RADIO
In fantasy football leagues that use FAAB (free agent acquisition budget), it can be hard to know how much money to spend on key players at QB, RB, WR, or TE. Kev Mahserejian gives fantasy owners his recommendations on how to spend FAAB for Week 9.
As an addendum to our famous waiver wire pickups list, and our weekly waiver wire columns by position, in this column we also present suggested waiver wire bidding percentages for fantasy football owners in leagues using a Free Agent Acquisition Budget (FAAB).
As a caveat, these prices do not by any means indicate how much these free agent players will go for. Each league values players differently and will continue to do so. These auction values are here to provide a baseline to understand roughly how much you should be targeting to spend on a particular player. If you want to go wild and blow a chunk of your budget on a guy you believe in, by all means, carry on. However, these players are not a dime a dozen. Guys get injured and other guys replace them and their production all the time, every year. You only have so much FAAB money, spend it as wisely as possible.
With the regular season winding down, it's time for struggling teams to bid high and spend on guys that could help them make that playoff push. Win-now teams should spend as freely as possible. Owners that feel stuck should as well. All it takes is one breakout player to push you over the top sometimes. With that being said, below are our FAAB auction bidding recommendations for Week 8. Good luck, and happy bidding!
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FAAB Waiver Wire Bids - Quarterbacks
Ryan Fitzpatrick (QB, TB) - FAAB Bid: 2-4%
8% owned
Do you want to get on this fun ride? Pay the cost of admission. Fitzmagic has been stellar this year for the most part and gets the nod this coming weekend in Carolina. He is in play as a QB1 given the talent surrounding him and probably won't cost much to add. Buyer beware, if he falters, the job is probably back in the hands of Jameis Winston.
Dak Prescott (QB, DAL) - FAAB Bid: 1-2%
35% owned
Dak Prescott isn't a great quarterback but his ability to make plays with his legs gives him some fantasy value. With the addition of Amari Cooper, this offense finally might find it's stride in the passing game which may make Prescott worthy of an add in deeper leagues. Three of his past four weeks have been solid. Add him and take a chance on the Cowboys figuring out how a competent offense works.
FAAB Waiver Wire Bids - Running Backs
Doug Martin (RB, OAK) - FAAB Bid: 10-12%
53% owned
With Marshawn Lynch officially placed on Injured Reserve, Doug Martin is in line to take over his first and second down role. Martin has been inconsistent throughout the years. He's had two stud years and four duds. Injuries, poor supporting casts, and a suspension have hampered his career but he could revamp his image this year. The Raiders seemingly want to lean on the run and with Martin's play-style, they could be trusting him with a solid workload going forward. He's more viable in standard leagues but should provide value as depth in PPR leagues.
Peyton Barber (RB, TB) - FAAB Bid: 5-10%
46% Owned
The Peyton Barber experiment is looking up. He's had two successful weeks over the past three and looks set as the "workhorse" back in that offense with Ronald Jones II expected to miss time due to a hamstring injury. Barber isn't very good but with volume comes opportunity. He should continue to see goal-line work going forward and getting a majority of the carries. He's more valuable in standard/half PPR leagues.
Ito Smith (RB, ATL) - FAAB Bid: 5-10%
54% owned
Ito Smith is now the complementary back to Tevin Coleman while Devonta Freeman is on Injured Reserve. Smith isn't the most talented running back but he plays in an explosive offense behind a solid offensive line. He is often used in goal-line situations and should be valued as a touchdown-dependent Flex despite his involvement in the passing game. The Falcons love to alternate their backfield drive-by-drive, as a result, Smith likely won't see more than 40-50% of the backfield's snaps unless Tevin Coleman gets hurt. He'll be startable in certain matchups if you need a running back spot filled.
Jalen Richard (RB, OAK) - FAAB Bid: 5-10%
63% owned
Richard's role likely did not change too much with Marshawn Lynch on Injured Reserve, but he could see an increased touch count with the Raiders opting to pass more. Richard hasn't been used as a runner much this year and Sunday's game indicated the way Gruden will continue to deploy him. He is more valuable in PPR and should be ignored in shallower standard leagues.
Josh Adams (RB, PHI) - FAAB Bid: 2-8%
1% owned
Josh Adams was a beast at Notre Dame. He is a mauler who surprisingly went undrafted. This past Sunday, he carried the ball nine times for an efficient 61 yards and from the looks of it, could take over the Jay Ajayi role in the Eagles' offense. They desperately need a player like Adams and as long as they keep giving him carries, he should continue producing. Adams is a great upside target in standard leagues, would mostly ignore in PPR, bid low in half PPR.
Nyheim Hines (RB, IND) - FAAB Bid: 1-2%
31% owned
Hines showed some life this past Sunday. He earned 11 carries and turned them into 78 yards. His role with Marlon Mack around is that of a scat-back and should continue as such unless Mack gets hurt again. Hines is worth a look in PPR/half PPR leagues but should be ignored in standard leagues.
