Caleb Douglas' Expanded Role Boosts Waiver-Wire Appeal 0mLink copied!

Nov 3, 2026, 11:59 AM ET

Dallas Cowboys tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford offers waiver-wire appeal in Week 9 after Jake Ferguson (ankle) was injured in Week 8. While Ferguson has yet to be ruled out, Spann-Ford's snap share has slowly increased over the past three weeks, rising from 46 percent in Week 6 to 53 percent in Week 7, and to a season-high 88 percent in Week 8. Now, yes, a lot of that had to do with Ferguson's injury; however, Spann-Ford has also seen five targets in two of his last three games and appears to be on the fantasy radar if he were to own the position himself. Spann-Ford has been fairly efficient on a targets-per-route basis (23%); he just hasn't been getting the opportunities (2.3 targets per game) this season. Fantasy managers in deep formats looking for a tight end option may want to turn to Spann-Ford in Week 9 if Ferguson does sit this one out.--Nicho Roessler
Source: RotoBaller

Nov 3, 2026, 11:49 AM ET

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones continues to struggle in 2026 after suffering a season-ending Achilles injury in 2025, and reports indicate he will remain the Colts' starter in Week 9 against the Dallas Cowboys, despite his job security seeming uncertain after Week 8's performance. While Jones has struggled, as shown by his 10.40 fantasy points per game (33rd) and limited rushing upside, the matchup against the Cowboys, who just allowed Gardner Minshew II 19.52 fantasy points in a quarter and a half of football, looks solid. This season, Dallas has allowed the 6th-most fantasy points per game and the fourth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks, making Jones a solid streaming option in superflex formats for Week 9. In a pinch, fantasy managers should look to Jones on the waiver wire.--Nicho Roessler
Source: RotoBaller

Nov 3, 2026, 11:41 AM ET

Baltimore Ravens rookie quarterback Joe Fagnano (ankle) is expected to make his first NFL start Thursday night against the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to ESPN's Jamison Hensley. The undrafted rookie out of Connecticut is in line to replace Lamar Jackson (thumb), who requires surgery and is headed to injured reserve, while Tyler Huntley (toe) is also expected to be unavailable. Fagnano made his NFL debut during Sunday's 36-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills, completing 10 of 21 passes for 91 yards and an interception while losing a fumble. He also suffered an ankle injury during the contest and was listed as a limited participant on Monday's estimated practice report. Head coach Jesse Minter has yet to officially name a starter, and Baltimore is reportedly adding Kedon Slovis to its active roster after signing Austin Reed to the practice squad. Fagnano would be a desperation Superflex option, with the quarterback uncertainty also hurting the fantasy outlooks of Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews.--Bruno Mulé
Source: Jamison Hensley

Nov 3, 2026, 11:38 AM ET

New York Jets rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq caught one of two targets for 22 yards in Sunday's loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. Sadiq has had four or fewer targets in seven of eight games this season and is becoming extremely hard to trust in redraft formats. While Sadiq still has dynasty value based on his age and draft capital, he has only played 41 percent of snaps this season and has a paltry 10.9 percent target share, and he simply doesn't get the volume needed to be a reliable fantasy option. Sadiq's one silver lining is that he can produce explosive plays when he gets opportunities (18.8% explosive rating) and has a decent per-route target rate (23%). Fantasy managers looking for immediate production off the waiver wire at the tight end position should look elsewhere for Week 9.--Nicho Roessler
Source: RotoBaller

Nov 3, 2026, 11:35 AM ET

The Athletic's Ted Nguyen writes that Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray does not look comfortable in head coach Kevin O'Connell's offense through eight weeks and wonders if the team will hope that he gets better or make a move to add competition at the position ahead of next Tuesday's trade deadline. The Detroit Lions' defense ranked 28th in points allowed per drive (2.58) and 32nd in explosive play rate (13.2%) going into their Week 8 divisional clash on Sunday, with the Vikings' offense averaging 1.36 points per drive and an explosive play rate of 10%. Murray has been far too inconsistent and out of rhythm and is constantly late on his reads. He currently ranks 27th in rate of off-target passes (13.6%) after throwing for 210 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in the team's first loss of the season in Detroit. Murray also ranks 26th in sack rate (8.2%) and 28th in average yardage lost on sacks (6.93). The 29-year-old has been hard to trust, even as a QB2 in superflex leagues, and his struggles have led to a slow start for Pro Bowl receiver Justin Jefferson. Murray will have his work cut out for him in a Week 9 battle against the Buffalo Bills.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The Athletic - Ted Nguyen

