Dynasty Waivers of the Future: Week 8

Every week, I gaze into my crystal football to find deep-league and dynasty waiver darlings who could emerge in the coming weeks, so you can acquire them now for practically nothing. I'm looking for players with a plausible path toward playing time for at least a few weeks, but not necessarily this season. I'm only looking for players who are rostered in fewer than one-third of Sleeper dynasty leagues because players above that threshold are typically already gone in deeper leagues.

Even the deepest rosters don't have unlimited bench space. Look ahead for holes as injuries mount and bye weeks take healthy players out of your lineup as you decide whether to take a flier on these potential dynasty stashes.

Running Back Roulette

Stashing deep-league running backs is like betting a single poker chip on one number at the roulette table. It costs little to make such a bet at the low-limit table. You know it will rarely pay off, but the reward is great if that number hits. However, you only have a handful of chips in the form of open roster spots to use. Fortunately, dynasty outcomes aren't as random as a marble rolling around a roulette wheel. Savvy dynasty managers can follow clues that give them an edge. The odds of winning the bet remain low, but they improve once you've identified the guys worth your chip.

These deep-bench running backs just need a chance to earn touches. Most get those during training camps but fail to make the initial 53-man rosters. They may bounce around from one team's practice squad to another before they see any regular-season snaps, but some will. Over the past six seasons, teams have averaged 4.2 running backs with at least five touches. Nearly three-quarters of those running backs had at least 25 touches.

Number of Running Backs Meeting Minimum Touch Criteria, 2020-2025

Nearly all players who receive meaningful volume either started the season on the active roster or returned from PUP or injured reserve during the season, but opportunities emerge as injuries, releases, and trades thin teams' running-back rooms. The trick is to find the next guy up, someone with the talent to seize the opportunity when it arises and earn a chance to win a fantasy-relevant role in the future.

Here are three that I have my eye on now.

RB Jaydn Ott, Kansas City (3% Rostered)

The Chiefs haven't had a 1,000-yard rusher since Kareem Hunt's rookie season nearly a decade ago. Isiah Pacheco and Hunt led the Chiefs' rushing attack over the past two seasons, during which the Chiefs averaged 105.9 rushing yards per game from their running backs (27th) and 4.1 yards per carry (28th). The Chiefs didn't retain either for 2026 and instead signed Ken Walker III, the reigning Super Bowl MVP, as a free agent. Rookie Emmett Johnson earned the backup role after an impressive training camp, with Brashard Smith slotted as the team's RB3 on the initial 53-man roster.

Smith was placed on injured reserve Saturday with a hamstring injury and will be out at least until Week 11. The Chiefs elevated Ott from the practice squad before Sunday night's game, but he didn't get an offensive snap against the Seahawks. He would need an injury to Walker or Johnson to have any meaningful role. Walker has had no more than 255 touches in a season, and he's averaged 16.4 touches per game over four seasons in Seattle. In six games as a Chief, he already has 138 touches (23 per game) and is on pace for more than 360, assuming he plays 16 games. A career-high workload doesn't guarantee Walker might miss time, but he may need workload management later in the season. Either would open opportunities for the younger backs.

Ott went undrafted out of Oklahoma and signed with the Chiefs as a free agent. He played mostly with the third team in training camp and during preseason games. He caught two passes for a team-leading 40 yards in a preseason game against the Rams but didn't get a carry in any of the team's three games, as the coaches leaned heavily on Smith and Johnson. However, Ott's versatility put him ahead of veteran Emari Demercado, who was waived. Ott has the physicality and receiving skills to be a three-down back in Andy Reid's offense. In addition, the Chiefs' RB coach, DeMarco Murray, coached Ott in college. That said, the Chiefs could bring in a veteran running back before the trade deadline. They considered re-signing Hunt before training camp began, but he remains a free agent. Any veteran addition would likely relegate Ott to the practice squad even if Smith remained on IR. He's a longer-term play who could earn a larger role in 2027.

RB Anthony Tyus III, Carolina (0% Rostered)