RADIO
The Week 9 waiver wire adds lightning round for 2026 fantasy football. Our free agent list includes Emmett Johnson, Tyler Allgeier, Seth McGowan, Devin Singletary, DeMario Douglas, Adonai Mitchell, Mike Gesicki, Eli Raridon, Malik Willis, and more.
We saw plenty of poor weather, third-string touchdowns, and a handful of slate-altering injuries, so allow us to help collect those thoughts as we proceed to Week 9. This gives us a chance to take stock of potential waiver adds in both shallow and deep leagues alike. Let's see what the early adds look like across all formats with our fantasy football waiver wire pickups lightning round heading into Week 9 of the 2026 NFL season, which sees the Steelers and Titans hit their bye week (we'll typically avoid listing players on these teams).
This rapid reaction is for fantasy-relevant players going into Week 9. Key injuries to monitor are Lamar Jackson (thumb, could be season-ending), Tyler Huntley (toe), Jeremiyah Love (ankle), Bam Knight (concussion), Kendrick Bourne (ankle), Hunter Henry (foot), Mason Taylor (left leg, very late so severity unclear), Jake Ferguson (ankle), Zachariah Branch (hamstring), Josh Palmer (hamstring), Jacob Saylors (neck), as well as those managing ailments like Michael Wilson (ribs), and those who rested injuries on the bye, such as Cam Skattebo (hamstring). Bookmark our league-leading news feed and set up app alerts for the best and most accurate information available.
This column will be published early in the week and updated daily as the site brings you in-depth waiver wire analysis for all positions. Waiver pickups are listed in priority order and broken down by position, covering those rostered in roughly 70% or fewer of Yahoo! leagues, from shallow standard options to deep PPR options. We do our best to serve all readers, including 10-teamers and 16-teamers alike, and can start handing out stickers to those of you with 75% of the names unavailable to you.
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Week 9 Running Backs To Add
Pickups are in priority order:
Tyler Allgeier (Will any of the other Arizona RBs get healthy?)
Mike Washington Jr. (25 carries is not the expectation, but more of a split here?)
Kenny Gainwell (Another healthy workload on a run-oriented team)
Emmett Johnson (Better receiver than Xavier Worthy, expand that role!)
Kaelon Black (Christian McCaffrey is probably fine, still a premium handcuff)
Seth McGowan (Monitoring the Jonathan Taylor trade market)
MarShawn Lloyd (Monitoring the Josh Jacobs' legal situation)
Devin Singletary (Monitor Skattebo's status)
Chris Rodriguez Jr.
Dylan Sampson
Tank Bigsby (IR stash if Saquon Barkley is dealt or his injury worsens)
Elijah Mitchell
Jonathon Brooks
Samaje Perine
Kimani Vidal
James Conner (Would they activate him amidst the injuries even if no trade?)
Keaton Mitchell
Roschon Johnson
Corey Kiner
Sione Vaki
Pierre Strong Jr.
Jeremy McNichols
DeeJay Dallas
Week 9 Wide Receivers To Add
Pickups are in priority order:
Jordyn Tyson (Can't automatically assume health, but few others have his ceiling)
Deebo Samuel Sr.
Khalil Shakir
Devaughn Vele
Antonio Williams
Keenan Allen
Makai Lemon
Keon Coleman
DeMario Douglas
Ryan Flournoy (Monitor George Pickens' status)
Caleb Douglas
Malik Washington
Brian Thomas Jr. (Trade showcase or better role, either is good for him)
Malachi Fields
Adonai Mitchell
Tank Dell (Jaylin Noel's IR stint puts more on Dell's shoulders)
Travis Hunter
Darius Cooper
Kyle Williams
Efton Chism III
Jalen Nailor
Tre' Harris
Jahan Dotson
Treylon Burks
Devin Duvernay (Slot man with Bourne hurt?)
Dohnte Meyers
Kevin Coleman Jr.
Simi Fehoko
Konata Mumpfield
Jordan Watkins
Tyreek Hill
Week 9 Tight Ends To Add
Pickups are in priority order:
Brenton Strange
Chig Okonkwo
Terrance Ferguson (Remains a premium IR stash)
Mike Gesicki
Greg Dulcich
Eli Raridon (Quiet day, but enhanced opportunity awaits if Henry misses time)
Tyler Higbee
Brevyn Spann-Ford
Kenyon Sadiq (Is Taylor's late injury serious?)
Week 9 Quarterbacks To Add
Pickups are in priority order, with emphasis on Week 9:
Malik Willis
Sam Darnold
Kirk Cousins
J.J. McCarthy
Baker Mayfield (Surely he'll throw more soon, right?)
Tyler Huntley (Turf toe sucks, may not be able to go on a short week)
Michael Penix Jr. (Returns to his safe dome space for Cincy shootout)
Geno Smith (Emerging WR trio is wonderful, but at KC is brutal)
Deshaun Watson
Daniel Jones
Anthony Richardson Sr. (We'll stay ready here, especially ahead of a plus Dallas matchup)
Tanner McKee
Gardner Minshew II (At Seattle with depleted WR group, oy)
Joe Fagnano (Banged up himself, but may be necessary)
Carson Beck (Doubt they'd give him Seattle first, but the day is coming)
Week 9 Defenses To Add
Pickups are in priority order, with emphasis on Week 9:
Houston Texans D/ST
Kansas City Chiefs D/ST
Detroit Lions D/ST
Chicago Bears D/ST
Buffalo Bills D/ST
New York Giants D/ST
New Orleans Saints D/ST
Dallas Cowboys D/ST
Who Should I Pickup Tool
Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool here:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to pickup...
Who Should I Pickup? Some common 2026 fantasy football waiver wire decisions are regarding players like Emmett Johnson, Tyler Allgeier, Seth McGowan, Devin Singletary, DeMario Douglas, Adonai Mitchell, Mike Gesicki, Eli Raridon, and Malik Willis. But not to worry, we are here to help make these waiver wire decisions and build winning teams in 2026. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups in 2026. Our free Who Should I Pickup? tool will help make your fantasy football waiver wire decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to pick up... all free! Make the right decisions.
2026 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Emmett Johnson, Tyler Allgeier, Seth McGowan, Devin Singletary, DeMario Douglas, Adonai Mitchell, Mike Gesicki, Eli Raridon, and Malik Willis. These are some common searches for 2026 fantasy football waiver wire pickups.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy football rankings, projections, and more.
Recent Improvements For Who Should I Pickup? You may have noticed our Who Should I Pickup? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win on the waiver wire in 2026. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football waiver wire rankings and projections based on their research, and updates them constantly throughout the week. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked.
Popular Waiver Wire Searches. Curious to see some tough waiver wire decisions for 2026? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Pickup? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2026 for Emmett Johnson, Tyler Allgeier, Seth McGowan, Devin Singletary, DeMario Douglas, Adonai Mitchell, Mike Gesicki, Eli Raridon, Malik Willis:
More Waiver Wire Analysis
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