FAAB Waiver Wire Bidding - Fantasy Football Pickups to Target for Week 9 (2024)

October 30, 2024

Nick Mariano's fantasy football waiver wire FAAB bidding guide for Week 9 (2024) -- how many FAAB dollars (free agent acquisition budget) to spend on waivers.

Congratulations on making it through eight weeks of the fantasy football season with FAAB dollars still in your pocket! No matter what your needs are, joining our famous waiver wire pickups list and our weekly fantasy football waiver wire columns by position, this column focuses on suggested waiver wire bidding percentages in fantasy football leagues using a Free Agent Acquisition Budget (FAAB).

These prices do not indicate how much these free-agent players will go for, especially as some leagues have seen teams use all of their FAAB already, and percentages are based on your starting budget. Each league values players differently, so context is king. These values provide a baseline to understand how much you should be looking to spend on a particular player, with different categories to reflect team-need situations.

Some teams may be out of FAAB already, while others haven't put a bid in for weeks, so be sure you're aware of how many true bidding competitors you have. And never lose sight of who is getting dropped amidst the chaos! Let's jump into my median FAAB bid ranges and adds going into Week 9, where the 49ers and Steelers hit their bye.

FAAB Waiver Wire Pickups - Quarterbacks

Bo Nix (QB, DEN) - 25% rostered

FAAB Bid: 1-3%
Aggressive Bid: 3-4%

Nix capitalized on a fantastic matchup with the Panthers by connecting on 28-of-37 passes for 284 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran in a score, though his four total rushing yards were quite a dip from 61 and 75 in the respective prior two weeks. That’s what happens when you can air it out so easily.

Let’s see if he can keep it rolling against a hurt Ravens defense that has allowed 13 passing TDs and an average of 341 passing yards over its last four games. The rookie signal-caller is finding his stride despite an unassuming receiver room. Let's see how this Baltimore test goes.

Quarterbacks outscoring Bo Nix in fantasy since Week 5:

- Lamar Jackson
- Baker Mayfield

That's it.

— Dave Kluge (@DaveKluge) October 28, 2024

Matthew Stafford (QB, LAR) - 39% rostered

FAAB Bid: 1-3%
Aggressive Bid: 3-4%

Stafford exploded for 279 yards and four touchdowns against a good Vikings defense as the Rams gear up for the second half in a wide-open NFC West. Having Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua back certainly helped as Stafford posted a fantastic 9.24 Adjusted Net Yards per Attempt (ANY/A) compared to a 5.71 mark without the WR duo, per Fantasy Points Data Suite.

The stat helps reflect passing production while penalizing sacks taken, which is meant to reflect how much more comfortable and efficient Stafford and the Rams are. Games against Seattle and Miami in the coming weeks could provide similar high-scoring scripts.

Jameis Winston (QB, CLE) - 6% rostered

FAAB Bid: 1-2%
Aggressive Bid: 2-3%

Making his first start of the season, Winston led the Browns to their first victory since Week 2 with a comeback drive against Baltimore. Needing a TD with under a minute to go, Winston found Cedric Tillman for the duo’s second score of the game to seal the win. Winston would throw three TDs alongside 334 yards, with all three scores coming on heaves longer than 20 yards (22, 23, and 38).

Baltimore has allowed a lot of damage through the air of late but that shouldn’t diminish Winston’s output. It was encouraging to see Winston succeed after a promising late drive in Week 7 versus Cincinnati. Will he remain as aggressive against a better Chargers defense in Week 9? Can he overcome a brutal late-season schedule?

FAAB Waiver Wire Pickups - Running Backs

Sorry, folks, but no one is jumping off of the RB page who is widely available.

