Every week, I will share my favorite waiver wire or free agent pickups in fantasy football. Here is what I have for week nine!
Stafford had just 3 TD passes entering week 8, and because of it, he has been sitting on the wire for weeks. He threw for 4 TDs in week 8, and a lot has to do with the return of Kupp and Nacua. As a bonus, the Rams bye week is in the rearview mirror, making Stafford an even greater option moving forward. The Rams are right in the think of the NFC West division race, and if they are going to make a move toward the playoffs, it’s going to be because Stafford, Kupp, and Nacua are going to all be great in the second half of the season.
In Winston’s first start of the season, he not only led the Browns to the most points they had scored in any game this season, but he also defeated the reigning MVP Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens entered week 8 on a five-game winning streak and were thought of as the best team in the AFC despite not having the best record. That makes Winston’s performance that much more impressive, and what could be most shocking is not that he won or that he threw for 334 yards and 3 TDs; it’s that he did it all and threw no interceptions.
This is more of a Super Flex format addition or in a deep league with 14 or 16 teams. I don’t see a scenario in which you would ever think of playing Young in a 10 or 12-team league, even when there are bye weeks. Still, there is something to be said about his performance in week 8. After being benched and learning from the sidelines, Young was pushed back into action and had to go up against a very good Broncos defense in Denver. He and the Panthers lost, but Young threw for 224 yards and 2 TD passes. He is in a good spot this week, too, at home against the Saints, who rank 28th in the NFL against the pass.
Jordan Mason left Sunday night football against the Cowboys and didn’t return. That just so happened to coincide with when the 49ers got their running game going as well. Mason rushed 6 times for just 18 yards before leaving the game, and Gurendo came in and rushed 14 times for 85 yards. He looked explosive, too, breaking off a couple of big runs. He also caught three passes for 17 yards. The 49ers head on their bye this week, which means when they play again in week 10, it is possible that Mason is back and possibly even CMC, who has yet to play this season. Still, Guerendo needs to be added, especially if you roster CMC or Mason.
The Jets play against the Texans on Thursday night this week. With it being a short week and what is likely a tired Texans defense after a tough divisional game in week 8, there is a good chance that there are running lanes for both Allen and the Jets starting RB Breece Hall. It is worth noting that in week 8, Allen saw 12 carries compared to Hall’s 16 and even scored the lone rushing TD the Jets had. It is also worth noting that the Texans defense ranks 3rd in the NFL against the pass but middle of the pack against the run.
He is about to go on his bye week, so he may not be a big priority for your league mates. Take advantage of that and pick him up because the Steelers offense has opened up with Wilson at QB, and all those carries that Justin Fields was taking for himself can now go to Warren. Warren also is a good pass catcher.
Tillman saw 12 targets and caught 8 for 81 yards in week 7. In week 8, a full game with Winston, he was even better. Tillman caught 7 passes on 9 targets for 99 yards and 2 big TDs. He looks to be the number one WR in Cleveland going forward, even though he was 2nd on the team in targets behind Elijah Moore.
Speaking of Moore, he took advantage of all of his targets in week 8. His 12 targets resulted in 8 catches for 85 yards. Jameis Winston will make mistakes, but he will also throw for a lot of yards and TDs, which makes all his pass-catchers fantasy relevant, especially in PPR leagues.
When Richardson came back in week 7, Downs had just 1 catch for 3 yards, which led to his being dropped. After his big week 8 performance with Richardson, though, it looks like he is going to be a popular addition once again. Downs saw a team-high 9 targets, and although he only caught 4 of them, he ended up with 109 yards and a TD. It seems like whoever is at quarterback for the Colts, Downs is a must-own player moving forward.
With Ayiuk out, someone has to take over the number two WR role in SF. Jennings will be back soon, maybe after the bye this week, but Deebo Samuel, who is the number one right now, seems to always be dealing with an injury. Don’t forget that Pearsall was a first-round pick in this year’s NFL draft, so he has a chance to make a big impact.
This is mostly a deeper league option, especially because we don’t know if he will be the guy to step into a larger role with Diggs injured. It’s worth the risk, though, because the Texans are good. They have a great quarterback in Stroud, and although he is in his third season, he is only 24 years old. He saw four targets in week 8, catching three of them for 29 yards. All those numbers should be on the rise if Diggs misses time.
He saw a team-high 11 targets, catching 8 of them for 81 yards in week 7. It wasn’t as big of a performance in week 8, but Dissly still saw a team-high in targets and had a solid 9.1 score in PPR formats. The Chargers were ahead in the game and in charge, especially in the 2nd half, which is another reason why Dissly didn’t see more work in the passing game. Chargers QB Justin Herbert seems to like him, so I like him too.
Please tell me that you read last weeks article and picked him up for week 8. He saw 10 targets, making 9 catches for 81 yards and 2 TDs in the Bucs loss to the Falcons, and now he’s had 2 consecutive big weeks. If you’re in shallow leagues, he could still be available, make sure you get him now. With Godwin done for the year and Evans likely out for at least 2 more weeks, Otton is going to have more big games coming.
He is only 40% owned on sleeper, but he keeps getting a big target share in the offense. Jayden Daniels trusts him, and besides Terry McLaurin, Ertz is the guy in the passing game. He’s mostly depth for you, but the Commanders don’t go on a bye until week 14, and he has a nice floor every week.
They are only 3 % owned on sleeper, which makes sense because they just took on the first place Lions. So they’re almost assuredly available in your league. I like them this weekend because they are at home against the Patriots.
