We are now firmly in the middle of the fantasy football season, which means we know which of our teams look like contenders and which ones have some work to do. We can start gearing out pickups more toward our team situations. It’s now time to improve our rosters.
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 have done away with FAAB recommendations this year, as there are too many variables to account for. Instead, I replaced it with my opinion on how aggressive fantasy managers should be in pursuing the player on a scale of 1-10.
Who To Target on This Week’s Waiver Wire
Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars (49%)
What we saw in Week 8 was what can happen when the Jaguars are chasing on the scoreboard. Trevor Lawrence threw for 308 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.
Lawrence has been playing much better over the past month. We could be in the midst of one of his quality stretches. Next week, he gets a road matchup against the Eagles. That projects to be another game where he has to throw.
Be sure to monitor the statuses of Brian Thomas Jr. and Christian Kirk, though. He will be far less appealing if his WR1 is Parker Washington.
Aggressiveness Rating: 2.5
Bo Nix, QB, Denver Broncos (25%)
Last week, I asked a friend whether to start Jared Goff or Geno Smith. His answer was Bo Nix. I did not take him seriously enough. Clearly, I should have.
The Nix we saw over the first month of the season is long gone. That guy was terrible. This guy has been pretty good.
It shouldn’t be that much of a surprise that a rookie QB is improving as the year progresses. Nevertheless, it’s great to see.
Nix has now scored 21+ fantasy points in three of his last four games. For context, Patrick Mahomes has done that none times this season.
Fantasy managers should absolutely take Nix seriously as a potential QB1 in Week 9 against a Ravens defense allowing the third-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks that just allowed Jameis Winston to throw for over 300 yards.
Nix’s remaining schedules ranges from average to very good. He just may be a weekly starter. Pick him up if you need a QB.
Aggressiveness Rating: 4.0
Jameis Winston, QB, Cleveland Browns (6%)
The Browns’ unwavering commitment to the worst quarterback in NFL history is likely going to end up costing them a playoff spot. By no means is Jameis Winston even a good quarterback, but he might as well be Peyton Manning juxtaposed with Deshaun Watson.
Under Winston, the Browns had a competent offense for the first time all season. Thankfully, we did not get the New Orleans Saints version of Winston who was placed in restrictive shackles. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Winston is back and he is glorious!
300-yard passing days as a starter for the #Browns:
* Deshaun Watson: 0-of-19
* Joe Flacco + Jameis Winston: 6-of-7 pic.twitter.com/OXJhZEmLsB— Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan)
Winston threw for 334 yards and two touchdowns in a win over the Ravens. He didn’t throw an interception, but anyone adding Winston should brace themselves for a bunch. He should’ve had at least three, if not four or five. But there will be plenty of yards and touchdowns.
With that said, Winston did benefit from facing the worst pass defense in the NFL. Over the next six weeks, the Browns will face five top 10 pass defenses and have their bye week. I would still be willing to add Winston to see how he performs in Week 9, but this is far from a slam dunk.
Aggressiveness Rating: 3.5
Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams (40%)
Over the first seven weeks of the season, Matthew Stafford was objectively a horrible fantasy quarterback. But he wasn’t actually playing poorly. In fact, it was quite the opposite.
The issue was purely the nature in which the Rams were scoring touchdowns. Only three of their touchdowns came via the air.
In Week 8, regression hit. Stafford threw for 279 yards and four touchdowns. Perhaps not so coincidentally, Stafford’s best game coincided with the returns of Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp.
The Rams have a brutal rest-of-season schedule of pass defenses. So, from that perspective, Stafford isn’t the most appealing add. But if you need a QB for Week 9, Stafford is viable against a middle-of-the-pack Seahawks pass defense.
Aggressiveness Rating: 1.0
Joe Flacco, QB, Indianapolis Colts (2%)
Evidently, the only quarterback completely immune from getting benched for poor play was Deshaun Watson. The Panthers were willing to bench Bryce Young and now the Colts have done the same with Anthony Richardson.
Dating back to last season, Flacco has been a QB1 whenever he’s started. Filling in for Richardson this season, Flacco posted games of 26.56 and 14.66 fantasy points. He’s thrown multiple touchdowns in every game he’s appeared in this year. He is a top-12 quarterback for the remainder of the season.
Aggressiveness Rating: 5.5
Tyler Allgeier, RB, Atlanta Falcons (37%)
Three weeks ago, Tyler Allgeier ran the ball 18 times for 105 yards and a touchdown. Fantasy managers rushed to pick him up. Over the past two weeks, Bijan Robinson has dominated snaps and touches, limiting Allgeier to a total of 17 carries for 69 yards. He’s scored 5.5 and 3.3 fantasy points in those games.
