High-Upside Bench Stashes: Sneaky Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Adds Before Week 9

November 6, 2026

Andy's must-have bench stashes and sneaky fantasy football waiver wire adds, sleepers ahead of Week 9 in 2026. Pick up these high-upside players before Week 9.

Hey RotoBallers! Welcome to the ninth edition of our High-Upside Bench Stashes series. The calendar has turned to November, and it is officially time to start planning for the fantasy football playoffs.

This week, we will look at running backs who could hold long-term stash value, along with potential standout rookies and a rookie wide receiver who could be a team's No. 2 option but is still on 95% of waiver wires. As always, every player discussed is available in more than 75% of all Yahoo leagues.

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High-Upside Fantasy Football Stashes - Running Backs

Dylan Sampson, Cleveland Browns

19% rostered

Our first running back isn't a traditional stash option, as he is starting to show solid standalone value. Still, Simpson is available in most Yahoo leagues ahead of Week 9.

Sampson logged just a few snaps in Week 1 before suffering a knee injury, which put him on the IR. When he returned in Week 7, Sampson quickly showed why he should have a role in this Browns offense. In the win over the Titans, Sampson ran for 45 yards on six carries and caught all three passes for 32 yards.

In Week 8, Sampson took just one carry but was far more involved in the passing game, catching six of his eight targets for 62 yards.

As a rookie, Sampson typically was the No. 2 option behind Quinshon Judkins but drew at least three targets in seven games, suggesting a path to being a viable FLEX option in deeper PPR leagues.

What keeps him on this list is his contingent value if Judkins misses time. In Week 8, Sampson was deployed as the clear RB2 in Cleveland as Jaleel McLaughlin took just two snaps (and zero the week prior). Instead, Judkins has been a workhorse, averaging 15.4 attempts per game over his last five contests while seeing the bulk of the snap share.

As shown below, Judkins logged more than 60% of the snaps in much of the first half and only saw a slight drop in Week 8, given the game script.

In the event Judkins misses time, Sampson could see up to 65% of the snaps while being heavily involved as a pass-catching back. His offensive environment isn't the best, but Sampson is one of the few "stash" options you could put in your FLEX in a pinch.

Samaje Perine, Cincinnati Bengals

19% rostered

Like Sampson, Perine has begun to see his value rise, but he remains a typical stash option ahead of Week 9. After Week 5, Perine appeared to be filling a larger role in the backfield, taking 14 carries for 68 yards, with Chase Brown seeing 13 for only 39 yards.

Following their Week 6 bye, Brown re-claimed the backfield, but his efficiency still raises several red flags. In Week 7, Brown took 11 carries for just 39 yards, while Perine took four for 16 and punched in a red-zone score. This past weekend, Brown was more effective, logging 12 carries for 55 yards but is still averaging a pedestrian 3.6 YPC this season, which is on pace to be the worst of his career.

Among the top-10 running backs in snaps share, Brown's YPC is quite alarming. As shown below, Brown is the only RB in this group with a YPC below 3.9 yards.

Even though it remains very unlikely for the Bengals to completely turn away from Brown, as shown in their Week 7 and Week 8 usage, Perine remains a top stash option, as he could find even more success in the lead role (averaging 4.3 YPC in his last three games).

While Jonathan Taylor has taken much of the trade-deadline buzz among running backs (and the looming handcuff in Seth McGowan), Tony Pollard is also one to watch. The Titans have insisted they are not actively shopping Pollard; his recent stretch of performances could open the door for them to receive much higher-than-anticipated returns.

For a rebuilding team, selling high on veteran running backs is a great way to stockpile more draft capital, and given the state of the position, many teams will likely be interested.

After averaging 8.6 PPR points per game in his first six games, Pollard has turned back the clock, averaging 32.6 PPR points in each of his last two. During this stretch, Pollard has punched in five rushing scores with a 5.3 YPC mark.

Tyjae Spears has also missed each of the last two games but was the clear RB2 when active. Last season, when given snaps, Spears was effective at times, tallying at least 17.0 PPR points in two of the four games in which he saw at least 34 offensive snaps.

His environment is not the best, but with his projected workload, Spears could become a legitimate three-down back in the Titans, and end up listening to offers on Pollard.

Other running backs to stash - Devin Singletary (NYG), Tyler Goodson (DAL), Sione Vaki (DET), 

High-Upside Fantasy Football Stashes - Wide Receivers

Malachi Fields, New York Giants

5% rostered

It's uncommon for a player featured in my early-week "must-adds" column to also be a stash, but Malachi Fields is the exception. Despite a clear path to immediate value, Fields is widely available across all Yahoo formats, but that will change after this weekend.

The former 74th overall pick has spent nearly his entire debut season operating as the WR2 in the Giants' offense. Through seven games, the former Notre Dame standout logged just under 100 more snaps than Darnell Mooney (the team's No. 3 WR) but did not overly impress in the box score.

