RADIO
Week 8 was filled with a few brutal injuries that have left players sidelined for either the remainder of 2015, or at least for quite a few weeks. While we could list off a long run of players who suffered tough injuries, we'll just keep those guys in our thoughts and take a look at the waiver wire heading into Week 9 and evaluate which players to target.
This coming week will have quite a few teams on bye weeks, such as the Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks.
So, the question is, how do you fill in for the likes of DeAndre Hopkins, Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, John Brown, Jeremy Maclin and of course the brutal loss of Steve Smith? Let's start off with the player who should be stepping in for Smith starting in Week 10.
Week 9 Waiver Wire - Wide Receivers (WR)
Kamar Aiken - WR, BAL - 15% owned on Fleaflicker
No, Aiken won't help you in Week 9 if you just need a filler, but he's going to be the No. 1 wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens moving forward now. He hasn't been truly fantasy relevant since a two week stretch against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns where he caught nine balls for 155 yards and a touchdown. Now, though, it's going to be his time to shine in Baltimore.
The loss of Smith for the year is an absolutely brutal blow for the Ravens, and I'm one of many who are hoping that the star wide receiver decides to come back for one more year. Regardless, it's going to be on Aiken at this point moving forward to step up and fill the void. Can he get the job done? Time will tell, but Aiken should be at the top of your waiver wire list this week.
Malcom Floyd - WR, SD - 26% owned on Fleaflicker
Malcom Floyd is a tough man to figure. He's had some solid games in terms of receiving yardage, specifically catching five balls for 95 yards against the Green Bay Packers three weeks ago. Unfortunately, he followed that performance up with a one-catch, seven-yard performance. Basically, you're going to be looking at a major hit-or-miss type of player.
In Week 9, the Chargers draw the Chicago Bears though, and I believe Floyd will build on a strong Week 8 showing where he caught four balls for 92 yards and two touchdowns. Philip Rivers is looking his way pretty frequently, and if you just need a one-week filler, then Floyd is a great guy to target.
Marquess Wilson - WR, CHI - 9% owned on Fleaflicker
While both Matt Forte and Eddie Royal went down with injuries for the Bears in Week 8, we don't have much info on either. All we truly know is that Royal and Forte's injuries aren't season-ending, according to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Well, that doesn't really do us much good, does it? We do know that Royal should miss some time, though, which will thrust Marquess Wilson into the No. 2 wide receiver role next to Alshon Jeffery. So, while defenses attempt to lock in and slow down Jeffery, Wilson may be poised to break out nicely with a healthy Jay Cutler under center. Expect to see Wilson fill in nicely, especially since it seems likely that the Bears may be playing from behind quite a bit without Forte and Royal.
Other Wide Receivers To Consider Adding
Brian Hartline, WR, CLE - 7% owned on Fleaflicker
Who was that guy that showed up for the Cleveland Browns in Week 8? Alright, alright, I'm not going to sell the farm to get Brian Hartline on my fantasy team, but hey, if you have a deep bench or want a player on a team who's going to be throwing a lot, here's a great spot for you. Not only did Hartline catch four balls for 32 (yes, just 32 yards), but he had two touchdowns and an impressive 10 targets. The fact that Hartline was getting looks is important, and is the sign that he may have a bigger role moving forward.
Dwayne Harris, WR, NYG - 7% owned on Fleaflicker
Everything in me wanted to stay away from any wide receivers in that ridiculous New York Giants vs. New Orleans Saints shootout. I mean, the game featured 13 passing touchdowns. Well, I couldn't do it, and I'm adding Harris to the list. You wanted to see players who are available in a good number of leagues, and Harris is your man. He caught three balls for 37 yards and two touchdowns in Week 8, but received seven targets. Over his past five games, Harris has EITHER topped 43 receiving yards OR caught a touchdown in every game but one. He's not going to be your next superstar wide receiver, but the Giants defense has some issues, which could result in their offense having to air it out quite a bit moving forward in 2015.
Take a shot on Harris, but again, both he and Hartline aren't guys that you want to go crazy attempting to get on your roster.