Allgeier is never going to be an every-week startable option. But he is one of the highest-upside handcuffs in the league. He also can be useful in a pinch.
If his value as the Robinson handcuff isn’t enough of a reason to add him, consider that he may be a startable RB3 in a soft matchup this week against a Cowboys defense allowing the second-most fantasy points per game to running backs.
Aggressiveness Rating: 5.0
Jaylen Warren, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers (44%)
Heading into the season, Jaylen Warren was valued ahead of Najee Harris in many drafts. These are two players in a timeshare with relatively even workloads. Now, Warren can’t even get on half of fantasy rosters.
Yes, Harris is having the best season of this career. He’s running the ball well and is the clear goal line back. But since returning from his knee injury, Warren has looked great. He earned 15 opportunities in his second game back two weeks ago and another 12 last week against the Giants.
The Steelers are currently on bye, which means Warren is likely forgotten about. He can be added right now for free.
The Steelers have a brutal second half schedule, facing a bunch of very good run defenses. That may seem like a negative for Warren, but as the primary passing down back, it could lead to him playing more snaps and seeing more work as a receiver. At the very least, Warren is a handcuff plus with upside. He needs to be rostered.
Aggressiveness Rating: 6.0
Braelon Allen, RB, New York Jets (32%)
Braelon Allen is not a must-roster player. Despite his touchdown against the Patriots, he has no standalone value. He carried the ball 12 times for just 32 yards. Do not expect that level of volume weekly.
Allen’s main appeal is his status as one of the best handcuffs in fantasy. If Breece Hall were to miss time, Allen would be a weekly RB2. That is worth rostering, especially for teams who are safely in the playoffs.
Aggressiveness Rating: 3.5
Isaac Guerendo, RB, San Francisco 49ers (8%)
For the first month of the season, Jordan Mason averaged 18.8 fantasy points per game. That’s the value the 49ers RB1 role can provide.
Isaac Guerendo played most of the game on Sunday night with Mason departing due to injury. The rookie ran the ball 14 times for 85 yards and a touchdown. He scored 19.2 fantasy points. He was basically early-season Mason.
If Guerendo were the lead back for the 49ers, he would be a weekly RB1. The problem is two-fold.
First, we don’t know for sure that he’s overtaken Mason as the interim RB1. Second, Christian McCaffrey is expected back in Week 10.
Fantasy managers considering adding Guerendo right now must decide if his speculative handcuff value is worth hanging onto through the 49ers’ Week 9 bye.
Aggressiveness Rating: 3.5
Dalvin Cook, RB, Dallas Cowboys (23%)
Fantasy managers understandable want to chase the RB1 in the Cowboys offense. It should be a very good offense and bring touchdown upside. Fantasy managers also have a tendency to gravitate toward brand names. Dalvin Cook is a brand name.
With the Vikings, Cook was one of the best running backs in the NFL. You remember that. You hope can recapture it with the Cowboys. But, it’s 2024. Last year, with the Jets, Cook was not one of the worst running backs in the NFL, he was the worst running back in the NFL. He had an EPA per rush -0.42. That ranked dead last among RBs by a very wide margin. For comparison, the second-worst RB was at -0.31. Cooks’s success rate was also just 32.8%.
In previous years, we saw fantasy managers pick up Le’Veon Bell after the Ravens signed him or Adrian Peterson after the Seahawks signed him. It never works.
There’s a reason the Jets cut him. There’s a reason he spent two months on the Cowboys’ practice squad before they activated him out of pure desperation.
Cook showed exactly what he can offer an NFL team at age 29 in the year 2024: six carries for 12 yards. No matter the format, no matter the size, do not add Cook.
Aggressiveness Rating: The 23% of you who roster Cook should drop him.
Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys (25%)
Ahead of the Cowboys’ Week 6 game game against Lions, Ezekiel Elliott spoke to coaches about his lack of touches. In response, he saw his highest snap share and carry count of the season since Week 1. The Cowboys went on to suffer one of their worst home losses in franchise history.
That loss certainly was not on Zeke. But it definitely prompted some changes behind the scenes. One such move was the activation of Dalvin Cook. That didn’t exactly work, as Cook ran the ball six times for 12 yards last week. But it does show that the team is looking for an alternative.
With Rico Dowdle a surprise inactive due to an illness, Zeke was the “lead” back. He ran the ball 10 times for 34 yards and a touchdown.
If Dowdle is out, Elliott would be a desperation touchdown-or-bust RB3. But Dowdle is unlikely to miss multiple games with an illness, and the Cowboys have a very tough stretch of run defenses upcoming. Do not add Elliott.