FAAB Waiver Wire Bids - Wide Receivers
Courtland Sutton (WR, DEN) - FAAB Bid: 30-40%
10% owned
Sutton has been fantastic with so few targets these past few weeks. His catches are impressive and his talent is convincing. He's a must add now with Demaryius Thomas in Houston. Sutton has played over 50 percent of the Broncos' WR snaps all season and they should only go up given his current production and new role as the top outside receiver with Emmanuel Sanders in the slot. Pay up for him because it will be worth it in all formats.
Tyrell Williams (WR, LAC) - FAAB Bid: 5-10%
34% owned
Tyrell Williams has not received more than five targets in a single game this season. Do not blow your budget on him but feel free to buy in on the booming hype. He will have his duds these next few weeks but it's always worth adding a player with Williams' variance onto your roster just in case you need a big-time FLEX play in a farfetched matchup. He's worth a grab thanks to his production over the past two games.
Christian Kirk (WR, ARI) - FAAB Bid: 4-8%
9% owned
Christian Kirk and Josh Rosen have a great connection and they should continue to build on it as the season progresses. Kirk has been productive despite just having one touchdown an no 100-yard games. He's worth buying in PPR formats but can be ignored in standard leagues for now. There are brighter days ahead for this Cardinals offense with the talented youth in place and Mike McCoy officially fired.
Tre'Quan Smith (WR, NO) - FAAB Bid: 4-8%
30% owned
With Ted Ginn on Injured Reserve, Tre'Quan Smith will come in as the WR2 in this high-powered Saints' offense. Smith was incredible against Washington before New Orleans' BYE. He is worth an add in shallower leagues and especially in PPR just as an upside bench piece. Smith is talented as a deep threat and will be utilized by Brees moving forward. Get him while he's cheap.
Danny Amendola (WR, MIA) - FAAB Bid: 3-6%
10% owned
Amendola has been Brock Osweiler's go-to guy since taking over the offense three weeks ago. The former Patriots' slot receiver has some new-found relevance in Miami and as long as Osweiler is slinging it he should keep eating. 24 targets over the past three weeks are hard to ignore but should not be bought for much given that it might be a short-term blip. With Albert Wilson out long-term and Kenny Stills hurt, Amendola has found himself fantasy relevant again (mainly in PPR).
David Moore (WR, SEA) - FAAB Bid: 3-6%
4% owned
Four touchdowns over the past three weeks with one in each game is worthy of our attention. Moore was a seventh-round pick in 2017 and relatively unknown up until a few weeks ago. He probably won't be much more than a desperation flex going forward in shallower formats, but for 14-man leagues he could be a solid add for a few bucks.
D.J. Moore (WR, CAR) - FAAB Bid: 3-6%
16% owned
It took a week without Torrey Smith for D.J. Moore to be fully utilized in the Carolina offense. Moore shined on Sunday with 129 yards on seven touches (five catches, two rushes). His snap percentage may decline when Smith returns, however, his usage should be sustained. Moore is dynamic in the open field and has great hands. All they have to do is get him the ball and he will produce.
FAAB Waiver Wire Bids - Tight Ends
Jack Doyle (TE, IND) - FAAB Bid: 3-5%
26% owned
Doyle finally got healthy this past week and he blew the doors off Oakland with six catches, 70 yards, and a score. Doyle took over as the primary TE for the Colts. Given the snap counts we've seen while he's been active, it's fair to say that there will be a lot of Doyle going forward if he can stay healthy.
C.J. Uzomah (TE, CIN) - FAAB Bid: 3-5%
33% owned
With Tyler Eifert and Tyler Kroft out for the season, Uzomah steps in as the TE1 on Cincinnati. Dalton is big on throwing to his tight end's way and while Uzomah isn't the most talented player, he can get the job done. He's had a few performances throughout the year already and should continue to get his fair share of targets as the season goes on. He was dreadful on Sunday with zero catches but was targeted the third most on his team. He could hold value rest of season.
Chris Herndon IV (TE, NYJ) - FAAB Bid: 1-2%
1% owned
The New York Jets have been struggling at tight end for what seems like over decade now. They drafted Herndon in the fourth-round of this year's draft and after these past two weeks, he may see himself in a larger role going forward. Herndon now has a touchdown in each of the past three games. With the Jets struggling to keep pass-catchers healthy, Herndon could be in-line for more targets.
FAAB Waiver Wire Bids - Defense/Special Teams
Dallas Cowboys D/ST - FAAB Bid: 1-2%
13% owned
The Cowboys get to face the Titans in Dallas next Monday night. Both are coming off of a bye so there is not real advantage there with multiple travels or fatigue. The Cowboys' defense has been underrated this season and the Titans offense has been putrid. There is a chance that Marcus Mariota's nerve issue had been bothering him the past few weeks, resulting in his poor play, however, it is still a better bet that they still just haven't clicked on offense.
Carolina Panthers D/ST - FAAB Bid: 1-2%
45% owned
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a mess. Despite turning the offense over to Ryan Fitzpatrick, it should be expected that they will continue to make mistakes, especially in the turnover department. Carolina is hot and play at home next week, feel free to fire them up.
