Waiver Wire: Week 9
It’s scary how fast the 2024 season is flying by. We are already into the second half of the campaign. Last week also brought more untimely injuries to deal with. The FullTime Fantasy Waiver Wire: Week 9 has all the free agents you need to target to begin the playoff push.
Along with knowing who to pick up, FullTime Fantasy‘s Matchup Analyzer Tool will help you get the most out of your lineup.
Here are the low-rostered players you should consider adding before Week 9.
Week 9 BYES: Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers
Cedric Tillman (WR) Cleveland Browns – Tillman was mentioned as a proactive add in last week’s piece. And he came through with a monster Week 8 outing. We can’t rely on that kind of performance again. However, Tillman did run 40 routes and drew nine targets. With Jameis Winston under center, Tillman looks like a solid WR3 for the remainder of the season. Therefore, he’s worth a strong FAAB bid.
Keon Coleman (WR) Buffalo Bills – The biggest benefactor of the Amari Cooper trade has been…Keon Coleman? Since adding Cooper before Week 7, Coleman has had his best two fantasy performances of the year, snagging 9-of-14 targets for 195 yards and a score versus the Seahawks. Coleman now ranks as the WR26 for the season, yet he’s still available on many waiver wires. View him as one of the top must-adds for this week as depth or as a rotational WR3.
Jalen McMillian (WR) Tampa Bay Buccaneers – In Week 8, McMillian ran a rote on 46 of his 48 snaps. While he only caught 4-of-7 targets for 35 yards, that usage was encouraging. McMilliam and Rakim Jarrett appear to be in for the biggest boost in opportunities while Mike Evans is sidelined. Sterling Shepard also saw the majority of slot snaps filling in for Chris Godwin. McMillian has the most potential. Therefore, he’s worth a modest FAAB bid. Meanwhile, Shepard and Jarrett are a tier below on the priority list.
Xavier Legette (WR) Carolina Panthers – Legette scored his third touchdown in five weeks and had his second-best fantasy outing of the season on Sunday. This is more surprising (and more impressive) coming with Bryce Young under center. The Panthers also just traded Diontae Johnson, which will open up more targets for the rookie wideout.
Michael Wilson (WR) Arizona Cardinals – After a 5/31/1 showing in Miami, Wilson is up to WR42 for the season. Wilson has topped double-digit fantasy points in three of his last four outings. He’s running a lot of routes and offers solid WR3/4 value.
Roschon Johnson (RB) Chicago Bears – Johnson is not getting many opportunities. However, they are high-value touches. Especially in the red-zone. Johnson is Chicago’s clear RB2 and would be a weekly RB2 if D’Andre Swift were injured.
Jameis Winston (QB) Cleveland Browns – All it took was one start for the Browns to eclipse 300 passing yards and score 20 points for the first time all season. Winston has the knack for airing it out– often to the opposition. However, along with those turnovers usually is a ton of fantasy production. His weekly value ranges from top-5 to bottom-5, so relying on Winston as a weekly starter is not for the cautious. However, the upside makes him the top QB add for fantasy managers who have significant risk tolerance.
Derek Carr (QB) New Orleans Saints – The Saints’ season has unraveled after a fast start. Fortunately, QB Derek Carr is tentatively expected back this week. And as luck would have it, the Saints travel to Carolina to take on a Panthers secondary that has allowed an NFL-worst 17 touchdown passes. That puts Carr on the QB2 radar and will be a big boost for the team’s supporting cast.
Elijah Moore (WR) Cleveland Browns – Moore also benefited from Jameis Winston’s promotion. Against Baltimore, Moore drew a whopping 12 targets, hauled in a season-high eight balls, and produced 85 yards. We can’t count on that kind of production weekly, but Moore offers flex appeal in weeks where Winston is gunning the ball 30-plus times.
Andrei Iosivas (WR) Cincinnati Bengals – Tee Higgins injured his quad on Friday, causing him to miss Week 8. That resulted in a full-time role for Iosivas, who played 51 snaps and ran 38 routes. If Higgins misses Week 9, Iosivas will be on the WR4 radar against the Raiders.
Parker Washington (WR) Jacksonville Jaguars – The Jaguars lost Christian Kirk and Brian Thomas Jr. (ribs) is also ailing. That assures that Washington will see a substantial increase in snaps moving forward. The upside is capped but Washington will see plenty of positive game scripts. He’s worth a speculative bid as a fringe WR4/5.
Gabe Davis (WR) Jacksonville Jaguars – Another benefactor for Jacksonville is Gabe Davis. However, Davis is known for being an erratic scorer with extreme highs and lows. However, he’s only had one “boom” game all year and even then he only hit 45 receiving yards. Davis has scored fewer than five fantasy points in three of his last five outings. He will see an increase in targets with Kirk gone. However, Davis is not a reliable weekly option to extend more than a modest FAAB bid on. Additionally, Davis left Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury and his Week 9 availability needs to be monitored.
Demarcus Robinson (WR) Los Angeles Rams– If Week 8 is an indicator, Robinson will benefit from the return of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. Robinson played 34 snaps and caught a pair of touchdowns on Thursday. He will not do that again but his role as the club’s No. 3 wideout looks secure.
Mike Gesicki (TE) Cincinnati Bengals – If Tee Higgins misses another game, Gesicki would be a solid add for the many TE-needy fantasy teams. Gesicki reeled in 7-of-8 targets versus Baltimore. However, if Higgins returns, Geskicki can be left on waivers as a middling streaming option.
Xavier Hutchinson (WR) Houston Texans – Houston’s injury woes were only exasperated in Week 8. Losing Stefon Diggs will promote Hutchinson to a regular role in the Texans’ passing attack. His ceiling is limited and floor is low. However, Hutchinson ran 26 routes in Week 8. He’ll see plenty of snaps, making him worth a minimal bid for fantasy managers in extremely deep leagues. Teammate John Metchie also played 20 snaps on Sunday but managed to command four targets. He’s also worth a speculative add but expectations should remain low.
Streaming Quarterbacks
Matthew Stafford at Seattle
Bo Nix at Baltimore
