RADIO
We are officially heading into the trade deadline week of the 2022 NFL season. The trade deadline has heated up in recent seasons as general managers have become more open to making moves and adjusting their rosters. This is a practice every good fantasy football manager needs to practice, as well.
There are several important waiver wire adds this week and interestingly, some of the best names are tight ends. Guys like Greg Dulcich and Isaiah Likely look like must-adds this week unless you're holding Travis Kelce.
Let's look at who are the top Week 9 waiver wire pickups and free agent adds for all positions. Be sure to also check out all of our fantasy football waiver wire advice, and our free new Who Should I Pickup? Waiver Wire player comparison tool to get an edge on the competition!
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Running Backs – Waiver Wire Options
Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 30% Rostered
Rachaad White needs to be rostered in more than 30% of leagues. He should be a high-priority add. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense has struggled mightily and Leonard Fournette has been terribly inefficient and yet, through seven weeks, Fournette is the RB8 in half-PPR with a 14.4 PPG average.
Last year, Fournette averaged 4.5 YPC, and this year, he's at 3.4. His yards per touch have dropped from 5.1 to 4.4. His yards after contact has fallen from 2.3 to 1.6. He's been much more inefficient this season. Normally, for a veteran like Fournette that wouldn't matter, but when the team and the offense are struggling, it might. The offensive line has done the running backs no favors, but White has looked like he more burst.
Fantasy managers shouldn't expect White to unseat Fournette, but it could become more of a 1A and 1B situation as the season rolls along. White is also one of the very best handcuff running backs in the NFL. If Fournette were to miss time, White could catapult inside the top-12 running back ranks and if Fournette were to miss significant time, White could become a league winner.
Kenyan Drake, Baltimore Ravens – 31% Rostered
The Baltimore Ravens backfield is likely going to be a headache for the rest of the season. It's a carousel, which will be incredibly difficult to figure out. Will it be a Kenyan Drake week or a Gus Edwards week? We just don't know, but he's played well enough the past three weeks that Drake needs to be rostered. He's going to either be the 1A or the 1B until J.K. Dobbins returns. It's also very noteworthy that Edwards left their Thursday night contest against Tampa Bay early.
Good news for #Ravens RB Gus Edwards: The hamstring injury he suffered on Thursday is described as a minor, source said, and if he misses time, it’s likely just a week or so.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 30, 2022
Even if Edwards suits up in Week 9, fantasy managers should be expecting Drake to be the primary ball carrier. In Week 8, Drake had seven rush attempts for 62 yards. He also chipped in four receptions, five receiving yards, and a score. In Week 6, the contest where Dobbins left early, Drake once again filled in admirably. He finished that week with 10 carries for 119 yards, and one score. He also caught one pass for eight yards. He became somewhat irrelevant in Week 7 as Edwards returned and led the backfield in a big week.
However, with Edwards' injury, Drake will be a high-end RB3 in Week 9. If you don't need a running back starter this week, I'd prioritize Rachaad White, but if you need someone to start, Drake should be your guy.
Latavius Murray, Denver Broncos – 40% Rostered
If you're in need of a running back to put into your starting lineup, there are worse options than Latavius Murray, even if he's not someone fantasy managers should be excited about. He's been with the Denver Broncos for the past three weeks. He has snap shares of 47%, 39%, and most recently 44%. Outside of his first week with Denver, he's clearly operated as the 1B to Melvin Gordon's 1A, but he's still been able to provide fantasy managers some decent spot start performances.
Last week, he had eight carries and finished with just 24 yards, but that included a carry from just two yards out, which he was able to punch in for the score. While eight carries aren't going to build much confidence, it's important that he has continued to receive work close to the end zone, which is crucial to his fantasy value. In Week 8 against Jacksonville, he actually had more carries than Gordon, 14–9. He finished with 46 rushing yards and once again found the end zone.
Worth noting that the Broncos trusted Latavius Murray in crunch time. He out-touched Gordon 15-to-12, gaining 59 total yards and a tuddy. Gordon also found the end zone.
— John Paulsen (@4for4_John) October 30, 2022
The Broncos are on a bye in Week 9, so he won't be someone fantasy managers can start this upcoming weekend, but he's played well enough and is getting enough work in Denver, especially near the end zone to be a running back that is on the radar of any running back needy players.
