November 1, 2016

Tony Peters identifies deeper 2016 fantasy football PPR sleepers & Week 9 NFL waiver wire pickups. These PPR RBs, WRs & TEs should be added off the waiver wire as fantasy football sleepers.

Welcome, welcome, RotoBallers. Please join me for my deeper PPR league sleepers column for Week 9 of the NFL season.

In this weekly article, we are going to take a look at some deeper waiver wire options for PPR leagues and target players who could help out your team in the upcoming week.

The following waiver wire suggestions for Week 9 of the NFL season are all owned in 15% or less of Fleaflicker leagues.

Editor's Note: Once you're done here, be sure to read about even more Week 9 waiver wire recommendations, for all fantasy-relevant positions. Just click on any link: ALL - RB - WR - TE - QB - DEF - FAAB - CUTS

PPR Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Adds

Robert Woods (WR, BUF) - 15% Owned

Though he had a less than successful return from a foot injury during Week 8, catching 4-of-7 targets for 50 yards, there's still hope for Robert Woods in Week 9. Don't let anyone else fool you as the numbers don't lie: the Seahawks have been anything but dominant as of late against wide receivers. Over the past four weeks, Seattle has allowed the fifth-most points to the position. Woods' biggest issue is the production of his quarterback, Tyrod Taylor. If Taylor can manage an acceptable game, his top target could be an acceptable PPR fill-in. That is, unfortunately, always an if.

Andrew Hawkins (WR, CLE) - 0% Owned & Ricardo Louis (WR, CLE) - 0% Owned

The Browns may still be without a win on the season, but the team doesn't look as hopeless as its win-loss record may indicate. The return of quarterback Josh McCown in Week 8 propelled the Browns to 341 passing yards on the day--the team's highest total of the season and only their second game with over 244 yards--bringing all the team's receivers up, including Andrew Hawkins and Ricardo Louis. Hawkins has been around since 2011 and isn't a long-term piece for the team, but he's averaging nearly six targets a game over the past four weeks. Louis is a fourth-round rookie from the 2016 draft who has been showing flashes of potential while helping fill-in for injured rookie receiver Corey Coleman (whose potential return could bump one of these two down). With the Browns' desperate for a win as well as facing a middle-of-the-road Cowboys' pass defense Week 9 and an even worse Ravens' pass defense after that, there's deep PPR potential here, emphasis on deep.

Brian Quick (WR, LA) - 7% Owned

It has now been over a week since Brian Quick essentially ended the Rams' day with a miscued-induced interception, and with that hopefully has come healing. Fantasy owners needing to dig deep this week would do well to explore adding Quick, who is coming off a Week 8 bye to face the fantasy goodwill train, the Panthers. This is about as perfect a matchup a wide receiver can see, with the Panthers giving up the most points to the position over the past four weeks. If things go well, Quick could easily keep the good times rolling with soft matchups against the Jets and Dolphins the following two weeks.

Others: Tyreek Hill (3% owned) is only a consideration in the deepest of PPR leagues as he has been terribly inconsistent but draws two very favorable matchups against the Jaguars and Panthers the next two weeks. Kendall Wright (6% owned) had his second great week in the last three weeks Sunday despite Titans' head coach Mike Mularkey seemingly underselling his abilities prior to the game. The team passes enough for him to hold his value more often than not going forward...if his team's game plan allows for it. Dontrelle Inman (2% owned) was able to catch four balls for 72 yards against the league's top passing defense in the Broncos Week 8, giving the slot receiver hope of putting together a decent day against a Titans' defense that gave up 337 passing yards and three touchdowns in mostly junk time to a sad Jaguars' offense.

PPR Running Back Waiver Wire Adds

C.J. Prosise (RB, SEA) - 2% Owned

It's another rough week for deep league PPR players in need of help at running back. One of this article's go-tos this season, Mr. Chris Thompson, graduated to the big time Week 8, leaving quite the hole to fill. Enter rookie running back C.J. Prosise. He made his first real offensive contributions Sunday, rushing four times for 23 yards and (more importantly) catching all four of his targets for 80 yards. Granted, Prosise plays for a Seahawks' team that is struggling to pass the ball effectively, but as a wide receiver turned running back in college, the potential he flashed as a pass catcher is real. With a Week 9 matchup against a Bills' team allowing the 14th-most targets to running backs this season, there's the faintest heartbeat of fantasy relevance here.

Others: Bobby Rainey (4% owned) may seem like the desperation play to choose from in the Giants' backfield, but rookie Paul Perkins (2% owned) has slowly been seeing an increase in playing time and production since debuting in Week 4. They'll face the Eagles in Week 9, a team giving up the seventh-most points to running backs over the past four weeks, including 19-of-21 targets and two passing touchdowns. Our old pal Kyle Juszczyk (0% owned) returns from a bye to face a Steelers' defense that is allowing the seventh-most targets to running backs over the past four weeks. He didn't show up in Week 7, but he is still fourth on the team in receptions with 18.

PPR Tight End Waiver Wire Adds

Virgil Green (TE, DEN) - 10% Owned

We are in unknown territory with sixth-year tight end Virgil Green. After catching 4-of-6 targets for 55 yards Sunday against the Chargers, he's now easily on pace to set new career-highs in all fantasy categories (which isn't hard for the rarely-used tight end). Green will get a chance to break that glass ceiling Sunday against the Raiders, a team with a reputation for making tight ends feel good. Over the past four weeks, they've allowed the eighth-most points to tight ends, which is basically on par with their season mark of allowing the sixth-most. Don't misunderstand though: he has yet to top four catches or 55 yards in a game this season and only has two career touchdowns (one in 2014 and 2015). That said, this could turn into a sneaky little streak before the Broncos go on bye with the team drawing another decent matchup Week 10 against the Saints, a team allowing the third-most points to tight ends over the last four weeks.

Lance Kendricks (TE, LA) - 1% Owned

We close this week's article with a reminder that while nothing is ever truly "matchup proof," there are few sad faces when a receiver gets to play the Panthers this season. Tight ends are no different, as they are allowing the most points to the position this year. Lance Kendricks and the Rams are coming off a bye where their main focus was getting their passing game back on the same page. Kendricks is one of the only receivers seemingly on-point with quarterback Case Keenum, coming into Week 9 looking to build off season-high marks in targets and receptions he set back in Week 7 (nine and seven, respectively). If there was ever a week for Kendricks to add to his touchdown total, it's against a team that has allowed the second-most touchdowns to tight ends this season with six.