In lieu of anything flashy, let's check in on the handcuffs and speculative adds. We’re staring at the barrel of handcuff/trade candidates to juggle. This writer doesn’t see any of them making a dent in most FAAB wallets as most did nothing to stand out. You will add them as needs dictate:

Tyrone Tracy Jr. (RB, NYG) - 52% rostered - Concussion scare on Monday night, but hit 150 total yards against PIT and worth a full send if available.
Zach Charbonnet (RB, SEA) - 51% rostered - Some standalone value but massive handcuff potential.
Braelon Allen (RB, NYJ) - 37% rostered - Some standalone value but massive handcuff potential.
Tyler Allgeier (RB, ATL) - 37% rostered - Some standalone value but massive handcuff potential.
Ray Davis (RB, BUF) - 26% rostered - Some standalone value but massive handcuff potential.
Isaac Guerendo (RB, SF) - 8% rostered - Jordan Mason has the bye to recover, with Christian McCaffrey lining up for Week 10 activation.
Blake Corum (RB, LAR) - 15% rostered
Trey Benson (RB, ARI) - 16% rostered
Sean Tucker (RB, TB) - 11% rostered
Kimani Vidal (RB, LAC) - 11% rostered
Jaylen Wright (RB, MIA) - 7% rostered
Dameon Pierce (RB, HOU) - 5% rostered
Jaleel McLaughlin (RB, DEN) - 15% rostered
Keaton Mitchell (RB, BAL) - 8% rostered
Chris Brooks (RB, GB) - 0% rostered

FAAB Waiver Wire Pickups - Wide Receivers

Cedric Tillman (WR, CLE) - 18% rostered
Elijah Moore (WR, CLE) - 2% rostered 

FAAB Bid: 25-35% / 10-15%
Aggressive Bid: 35-45% / 15-20%
Desperation Bid: 45-60% / 20-30%

Tillman paced Cleveland’s pass-catchers with 99 yards and two scores, including the heroic game-winning touchdown, while serving as Jameis Winston’s Big X. He might not be Mike Evans, but Tillman looked the part at times with 152 air yards and eight first-read targets, per FPDS.

Moore actually led the team with 10 first-read looks on his 11 total targets. He brought in eight of them for 85 yards for a nice PPR tally. Both Tillman and Moore ran fewer routes than Jerry Jeudy but had more primary reads, catches, and yards. Each had an end-zone target while Jeudy went without. It’s just one game but all three are viable next to David Njoku with Winston at the helm.

Browns pass catchers with Jameis Winston today:

Elijah Moore: 29% targets, 23% air yards, 16.5 points 📈
Cedric Tillman: 22%, 39%, 28.9 📈
Jerry Jeudy: 20%, 24%, 12.9 📈
David Njoku: 17%, 15%, 17.1 📈

Upgrades everywhere. pic.twitter.com/0Itwf8eL52

— Dwain McFarland (@dwainmcfarland) October 27, 2024

Do note that Cleveland will face a stout Chargers defense next week before a Week 10 bye. Then they get the Saints before a horrible DST outlook, with games against Pittsburgh, Denver, Pittsburgh again, and Kansas City in Weeks 12-15.

Ricky Pearsall (WR, SF) - 36% rostered

FAAB Bid:8-12%
Aggressive Bid: 12-16%
Desperation Bid: 16-20%

Jauan Jennings is 58% rostered and still needs to be added in all leagues for when he's recovered from his hip injury.  He should get the lion's share of Brandon Aiyuk's vacated snaps, but Pearsall isn't chopped liver.

With Jennings missing Week 8, Pearsall caught four passes for 38 yards and got a designed end-around carry that he took 39 yards downfield. Chris Conley, Ronnie Bell, and Jacob Cowing combined for zero catches, which bodes well for Pearsall's rest-of-season outlook. Make sure the rookie is rostered after their Week 9 bye.

Parker Washington (WR, JAC) - 0% rostered 

FAAB Bid: 3-6%
Aggressive Bid: 6-8%
Desperation Bid: 8-10%

Christian Kirk is out for the season with a broken collarbone, which is enough to make Washington fantasy-relevant on its own. However, Gabe Davis also exited the game with a shoulder injury and Brian Thomas Jr. is day-to-day with a chest issue as well.