Across this stint, Fields averaged just 6.7 PPR points per game but is coming off his best effort as a pro. In their Week 7 win over the Texans, Fields tallied 83 yards on four receptions, making it the first time he has carried more than 52 yards in a single contest.

He has also drawn at least five targets in back-to-back games, suggesting he is emerging as a reliable option for QB J.J. McCarthy.

Per PFF, Fields is also coming off his best form from an analytics standpoint. His 88.9 OFF Grade and 83.9 RECV Grade marked the best ratings of his young season, by a wide margin.

Rookie wide receivers often see a bump in usage and production after their bye week. With a clear role on every-down snaps, Fields is a wide receiver ahead of the weekend slate.

Tank Dell, Houston Texans

14% rostered

The 27-year-old returned to the NFL in Week 7 after missing nearly a year and a half of action. Dell last appeared in Week 16 of the 2024 campaign but suffered a knee injury that kept him on the shelf for all of 2025 and into the first half of the 2026 season.

In his return, Dell ran just seven routes and saw only one target. Despite this, he made an impact, catching it for 43 yards. Fortunately, his usage will only continue to increase as he gets accustomed to the NFL.

On Wednesday, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans noted that Dell will see a "natural progression in his workload." Managers should not expect him to immediately run 25+ routes this weekend; he should be able to reach this benchmark for the fantasy stretch run.

Back in his rookie season in 2023, Dell was highly productive, scoring seven touchdowns with 709 yards over 11 games. In 2024, Dell tallied 667 yards and three touchdowns over a similar 14-game stint.

Nico Collins remains the clear WR1, but the WR2 role is open. The Texans traded for Marvin Harrison Jr., but like Dell, he caught only one pass in Week 7 (his Texans debut).

Dell could carry a viable FLEX upside in 12+ team leagues as he finds his footing, and if Harrison continues to struggle even with a new club, Dell could be very valuable for much of the second half.

Other wide receivers to stash - De'Zhaun Stribling (SF), Travis Hunter (JAX)

High-Upside Fantasy Football Stashes - Tight Ends

Eli Raridon, New England Patriots

1% rostered

Terrance Ferguson is still the "top" stash at this position, but since we have already discussed him in this column, let's dig a bit deeper. New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry (foot) exited early last Sunday and was unable to practice Wednesday, which could open the door for rookie tight end Eli Raridon.

Despite opening as the No .2 option for his debut season, Raridon has been productive when on the field. In Week 1, Raridon found the back of the end zone on his first NFL reception and has drawn 3.2 targets per game over his last six games.

Even though he has not been the most reliable, Raridon's path to targets is quite clear entering Week 9. In addition to Henry being in danger of sitting out, A.J. Brown (ankle/foot) remains in doubt to play, and Romeo Doubs (shoulder) is still on the injured reserve. Raridon has a path to be the offense's potential "WR2."

The third-round rookie has generated a solid 72.4 RECV Grade per PFF with a 68.4 PBLK Grade, both above average, suggesting he could be quite effective when listed as the top option on the depth chart.

Raridon does have a tough matchup against the Green Bay Packers this weekend (along with the second-fewest PPR points to opposing TEs); he will face the Detroit Lions this week, who have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing TEs. He could have viable desperation streaming upside this weekend and top-12 upside at the position in Week 10, when both Henry and Brown remain sidelined.

Other tight ends to stash - Terrance Ferguson (LAR)

High-Upside Fantasy Football Stashes - Quarterbacks (QB)

Geno Smith, New York Jets

21% rostered

Rounding out our list will be a sneaky QB to monitor. With the many injuries to the position, like Lamar Jackson on the IR, Jalen Hurts out for the season, and most recently Sam Darnold week-to-week, it may be without a solution at the QB position.

Geno Smith isn't a top play this weekend (facing the Kansas City Chiefs) but has a far better schedule looking ahead. After a tilt with the Chiefs, Smith will have a smash matchup against the Buffalo Bills, who have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing QBs. Then, after facing the Chargers in Week 11, he has another top matchup against the Dolphins in Week 12.

Even in a "tougher" matchup, Smith could still be used in deeper leagues. After averaging 13.4 PPR points in Weeks 4 through 6, Smith has posted a much higher 24.6 PPR points per game in his last two contests, with a 5:2 TD:INT ratio and 288.5 passing yards per game.

Smith saw his production surge during this stretch thanks to the emergence of rookie WR Omar Cooper Jr. and the return of Adonai Mitchell. With surprisingly dominant top-three WRs and the looming run of Breece Hall, this Jets offense can be quite productive for much of the second half.

Other quarterbacks to stash: J.J. McCarthy (NYG)

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