The Only Fantasy Football Waiver Article You Need, Week 9
This week’s lede is written by Jerry Wilke @JerryWilkeFM with some words of wisdom…
For this week’s waiver write up I’m going to take a different approach. Week 9 brings the first of 2 “Bye-maggedon” with 6 teams on bye: Giants, Browns, Cowboys, 49ers, Steelers and Broncos. All of these waiver players that my colleagues mentioned are excellent choices but if you happen to miss out on any of them, keep an eye on players that are being dropped to make those claims.
Your Chubb’s and Barkley’s will be kept, as they should be. But look for guys like Najee Harris and Ezekiel Elliott from frustrated owners, or Kareem Hunt and Jerry Jeudy not being moved at the trade deadline, or even Jeff Wilson, not as sexy as the others but backing up a guy who many fantasy players call injury prone.
Obviously, the main focus is fielding a competitive team for week 9 but turning other people’s trash into your treasure could be key down the road.
And now on to this week’s waiver choices…
TE Isaiah Likely (BAL) 7% Rostered
Lamar Jackson has often been targeting his tight ends, and Mark Andrews has been Jackson’s go-to receiver and top pass catcher this season. He is currently the team’s leader in targets, receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns. Andrews came into the Thursday night football game without practicing all week with a knee injury. He ended up leaving the game in the second quarter with a shoulder injury.
The Ravens have some extra time this week playing on Monday Night Football to give Andrews time to heal. If he isn’t able to suit up, Likely will be a great replacement to slide into your lineup with top 10 tight end upside this week. Likely finished his last game with seven targets, six receptions for a team-high 77 yards, and a touchdown which was all career highs for this rookie tight end. As the number two tight end playing behind Andrews, Likely has had similar advanced stats compared to Andrews such as yards per reception, yards per target, yards per touch and catch percentage.
This tells me if he takes over the starting job with Andrews sidelined, we can expect similar production and efficiency from the rookie tight end with the way Lamar targets the position. Keep an eye on Andrews’ injury throughout the week, but I highly recommend picking up Isaiah Likely if you are currently rostering Andrews strictly for the insurance.
Jamie Perog @JamiePerog
WR Terrace Marshall (CAR) 1%
The waiver wires are pretty thin this time of year, but Terrace Marshall is getting looks. Marshall had 9 targets this past week and with Robbie Anderson out of town, his role should be pretty secured. I know this offense isn’t a pretty one by any means, but Marshall could be worth a look at volume alone.
Jared Good @TheYetiExpress
TE Tyler Conklin (NYJ) 15%
It’s been a rollercoaster season for Conklin. He has been as high as TE4 back when he was catching passes from Flacco earlier this season. Though he hasn’t been as productive since Wilson took over as starting QB, he is still the TE8 on the season. He bounced back in a big way this week with a 10 target, 6 catch, 2 touchdown performance for 79 yards. The best news is that his snap percentage in the last two weeks has been consistently staying at 75%. Conklin is seeing the field a lot and is the tight end to own in all of New York.
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Devin Deal @devindeal
Embed from Getty ImagesTE Greg Dulcich (DEN) 46%
I know he is owned in a higher percentage than most wavier wire darlings, but if he is still available…GRAB HIM. Dulcich was one of my rookie favorites behind Trey McBride. This was due to his explosiveness at UCLA. The other reason is because look at his hair. In reality, the tight end position is hard week in and week out unless you have Kelce or Andrews, and the latter is hurt currently.
In the past three games with two different QBs under center, he has 182 yards on 17 targets which might not sound like much but it proves they are trusting him more and more. Albert O is no longer the guy in Denver, and in reality, he never was at all. All off-season while everyone saw Albert O’s potential, I saw Dulcich’s and stashed him in leagues right and left.
I suggest you do the same while you can. While league mates are looking at TEs to stream week 9, look ahead and stash Dulcich for Week 10 and beyond. The ceiling is high for this rookie.