Aggressiveness Rating: 0.0
D’Ernest Johnson, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars (5%)
Two weeks ago, D’Ernest Johnson saw 13 opportunities and turned them into 70 total yards and a respectable 10 fantasy points. Last week, Johnson touched the ball twice, scoring 3.3 fantasy points.
Travis Etienne Jr. practiced in a limited capacity all three days last week. He appeared close to playing, but the team opted to hold him out. Any semblance of fantasy value that Johnson has is tethered to Etienne’s continued absence, which is likely coming to an end this week.
Tank Bigsby is the only other Jaguars RB worth rostering. You do not need to add the journeyman satellite back.
Aggressiveness Rating: 0.0
Cedric Tillman, WR, Cleveland Browns (18%)
Last week, Cedric Tillman was in this column as a speculative add. This week, he’s the No. 1 guy.
It’s truly unbelievable that it took this long for Jameis Winston to take over, and it was a Deshaun Watson injury that forced it. The Browns may very well be a playoff team with Winston because their defense is good and the offense actually looks competent.
With Winston, everyone ate. David Njoku, Jerry Jeudy, and the new WR1 for the Browns, Tillman. The sophomore followed up his 18.1-point breakout with 28.9 points on seven receptions for 99 yards and two touchdowns.
Jameis finds Cedric Tillman to retake the lead!
📺: #BALvsCLE on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/sjSIvER5b5— NFL (@NFL)
The Browns won’t face a league-worst Ravens pass defense every week. In fact, their second-half schedule is pretty brutal. But this volume and performance warrants attention. Add Tillman.
Aggressiveness Rating: 8.5
Josh Downs, WR, Indianapolis Colts (47%)
I understand the concerns with Anthony Richardson. He completed 31% of his passes against the Texans. But Josh Downs needs to be rostered. And Joe Flacco is back behind center.
Downs is really talented. Rostering talented players, alone, is never a bad idea. We’ve also seen elite WR1 upside from him, so it’s not a blind leap. He’s scored 15.9 points or more in four of his last five games. Three of those were with Joe Flacco and Richardson is no lock to play the rest of the season. Downs’ upside is too great to leave on the waiver wire.
Aggressiveness Rating: 8.0
Elijah Moore, WR, Cleveland Browns (2%)
Can Winston really support three fantasy-relevant WRs? Probably not. Again, facing the Ravens’ league-worst pass defense definitely inflated his numbers. But I would be remiss not to at least mention Elijah Moore.
The former Jet saw 12 targets, catching eight for 85 yards. I don’t think it’s real and would not necessarily prioritize adding Moore. In deeper leagues, though, he could be worth a look.
Aggressiveness Rating: 3.0
Jerry Jeudy, WR, Cleveland Browns (45%)
The presumptive WR1 for the Browns actually had the lowest production of the three. Jerry Jeudy caught five of eight targets for 79 yards. That’s good enough for fantasy managers. But is it likely to continue?
Much like his teammates, he benefited from facing the Ravens’ league-worst pass defense. At this point, I have more confidence we know who Jeudy is than Tillman, which is why I prefer the younger player. If you want to take a chance on Jeudy and see if this holds next week, go for it.
Aggressiveness Rating: 4.0
Keon Coleman, WR, Buffalo Bills (41%)
It appears Keon Coleman’s Week 7 breakout was legit. He did it again in Week 8, catching five of seven targets for 70 yards and a touchdown.
It’s important to point out that Coleman was deliberately targeted on a fade from Josh Allen on his touchdown. That’s a great sign, especially in light of the team’s recent acquisition of Amari Cooper, who was completely invisible and did not play anywhere near a full complement of snaps.
A beautiful TD catch by @keoncoleman6 🔥
📺: #BUFvsSEA on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/t2VpmIdGGP— NFL (@NFL)
I’m not so sure I wouldn’t rather have Coleman than Cooper going forward. Either way, Coleman needs to be added.
Aggressiveness Rating: 7.5
Jalen Tolbert, WR, Dallas Cowboys (23%)
It was disappointing to see Jalen Tolbert only early three targets against the 49ers. However, there remain encouraging signs.
Tolbert is the clear WR2 behind CeeDee Lamb. He actually led the team in routes run.
Additionally, the Cowboys have a very favorable rest-of-season schedule of pass defenses. Seven of their final nine games in the fantasy season are against teams that could force shootouts.
Tolbert will never be a reliable weekly starter, but he can be a serviceable WR4 in a pinch. He’s worth putting on the back of your bench if you have the spot.
Aggressiveness Rating: 3.0
Ricky Pearsall, WR, San Francisco 49ers (37%)
With Brandon Aiyuk done for the season, the 49ers have an opening at WR2. Jauan Jennings has been out the past two weeks with an injury. Ricky Pearsall has been running behind Chris Conley, but the 49ers could use the bye week to fully integrate the rookie into the offense.