Cam Akers, Los Angeles Rams – 42% Rostered
Adding Cam Akers is purely speculative. It's generally not a great practice to add players just to look to trade them, but Akers might be the exception to the rule. Reports have indicated the Rams are open to trading him and if that should come to pass, there will most likely be a fantasy manager who is interested in him.
We'll know if he's traded prior to waivers processing, so if he stays with the Los Angeles Rams, fantasy managers can safely ignore Akers on their waiver wire. However, if he is traded to, say, the Buffalo Bills, his value would skyrocket without him even playing a down. You could look to capitalize on that right away or hang onto him to see how Buffalo plans on using him.
Others to Consider: Ronnie Rivers, Los Angeles Rams – 1% Rostered, Joshua Kelley, Los Angeles Chargers – 2% Rostered, JaMycal Hasty, Jacksonville Jaguars – 9% Rostered, Kenneth Gainwell, Philadelphia Eagles 16% Rostered, Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers – 5% Rostered
Wide Receivers – Waiver Wire Options
Rondale Moore, Arizona Cardinals – 35% Rostered
Rondale Moore missed the first three games of the season and returned in Week 4. Unfortunately, A.J. Green was out in Week 4, which forced Moore to work on the outside. A bad place to be for a 5'7 and 180-pound receiver. Not surprisingly, Moore struggled to the tune of just three receptions and 11 yards. However, in Weeks 5 and 6, Moore played exclusively from the slot, and fantasy managers were rewarded with the change to Moore's role.
In back-to-back weeks, Moore earned 18 targets and finished with 13 receptions and 117 yards. In Week 7, Green was once again inactive, which once again forced Moore outside. And once again, Moore struggled. He finished with just two targets, one reception, and 31 yards. This past week, Green was active, going back to his typical role as the outside receiver outside DeAndre Hopkins. This allowed Moore to function as the Cardinals' primary slot receiver. The change led to eight targets, seven receptions, 92 yards, and one touchdown.
RONDALE MOORE REFUSES TO BE TACKLED 😤 pic.twitter.com/8dUG0sLLAu
— PFF (@PFF) October 30, 2022
With the addition of Robbie Anderson, fantasy managers should expect Moore to continue playing from the slot in future weeks. The Cardinals, due to their porous defense, have operated as one of the most pass-heavy offenses, averaging 40.5 pass attempts per game. That heavy volume combined with his role in the slot will continue to mean a healthy amount of targets each week.
Darnell Mooney, Chicago Bears – 51% Rostered
In Justin Fields' first three games of the season, he had 45 pass attempts and just 297 passing yards. That's just 15 attempts and 99 yards per game. Since then, he has had 114 pass attempts and 902 yards. That's a per-game pace of 23 attempts and 180 yards. There's no arguing that those numbers are good as it relates to a fantasy football quarterback, but since Week 4, Darnell Mooney has been much better.
Darnell Mooney is starting to get going.
Last 4 games:
28 TGT, 14 REC, 267 YDS
That's a full season pace of 119 TGT, 60 REC, 1,135 YDS.
— Frank Ammirante (@FAmmiranteTFJ) October 27, 2022
The above tweet was prior to Week 8 against the Cowboys where he finished with five receptions and 70 yards. He has finished with 50 or more receiving yards in every game since Week 4. When you look at his on-pace stats from the tweet above, when factoring in his Week 8 performance, the numbers look even better. He's now on pace for 65 receptions and 1,146 yards.
The Chicago Bears' offense has looked a lot better recently, scoring 30 or more points in two consecutive weeks. Fields and the Chicago offense have gotten much better since the beginning of the season and Mooney is starting to look like the WR3 he was drafted as. If someone cut bait early, he's certainly worth a waiver wire add.
Joshua Palmer, Los Angeles Chargers – 23% Rostered
Joshua Palmer will continue to stay on the radar of fantasy managers going into Week 9. He missed Week 7 due to a concussion and the team's Week 8 will likely give him enough time to get back onto the field for Week 9. Keenan Allen was injured early in Week 1, which forced Palmer into the starting lineup for the Chargers.