Courtney Burrows @LuvTractor3
WR Rondale Moore (ARI) 51%
Moore’s role in the Cardinals’ offense continues to expand as the season goes on. On Sunday, Moore had seven catches (on eight targets) for 92 yards and a touchdown. In weeks six and seven, Moore generated a combined total of 13 catches(on 18 targets) for 117 yards. My primary concern for Moore, as well as Marquise Brown and DeAndre Hopkins, is what the target share will look like with all receivers healthy.
Brown should miss at least two more games, with a foot injury. Owned in only 51 percent of redraft leagues, fantasy managers should pick up Moore as a weekly W3/flex with WR2 upside. With six teams on bye in week nine, fantasy owners could do far worse than Moore as a replacement.
Brian Craighead @vandygrad92
Embed from Getty ImagesQB Justin Fields (CHI) 50%
Owned in only 42 percent of sleeper redraft leagues, Fields has become an intriguing replacement for your struggling starting quarterback. With six teams on bye in week nine, Fields has picked the perfect time to exhibit vastly improved and more consistent play. On Sunday against the Cowboys, Fields completed 17 of 23 pass attempts for 151 yards and two touchdowns.
He also added eight rushes for sixty yards and an additional touchdown. Over the last three games, Fields has now completed 44 passes on 71 attempts for 520 yards and four touchdowns. Equally important, he has rushed 34 times for 230 yards and two touchdowns. In addition, he is now the QB11 on the season.
Despite a season-high of only 27 pass attempts, Fields has the upside to be a weekly low-end QB1 moving forward. His rushing totals provide a very solid floor, while the slightly increased number of pass attempts allows for a higher ceiling.
Brian Craighead @vandygrad92
WR Josh Palmer (LAR) 36%
After missing week 7 due to a concussion and having a week to rest after the bye week, Josh Palmer is a must-add this week off waivers. His teammate Austin Ekeler said, “I’m picking up Josh Palmer iif he’s out there, I’m getting him”. In the last game, Palmer played he received 12 targets. He also put up double-digit fantasy points in half the games he played this season.
Mike Williams will be out for an extended period of time and Keenan Allen hasn’t been healthy for most of the season. Before Josh Palmer was on anybody’s radar last week, I picked him up off the waivers as a hold. If he’s available in any of your leagues right now, go get him now!
Jamie Perog @JamiePerog
WR Devin Duvernay (BAL) 50%
The recent news of Rashad Batemans’ injury that should sideline him for a few weeks should give Duvernay a bump. Now the last time Batman missed a game, many people expected Duvernay to step up and were highly disappointed. Duvernay is a boom-or-bust player that does whatever the Ravens need him to do. He’ll run the ball, catch the ball, and he’s even the returner for the Ravens. He can accumulate points from all over the Field. He can be a flex option for this week.
Then the ravens are on a week ten bye, so he might only be usable for a couple of weeks until Batman returns. With the week ten bye, the ravens might choose to sit Mark Andrews, who is also dealing with injuries, and give him a rest making Duvernay the only option in this offense in week nine.
Austin Fullington @ajohnson1033
Embed from Getty ImagesTE Robert Tonyan (GB) 53%
We have all been looking for a TE. No matter what format you are in. So I have to ask, How is this guy only 53% owned as a TE1? Over the first 8 weeks, Tonyan has had 35 receptions on 42 targets. He is averaging over 10 fantasy points per game. With the injury to Watson the past week, Cobb on IR, and Lazard maybe out again next week, Rodgers is going to need to have a reliable veteran he can trust. The next 5 games (Detroit, Dallas, Tennessee, Philly & Chicago) are very nice matchups for the TE. Picking him up now could be the winning move for your league.
Jayson Barnes @FantasyJay77
RB D’Onta Foreman 51%
After Matt Rhule left the Panthers started scoring points! For the past two weeks, D’Onta Foreman has been a legit stud at a running back position that has been terrible all season. If you can grab him he can easily be a starter for you or trade bait for someone else.
Nathan Janasik @MeLlamoMoron
TE Evan Engram (NYG) 48%
If he’s still available, now is your time to go grab Engram before it’s too late. After a very sluggish start to the season in his new home, he’s caught 19 passes for 231 yards and a TD over his last 4 contests. At a very thin position, Engram is producing real quality numbers and should only continue to get better as the season goes along.
Zach Carlson @ZachAttack180
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