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Who Should I Drop for Week 9? Fantasy Football outlooks for Jameson Williams, Isiah Pacheco, Kenneth Gainwell, Aaron Rodgers, Marvin Mims Jr., Kendrick Bourne, Tez Johnson, Xavier Legette, Bhayshul Tuten.
Who Should I Drop? Who Should I Keep? Some of the most common Week 9 fantasy football cut candidates involve players like Jameson Williams, Isiah Pacheco, Kenneth Gainwell, Aaron Rodgers, Marvin Mims Jr., Kendrick Bourne, Tez Johnson, Xavier Legette, Bhayshul Tuten. However, don't worry, we are here to help you make the right waiver wire decisions and winning moves for Week 9. Once you decide who to drop, find your optimal fantasy football pickups for Week 9 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Pickup? tool helps make your fantasy football waiver wire decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to add... all free!
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Fantasy Football Drop Candidates
Read about fantasy football players to consider dropping for Week 9:
Jameson Williams, Isiah Pacheco, Kenneth Gainwell, Aaron Rodgers, Marvin Mims Jr., Kendrick Bourne, Tez Johnson, Xavier Legette, Bhayshul Tuten
Isiah Pacheco, RB, Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (knee) is considered week-to-week after leaving Monday night's win with an MCL sprain. Pacheco was seen on the broadcast laughing with the training staff, so there was hope that he'd avoided serious injury, but it appears that he will miss time. Following a Week 9 matchup with the Bills, Kansas City has a Week 10 bye, so there's a chance Pacheco only misses one game.
It's been difficult to fully trust any of the backs in what has become a three-headed Chiefs running back room, but with Pacheco likely sidelined for at least one Sunday, both Kareem Hunt and Brashard Smith become priority waiver adds going into a matchup with a surprisingly susceptible Bills run defense. Hunt is coming off one of his best games of the season and has a lock on the Chiefs' goal line role, while Smith could see increased usage in a game with one of the week's highest projected point totals.
Jameson Williams, WR, Lions
Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams saw just two targets and was held without a catch in his team's 24-9 Week 7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 24-year-old has been one of the most frustrating players in fantasy so far this season, recording just 17 catches for 289 yards and two touchdowns across seven games. Williams has now been held to two or fewer receptions and 43 or fewer receiving yards in five out of seven contests.
Williams ranks third on the Lions in targets (30), but his target volume has been more than doubled by Detroit's WR1, Amon-Ra St. Brown (61). As long as Williams continues to average around four targets per game, he's going to have major bust weeks in fantasy. His big-play ability gives him the capability to pop on any given week, but Williams profiles as a boom/bust flex option at best heading into Week 9.
Marvin Mims, WR, Broncos
Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. entered concussion protocol following Sunday's Week 8 contest against the Dallas Cowboys, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. The team never announced an injury status for Mims mid-game, so it's unclear exactly when he suffered the injury. It may have occurred with 4:39 left in the fourth quarter when Mims returned a kick 26 yards. He finished the game with two punt returns and three kick returns. On offense, he was unable to haul in his lone target.
The 23-year-old faces an uphill battle to clear concussion protocol in the seven days between now and Denver's Week 9 contest against the Houston Texans. Perhaps Week 10 against the Las Vegas Raiders is a more reasonable date to target for Mims' return to action. Pat Bryant will likely step up as the Broncos' No. 3 receiver behind Courtland Sutton and Troy Franklin.
Tez Johnson, WR, Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie wide receiver Tez Johnson has strung together four straight games of at least 6.8 fantasy points in half-PPR formats. His early success came on the back of big plays, but he's now seen at least six targets in back-to-back games. While the Buccaneers' passing attack has struggled as a whole over the past two weeks, Johnson has managed a respectable nine catches for 101 yards and a score over that time.
With the Buccaneers on a Week 9 bye and Chris Godwin nearing a return, there's a chance Johnson could be dropped this week, making him an intriguing add for those with the luxury of not needing an immediate plug-and-play starter. Brighter days should be ahead for the Buccaneers' passing attack, and Johnson looks as if he will be a major part of it.
Xavier Legette, WR, Panthers
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette totally disappointed fantasy players who used him as a lineup plugger in Week 8. The former first-round pick was targeted only three times by Andy Dalton and caught two passes for 17 yards. In a blowout loss to Buffalo, He carried none of last week's momentum over. When Bryce Young was the starter in Week 7, Legette caught nine passes for 92 yards and a TD. Dalton naturally prioritized Tetairoa McMillan, and Coker had three targets to Legette's two as the backup QB struggled mightily in a 31-point loss.
Head coach Dave Canales mentioned that he hopes Young will be back for Week 9 against the Green Bay Packers. If Young returns next week, the Panthers could be more statistically productive playing from behind vs. Green Bay. But the recent return of Coker may also prevent Legette from being useful at all. Outside of Week 7, Legette has not caught more than three passes in a game this season. He is a cut candidate for Week 9.
Who Should I Pickup Tool
Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire instead? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool here.
Week 9 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on finding replacements for specific players like Jameson Williams, Isiah Pacheco, Kenneth Gainwell, Aaron Rodgers, Marvin Mims Jr., Kendrick Bourne, Tez Johnson, Xavier Legette, Bhayshul Tuten.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy football rankings, projections, and more.
Improvements For Who Should I Pickup? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Pickup? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win on the waiver wire in 2025. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football waiver wire rankings and projections based on their research, and updates them constantly throughout the week. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked.
Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
Once you decide who to drop, find your optimal fantasy football waiver wire replacements. Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for Week 9 for Tyrone Tracy Jr., Josh Downs, Trey Benson, Darnell Mooney, Bam Knight, Kayshon Boutte, Tyjae Spears, Chimere Dike, Kyle Monangai, Alec Pierce:
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