From Weeks 1–6, Palmer has averaged 7.2 half-PPR PPG. During that time frame, he's the WR45. In six weeks, he has three finished inside the top-36. He finished as WR33 in Week 2, WR24 in Week 3, and WR31 in Week 6. In the other three games, he's failed to even finish inside the top-70, so he's not without risks.
However, Mike Williams sustained a significant high ankle sprain in Week 8, which will force Palmer to continue operating as the team's No. 2 receiver. The Chargers return to action in a very appealing matchup against the Falcons, which will most certainly keep Palmer on the WR3 radar in Week 9. He'll continue to be a viable WR3 for as long as Williams remains out.
Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys – 53% Rostered
Since returning from IR, Michael Gallup has just one week playing more than 70% of the team's snaps. Noah Brown, to this point, has been able to hang onto his No. 2 wide receiver role in Dallas. However, this past week, Brown was inactive, which forced Gallup into that No. 2 role. He played 48 snaps of the team's 57 snaps, which was the same number of snaps as alpha, CeeDee Lamb.
The Cowboys were in control for most of the game, which allowed them to lean on the running game. Dak Prescott had just 27 dropbacks and in a very positive sign, Gallup ran routes on 26 of them. This is the kind of utilization fantasy managers have been looking for since Gallup was activated off of IR. He finished third on the team in targets, finishing with six. Lamb and Dalton Schultz were both tied with seven targets. He finished with four receptions and 49 yards, but he looked good out there.
When forced, Michael Gallup has excellent technique at the catch point.#CowboysNation killing #DaBears on slants today. pic.twitter.com/3UVmtdyiTX
— Matt Waldman (@MattWaldman) October 30, 2022
It's unknown how long Brown will be out, but his injury might be enough for Gallup to re-secure his spot as Dallas' No. 2 receiver. The strength of their defense is limiting the passing volume in Dallas, but this still has the look of an electric offense that tends to operate at a very fast pace. While Dallas has a bye in Week 9, they have a really nice schedule the rest of the way. They have Green Bay in Week 10 followed by the Vikings, Giants, Colts, Texans, and Jaguars. There are plenty of plus matchups fantasy managers could take advantage of if they have one of their primary starters on a bye week.
Donovan Peoples-Jones, Cleveland Browns – 24% Rostered
Donovan Peoples-Jones has operated as the clear No. 2 receiver for the Cleveland Browns since Week 1. He's played in 83% of the team's snaps in every single game except one. In that lone game, he played 78% of the snaps. He's had 50 or more receiving yards in five out of seven games. He has 70 or more receiving yards in three straight. The problem for Peoples-Jones is that he hasn't found the end zone yet.
He has five red zone targets and has only caught one of them. He has 42 targets through seven weeks, which is a pace of 102. Based on his usage, fantasy managers should expect some positive regression in the touchdown department for Peoples-Jones. That said, he's looked very good the past four weeks.
Since Week 4, he has had 266 receiving yards, which is an average of 66.5 yards per game. He has two games where he combined for just 10 yards, which is significantly affecting his seasonal output. However, it's important to remember that David Njoku, who has been Jacoby Brissett's No. 2 preferred target, is out for the next few weeks with a significant high ankle sprain.
Njoku's injury will elevate Peoples-Jones to the No. 2 in the Cleveland offense. Based on how well he's played the past four weeks, fantasy managers should be optimistic about what Peoples-Jones might be able to do with a little more attention from Brissett. Deshaun Watson will also return in a few weeks, which could very well increase the team's offensive efficiency.
Kadarius Toney, Kansas City Chiefs – 57% Rostered
Kadarius Toney was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs the week before and he didn't exactly go cheap. The Chiefs gave up a third and sixth-round pick. While that doesn't sound like a lot given Toney was a first-round pick in 2021, he hasn't really done anything to indicate that was the correct valuation of what he brings to the football field. Not only that, but there's been questions regarding his attitude, work ethic, and ability to stay healthy. Still, despite all of that, the Chiefs felt like it was worth the risk.
