Who Should I Pickup for Fantasy Football Week 9? Alec Pierce, Dalton Schultz, Devin Singletary, Jayden Higgins, Xavier Legette, Rashod Bateman, Jaylin Noel, Darius Slayton, Theo Johnson, Ollie Gordon II

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce continued to flash his big-play ability in a 38-14 win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 8. Pierce caught two of his five targets for 69 yards in the blowout win, finishing second on the Colts in receiving yards behind only Michael Pittman Jr.

The veteran wideout has been an explosive pass-catcher this season, catching 18 passes for 386 scoreless yards in six games, good for an impressive 21.4 yards-per-catch average, which leads the league.

The only thing missing from a fantasy perspective is Pierce's lack of touchdowns, an issue that he will hope to remedy on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 9. Pierce will be a high-end WR4 for that matchup.

Houston Texans rookie wide receiver Jayden Higgins had the best game of his young NFL career in his team's Week 8 win over the San Francisco 49ers, recording four catches for 34 yards and a touchdown on eight targets. The 22-year-old has now hauled in 13 catches for 155 yards and two scores on 21 targets.

Before Week 8, Higgins had not earned more than four targets in any game this season. It's worth noting that veteran Texans wideouts Nico Collins (concussion) and Christian Kirk (hamstring) were both sidelined against San Francisco, which certainly factored into Higgins' breakout game.

However, Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has attempted 88 passes over the team's last two games, which could signal that there will be more opportunity for Higgins even when Collins and Stroud return. In deeper leagues where available, Higgins could be worth stashing for his second-half breakout potential.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette totally disappointed fantasy players who used him as a lineup plugger in Week 8. The former first-round pick was targeted only three times by Andy Dalton and caught two passes for 17 yards. In a blowout loss to Buffalo, He carried none of last week's momentum over.

When Bryce Young was the starter in Week 7, Legette caught nine passes for 92 yards and a TD. Dalton naturally prioritized Tetairoa McMillan, and Coker had three targets to Legette's two as the backup QB struggled mightily in a 31-point loss. Head coach Dave Canales mentioned that he hopes Young will be back for Week 9 against the Green Bay Packers.

If Young returns next week, the Panthers could be more statistically productive playing from behind vs. Green Bay. But the recent return of Coker may also prevent Legette from being useful at all. Outside of Week 7, Legette has not caught more than three passes in a game this season. He is a cut candidate for Week 9.

Houston Texans rookie wide receiver Jaylin Noel has been a breakout player in recent weeks, recording 11 catches for 153 yards and a touchdown on 16 targets over his last three games played. Noel has benefited from the absence of veteran wide receiver Christian Kirk (hamstring), who has missed Houston's last two contests.

If there's reason for concern with Noel, it's that he's yet to crack 45% of his team's offensive snaps this season, even in the games that Kirk has missed. He appears to be limited to working from the slot, which limits his playing time ceiling. Noel is a young player with upside, so he's definitely a name to monitor in deeper fantasy leagues.

Still, it may be difficult for him to maintain his production in Week 9 against the Denver Broncos, particularly if one or both of Kirk and Nico Collins (concussion) return to the field.