WRs hurt for Jax

BTJ
Kirk
Davis
Duvernay

Only active WRs otherwise are Parker Washington and Tim Jones.

— John Shipley (@_John_Shipley) October 27, 2024

Washington caught three of his four targets for 46 yards after entering for Kirk. You may recall Washington also stepped up with a TD in Weeks 12 and 13 last season when Kirk first went down with a core muscle injury. Let’s see if the Jags commit to Washington in the slot rather than form a gross rotation with Tim Jones alongside BTJ and Davis (when healthy).

Xavier Legette (WR, CAR) - 15% rostered 

FAAB Bid: 1-3%
Aggressive Bid: 3-4%
Desperation Bid: 4-6%

Legette caught an early touchdown and wound up with a 4-34-1 line as Carolina largely fell apart after that strike. The rookie has looked good in the red zone but hasn’t exceeded 35 yards in four straight games despite Adam Thielen missing time on the IR with a hamstring injury. Bryce Young did miss him deep but it’s hard to see that improving unless Andy Dalton re-enters the picture.

However, we can’t deny the strong trade rumors around Diontae Johnson and Thielen. This would thrust Legette and fellow rookie Jalen Coker (0% rostered, also did well in Week 8) into starting reps.

Noah Brown (WR, WAS) - 1% rostered 

FAAB Bid: 1-3%
Aggressive Bid: 3-4%
Desperation Bid: 4-6%

Brown made headlines as the recipient of Jayden Daniels’ game-winning, 52-yard Hail Mary heave. It was Brown’s first TD of the season but Brown only had two catches for 21 yards outside of that. The six total targets are fine as he continues to edge out ancillary Washington WRs behind Terry McLaurin, but the limited upside of the role hamstrings his fantasy value.

John Metchie III (WR, HOU) - 0% rostered
Xavier Hutchinson (WR, HOU) - 0% rostered

FAAB Bid: 0-2% / 0-1%
Aggressive Bid: 2-3% / 1-2%
Desperation Bid: 3-5% / 2-3%

Hutchinson only had one 19-yard catch on Sunday despite running a starter’s snap count (24) next to Tank Dell (29) and Stefon Diggs (27). Diggs left late with a non-contact knee injury that jeopardizes his availability for Thursday’s short-week game (and the rest of the season).

So why does Hutchinson keep running routes without any looks? His lone catch did not come on a first-read target. Meanwhile, Metchie saw three catches for 29 yards on four targets (three first-reads) on just nine routes. It’s a small sample but we do need to listen to what on-field performance and scheming tell us.

Other fliers to consider: Jalen Tolbert, Kayshon Boutte, Quentin Johnston, Michael Wilson, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine

FAAB Waiver Wire Pickups - Tight Ends

Zach Ertz (TE, WAS) - 28% rostered 

FAAB Bid: 1-2%
Aggressive Bid: 2-3%
Desperation Bid: 3-5%

Ertz set season-best marks across the board with seven catches for 77 yards on 11 targets. He was one of just four tight ends to secure over 25% of their team’s air-yard output on the week, which deviates from the assumption that Ertz trots out on poor, shallow routes.

He also benefits from the Ben Sinnott preseason hype creating anti-Ertz buzz, but now Ertz has quietly surpassed 10 PPR points in three straight contests. Reports of Ertz's demise were greatly exaggerated, it seems.

Hunter Henry (TE, NE) - 39% rostered 

FAAB Bid: 1-2%
Aggressive Bid: 2-3%
Desperation Bid: 3-5%

Henry had a relatively quiet National Tight End’s Day, recording five catches for 45 yards on six looks. But the Pats lost Drake Maye to the concussion protocol in the first half and Henry also had a big play called back due to holding. Consider that no other Patriots had more than three catches on the day. Henry has potential with Maye at the helm, which may wait until Week 10 at Chicago.