The receivers for the Chiefs have slightly disappointed this year, especially second-round rookie Skyy Moore. JuJu Smith-Schuster has come to life recently, but it really shouldn't be surprising the Chiefs were looking to add more weapons in the passing game. It's hard to know what to expect from Toney for the rest of the season. It might be difficult for Toney to learn the playbook and earn significant playing time over Mecole Hardman and MVS to the point where he can become fantasy-relevant on a weekly basis.
To that end, if you're able to add him, he might be best viewed as a trade candidate right away. For the entire 2022 season, there's been a lot of hype surrounding Toney, mostly around two games from 2021. There's no denying how electric he can be with the ball in his hands and fantasy managers might be able to get another manager to bite on that potential in a Kanas City offense designed by Andy Reid with Patrick Mahomes at the helm. He could become an interesting throw-in fantasy managers are able to leverage into upgrading another spot.
Others to Consider: Wan'Dale Robinson, New York Giants – 53% Rostered & Garrett Wilson, New York Jets – 47% Rostered (2 WR options for 10-team leagues), Darius Slayton, New York Giants – 7% Rostered, Romeo Doubs, Green Bay Packers – 46% Rostered, Sammy Watkins, Green Bay Packers – 10% Rostered, Zay Jones, Jacksonville Jaguars – 20% Rostered, Van Jefferson, Los Angeles Rams – 25% Rostered, Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts – 41% Rostered, Isaiah McKenzie, Buffalo Bills – 41% Rostered, Treylon Burks, Tennessee Titans – 17% Rostered
Tight Ends – Waiver Wire Options
Greg Dulcich, Denver Broncos – 42% Rostered
Greg Dulcich is also a priority add for any fantasy manager struggling or streaming tight end. Dulcich appears to be a locked-in starter the rest of the way and there's a very real chance he's a top-six tight end the rest of the season. He returned from IR in Week 6 and immediately became the Broncos' primary receiving tight end.
In Week 6, he finished with two receptions, 44 yards, and one touchdown en route to a WR8 finish in half-PPR. In Week 7, he earned nine targets and finished with six receptions and 51 yards. He was the TE15 in Week 7. This past weekend, Dulcich looked very explosive once again. He racked up 87 yards on four receptions.
#Broncos rookie TE Greg Dulcich had 3 RECs for 78 yards that drive 🤯pic.twitter.com/nbIZYIp7Uz
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) October 30, 2022
Through three weeks, he is averaging 5.67 targets, four receptions, and 60.67 yards per game. Over 17-games, based on those averages, Dulcich would finish with 96 targets, 68 receptions, and 1,031 yards. He's not your typical tight end, averaging 15.2 yards per reception. He's an explosive athlete who is being used down the field.
Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars – 43% Rostered
Evan Engram has been a punch line the past few years for fantasy managers, but he is quietly putting together a very solid 2022 campaign. Through eight weeks, Engram has six games with four or more receptions. He has five games with 40 or more yards and the best part, he's really coming on strong the past four weeks. Since Week 5, he's been over 55 yards in three of four games.
He's currently on pace for 96 targets, 68 receptions, and 701 yards. He has just one touchdown on the season, but the utilization all looks very promising. Over the last four weeks, Engram has finished as a top-10 tight in three games. Through eight games, Engram is currently the Jaguars' No. 2 leading receiver.
Since Week 5, Engram is the TE8 in half-PPR PPG, averaging 9.7 points per game. He also has four plus matchups in the next five with games against the Raiders, Chiefs, Ravens, and Lions. All four teams are allowing at least 11 half-PPR points to the tight end position. All four are in the top-14 in most points allowed to the tight end position. Over the past four weeks, Engram has been playing the best football of the season, has been scoring like a top-10 tight end, and now has a great four-game stretch coming up with a bye week sandwiched between them.
Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens – 5% Rostered
Fantasy managers should be expecting Ravens starter Mark Andrews to miss their Week 9 contest. He left the last game early with a new shoulder injury. Head coach Jim Harbaugh indicated the injury isn't serious, but the Ravens have their bye in Week 10. That means they'll be able to give Andrews two weeks of rest while missing just one game. If Andrews does miss the game, Isaiah Likely becomes one of the best streamers of the week.
When Andrews left the game early against Tampa Bay, Likely stepped into Andrews' role seamlessly. It was not just that Likely received the same workload as Andrews, but it was his production as well.
