Teams on BYE: Cleveland, Tampa Bay, New York Jets, Philadelphia
Each week, it is critical to scope out your league’s waiver wire to look for the best players to help your fantasy roster. The fantasy football managers who pay attention and pick up players at the right time can have a huge advantage when it comes to winning their league. The difference between bidding on waivers and FAAB is that, with FAAB, winning the player is based solely on outbidding other players in the league. However, it’s extremely important to be judicious with your FAAB budget throughout the season, considering it may need to last 14-17 weeks, assuming you end up making the fantasy championship.
Here is a list of players to keep on your watch list, along with their projected FAAB amounts. For purposes of this article, the assumption is that your league uses $ 1,000 FAAB.
Also, players are removed from this list after 1-2 weeks, with the expectation that the rest of your league mates have picked them up.
QB:
New for Week 9:
Sam Darnold, Seahawks–If someone dropped Darnold last week, scoop him up right now. He’s played better than anticipated and has a solid schedule moving forward. FAAB: $35-40
Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars–If the season ended today, Jacksonville would be in the playoffs, giving Lawrence all the incentive he needs to step up his game. In Liam Coen I trust. FAAB: $25-30
J.J. McCarthy, Vikings–McCarthy needs to be as good as the Vikings think he can be in a hurry before the season is lost. FAAB: $15-20
Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins–Could last week’s shocker in Atlanta spur on the Miami offense? FAAB: $5-8
Tyler Shough, Saints–Only for the most desperate fantasy managers. FAAB: $3-5
From Previous Weeks:
Aaron Rodgers, Steelers–Pittsburgh needs to get him more weapons quickly. FAAB: $10-15
Joe Flacco, Bengals–Flacco left the Jets game in the fourth quarter with a shoulder injury. He’ll likely start in Week 9, but watch the practice reports closely. FAAB: $15-20
Michael Penix, Jr, Falcons–Kirk Cousins was so bad last week that there will never be anyone asking for him to start again. FAAB: $10-15
RB:
New for Week 9:
Tyrone Tracy, Jr., Giants–He’s the RB1 for New York now that Skattebo is out for the season. He’s got plenty of talent, but he might lose goal-line carries to Devin Singletary due to fumbling issues. FAAB: $200-250
Bam Knight, Cardinals–Michael Carter was just cut on Monday, and there is some juice in his game. Benson will be out for a while, so he’s worth a long look. FAAB: $90-100
Tank Bigsby, Eagles–Saquon Barkley’s groin injury could mean more touches for Tank in the upcoming weeks. FAAB: $20-25 (add another $10 if you have Saquon)
Bhayshul Tuten, Jaguars–Doubtful he’s available in most leagues, but I have a feeling he will be the RB1 in the next 2-3 weeks. FAAB: $30-35
Dylan Sampson, Browns–Judkins is dealing with a shoulder injury, and Sampson has great hands out of the backfield. FAAB: $20-25
From Previous Weeks:
Brian Robinson, 49ers–Love backing up McCaffrey as we enter the later weeks of the season. Worth the extra buck. FAAB: $20-25
Kyle Monangai, Bears–Ben Johnson is starting to give him the ball more, and with the bad weather coming up, he might be a solid RB to stash. FAAB: $15-20
Ollie Gordon, Dolphins–Would stash Ollie just in case he continues getting more carries. FAAB: $10-15
Devin Neal, Saints–Kendre Miller is out for the season with a torn ACL, and Kamara hasn’t looked great recently. Worth a flyer. FAAB: $5-10
Brashard Smith, Chiefs–Expect the Chiefs to ramp up his snaps over the coming weeks. There’s a Tyrone Tracy upside to his game. FAAB: $30-35
Tyjae Spears, Titans–Tennessee needs all the weapons they can find, and Spears will likely see his snaps ramped up now that he’s back from an ankle injury. FAAB: $40-50
