The fantasy football season is now past the midway point. We need to start making decisions with the current state of situations in mind. It’s time to improve our teams. Let’s take a look at the top Week 9 waiver-wire targets and pickups that fantasy managers should consider adding to their rosters.
As always, all players are rostered in less than 50% of Yahoo leagues.
I eliminated FAAB recommendations last year, as there are too many variables to account for. Instead, I replaced them with my opinion on how aggressively fantasy managers should pursue the player on a scale of 1-10.
Sam Darnold, QB, Seattle Seahawks
Rostered: 37%
Out of sight, out of mind. That’s played a big role in why Sam Darnold has seen an exodus from fantasy rosters over the past week. He played poorly against the Houston Texans, posting his first single-digit point total since Week 1. Then, we got hit with a rash of injuries and “Bye-mageddon.” Fantasy managers had to make tough decisions to fill lineups. Cutting a fringe fantasy starting QB in his bye week seemed like a prudent move.
The toughest bye week of the season is over, but we still have injured players. If you need a quarterback for Week 9, Darnold is in a great spot against a Washington Commanders defense that entered Week 8 allowing the fifth-most schedule-adjusted fantasy points per game to quarterbacks.
Reports suggest Jayden Daniels could be back after just a one-game absence. That would help game script favor scoring, making Darnold an attractive option.
Aggressiveness Rating: 4.0
Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins
Rostered: 19%
The main takeaway from this game is that Kirk Cousins is done. The second takeaway is that there’s still some hope for the Miami Dolphins offense.
The Atlanta Falcons had been one of the better defenses in the league. Tagovailoa threw for 205 yards and a season-high four touchdowns against them. Now, he gets a Ravens defense that is among the worst in the league.
Lamar Jackson is set to return, which should create a high-scoring game environment. Tagovailoa is a viable streamer in Week 9.
Aggressiveness Rating: 2.5
Bam Knight, RB, Arizona Cardinals
Rostered: 19%
I absolutely get it. Bam Knight isn’t exactly moving the needle for fantasy managers. It feels like half the NFL is either hurt or on bye. Trey Benson is nearing a return. These are all great reasons to move on from Knight. But 19% rostered? For an NFL starting running back? I can assure you there will be plenty of you out there who will look down at your lineups ahead of Week 9 and wish you had the reliable six-to-eight points Knight can provide.
He probably only has two or three weeks left as a fantasy-relevant player. But Knight has given us games of 9.4, 12.4, and 9.4 since becoming an active member of the Arizona Cardinals.
At the very least, the Cardinals get the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9. Start anyone and everyone against the Cowboys. Knight will be firmly on the Flex radar.
Aggressiveness Rating: 5.0
Trey Benson, RB, Arizona Cardinals
Rostered: 55%
Fantasy football is such a fascinating game. Trey Benson has been on the cut list for the past two weeks. Yet, now he finds himself on the waiver-wire column. How can a player simultaneously be a drop candidate and someone fantasy managers should add? That’s the beauty of the nuances of this game.
Did you happen to notice how many players were either injured or on bye this week? It’s been rough. That’s how a guy like Benson ends up on the cut list. Fantasy managers needed to know it was okay to drop him if they needed the roster spot since he’s injured and still multiple weeks away.
However, as the season progresses, Benson gets closer to a return. That turns him from a drop into an add.
Benson is eligible to be activated from IR in Week 10. That would be five weeks since he injured his knee and was given a 4-6 week recovery timeline. While he’s not likely to be back then, there’s a pretty good chance he’s back in Week 11, Week 12 at the latest, barring a setback.
In Benson’s absence, the Cardinals have experimented with Michael Carter and Bam Knight with less-than-stellar results. Benson is getting his job back when he returns.
Now that “Bye-mageddon” is over, fantasy managers should be able to drop some of those one-week spot starters we picked up to get us through this week from hell. It’s time to plan for the future. If you’re in a position of comfort, now is the time to grab Benson if he’s been dropped.
Aggressiveness Rating: 6.0
Isaiah Davis, RB, New York Jets
Rostered: 9%
The Jets’ running game finally got going. Breece Hall and Isaiah Davis had their best games of the season. It helps facing the Bengals, but this is less about what Davis did and more about what might happen.
Davis turned 12 touches into an impressive 109 yards. He posted 17.9 fantasy points. Again, the matchup was favorable, but it’s helpful to know he’s capable of producing when given volume.
If Hall does end up traded, Davis is going to be an every-week top-24 option. The time to add him is before that happens.
Aggressiveness Rating: 5.0
Samaje Perine, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
Rostered: 3%
Joe Flacco is the rising tide that lifts all boats. The Bengals’ running game finally got going. Even though Chase Brown remained the clear lead back, there was enough for Samaje Perine to thrive as well.
Fantasy managers should not expect the backup to amass 100 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown ever again. Perine scored more fantasy points in Week 8 than he had the entire season.
This is a fluke. Perine is not about to be a weekly startable option. But he’s still worth adding as the presumptive handcuff to Brown.
