Waiver Wire: Week 9
The waiver wire article is set up to help give you the best possible players that may still be available on your league’s waivers. The following players are all rostered in under 50% based on ESPN’s leagues. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me on Twitter @JGalt93.
Quarterback
Justin Fields, QB, Chicago Bears (26.2 % Rostered)
Fields does not have a ton of talent surrounding him on the Bears offense but that honestly doesn’t matter. Fields offers massive upside on a weekly basis due to the fact that he can use his legs to get him yardage/fantasy points. It is usually hard to find a QB on the waiver wires this late that can be a massive game-changer for your roster, but that is exactly what Fields is. Whether you need a bye-week fill-in or a startable QB, Fields should be at the top of your radar in week 9 and from now on. His next three matchups are great for QBs and he should give you a safe floor/ high ceiling every week. Fields is a high-end QB2 with an upside this week. (Chase Claypool added via trade)
Marcus Mariota, QB, Atlanta Falcons (24 % Rostered)
It pains me to write about Mariota again, but here we are. Mariota will have good weeks and bad weeks and it will be really hard in most cases to know which will be which. The good thing about Mariota is that he is pretty much free and won’t cost you any real capital to get him onto your roster. If you are in a tight spot this week, you could do a lot worse than Mariota. He has the ability to add points with his legs which gives him added upside on a weekly basis as well. Mariota is a mid-tier QB2 with an upside this week against the Chargers this week.
Taylor Heinicke, QB, Washington Commanders (9.4 % Rostered)
Heinicke has shown flashes of success in the past when given the starting gig and it looks like a similar type of situation this season as well. Now I am not saying he is going to get you 21.5 points like he did this week, but he should offer you an extremely safe floor with a similar ceiling if the matchup is good. This week’s matchup against the Vikings should be one of those matchups and Taylor should be a reliable streaming option in week 9. Heinicke is a mid-tier QB2 with an upside in week 9.
Honorable Mention(s):
- Jared Goff, QB, Detroit Lions
- Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers
- Andy Dalton, QB, New Orleans Saints
- PJ Walker, QB, Carolina Panthers
Running Back
Khalil Herbert, RB, Chicago Bears (47.7% Rostered)
It is amazing to me that Herbert is still available in under 50% of leagues. He has shown all season that he has flex value on a weekly basis and it looks like he could offer even more upside going forward. Herbert received more carries than David Montgomery this past week and could very well continue to have a similar workload going forward. If you need an RB for this week and the future, Herbert would be my top add of the week. Herbert is a high-end flex with an RB2 upside in week 9.
Kenyan Drake, RB, Baltimore Ravens (16.3% Rostered)
Of course, after everyone cut Drake from their rosters, the Ravens decided to give him the bulk of the workload in week 8. The Ravens running back group is a little shoddy but should offer fantasy managers some upside play if you can figure out who is going to get the carries/targets that week. JK Dobbins is on IR and Gus Edwards is dealing with his own injury, if I were a betting man I would say that Drake will be the guy this upcoming Monday against the Saints. Drake is a high-end flex with an upside in week 9.
Latavius Murray, RB, Denver Broncos (32.6% Rostered)
Murray and the Denver Broncos are on bye this week but that shouldn’t stop you from adding him to your rosters this week. The Denver backfield is most definitely a committee, but it looks like Murray is the head of that committee. He has offered fantasy managers a safe floor with touchdown upside every week that he has been with the Broncos. If you are in need of some RB depth, Murray would be a solid addition to your roster this week. Murray is a flex option with an upside going forward.
** Adding top-tier running backs back-ups is never a bad decision if you have the space to do so.**
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Honorable Mention(s):
- Caleb Huntley, RB, Atlanta Falcons
- James Cook, RB, Buffalo Bills
- Chuba Hubbard, RB, Carolina Panthers
- Jaylen Warren, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Wide Receiver
Rondale Moore, WR, Arizona Cardinals (46.3 % Rostered)
The main thing you want from your WR3/flex is an upside and that is exactly what Rondale offers on a weekly basis. The Cardinals offense is not elite but it can support multiple fantasy options. Moore is receiving a strong target share as of late and should continue to receive the same work going forward. Being one of Kyler Murray’s top options is never a bad thing and Moore looks like he is locked into a top 3 role on the team. Moore is a high-end flex with upside, especially in good matchups such as this week against the Seahawks.
Devin Duvernay, WR, Baltimore Ravens (29.1 % Rostered)
With Rashod Bateman dealing with an injury again, Duvernay is once again the lead WR for the Baltimore Ravens. This will most likely be the last week you will be able to get Duvernay as getting top options off of the waivers is pretty difficult, especially this far into the season. If you have been needing a reliable option with a safe floor and decent ceiling, then Duvernay is your guy. He offers weekly WR3/ flex production with upside, especially in full PPR leagues.
Romeo Doubs, WR, Green Bay Packers (47.3 %Rostered)
Doubs has had ups and downs throughout his rookie season but the future is bright for the young, talented receiver. This week the Packers have a great matchup against a bad Detroit Lions defense and Doubs should be able to take advantage of it. If you are in need of a bye-week fill-in this week, Doubs should prove to be a good option. He is a mid-tier flex/WR3 with an upside this week.
Honorable Mention(s):
- Joshua Palmer, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
- Terrace Marshall Jr., WR, Carolina Panthers
- Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR, Cleveland Browns
- Jameson Williams, WR, Detroit Lions
- Nico Collins, WR, Houston Texans
- Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Free Agent
- Mack Hollins, WR, Las Vegas Raiders
Tight Ends
Greg Dulcich, TE, Denver Broncos (33.9 % Rostered)
At first, I thought Dulcich was nothing more than a fluke but I was wrong. He has been a top 12 option in each of the last three weeks and is turning into one of the Broncos most reliable receiving options. The Broncos are on bye this week, so he will not be helping you in week 9 but he is definitely a top add for the week. If you need a reliable TE outside of this week, Dulcich should be the player you add. He has a low-end TE1 upside going forward and may very well be someone we look back on as a league winner at the TE position.
Evan Engram, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars (32.2% Rostered)
If you can’t afford to add a player who isn’t playing this week, then Evan Engram would be the tight end I would add. Engram has sneakily been a pretty reliable tight-end option as of late and should continue to be successful against the Raiders in week 9. Engram is a low-end TE1 with an upside in week 9.
Isaiah Likely, TE, Baltimore Ravens (1.7% Rostered)
This one is for all of the Mark Andrews managers… or maybe the managers facing the Mark Andrews managers. It is unknown whether or not Andrews will be active this week and the main issue is that the Ravens don’t play until Monday night. Therefore, I recommend picking up Likely just in case Andrews is inactive on Monday. It is very similar to having your RB1’s backup and should be very valuable if Andrews were to miss. Likely would be a low-end TE1 with great upside if Andrews were to miss.
Honorable Mention(s):
- Tyler Conklin, TE, New York Jets
- Cade Otton, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Cole Kmet, TE, Chicago Bears