Mark Andrews (shoulder) left after 10 snaps last night. First-team All-Preseason tight end Isaiah Likely:
* 51-of-76 snaps
* 30 slot, 13 inline, 8 wide
* 35 routes on 43 Lamar Jackson dropbacks
* 7 targets for an 18.4% share
* 6-77-1 result— Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) October 28, 2022
It's a tough matchup in Week 9, the New Orleans Saints are giving up the third-fewest amount of points to the tight end position, but the Ravens' offense leans heavily on Mark Andrews, and from their game against the Buccaneers, it appears they're willing to rely on Likely too. Their No. 2 receiver Rashod Bateman will most likely miss their Week 9 contest, which means Likely could be the primary receiving option for Lamar Jackson. If you're looking for a one-week streamer, Likely is just about as good as it gets.
Others to Consider: Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 13% Rostered, Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears – 23% Rostered, Harrison Bryant, Cleveland Browns – 8% Rostered
Quarterbacks – Waiver Wire Options
Justin Fields, Chicago Bears – 41% Rostered
Justin Fields is an absolute must-add for just about every fantasy manager. He is starting to play like the league winner he was drafted to be. Since Week 5, Fields is the QB6 in PPG. He is averaging 21.71 points per game during that timeframe. He has back-to-back top-five finishes despite playing the New England and Dallas defense.
He is currently on pace for over 900 yards rushing. Quarterbacks that rush for 800 yards are almost always top-12 options. He has surged up the fantasy scoring chart the past few weeks despite two tough matchups. Now, Fields and the Bears' offense enter a fantasy-friendly stretch of their schedule.
In Week 9, they'll be at home against the Dolphins, who haven't been a great matchup for opposing quarterbacks but could very likely be another shootout much like their last game against Dallas. In Week 10, they'll do battle against the worst defense in the NFL, the Detroit Lions. Then, they'll face off against the Falcons, Jets, and Packers.
Others to Consider: Andy Dalton, New Orleans Saints – 14% Rostered
Team Defenses – Waiver Wire Options
Cincinnati Bengals – 38% Rostered
The Bengals' defense hasn't been great this season, but if you're looking for a Week 9 streaming defense, it's hard to find a better one than the Bengals. They'll be at home vs the Carolina Panthers. Through seven weeks, the Panthers' offense has allowed the 10th-most points to opposing defenses. The Bengals will be the heavy favorite and as long as that holds true, the Cincinnati defense will be in a lot of positive situations where they'll be able to focus on rushing the passer.
They have a bye in Week 10, but if fantasy managers have the roster space to hold the Bengals until Week 11, they have two excellent matchups upon returning from their bye. In Week 11, they'll be playing the Steelers, who have given up the third-most points, and in Week 12, they'll do battle with the Tennessee Titans, who have allowed the 12th-most points to opposing defenses. The Bengals' offense has really started to click recently and their high-scoring offense could put their defense in a lot of ideal scenarios for fantasy scoring.
Kansas City Chiefs – 28% Rostered
The Chiefs will be returning to action after their Week 8 bye to a very positive matchup. They'll be at home against the Tennessee Titans who may or may not have Ryan Tannehill back. For fantasy managers looking for a one-week streamer, it really doesn't matter. The Titans are allowing the 12th-most points to opposing defenses this season with Tannehill. If it's Malik Willis, the Chiefs will be in a great spot to take advantage of the rookie signal caller.
The bye week will give the Chiefs' defense ample time to prepare for either quarterback. The Chiefs will be the heavy favorite, which could force the Titans into more passing situations, which their offense simply is not built for.
Minnesota Vikings – 19% Rostered
The Minnesota Vikings' defense has been solid this season. They're the 14th-best fantasy unit through seven weeks, averaging 7.7 PPG. In Week 9, the Vikings will be on the road against the Washington Commanders.
The Washington Commanders are giving up the eighth-most points to opposing offenses this year. Taylor Heinicke has thrown an interception in all three of his starts this season. The Vikings will also be solidly favored in this contest, which should give them plenty of opportunities to get after the quarterback and create some positive fantasy plays.
Others to Consider: Los Angeles Chargers – 28% Rostered
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