At this point in the fantasy season, there are almost no unknowns. Pearsall is an unknown. That’s a good thing. He presents untapped potential. We don’t know how good he can be.
Perhaps the answer is he’s nothing. Jennings should be back in Week 10. Combined with the return of Christian McCaffrey, and Pearsall may end up being the fifth option in the passing game. If that happens, you can drop him. But given the upside, Pearsall is worth a speculative add while we wait and see how things play out.
Aggressiveness Rating: 4.5
Tre Tucker, WR, Las Vegas Raiders (10%)
In Weeks 3 and 4, Tre Tucker scored 22.6 and 15.4 fantasy points. It looked as though there might be something there. Since then, he’s registered games of 4.6, 0.0, 7.7, and 5.3.
The Raiders are not exactly an offense you want to invest in. Brock Bowers is the best TE in fantasy and Jakobi Meyers is a passable WR4, but that’s really it.
Three of their next four opponents are elite pass defenses and they have a bye mixed in. Tucker is not going to be anything close to startable in fantasy. Do not add him.
Aggressiveness Rating: 0.0
Calvin Austin III, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers (1%)
Touchdowns have a funny way of skewing player value. Whenever a player scores, fantasy managers’ ears tend to perk up.
Calvin Austin III scored 20.4 fantasy points on Monday night against the Giants. Should you pick him up? No. Not even a little bit. Not even in deep leagues. There is absolutely nothing here.
Austin saw a total of four targets, he just happened to score. He also brought back a punt, raising his perceived production.
Austin will do this again. This is the second time he’s hit 19+ fantasy points. In every other game, he’s been under 6.0 fantasy points. Do not add Austin.
Aggressiveness Rating: N/A
Darius Slayton, WR, New York Giants (13%)
It’s going to be difficult for Darius Slayton to maintain any fantasy value while Malik Nabers is healthy. They occupy the same role and Nabers does it better. But Slayton is holding his own.
Slayton caught four passes for 108 yards on seven targets against the Steelers. It’s certainly encouraging to see him able to produce at this level with Nabers active.
The real value in Slayton comes in his handcuff status. He’s the rare handcuff WR. If Nabers misses time, Slayton is a startable WR3. We saw this when he posted games of 26.2 and 11.7 fantasy points in the two games Nabers missed with his concussion. Slayton earned 11 targets in each of those contests.
Slayton is not a must-roster, but you can add him if you have the room.
Aggressiveness Rating: 3.0
Parker Washington, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars (0%)
The Jaguars are digging deep into their WR depth with all of their injuries. Christian Kirk is done for the season with a broken collarbone. Brian Thomas Jr. is dealing with a chest bruise that is not a long-term issue, but may cost him Week 9. Trevor Lawrence may be staring down the barrel of Gabe Davis as his WR1.
The answer for the Jaguars is almost certainly going to be more Evan Engram. But if Thomas can’t go this week, and even if he can, Parker Washington is slated for a pretty prominent role.
The 2023 sixth-rounder made a splash in Week 13 last season, catching six passes for 66 yards and a touchdown. He popped up on waiver wire columns and then was never heard from again. Perhaps this is a repeat. But circumstances are different.
Washington is set to assume the primary slot receiver role previously occupied by Kirk. With all of their injuries last week, Washington led the Jaguars in routes run. Given his projected role, he’s at least worth a speculative pickup in deeper leagues.
Aggressiveness Rating: 2.5
Mike Gesicki, TE, Cincinnati Bengals (8%)
Week 8 was the week of tight ends. A bunch of them woke up. One of the more surprisingly good performances was Mike Gesicki. The athletic tight end caught seven of eight targets for 73 yards. He was the primary beneficiary of Tee Higgins’ absence.
Higgins appeared close to playing and is probably going to next week. But if he doesn’t, Gesicki is definitely on the TE streaming radar. Tight end is still a weak position. This level of volume tied to Joe Burrow is worth chasing.
Aggressiveness Rating: 2.5
Zach Ertz, TE, Washington Commanders (29%)
There seems to be something here with Zach Ertz. The once great tight end has experienced a recent resurgence in productivity. Ertz may not be able to move like he could a decade ago, but he’s still a reliable set of hands.
Ertz has now hit double-digit fantasy points in three straight weeks. Against the Bears, Ertz earned 11 targets.
Last week was one of the most productive weeks for tight ends in fantasy football history. It obviously won’t happen very week, or often at all. This is still a weak position and Ertz has emerged as a reliable floor option. Thats worth adding if you need a tight end.
Aggressiveness Rating: 3.5
