The fantasy football campaign has rounded its midpoint with Week 8 of the 2024 NFL season coming up. This is an important time for managers to lock in and make the most of their waiver-wire claims, as it's far less likely that unheralded players will break out and become fantasy relevant.

It's becoming more difficult but still just as critical to maintain a deep roster capable of weathering a potential rash of injuries. It's also helpful to have solid replacements on deck for any player with a bye week still on the horizon.

Waiver-wire pickups can help pad out your lineup in both the immediate term (by nabbing a spot starter who can replace a missing regular) and in the future (by stashing players who could see expanded roles in the back half of the campaign).

No manager, even those at the top of the standings, can afford to rest on their laurels and ignore the dwindling free-agent pool. Stagnant teams run a high risk of getting passed by rivals who have been making shrewd waiver-wire claims to secure the handful of impact talents still up for grabs at this point in the season.

With that in mind, here are five players—available in at least half of all Yahoo! Sports leagues—who you'll want to target when making your waiver moves for Week 8.

Fantasy points and rankings courtesy of FantasyPros' PPR data taken prior to the weeks' Monday Night Football matchup. Suggested free-agent acquisition budget (FAAB) bids are based on a $100 dollar starting budget.

QB Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins (45 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $4-5

The Miami Dolphins just finished slogging their way through an abysmal 1-3 stretch without starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in the lineup.

The team churned through three different signal-callers after Tagovailoa went down in Week 2 and found little success with any, going from one of the league's most dangerous offenses to one of its most inept over the last month.

Miami's fortunes could quickly change if the 2023 Pro Bowler returns to action in Week 8.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Tagovailoa is slated to practice this week and expected to start on Sunday when his side hosts the Arizona Cardinals.

Arizona makes for an ideal foe for the passer to get back up to speed, as its defense has allowed an average of 19.2 fantasy points—the fourth-most in the league—to opposing QBs over the first five games of 2024.

In his lone complete game of the season, Tagovailoa logged a QB9 finish by completing 23-of-37 passes for 338 yards and a score. It was his sixth top-10 showing since the start of last season and is a strong indication of how he'll fare against the Cardinals this coming week.

The 26-year-old will be a welcome sight not only for managers who've kept him on their roster or managed to nab him on waivers this week, but also those who have watched previous high-tier fantasy weapons like Tyreek Hill and De'Von Achane slump in his absence.

The Dolphins have scored an underwhelming 40 points over the last four weeks combined, a mark the team could reach in a single contest if Tagovailoa is at his best on Sunday.

RB Ray Davis, Buffalo Bills (23 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $4-6

The Buffalo Bills appear to have something in Ray Davis.

After a relatively slow start to his professional career, the rookie running back put himself on the map while replacing starter James Cook in Week 6. He converted 23 touches into 152 yards and logged a strong RB13 finish for his efforts against the New York Jets.

While Cook returned to the lineup after a one-week absence with a toe injury and reassumed starting duties this past Sunday, Davis still found a way to impact the game.

Despite seeing an expected reduction in volume, the Kentucky product posted his second consecutive top-20 finish after tallying 47 yards and a score on just six touches.

That strong performance could result in Davis seeing a bigger chunk of Buffalo's backfield workload going forward. He's proved himself to be a great change-of-pace option with size and explosiveness to torch opposing defenses.

The 24-year-old was also far more efficient on the ground this past week, averaging 8.2 yards per carry compared to Cook's meager 3.7 YPC.

Although only deep league managers will want to count on Davis as much more than a relatively weak flex play in a Week 8 clash with the Seattle Seahawks, he should be rostered in far more than the 23 percent of leagues he currently is.

Given his tremendous handcuff value—the rookie will become Buffalo's feature back if Cook is sidelined—and chances of forcing a more even time share in the coming weeks, Davis is a great option to claim on waivers and stash on your bench.

It's best to land him now before his value skyrockets following another breakout showing or Cook injury.

WR Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco 49ers (13 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $5-7

After recovering from a scary offseason shooting injury, Ricky Pearsall finally appeared in his first NFL game this past weekend.

The first-round pick's debut couldn't have come at a more opportune time for the San Francisco 49ers, as the reigning NFC champions lost both Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk during their Week 7 bout with the Kansas City Chiefs.