Will Dissly (TE, LAC) - 1% rostered 

FAAB Bid: 1-2%
Aggressive Bid: 2-3%
Desperation Bid: 3-4%

One week after logging an 8-81-0 receiving line, Dissly hauled in five of his seven targets for 41 yards. Again, that isn’t flashy, but it was the sixth-best target share of the week from a TE. If you expand that to Weeks 7-8, Dissly and the aforementioned Ertz are the only TEs above 25%. A higher share in a lower-volume passing offense is not elite but we just want to identify potential for deep-leaguers.

34 TEs have > 100 RR through WK8 (Pre-MNF)

Only Brock Bowers and Will Dissly rank <Top 5 in each of the following metrics:

- TPRR
- YPRR
- 1D/RR

Chargers increasing their passing volume output these last 2 games is definitely a + for Ladd McConkey but Dissly could also be an… pic.twitter.com/bWdouGnQTu

— Dan Whisner (Wiz) 🚫 (@DanJWhisner) October 28, 2024

Mike Gesicki (TE, CIN) - 8% rostered 

FAAB Bid: 0-1%
Aggressive Bid: 1-2%
Desperation Bid: 2-3%

Gesicki performed well with Tee Higgins (quad) out, catching seven balls for 73 yards while the presumed WR riser, Andrei Iosivas, posted a zero. He’d be interesting against the Raiders next week if Higgins remains.

FAAB Waiver Wire Pickups - Defense/Special Teams

Cincinnati Bengals Defense (vs. LV) - 31% rostered

FAAB Bid: 1-2%
Aggressive Bid: 2-3%
Desperation Bid: 3-4%

The Bengals' defense is not good enough to handle a playoff-caliber opponent but they’ve allowed an average of 15 points with six sacks and four turnovers against the Panthers, Giants, and Browns over the last month. Yes, they just got lambasted by the Eagles for 37 points but now they face a Raiders team that just gave up five sacks with a turnover in all eight games played.

New Orleans Saints Defense (at CAR) - 33% rostered

FAAB Bid: 1-2%
Aggressive Bid: 2-3%
Desperation Bid: 3-4%

The Panthers turned back to Bryce Young for Week 8 and while he got an early score, the 2023 first overall pick struggled throughout. He would throw a pair of interceptions and absorb two sacks as the Panthers mustered 14 total points in the loss to Denver. Meanwhile, the Saints have looked broken over the last two weeks but they generated three sacks in Week 8 and could return Derek Carr for more stability overall.

Washington Commanders Defense (at NYG) - 12% rostered

FAAB Bid: 1-2%
Aggressive Bid: 2-3%
Desperation Bid: 3-4%

Heading into Monday night, the Giants have allowed as many sacks as they have points scored (10) over their previous two games. That alone flags them as an automatic stream, let alone knowing their team context and history of poor production. (They ate four sacks with two turnovers and just 18 points on MNF.)

Malik Nabers is amazing but they haven’t unlocked a constant way to feature him. Washington’s offense should put NYG in a hole early after Jayden Daniels gets another week to heal up while Big Blue comes off a short week of rest.

Tennessee Titans Defense (vs. NE) - 2% rostered

FAAB Bid: 1-2%
Aggressive Bid: 2-3%
Desperation Bid: 3-4%

Tennessee got rolled by Detroit and now has all sorts of frustration to take out against a New England team that may be without Drake Maye (concussion). While Jacoby Brissett performed admirably in their comeback against the Jets, he’s not been good on the whole.

New England Patriots Defense (at TEN) - 5% rostered

FAAB Bid: 1-2%
Aggressive Bid: 2-3%
Desperation Bid: 3-4%

This game isn’t likely to dazzle, as the Pats defense just kept Aaron Rodgers’ dream team under wraps for the win and now get a Titans offense struggling for consistency. Mason Rudolph led a four-turnover day against Detroit as TEN has now supplied multiple turnovers in five of seven games thus far. If Will Levis is deemed healthy and starting then the turnover/risk factor only rises.

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