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Matt MacKay's must-have fantasy football bench stashes and sleepers ahead of Week 9. He picks high-upside players to stash on your teams who can emerge as starters.
The halfway point of the 2021 fantasy football season came and went, leaving us with the final five weeks to bolster rosters for a run at making the playoffs. A wild week on and off the field has created many opportunities for role players to step up and deliver week-winning production, as Ty Johnson finished as an RB1 in full-PPR formats during Week 8, along with Cole Beasley drawing 13 targets to finish as the WR10.
These are just a couple of examples that emphasize how important playing the waiver wire is for fantasy managers, regardless of the current record. Believe it or not, there are opportunities on the horizon for more fringe-skill players to make an impact within their offense.
Here are just a few of the top prospects to stash on the bench in preparation for their future usage or based on recent production.
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Mark Ingram II, New Orleans Saints
The veteran running back and former Heisman-winner, Mark Ingram II, returned to New Orleans last week after being traded by the Houston Texans. He began his career dominantly in the Big Easy. He looked very comfortable in the RB2 role behind superstar running back Alvin Kamara in a Week 8 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Ingram averaged 4.5 YPC and caught both of his targets for 25 receiving yards, which creates a decent floor despite being held out of the end zone.
It's unlikely that Ingram remains on waiver wires for much longer, so make sure to prioritize stashing him, as he is surrounded by much more talented personnel and has chemistry within the offensive scheme. Treat Ingram as an RB3 with RB2 upside moving forward.
Jeff Wilson Jr., San Francisco 49ers
Rumors of Jeff Wilson Jr. returning from a knee injury that he sustained during an offseason workout have grown louder recently, with 49ers GM John Lynch confirming his return to practice this past Thursday. The fourth-year running back led the 49ers in rushing yards (600) last season and scored 10 total touchdowns, averaging 4.8 YPC.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan tends to rotate the personnel in the backfield on a per-game basis, indicating that Wilson could see meaningful reps soon, despite the breakout of rookie running back Elijah Mitchell. Mitchell is dealing with a rib injury, and JaMycal Hasty has been seldom-used, meaning Wilson is a high-value bench stash off of league waiver wires. Wilson is currently available on 93 percent of ESPN waiver wires.
Bryan Edwards, Las Vegas Raiders
The devastating incident involving Henry Ruggs III prompted the Raiders to cut the wideout earlier in the week. As a result, Las Vegas will have to rely on Darren Waller and the other skill players within the offense, as Bryan Edwards and Hunter Renfrow should both see an increased target share moving forward. Edwards has played the most of any Raiders wideout this season at 77.5 percent, including Ruggs, so he should continue to be on the field for quite a few offensive snaps.
A 12.2 percent target share is dwarfed by the 20 percent Hunter Renfrow has drawn. However, Edwards is a strong-bodied perimeter player who averages 11.5 yards per target. This means Edwards carries the potential for producing high-ceiling games, despite the floor being relatively low up to this point. The need for players to step up and fill the void left by Ruggs should thrust Edwards into an increased role, making him a great stash off of fantasy waiver wires.
Elijah Moore, New York Jets
The Jets used a second-round draft pick to select rookie wideout Elijah Moore, which has looked like a great decision to this point. With Denzel Mims struggling and Corey Davis in and out of the lineup due to injuries, Moore has taken advantage of the increased opportunities, as he scored his first two touchdowns of his NFL career against the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday Night Football.
Even before this breakout performance, where he drew eight targets for seven receptions, 84 yards, and two touchdowns, Moore had six targets in each of his previous two games. His route-running, speed, and hands make him a potent wideout with WR2 potential for the remainder of the season. Stash Moore off of waivers and view him as a WR3/Flex option moving forward.
Jamal Agnew, Jacksonville Jaguars
Jamal Agnew has quickly ascended the depth chart in Jacksonville, as he has a 9.9 percent target share that puts him as the Jaguars' WR3 on the season. Agnew led the wide receiving corps in targets during a blowout Week 8 loss, drawing 12 targets and hauling in six receptions for 38 yards and a touchdown to climb into a WR2 finish in full-PPR formats.
Across the last three weeks, due to the season-ending injury to D.J. Chark Jr., Agnew has seen at least six or more targets in every game. He doesn't need a touchdown to produce WR3 finishes with this amount of opportunity. Additionally, he has distanced himself from Tavon Austin, making Agnew a phenomenal bench stash that can be deployed in the upcoming weeks due to the solid floor he possesses.
Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears
Second-year tight end Cole Kmet has become the clear-cut favorite in the tight end room for the Chicago Bears this season. Kmet has played 84 percent of snaps, quadrupling Jimmy Graham for playing time, which has resulted in 22 receptions for 197 yards across eight games.
It has certainly been frustrating watching Jesper Horsted, and Jesse James score touchdowns in the red zone instead of Kmet. Still, he does have five red zine targets and two end zone targets, meaning positive touchdown regression is incoming. If rookie quarterback Justin Fields can continue improving with OC Bill Lazor as the play-caller, Kmet will become a steady low-end TE1 for the remainder of the season.
Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
As previously mentioned, OC Bill Lazor took over play-calling in Week 8, which was Justin Fields' best performance to date. The rookie quarterback leveraged his mobility to rush for over 100 yards and a touchdown against a good San Francisco defense while completing 70.4 percent of pass attempts to finish with 175 passing yards and a touchdown. His remaining schedule for the next five weeks does include a Week 10 Bye.
However, opposing defenses like Detroit, Baltimore, and Arizona offer favorable matchups. As long as Fields continues to play with confidence and build on his previous success in Week 8, he becomes a viable streaming option in one-quarterback leagues. Stash Fields off of waiver wires now before another big performance raises the demand.
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