Nov 3, 2026, 11:29 AM ET

New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas caught all three of his targets for 76 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 24-19 victory over the Miami Dolphins, with a 48-yard score accounting for much of his production. Douglas has now collected 17 receptions for 250 yards and four touchdowns over his last four games, already setting a career high in receiving scores. His recent production is appealing, but the volume remains uneven. Even with A.J. Brown (ankle/knee) sidelined and Romeo Doubs (shoulder) and Mack Hollins (calf) on injured reserve, Douglas played 38 offensive snaps against Miami, fewer than Efton Chism III (52) and Kyle Williams (49). Chism also drew five targets to Douglas' three. Hollins is eligible to return in Week 9, while Hunter Henry's foot injury adds uncertainty to New England's passing-game personnel. Douglas remains a worthwhile bench stash in 12-team PPR leagues, matching RotoBaller's recommendation for a player rostered in 37% of leagues. He offers conditional streaming appeal against the Green Bay Packers, though his limited targets make him a risky weekly starter.--Bruno Mulé
Source: RotoBaller

Nov 3, 2026, 11:22 AM ET

Arizona Cardinals 28-year-old wide receiver Simi Fehoko played a season-high 49% of the offensive snaps in Week 8 and caught his first pass of the season against Dallas, hauling in a 17-yard catch. With Kendrick Bourne (tibia) out for the season, Fehoko could step into a meaningful WR2 role for the Cardinals alongside Reggie Virgil and Devin Duvernay. Marvin Harrison Jr. was also traded back in Week 6, and Michael Wilson suffered multiple broken ribs in Week 8, but plans to play through it and may not be 100 percent. Fehoko is in his sixth NFL season and on his third team, and he's never eclipsed 16 targets in any season, but opportunity may thrust him into a position where he could be a volume-based option in the short term.--Nicho Roessler
Source: RotoBaller

Nov 3, 2026, 11:14 AM ET

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman played 63 of the team's 82 offensive snaps (77%) in Sunday's 36-10 win over the Baltimore Ravens, but his involvement produced only one catch for four yards on three targets. The quiet outing ended a three-game touchdown streak and highlighted his inconsistent opportunities. Coleman has 20 receptions for 287 yards and three scores through seven games, with 116 of those yards coming against the New England Patriots in Week 4. He has drawn more than three targets just three times all season. With DJ Moore back in the lineup, Coleman faces additional competition for opportunities. Moore drew seven targets against Baltimore, while Khalil Shakir and Dalton Kincaid received six apiece. Coleman's playing time makes him worth stashing in deeper leagues, but his limited target volume makes him difficult to trust as a Week 9 starter. RotoBaller's waiver rankings list him as 32% rostered and recommend adding him in leagues with 12 or more teams, while its Week 9 half-PPR rankings put him at WR56 ahead of Monday's matchup with the Minnesota Vikings.--Bruno Mulé
Source: RotoBaller

Nov 3, 2026, 11:09 AM ET

Minnesota Vikings 28-year-old running back DeeJay Dallas had one carry in Week 8 and played 32 percent of the team's snaps, but has yet to deliver any meaningful performance in the 2026 season. While he had the chance to back up Aaron Jones Sr. when Jordan Mason was on Injured Reserve, he still didn't earn any meaningful opportunities, and now that Mason has returned, Dallas has been reverted to the practice squad and should be dropped in all formats. Dallas has never had much fantasy relevance in his six-year career, never tallying more than 23 carries in any season. Fantasy managers looking to stash a handcuff running back should look elsewhere.--Nicho Roessler
Source: RotoBaller

Nov 3, 2026, 11:00 AM ET

Philadelphia wide receiver Makai Lemon is a rising fantasy asset going into Week 9. He has 31 receptions for 251 yards and a touchdown across 46 targets so far this season. Lemon had 57 receiving yards on six grabs and nine targets in Week 8 and tallied 67 yards and a score on seven receptions and eight targets in Week 7. He's getting more usage on a Philly offense that's been battered by injuries. Injuries to wideouts DeVonta Smith (hamstring) and Dontayvion Wicks (ankle) have helped Lemon's fantasy cause, and the rookie could remain heavily utilized until those two wideouts are back on the field. Lemon's Week 9 matchup against the Giants is a pretty average one, so he has streaming appeal in all leagues, especially if Smith and Wicks are out again.--Morgan Rode
Source: ESPN