Jaydon Blue, Cowboys–Dallas might want to see if Blue can be their change-of-pace back. FAAB: $15-20
Emmanuel Wilson, Packers– Would add for sure if you have Jacobs. FAAB: $20-25
Isaiah Davis, Jets–Davis is the obvious backup to Hall and has some receiving ability. He looked really good against the Bengals. FAAB: $15-20
WR:
New for Week 9:
Christian Watson, Packers–Watson is terrific so long as he can stay off the trainer’s table. If you need upside, he’s a great choice. FAAB: $50-60
Jaylin Noel, Texans–Even if Christian Kirk comes back, Noel might be the better player. FAAB: $40-50
Jayden Higgins, Texans–Could emerge down the stretch. FAAB: $20-30
Darius Slayton, Giants–Will be the WR2 now that he’s back from injury. Dart is not afraid to sling it, which helps. FAAB: $35-40
Malik Washington, Dolphins–With Waller out, Washington will likely be the recipient of more targets. FAAB: $10-12
From Previous Weeks:
Kayshon Boutte, Patriots—Boutte showed a good connection with Drake Maye last season, and he excels against man coverage. He is a good receiver to stash based on the defensive matchups, provided your roster can be flexible enough to carry him. FAAB: $35-40
Alec Pierce, Colts–No one wants to roster him, but he seems to make plays when they need him. FAAB: $5-10
Jack Bech, Raiders–Worth a hedge in case the Jakobi Meyers trade rumors are true. FAAB: $5-10
Roman Wilson, Steelers–Rodgers started using him more against the Bengals. There is some Randall Cobb upside if that happens. FAAB: $5-10
Tre Harris, Chargers–Surprisingly, the Chargers are becoming one of the more prolific passing teams, and Harris is seeing more snaps. Would stash in case of an injury to a starter. FAAB; $5-8
Pat Bryant, Broncos–His snaps are slowly ramping up. Sean Payton was enamored with him in training camp. FAAB: $5-7
Parker Washington/Dyami Brown, Jaguars–Pay close attention to Brian Thomas’ injury. If he’s out past the BYE, Washington and Brown will dominate snaps. FAAB: $10-15 on both, knowing that the price will go up next week.
Chimere Dike–Dike is just a rookie, but he is getting more snaps and has sneaky value as a return man. FAAB: $25-30
Devaughn Vele, Saints–There was a rumor that the Saints are going to trade Brandin Cooks. Vele could be worth $1 just in case the rumor has legs. FAAB: $1-2
Jalen Coker, Panthers–More of a speculation play than anything, since McMillan and Legette are there. FAAB: $10-12
Isaac TeSlaa, Lions—TeSlaa won the WR3 position in training camp. If you are rostering St. Brown and/or Williams, he could be a very good person to keep on your bench just in case. FAAB: $20-25
TE:
New for Week 9:
Colston Loveland, Bears–He was taken BEFORE Tyler Warren in the draft. Just wish Chicago used him like Indy uses Warren. FAAB: $15-20
Ja’Tavion Sanders, Panthers–Carolina likes him, and he’s finally back from injury. FAAB: $5-10
Gunnar Helm, Titans–He was a solid player at Texas and seems to be in the right spots for Cam Ward downfield. FAAB: $1-2
From Previous Weeks:
Noah Fant, Bengals–Joe Flacco has always liked using his tight ends, and Fant is the TE1. FAAB: $10-12
Evan Engram, Broncos–Likely dropped in your league due to ineffectiveness, but he’s played well recently, and this could be a sign of good things on the horizon. FAAB: $45-50
Isaiah Likely, Ravens–Likely may have a sizable role as the Ravens seem to be lacking production from Mark Andrews, and they need a consistent weapon on offense. FAAB: $25-30
Mason Taylor, Jets– With the Jets lacking any serious number two receiver, Taylor has stepped up. He should be good for 3-5 receptions a week moving forward. FAAB: $10-15
A.J. Barner, Seahawks–Barner is a big-time blocking tight end with surprisingly decent skills as a receiver. Elijah Arroyo has the potential to be a good player, but Barner is currently the TE1 in Seattle. FAAB: $5-10