Aggressiveness Rating: 2.5
Tank Bigsby, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
Rostered: 17%
The only scenario in which Tank Bigsby will have any fantasy value is if Saquon Barkley misses time. Barkley left this week’s game with a groin injury. It didn’t look overly serious, and the Philadelphia Eagles are on bye next week. Odds are there’s nothing here.
If you add Bigsby, you’ll have to hold him through the bye and hope Barkley misses a game for him to be worth it. Plus, we’re not certain Bigsby is the primary beneficiary. He was the first to enter after Barkley went down, but Will Shipley got involved as well.
This one is more for those of you who roster Barkley. If you do, Bigsby is probably worth adding. Otherwise, he’s best left on the waiver wire.
Aggressiveness Rating: 1.5
Dylan Sampson, RB, Cleveland Browns
Rostered: 13%
Quinshon Judkins left this week’s game with a shoulder injury. As seems to be the case with many of the players who got hurt, he is also on bye in Week 9. It seems quite plausible that Judkins will be back in Week 10.
Jerome Ford had previously been serving as the passing-down back. However, Dylan Sampson was the one who played ahead of Ford in Week 1 before Judkins was signed.
Sampson caught five of six targets for 29 yards in a blowout loss. The negative game script contributed, but the fact remains that Sampson was heavily involved after Judkins left.
There’s a good chance Judkins is ready to go in Week 10. At worst, though, Sampson has handcuff value and is a reasonable stash.
Aggressiveness Rating: 3.0
Tyrone Tracy Jr., RB, New York Giants
Rostered: 48%
This one hurts. Cam Skattebo had been one of the season’s best stories. He dislocated his ankle and is done for the season. That thrusts Tyrone Tracy Jr. back into the lead-back role.
This is a situation where we know the handcuff. We know who will start. It’s going to be Tracy as the lead back, with Devin Singletary mixing in sporadically.
We’ve seen Tracy in the lead-back role before and know he can get it done. Every NFL starting running back needs to be rostered in fantasy. Tracy is a priority add in leagues where he is still available.
Aggressiveness Rating: 9.0
Devin Singletary, RB, New York Giants
Rostered: 1%
Of lesser importance between the two backup Giants backs is Singletary. With Skattebo done for the season, the backfield is now left to Tracy and Singletary. Tracy will start and be the primary back, but Singletary will have a role. While he is not going to have standalone value, he is now the handcuff and one injury away from fantasy relevance.
Singletary was the Giants’ lead back to open last season before Tracy took his job. If he wound up in the starting role, it would be ugly volume. But he’d be usable. That’s enough to be worth a spot on fantasy rosters.
Aggressiveness Rating: 1.0
Kyle Monangai, RB, Chicago Bears
Rostered: 39%
One week after Kyle Monangai ran the ball 17 times for 81 yards and a touchdown in a middling matchup, he was set up to smash against the Ravens’ 31st-ranked run defense. Instead, the Chicago Bears couldn’t get anything going, losing to Tyler Huntley.
D’Andre Swift dominated the backfield, relegating the rookie to seven carries for 24 scoreless yards. That’s not going to get it done.
Even so, Monangai remains the clear RB2. He is the handcuff to Swift, who has been on the injury report more often than not this season. Swift continues to play through his injuries and plays well, but you never know what could happen. Monangai’s upside is worth rostering.
Aggressiveness Rating: 3.5
Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers
Rostered: 41%
Another player who has been on the cut list for several weeks is Brandon Aiyuk. That’s because once it was revealed he would miss more than half the season, it became reasonable for fantasy managers not to hold onto him.
The thesis with Aiyuk hasn’t changed. He won’t contribute for many weeks, and what he does provide may not be usable in fantasy anyway. He’s a very speculative add who will give fantasy managers 2-3 weeks of regular-season utility at most.
But last week, we finally got some sort of movement on Aiyuk’s timetable. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said the team might open its veteran receiver’s three-week window to return ahead of Week 9. That would put Aiyuk on track for a Week 10 or 11 activation.
How useful will Aiyuk be? Who knows? But if you have the ability to do so, now is the time to stash him.
Aggressiveness Rating: 3.0
Mack Hollins, WR, New England Patriots
Rostered: 0%
The New England Patriots have a great passing game with Drake Maye playing at an MVP level. In an era where so many teams opt to dink and dunk on offense, Maye pushes the ball downfield.
We’ve seen every Patriots receiver have a big game at some point. This week, it was Mack Hollins’ turn. The veteran journeyman caught all seven of his targets for 89 yards, posting 15.9 fantasy points.
Prior to this week, Hollins hadn’t scored more than 7.8 in any week. This is not a thing. Do not add Hollins.
Aggressiveness Rating: 0.0
Malik Washington, WR, Miami Dolphins
Rostered: 15%
Jaylen Waddle is the clear alpha on the Miami Dolphins. But he can’t catch every pass. Someone else has to get involved.
Malik Washington has been operating as the WR2 behind Waddle. But until this week, he hadn’t really done much.
