Week 9 of the NFL season is here. Once again, we had another eventful week across the NFL, and that is something that should continue over the next nine weeks of the regular season. Derrick Henry tore up the Houston Texans, Alvin Kamara provided first-round value, and, among other things, the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers had a crazy back and forth game that found its way towards an exciting ending in overtime. We also saw Cooper Kupp go down with an injury along with Mark Andrews and Rashod Bateman which will have fantasy managers looking towards the fantasy football waiver wire this week. With that being said, we have to continue to spend time improving your fantasy football team, so let us take a look at some NFL waiver wire options to do just that. 

 

 

 

 

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups Week 9

 

Waiver Wire Quarterbacks

Justin Fields, Chicago Bears, FAAB Bid: 4%

By no means am I going to go crazy with Fields from the perspective that he has taken the next step as a quarterback, 208 passing yards is his season high, but he has found himself becoming a viable fantasy quarterback. In each of the last four weeks, Fields has put up at least 20 fantasy points on the majority of platforms and that is, in large part, due to what he is doing on the ground. Fields has thrown for at least one touchdown in that stretch but the real value is in his 277 rushing yards while adding two more touchdowns. 

PJ Walker, Carolina Panthers, FAAB Bid: 2%

Walker will be back under center this week against a Cincinnati team that will be working on a short week after being blown out in Cleveland. While the Panthers did not pick up the victory in Atlanta, I would not exactly put the blame on their quarterback as he threw for 317 yards and a game tying touchdown. Walker broke the 300-yard mark, 317 in total, and even though the Panthers do not have the strongest offense, he has been able to move the ball and Carolina does have some weapons at the skill positions. 

 

Waiver Wire Running Backs

Kenyan Drake, Baltimore Ravens, FAAB Bid: 5-8%

With Gus Edwards now dealing with a hamstring injury, we are back to Drake being a viable option in Baltimore’s backfield. In a limited role on Thursday, Drake picked up 62 yards on seven carries while also catching all four of his targets for just five yards, but he did find his way into the end zone. Drake has had success in the past, but the real value here lies in him controlling the backfield this week for Baltimore. 

Latavius Murray, Denver Broncos, FAAB Bid: 2%

With Murray and the Broncos entering their bye week, the price here should not be that steep, and that represents a buying opportunity. Murray has found a role as a workhorse in Denver’s backfield, and that led to 14 carries for 46 yards last week and 37 carries over the last three weeks. He is not exactly a big play threat, but the volume is there and three touchdowns in four games works pretty well. 

Caleb Huntley, Atlanta Falcons, FAAB Bid: 4%

To be honest, I am not sure why Huntley is not rostered in more than four percent of Yahoo leagues as of Monday night. It is clear that the Falcons are going to pound the ball on the ground, and while Tyler Allgeier seems to be taking the lead, there is still more than enough room for Huntley. On Sunday, that led to 16 carries for 91 yards, and it was the second time in three weeks that he had 16 carries. If you are in pinch due to injuries or bye weeks, Huntley could be a solid option to fill that hole. 

Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers, FAAB Bid: 1%

Najee Harris had been a disappointment this season, the Steelers are rebuilding, and they are also heading into their bye week. The focus is likely pretty far from Warren, but it would not surprise me to see him take on a larger role in two weeks as Pittsburgh is looking for answers. This past week was the busiest we saw Warren as he gained 50 yards on six carries while catching all three of his targets for another 25 yards. He actually out produced Harris so that is something to note as well. 

 

 

 

Waiver Wire Wide Receivers

Joshua Palmer, Los Angeles Chargers, FFAB: 10%

We will need to get some updates on his status as Palmer missed the Chargers game prior to their bye week with an injury but with Mike Williams expected to miss the next handful of weeks with a high ankle sprain the Chargers second-year wide receiver should continue to see a high workload. While Palmer was a popular add following the Keenan Allen injury he still finds himself available in in nearly 75% of fantasy football leagues across ESPN and Yahoo formats.

Rondale Moore, Arizona Cardinals, FAAB Bid: 7%

Moore was someone I had my eye prior to the season, but it has taken him some time to find his groove. I am thinking there is a correlation with Moore’s strong performance against Minnesota and the fact that he was able to spend just about the entire game in the slot now that DeAndre Hopkins is back in action. Moore caught seven of his eight targets for 92 yards and his first touchdown of the season. I would expect Arizona to continue putting his speed to use. 

Damiere Byrd, Atlanta Falcons, FAAB Bid: 2%

When it happened two weeks ago, it really was just a nice highlight reel play as Byrd caught a 75-yard touchdown pass for his only reception of the game, but we saw something similar last week. Once again, Byrd had another long touchdown reception, but this time he was targeted six times and caught three passes for 67 yards. We do not want to go chasing big plays, but the Falcons are not exactly flush with wide receiver talent (even if they do not put a large emphasis on the passing game), so perhaps Byrd will begin to take a larger role on a more consistent basis. 

Terrace Marshall, Carolina Panthers, FAAB Bid: 3%

We highlighted Walker above so it would make sense to also take a look at one of his receivers. There is pedigree and talent here, but the Panthers’ offensive situation has been less than ideal so Marshall is still working to find his footing in the NFL. Health has also been an issue for Marshall, but it appears that he is now past that as well. Marshall was targeted nine times on Sunday, and that turned into four receptions for 87 yards and it is worth a look to see if his success can continue. 

Demarcus Robinson, Baltimore Ravens, FAAB Bid: 4%

We generally focus more on Lamar Jackson’s proficiency from a running perspective, but there are times in which he does have to throw the ball to wide receivers. With Rashard Bateman out this week, that workload should flow through to Robinson as it did on Thursday. Jackson and the Ravens did a good job of getting the ball to Robinson in space and letting him make things happen as he caught six of his eight targets for 64 yards. This week, Robinson should find himself in a similar situation. 

 

Waiver Wire Tight Ends

Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens, FAAB Bid: 7-15%

Tight end is difficult landscape to navigate and that is why the emphasis is so strong and heavy on Likely. Mark Andrews is currently dealing with multiple injuries and after he departed early on Thursday, his status for this week is in question. It is possible that Andrews will be sidelined which means the cost on Likely will certainly rise, but regardless of that the veteran will not be at 100% and I would expect his counterpart to make an impact. Baltimore likes to throw the ball to their tight end, and that led to six receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown as we got a good look at what he is capable of. 

Tyler Conklin, New York Jets, FAAB Bid: 4%

The Jets have to move the ball in the air, and as Zach Wilson continues to struggle to find his footing, he leaned more and more on his tight end this past week. That led to Conklin being targeted 10 times against the Patriots which he turned into six receptions for 79 yards and two touchdowns. Conklin is a skilled pass catcher whose role should continue expanding as the Jets ask more of Wilson as he will ultimately need a safety valve. 
 

 

 

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