Nov 3, 2026, 10:54 AM ET

New Orleans wide receiver Devaughn Vele has had a pretty solid season to this point, but a tough matchup and the possible return of a teammate make him a better deep-league option in Week 9. Vele has hauled in 33 of his 46 targets so far, going for 348 yards and three touchdowns. He had 54 yards and a touchdown across five receptions and targets in his last appearance in Week 7. He's been the team's WR2 behind Chris Olave, but rookie Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) could return this week, which could bump Vele down another peg or two. The Week 9 matchup against Cleveland is also below average, so that's another thing working against Vele, and that's why he's a better option in deeper fantasy leagues.--Morgan Rode
Source: ESPN

Nov 3, 2026, 10:48 AM ET

Indianapolis wide receiver Keenan Allen is coming off a solid fantasy performance and has streaming appeal in standard leagues heading into a favorable Week 9 matchup against Dallas. Allen caught all seven of his targets in Week 8 for 67 yards. He now has 36 receptions for 325 yards and a touchdown across 50 targets this season, and has remained involved enough to be worth at least deep-league fantasy starts. The very favorable matchup against the Cowboys in Week 9 makes Allen an option in standard leagues too, especially on fantasy rosters lacking wide receiver options. The favorable matchup, plus his recent production, makes Allen a very solid deep-league option for the coming week.--Morgan Rode
Source: ESPN

Nov 3, 2026, 10:47 AM ET

New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry's (foot) status for the Week 9 contest against the Green Bay Packers this Sunday is up in the air after he suffered a foot injury in the Week 8 win over the division-rival Miami Dolphins in the second quarter and did not return, according to Karen Guregian of MassLive.com. "I don't have any expectations yet," head coach Mike Vrabel said. "It's kind of how he responds here. He wasn't able to finish the game. So we'll see where he is, and I know Hunter will do everything he can to get back to help us, and we'll go from there." Henry currently leads the Patriots with 29 receptions and is second behind receiver DeMario Douglas in yards (326) while catching two touchdowns in eight games. If the Patriots are without Henry this weekend, quarterback Drake Maye could be thin on aerial targets, depending on the status of top wideout A.J. Brown (knee, ankle), who was unavailable on Sunday. Rookie tight end Eli Raridon would enter the TE2 streaming radar, too. Before injuring his foot against Miami, Henry caught all three of his targets for 30 yards.--Keith Hernandez
Source: MassLive.com - Karen Guregian

Nov 3, 2026, 10:42 AM ET

Las Vegas Raiders former first-round running back Ashton Jeanty averaged just over 3.0 yards per carry in the first seven games of the season, so the Raiders changed things up in their Week 8 win over the New York Jets, with rookie Mike Washington Jr. outsnapping Jeanty 60% to 40% and out-carrying him 25 to two. Jeanty saw more time as the third-down back and had a key 45-yard catch. When asked about the playing-time shift in the backfield on Monday, head coach Klint Kubiak said it was not a permanent arrangement. "I think it's always a moving target," Kubiak said. "You see where your team is at and who's playing the best ball at the time. It's a 17-game regular season where things change every week." Washington had 83 yards on 25 carries, so it wasn't a major change in terms of success on the ground for the Raiders. The bottom line is that Vegas has been one of the worst at running the football in 2026, and Jeanty could be in danger of losing the early-down role permanently. The good news for his fantasy managers is that if Week 8's backfield setup becomes more of the norm, he should at least retain value as a PPR flex option. Washington, meanwhile, deserves plenty of waiver-wire attention this week.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Pro Football Talk - Josh Alper

Nov 3, 2026, 10:40 AM ET

Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold is a fantasy streaming option in Week 9 thanks to a very favorable matchup against Arizona. Darnold has underwhelmed most of this season, and he sits with a 60.2% completion mark across seven games played. He's thrown for 1,478 yards and 10 touchdowns, but also has nine interceptions. Darnold has 72 rushing yards on 11 attempts as well. He had 188 passing yards and two TD passes, but also threw a pick and completed just 50% of his passes in Week 8 against Chicago. Darnold is worth streaming in more fantasy leagues in Week 9 due to his stellar matchup against the Cardinals. Based on what we've seen from Darnold overall this season though, he's a more confident option in deeper leagues.--Morgan Rode
Source: ESPN

