for it after Texas lost to Florida, and Sarkisian said everything would be evaluated without ruling a change out.
Is Ohio State's Julian Sayin injured?
Yes. He left the Oct. 17 game against Indiana and is expected to be out several weeks. Backup Luke Fahey, a true freshman, is next in line but has little game action.
Who are the best college football running backs to add this week?
DeSean Bishop (Tennessee), Cardae Mack (Arizona State), Jaziun Patterson (Michigan State) and Dominic Kelley (Nevada). Patterson's and Kelley's cases each rest largely on a single source.