RADIO
There was less football on the whole this weekend, as six teams took a break. We had another ugly London game, a surprise shootout in Seattle and a couple of nail-biters. We also witnessed the continued ascension of some rookies to possible NFL stardom in the form of Deshaun Watson and Juju Smith-Schuster. Things are certainly getting interesting in this always unpredictable league.
Below are my Week 9 waiver wire pickups, or free agents to consider adding to your fantasy football teams. I provide information on players that are owned in roughly 50% of Yahoo leagues or less so that you can make an educated decision about who to add to your squad.
Now let’s look around the league at many names who are worth mentioning as Week 9 approaches.
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Quarterbacks - Week 9 Waiver Wire
Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams - 46% owned (5% FAAB)
Entering next week's game, the Giants have allowed the fourth-most passing touchdowns and may again be without one of their top pass rushers in Olivier Vernon. For his part, Goff has been solid but not spectacular, throwing more than one TD on two occasions. The upside is somewhat limited, but we'd like to think that the Rams used their bye week figuring out how to get Sammy Watkins more involved. There are bound to be fewer QB options on the wire this week, so Goff defaults as the best available.
Brett Hundley, Green Bay Packers - 9% owned (2% FAAB)
The bye week couldn't have come at a better time for Hundley and the Pack, as his preseason prowess didn't quite carry over to the regular season. Filling Aaron Rodgers' shoes is no easy task, but Hundley does have the same weapons at his disposal. It's a huge game for Green Bay as they face division rival Detroit on Monday Night Football, so we shall see if he's up to the task. The Lions have some great playmakers in the secondary, but gave up several big plays to the Steelers on Sunday Night. If you must find a QB off the wire, Hundley still has upside in this offense and if nothing else could score with his legs again.
Blake Bortles, Jacksonville Jaguars - 15% owned (1% FAAB)
Bortles did absolutely nothing in Week 8; he was on a bye, after all. He should be a good streaming candidate for the upcoming week against the Bengals, who allowed Jacoby Brissett to throw a pair of scores. Cincy has been stout against the pass overall, but not good enough to make them a must-avoid. Bortles is coming off a bye week, should have a healthy Leonard Fournette to support him and might get Dede Westbrook back off IR. Just be warned that he has only thrown multiple TD in one game this season, so use him as a bye week filler, not in place of your regular QB.
Other Streaming Options: Josh McCown (25% owned), Jacoby Brissett (10% owned)
Running Backs - Week 9 Waiver Wire
Kenyan Drake, Miami Dolphins - 3% owned (7-10% FAAB)
Meet your new starting RB for the Miami Dolphins, folks. The shocking trade of Jay Ajayi to Philadelphia clears a path for Drake to take over unexpectedly. Unless the Dolphins make a move to trade for or sign a veteran running back in the next couple of days, Drake will be handed the keys to a team that wants to lead with the run and has only pass-catching back Damien Williams as a competitor. The fact that this is a shocking turn of events can't be overstated, as Drake enters Week 9 with just 43 career rush attempts and a total of 25 rushing yards this season. As a third-round pick out of Alabama last year, he figured to have a decent role aside from returning kicks, but it just hasn't happened. While the opportunity is there (for now), don't go crazy spending on him lest the team decide to find help elsewhere or shift to Williams instead.
Alex Collins, Baltimore Ravens - 34% owned (3-5% FAAB)
The South Florida product racked up 113 yards on the ground in his homecoming versus the Dolphins on Thursday night. After a down game against Minnesota, he once again looked every bit the player who was leading the league in yards per carry. This pickup would be better if we knew Joe Flacco was playing next week, but the specter of having Ryan Mallett under center kills much of Collins' vibe. Plus, the Ravens go on bye the following week, so you won't be using him in consecutive weeks. He doesn't catch the ball often or score touchdowns, so prioritize him in standard leagues where long gains are rewarded.
Andre Ellington, Arizona Cardinals - 19% owned (3-5% FAAB)
Hear me out here. There are a number of factors going against Ellington: he didn't suit up in Week 7 due to a quad injury, Adrian Peterson is in town, Drew Stanton is the new QB. None of those should be considered, however, when determining Ellington's value. After a week of rest and a bye, he should be cleared to play. AP is not a threat to Ellington's receiver-only workload on passing downs. No Carson Palmer could mean more dumpoffs to backs like Ellington rather than deep balls down the field. If there's a case to be made for sneaky value in a shallow week for waivers, this is it. Only consider him if you're in a full PPR league.
DeAndre Washington, Oakland Raiders - 19% owned (2% FAAB)
It looks like D-Wash won the battle between him and committee mate Jalen Richard on Sunday. Washington was used often in the pass game, catching eight passes for 62 yards and a touchdown along with 26 rushing yards. Beast Mode returns from a one-game suspension next week, but Washington should still have some PPR value if they stick with a similar game plan. He too goes on a bye after Week 9, so consider him a one-week filler as well.
Marlon Mack, Indianapolis Colts - 44% owned (2% FAAB)
It might seem like an odd time to grab Mack. After all, Frank Gore had his best game of the year with 101 total yards and Mack only managed 27 yards on 11 carries. Plus, the Colts face a Texans team in Week 9 that, despite allowing 41 points to Seattle, managed to hold their running backs to a total of nine yards combined. The plus side is that Mack scored a touchdown, is getting more involved in the passing game, and will continue to see an increased snap share with Robert Turbin done for the year. He's more of a desperation PPR flex than anything, but could be worth stashing for the playoff run if he becomes more involved as a runner.