Unfortunately, there’s nothing to be excited about here. Washington’s usage didn’t change. He caught four passes, marking the fourth consecutive game he’s caught exactly four or five balls. He just happened to score this time. He is not a priority add.
Aggressiveness Rating: 1.0
Jaylin Noel, WR, Houston Texans
Rostered: 9%
With Nico Collins and Christian Kirk out, Houston had to rely on their pair of rookies plus Xavier Hutchinson. Jayden Higgins got the touchdown, but Jaylin Noel was the most involved. He caught five of six targets for 63 yards. It was his second consecutive game with double-digit fantasy points.
There’s a decent chance Collins is back next week, but the Texans still need a secondary option. Perhaps Noel is emerging into that guy.
Noel plays the slot, making him more of a replacement for Christian Kirk, who doesn’t appear any closer to returning from a multi-week hamstring strain. He’s worth a speculative add.
Aggressiveness Rating: 2.5
Troy Franklin, WR, Denver Broncos
Rostered: 37%
Perhaps Troy Franklin is starting to break out for real this time. He’s now posted consecutive weeks with double-digit fantasy points.
Franklin caught six passes for 89 yards and two touchdowns. Now, to be fair, it was against the hapless Cowboys. There won’t be an easier matchup. But Franklin has now seen 18 targets over his past two games. I don’t quite buy it, but it would be foolish not to say Franklin is worth a speculative add.
Aggressiveness Rating: 4.0
Chimere Dike, WR, Tennessee Titans
Rostered: 8%
The answer to who will step up during Calvin Ridley’s absence was not Elic Ayomanor. It was Chimere Dike. The rookie has posted games of 16.9 and 16.4 fantasy points in each of his last two.
It remains to be seen when Ridley will return. Conventional wisdom suggests he will sit again in Week 9, with the Titans on bye in Week 10, and be back in Week 11. That means Dike should have at least one more game as Cam Ward’s top target.
The Titans are the worst team in football. They are constantly in a negative game script, which creates passing volume. You can certainly do worse than Dike.
Aggressiveness Rating: 5.0
Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay Packers
Rostered: 16%
After a lengthy recovery from a torn ACL, Christian Watson made his 2025 debut on Sunday night against the Steelers. Watson was supposedly going to be used in a limited role, given how long it’s been since he played live football. Instead, he looked all the way back.
Watson played 56% of the snaps and ran a route on 65% of Jordan Love’s dropbacks. Those numbers aren’t what we typically expect from starting receivers, but in the context of the Green Bay Packers wide receiver rotation, that is very good.
Most notably, Watson played six fewer snaps and ran four fewer routes than Matthew Golden. It’s only one game, but it’s already abundantly clear that Watson is coming for that WR2 role opposite Romeo Doubs.
Watson caught all four of his targets for 85 yards. He exceeded all expectations and his role will only grow from here. With Love and the Packers offense humming, Watson needs to be rostered in more leagues.
Aggressiveness Rating: 7.5
Oronde Gadsden II, TE, Los Angeles Chargers
Rostered: 63%
Odds are Oronde Gadsden II is already rostered in your league. After all, his roster percentage far exceeds the typical maximum for inclusion in the weekly waiver wire column. I am making an exception because of the importance of this player.
The tight end position is a struggle every year. There are only a few every-week, no-doubt starters — and even fewer difference-makers. Gadsden is the real deal and has a chance to be one of them.
Since being elevated to the clear TE1 role in Week 6, Gadsden has 309 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He’s playing over 90% of the snaps, not counting situations like late Thursday night when the game was in doubt. More importantly, he ran a route on all but two of Justin Herbert’s dropbacks.
Gadsden is here to stay. He’s an every-week TE1 and very well may be an elite TE1. If he is somehow still out there in your league, you need to be all in.
Aggressiveness Rating: 10.0
Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Cleveland Browns
Rostered: 46%
The Cleveland Browns got blown out by the New England Patriots. Yet, Harold Fannin Jr. still was able to thrive. Despite a returning David Njoku, the rookie tight end caught six of eight targets for 62 yards and a touchdown.
If you need someone specifically for Week 9, Fannin obviously cannot help you with the Browns on bye. But Fannin now has hit double-digit fantasy points in half his games. He’s a talented player with an increasing role who is very much a viable TE2 at worst.
Aggressiveness Rating: 4.0
Mason Taylor, TE, New York Jets
Rostered: 29%
Somehow, the New York Jets defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in a 39-28 shootout. With Garrett Wilson and Josh Reynolds out, Mason Taylor was the presumptive top target for Justin Fields.
Taylor got there in the end, posting 14.4 fantasy points. However, it took a late fourth-quarter touchdown reception from Breece Hall on a trick play for him to do it.
With that said, Taylor did see eight targets. He’s the clear TE1 on this team and worthy of being on more fantasy rosters. The Jets are on bye Week 9, which reduces the need to add him now. But if you need a tight end and have the ability to hold him, grab him this week.
Aggressiveness Rating: 3.5
