Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Week 9
In a year filled with impactful injuries, Week 8 will be remembered as the QB apocalypse. Several quarterbacks were lost on Sunday and their absences will have a huge impact on fantasy football. However, all is not lost. The Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Week 9 will guide you through what should be a competitive free-agent run.
Also, be aware of the teams that are off this week.
Week 9 Byes: Denver, Detroit, Jacksonville, San Francisco
FAAB denotes Free Agent Acquisition Budget
Chuba Hubbard (RB) Carolina Panthers (15% FAAB) – If you weren’t proactive and added Hubbard last week while the Panthers were on a bye, the price has gone up. Hubbard dominated snaps on Sunday, playing 67% of the time and out-touching Miles Sanders 17-2.
Trey McBride (TE) Arizona Cardinals (13% FAAB) – The overall TE1 for Week 8, McBride racked up 10 grabs for 95 yards and a touchdown against Baltimore. McBride entered the game with just 15 receptions, so we definitely can’t rely on that kind of volume weekly. But, McBride has accumulated 25 targets over the last three weeks. As long as Zach Ertz remains sidelined, McBride should be viewed as a weekly fantasy TE1 and warranted a strong FAAB offer.
Sam Howell (QB) Washington Commanders (12% FAAB) – Howell has outscored Justin Herbert this season. Chances are he’s already rostered in your league. However, if people aren’t paying attention or are wary of Howell’s highs and lows, he should be the top QB priority.
Will Levis (QB) Tennessee Titans (10% FAAB) – What a debut. Levis perpetrated the greatest game in NFL history for any quarterback that champions mayonnaise in his coffee. And that led to a ton of fantasy points. There is a real chance that the Titans will give Levis the starting job for the remainder of the season. Of course, we can’t expect this kind of production again. But Levis is definitely worth a strong bid. Just be aware that teams now have film on the rookie and that there are some negatives to also consider.
I watched all 32 Will Levis drop backs from Week 8 with All-22 footage
Before diving into what I saw, his stats from Sunday were *why* I wanted to dive into the film
Among 31 QBs with at least 15 drop backs from Week 8…
— Josh Larky (@jlarkytweets) October 30, 2023
Jahan Dotson (WR) Washington Commanders (10% FAAB) – Dotson did not top 40 receiving yards any of the first six games of the season. However, things have taken a dramatic turn in the last two weeks. Since Week 7, Dotson has reeled in 13-of-18 targets for 151 yards and a touchdown. The Commanders are starting to rack up fantasy points, which makes Dotson a desirable WR3/4 target where available. But before you blow considerable FAAB chasing last week’s breakout, keep in mind that the Commanders have the league’s toughest fantasy playoff schedule for wide receivers per FullTime Fantasy’s 2023 WR Strength of Schedule Tool.
Rashid Shaheed (WR) New Orleans Saints (8% FAAB) – Interesting tidbit: Shaheed has now scored more fantasy points than Calvin Ridley. Shaheed enters Week 9 as the WR34 for the season, despite ranking 53rd in the league with 38 targets. He’s a big play waiting to happen, as we saw with Week 8’s 3/153/1 line. Shaheed’s lack of consistent volume makes him a challenging weekly start. However, when he does hit, he hits big. He is now worth a solid FAAB bid in your fantasy football waiver wire: week 9 claims.
Zach Charbonnet (RB) Seattle Seahawks (7% FAAB) – It may have been a product of game flow, but Charbonnet played 10 more snaps than Ken Walker on Sunday. Also, Walker was effective with his touches. He averaged 10.6 yards per carry and caught both of his targets. Moving forward, Pete Carrol will use both backs weekly. Charbonnet was dropped in many fantasy leagues and is poised to deliver on the summer hype.
Emari Demercado (RB) Arizona Cardinals (7% FAAB) – After playing 80% of the snaps in Week 7, Demercado dipped down to 55% against Baltimore. However, he dominated touches. Demercado racked up 21 touches on Sunday. No other Arizona back eclipsed three. That makes Demercado an appealing addition where he is still on waivers. However, be aware of two things before you blow your budget. First, the Cardinals have a tough matchup this week traveling to Clevland. And secondly, James Conner is due back by Week 10, which will relegate Demercado back to a secondary role.
Royce Freeman (RB) Los Angeles Rams (6% FAAB) – A week after playing a secondary role to Darrell Henderson, Royce Freeman outsnapped Hendo in Dallas. Also, Freeman was far better as a runner, averaging 4.9 yards per tote compared to Henderson’s 2.6. Expect the Rams to continue to utilize a committee. But Freeman might be playing his was into a bigger piece of the pie.
Demario Douglas (WR) New England Patriots (6% FAAB) – In the last two weeks, Douglas has played more than 72% of New England’s snaps and absorbed a 22.5% target share. That kind of volume and usage is noteworthy, even if it is from a team that has underachieved. View Douglas as a strong WR4 to target for the remainder of the season.
Quentin Johnston (WR) Los Angeles Chargers (5% FAAB) – The much-maligned rookie played a season-high 48 snaps on Sunday Night Football. That resulted in his best fantasy outing of the season with five grabs for 50 yards. I wouldn’t go out of my way to add Johnston, but his usage was a step in the right direction.
Leonard Fournette (RB) Free Agent (5% FAAB) – Reports indicate that free-agent veteran Leonard Fournette will be signing with the Buffalo Bills. Before you blow your remaining FAAB on a big name, keep in mind that the Bills rotate their backs liberally. James Cook leads the way but has played less than 57% of snaps. Also, it will take Fournette time to get into game shape. Last year, he plodded along at 3.5 yards per carry. Plus, there’s no guarantee that Forunette will take (m)any pass-catching reps away from Cook. In conclusion, Fournette is likely to go for too much FAAB.
Taylor Heinicke (QB) Atlanta Falcons (2% FAAB) – There is some confusion on why Desmond Ridder was pulled during Week 8’s loss. One report indicated it was due to concussion protocol which Ridder later passed. Another implied Ridder was benched. Regardless, Heinicke came in and added a spark to Atlanta’s ailing passing offense. Head coach Arthur Smith indicated that he will announce his Week 9 starter on Wednesday- which is after most waivers are processed. Ridder ranks 21st in QB rating, so it would not be a surprise to see Heinicke inserted as the starter regardless of Ridder’s health.
Khalil Shakir (WR) Buffalo Bills (2% FAAB) – It’s never a good idea to chase breakout performances. In the case of Shakir, we should have added him last week. Shakir has seen an uptick in snaps due to the Bills employing more three-wide sets with TE Dawson Knox being on IR. He played a season-high 45 snaps on Thursday and could see increased usage for at least two more weeks while Knox recovers.
Jamison Crowder (WR) Washington Commanders (1% FAAB) – Don’t overreact to Crowder’s surprising Week 8 showing. The veteran has barely played this season. Also, he benefited from Curtis Samuel exiting with a toe injury. However, Crowder would have marginal value if Samuel were ruled out. Therefore, a minimal bid in deeper leagues makes sense for Crowder.
Carson Wentz (QB) Free Agent (1% FAAB) – The Vikings are in quite a predicament. They’ve played their way into playoff contention but just lost star QB Kirk Cousins for the season. It’s doubtful that Minnesota can remain in the chase with Jaren Hall (1% FAAB) or Nick Mullens (1% FAAB) under center. Also, Cousins is an unrestricted free agent after this season, which complicates things. Could Kwesi Adofo-Mensah be interested in adding Wentz or another veteran free agent? With how quarterbacks keep going down, Wentz makes sense as a low-cost flier.
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Thanks for reading our Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Week 9.