Nov 3, 2026, 10:33 AM ET

Denver wide receiver Courtland Sutton is worth deep-league fantasy utilization in Week 9 against Carolina. He has just 221 receiving yards and a touchdown across 20 receptions and 37 targets in eight games played this season, but has fared better the past two weeks. Sutton had 45 yards on three receptions and five targets in Week 7, before tallying 53 yards on four receptions and targets in Week 8. A slightly below-average matchup against Carolina in Week 9 keeps Sutton as a better deep-league option, but he's one to keep in mind for possible standard league usage down the road if his recent production keeps up.--Morgan Rode
Source: ESPN

Nov 3, 2026, 10:26 AM ET

New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said last week that whenever running back Breece Hall (quadriceps) returns, the starting job will be his again. "The role won't change," Glenn said. Offensive coordinator Frank Reich deferred to Glenn when asked the question himself, according to Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. "Well, that's obviously coach's decision, but they're both the guy ... I mean, that's a good problem to have. That's coach's decision, but to me ... Breece is our guy. I'm assuming Breece is our guy, you know what I mean? He's one of the best in the NFL, but I think what's been so exciting is like, oh my gosh, we've got two of them. I mean, we've got two. This Braelon guy, he's a beast as well," Reich said. Rosenblatt says it is fair to wonder now if Hall will lose his lead-back role given how well Braelon Allen has performed in the last five games with Hall sidelined. And if that is the case, it would make sense for general manager Darren Mougey to make Hall available before next Tuesday's trade deadline. The Jets have publicly said they will not trade Hall, but the fact that the team just signed Hall to a new contract last offseason should not be a deterrent to trading him. If Hall is not traded, his fantasy ceiling will most likely suffer as he shares more of the workload with Allen.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The Athletic - Zack Rosenblatt

Nov 3, 2026, 10:23 AM ET

Dallas owner Jerry Jones said that wide receiver George Pickens "needs the ball coming his way more." Jones made the statement while speaking on 105.3 The FAN on Tuesday. Pickens had just 48 receiving yards on two receptions and four targets in the team's Week 8 overtime loss to Arizona. He has 533 receiving yards and two scores on 39 receptions and 62 targets across eight games played overall this season. Pickens had 1,429 receiving yards and nine touchdowns across 93 catches and 137 targets in his first season with Dallas. Pickens dealt with shoulder and hamstring injuries coming into Week 8, but played after being listed as questionable. His next chance to start delivering more will come against Indianapolis in Week 9.--Morgan Rode
Source: Jon Machota

Nov 3, 2026, 10:11 AM ET

The Baltimore Ravens added quarterback Kedon Slovis to its active roster, signing him off the Green Bay practice squad. The signing gives the Ravens another QB option for Thursday night as Lamar Jackson (thumb) is out and Tyler Huntley (turf toe) is also dealing with an injury. Joe Fagnano (ankle) had been the team's third QB, but is also dealing with an ailment. Fagnano, Austin Reed, and Slovis are now the top quarterback options for the team's Week 9 Thursday game against Jacksonville. Fagnano completed 10 of his 21 passes in Week 8 for 91 yards, no touchdowns, and an interception; he had three rushing yards on three attempts. Slovis got in two regular games while with Arizona in 2025, but attempted just two passes. Reed was signed to the team's practice squad on Monday; he has only appeared in preseason games so far.--Morgan Rode
Source: Tom Pelissero

Nov 3, 2026, 9:59 AM ET

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Ryan Flournoy is a solid option to consider from the waiver wire this week, especially with uncertainty swirling around his teammate George Pickens. Pickens has reportedly been dealing with hamstring tightness during games and has also been listed on the injury report with a shoulder issue. While he hasn't missed any games, his effectiveness has been limited. He's also become a buzzy name in the trade market leading up to the NFL Trade Deadline on Nov. 10. If Pickens misses time or is traded, Flournoy would be a great pickup. He's already involved in the Cowboys' passing game, catching at least three passes in five straight games and finding the end zone in two of his last three contests. He's a borderline add already in deep leagues in his current role, but if he gets more targets and opportunities, he could end up being a great speculative stash from the waiver wire coming into Week 9.--Zach Thompson
Source: RotoBaller