With Aiyuk set to miss the entire season after being carted off with a torn ACL and MCL and Samuel dealing with an illness that limited him to just four offensive plays, Pearsall stepped up and led San Francisco's receiving corps in snaps against the back-to-back defending Super Bowl champions.

While Pearsall wasn't the most effective Niners wideout—that distinction went to fellow rookie Jacob Cowing, who ripped off 50 yards on only two catches—he did bring in three of his five looks for 21 yards against one of the league's tougher defenses.

With Aiyuk sidelined, the 49ers will have to lean heavily on veteran tight end George Kittle—who led the team with seven targets on Sunday—and a receiver combination of Samuel, Pearsall and Jauan Jennings to power their aerial attack.

Considering Jennings is dealing with a hip issue that sidelined him against the Chiefs and Samuel's uncertain chances of returning to full strength before the weekend, Pearsall could end up playing a major role against a beatable Dallas Cowboys defense in Week 8.

The Florida product will be a viable flex play against Dallas, but even those managers who feel set at the receiver position this week should still consider stashing the 24-year-old.

Pearsall looks to be on the cusp of a breakout and could soon emerge as a key cog within a Kyle Shanahan offense, a status that may result in some league-winning fantasy numbers down the stretch.

WR Romeo Doubs, Green Bay Packers (44 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $3-6

Romeo Doubs has gone on an absolute tear since serving a one-game suspension in Week 5.

The Green Bay Packers wideout came back with a vengeance, gashing the Arizona Cardinals for a pair of touchdowns in Week 6. He totaled 19.9 fantasy points and notched a season-best WR11 finish, a sterling performance that doesn't appear to be an outlier.

Doubs instead continued showing out by playing a key role in his team's thrilling 24-22 victory over the Houston Texans. The wideout hauled in eight of his 10 targets for 94 yards, equating to 17.4 fantasy points and a WR12 finish in Week 7.

Since his return to action in Week 6, only five other receivers have scored more points than the 24-year-old. It's a significant resurgence for Doubs, who seems to have turned a corner following a tepid start to 2024 that saw him rank as a middling WR62 over the first four games of the season.

The Nevada product is a good bet to do plenty more damage in the coming weeks.

The Packers have a juicy Week 8 matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars on tap, a team that has allowed the third-most fantasy points on average to the wide receiver position this season.

That contest will be followed by a hyped NFC North showdown against the Detroit Lions. While the Lions have generally fared well this year, they rank No. 29 in the league in fantasy points allowed to wideouts.

Given his hot streak and upcoming string of soft matchups, Doubs will probably be the best bye week or injury fill-in you can find at the WR position this week. If he can keep up this pace, he may even become a fixture in starting lineups for the remainder of the season.

TE Hunter Henry, New England Patriots (31 Percent Rostered)

Suggested FAAB Bid: $1-3

The tight end position has seen a collective uptick in fantasy performance over the last two weeks, with 12 different players scoring at least 19.3 points in that span. While most of these contributors are usual suspects, there's a handful of standouts who largely went undrafted and are even still available in a vast majority of leagues.

Hunter Henry has been the best of that free-agent bunch, with only three other tight ends—George Kittle, David Njoku and Brock Bowers—generating more fantasy points during the past fortnight.

Henry looks revitalized following the New England Patriots' decision to turn their offense over to Drake Maye. After mustering just 11.3 fantasy points between Weeks 3 and 5 combined, he has gone on to score 30.3 points since Maye became the starter in Week 6.

While the Pats have suffered through a pair of blowout losses with the rookie quarterback at the helm, the offense has finally shown signs of life following the benching of veteran journeyman Jacoby Brissett.

Maye has been leaning heavily on Henry, utilizing the hulking tight end as a safety net while getting adjusted to the speed of NFL defenses. In his first start against the Houston Texans two weeks ago, the rookie signal-caller looked for his top TE five times and connected on three of those attempts for 41 yards and a touchdown.

Henry, 29, played an even larger role against the Jacksonville Jaguars this past weekend. He led New England with nine targets—four more than any other Patriot—and turned those into a team-high eight receptions for 92 yards.

Now that the Arkansas product has established himself as go-to weapon for Maye, he's an ideal waiver-wire pickup for any manager who has been streaming the TE position or feels underwhelmed with their regular starter.