Other Options: Rex Burkhead (8% owned), Matt Breida (9% owned), Damien Williams (0% owned)
Wide Receivers - Week 9 Waiver Wire
Juju Smith-Schuster, Pittsburgh Steelers - 48% owned (10% FAAB)
Have a game, young man! JJSS might have just kicked Martavis Bryant out the door permanently with his showing on Sunday night. He was already having a nice game before his 97-yard touchdown catch that sealed a Pittsburgh victory over Detroit. He wound up with seven catches for 193 yards and even better, he tied Antonio Brown with 10 targets. Normally we don't go crazy for rookie receivers or advocate picking up players ahead of their bye weeks, but in this case we'll make a big exception. Make room for him on your bench somehow.
Sterling Shepard, New York Giants - 56% owned (3% FAAB)
There's a reason Shepard has been held in nearly half of all fantasy leagues despite not playing since Week 5. He's the Giants' only receiver left from their vaunted trio that should have been the best in the league. He's bound to see a boatload of targets and brings scoring upside as well. In just four and a half games of action, Shepard still leads the team in red zone targets with seven. Don't be shy about putting him in your lineup this week.
Robby Anderson, New York Jets - 28% owned (2% FAAB)
We don't want to get too carried away about his 104-yard game, but it's also the second straight week with a touchdown for the Jets WR1. Under half-PPR scoring rules, Anderson is a top 25 receiver on the year. It took some time for him to establish a connection with Josh McCown, but now that it's hear, he's finally delivering on some of his preseason sleeper hype.
Paul Richardson, Seattle Seahawks - 31% owned (3% FAAB)
Six catches, 105 yards, two touchdowns. Where has that been all along? While Texans players were setting career highs all over the place, Richardson represented on the Seattle side. Week 8 marked the first time in his NFL career that Richardson broke 100 yards or scored multiple touchdowns in a game. Is this the start of something more for the fourth-year player or simply the byproduct of a crazy, high-scoring game that featured absolutely no defense? You should probably lean toward the latter. Then again, Richardson is now a top 20 WR in standard leagues for the season. He's looking like a worthy WR3.
Corey Davis, Tennessee Titans - 27% owned (1% FAAB)
This could be the week Davis hits the field again as he is scheduled to start practicing again. If so, he may see immediate action. Eric Decker is a shell of his former self and Rishard Matthews has done little to provide any help. He's worth a speculative add if you have the space.
Dede Westbrook, Jacksonville Jaguars - 9% owned (1% FAAB)
Westbrook fits the same bill as Davis, but should specialize in PPR leagues. Throughout training camp there was word he could immediately start as a slot receiver for the Jags. With Allen Robinson out for the year, his opportunity would have been even bigger if not for an ab injury that landed him on IR. Now that he is on track to return, you may want to grab him before he makes an appearance on the field and alerts your fellow leaguemates to his value.
Other Options: Tyler Lockett (39% owned), Travis Benjamin (14% owned), TJ Jones (3% owned)
Tight Ends - Week 9 Waiver Wire
Jack Doyle, Indianapolis Colts - 50% owned (5% FAAB)
Now that's a breakout game. Doyle had been letting down all his preseason believers who figured him to be a late-round gem in fantasy drafts. That was before we knew Andrew Luck wouldn't even take a snap this season, of course. Doyle redeemed the faith of those who started him in Week 8 with 12 catches for 121 yards and a TD. The Luck saga and T.Y. Hilton trade rumors point to the fact this team is going to be rebuilding very soon, so Doyle may be all that's left for his QB to target.
Austin Hooper, Atlanta Falcons - 47% owned (2% FAAB)
Can the Falcons please make up their minds? Hooper was a focal point of the offense for two weeks, disappeared last week, and then suddenly re-emerged against the Jets. He was targeted early and often, especially in the red zone. Hooper caught a TD pass and nearly had another where he barely missed the pylon. Dependable isn't a word you can use to describe Hooper, but he still plays in a potent offense and has no threat to his snap share at the position.
Tyler Kroft, Cincinnati Bengals - 47% owned (1% FAAB)
He failed to reach paydirt, but Kroft caught five of his six targets for 46 yards, which actually led the team in receptions in Week 8. Kroft is starting to develop a nice floor as a low-end TE1. Be wary ahead, as two of his next four opponents are among the best pass defenses (Jacksonville, Denver) whereas the other two are tissue soft (Tennessee, Cleveland). Matchup accordingly when picking your TE.
Dion Sims, Chicago Bears - 0% owned (1% FAAB)
You've probably heard by now that starting TE Zach Miller dislocated his knee and might even be at risk for amputation. First and foremost, all our best wishes are with him. This is the scary side of the game we love, for it isn't just concussions that players risk when they take the field. Miller is clearly out for the year and more than likely calling it a career. Dion Sims inherits the TE1 job and could be worth holding onto. He has 113 yards and a TD already and seems to have a decent rapport with rookie QB Mitch Trubisky.
Other Options: Vernon Davis (12% owned)
Early Defensive Streaming Candidates
New Orleans Saints vs. Tampa Bay (65% owned)
Los Angeles Rams @ New York Giants (56% owned)
Arizona Cardinals @ San Francisco (35% owned)
Tennessee Titans vs. Baltimore Ravens (14% owned)
