Week 9 Waiver Wire Watchlist

by Theo Gremminger · Waiver Wire

Week 9 started out in a devastating fashion as the news broke that Derrick Henry suffered a foot injury that will keep him out for the rest of the year. 

Henry has been one of fantasy’s brightest stars all season long. He leads the league in rushing by a ridiculous 288 yards over second-place Jonathan Taylor. He has a whopping 219 carries already and ten rushing TDs. Teams that drafted Henry are most likely towards the top of any league you play in. Simply put, this is a catastrophic loss that will have a massive impact on the rest of the fantasy season.

Both the 6-2 Tennessee Titans and fantasy managers are now staring at a gaping hole at their RB1 spot. 

Week 9 will present other challenges besides the loss of Henry. We are back to having four teams on bye weeks. Seattle, Washington, Tampa Bay, and Detroit will all be unavailable this week. At WR alone, D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, Antonio Brown, and Terry McLaurin are all spending a week on the fantasy couch. Next week Cincinnati, New York Giants, Chicago, and Houston. So try and be a week ahead on bye week replacement streamers if possible with your roster decisions this week.

There are only a few weeks left in the season before the fantasy playoffs. Now is the time to grind the waiver wire and build the very best roster you can to take down a league title. Add players who can not only help your roster, but not provide a valuable addition to your opponent’s roster.

Quarterbacks

Taysom Hill (Saints)

Jameis Winston suffered a knee injury that will keep him out for the rest of the season. Taysom Hill should immediately step into a full-time QB role this week as he comes back from a concussion. Hill showed last year that he can put up QB1 numbers due to his elite rushing ability and nose for the end zone.

He may not be the best real-life QB, but in fantasy, we are chasing points and not fundamentals. If you need a QB, be aggressive going after Hill this week.

Carson Wentz (Colts)

This past weekend, Carson Wentz had yet another productive fantasy performance with three TD passes in a 34-31 loss to Tennessee. Wentz has now had five straight games with multiple TDs. Wentz is a perfect addition for Tom Brady teams as a bye week fill-in. This week, he has a great matchup against a Jets defense that has conceded 88 points their last two games.  

Running Backs

Adrian Peterson (Titans)

Adrian Peterson was signed to the practice squad and could quickly start seeing early-down carries and goal-line work as the Derrick Henry replacement. Peterson was frustrating last year to many D’Andre Swift fantasy managers, and I doubt he would come out of retirement without the expectation of seeing some work.

Jeremy McNichols (Titans)

Jeremy McNichols has a leg up on Adrian Peterson (for now) as the incumbent back, and is a capable pass-catcher. He should see a good deal of work this week, but predicting the usage starting in Week 10 is difficult.

If I could roster one of the two, I would take McNichols, but you want exposure to both backs. This could end up being an ugly committee backfield, but one of the two has a shot at RB2 production the rest of the way. 

Carlos Hyde (Jaguars)

James Robinson suffered a heel injury that knocked him out last week. Carlos Hyde saw similar usage as a rusher and receiver, with 15 touches as Robinson’s replacement. Hyde should see 20 + touches and valuable targets in the passing game if Robinson were to miss. Hyde makes for a strong play against Buffalo this week in a game where he could see a lot of of targets as the Jaguars try and keep up with the explosive Bills.  

Ty Johnson (Jets)

Rookie RB Michael Carter is getting the fantasy attention of late, but Johnson has also had a nice run of production. Johnson has caught 11 passes for 136 yards over the past two weeks, including a TD catch as the Jets pulled off the upset against Cincinnati.

New Jets QB Mike White is a check-down specialist, and Johnson seems to be part of the game plan.  

Derrick Gore (Chiefs)

Derrick Gore came out of nowhere on Monday Night Football with nine first-half carries, including a legit jump cut on a TD rush. I am not sure which way this situation should go, but Gore out carrying Darrell Williams 9-4 and seeing usage inside the red and green zones is worth monitoring.

Boston Scott (Eagles)

I will take an L from my Kenny Gainwell prediction in last week’s article. Boston Scott found the end zone twice before resting in the fourth quarter. Jordan Howard also scored two TDs, and Gainwell saw work.

If there were one Eagles back to use as an RB2 or Flex play this weekend, it would be Scott.  

Wide Receivers

Rashod Bateman (Ravens)

A weekly reminder that Rashod Bateman is a stud and will be a helpful player down the stretch. There is a chance that he was cut in some leagues with the Ravens on a bye week. If he was, be aggressive FAAB-wise and get him.  

Van Jefferson (Rams)

Van Jefferson had another six targets with three catches for 88 yards. Jefferson could be a weekly WR3/Flex play down the stretch, and he has a locked-in role on one of the league’s best offenses. If he is still available in your league, make him a priority addition this week.  

Jamal Agnew (Jaguars)

Laviska Shenault managers look away. Jamal Agnew has now had at least five receptions and six targets in his last three games, including a career-high 12 targets this past weekend.

Agnew is making the most of his role in the slot as a safety blanket for Trevor Lawrence. He is a classic PPR floor play. 

Elijah Moore (Jets)

The second round draft pick has now had seven touches in back-to-back games. Elijah Moore is the most explosive player on the offense, and the Jets could increase his usage as early as this week.

This season has been a nightmare, but Moore ending the year on a positive note would be reassuring for the coaching staff and front office that invested such draft capital on him this past spring. 

DeVante Parker (Dolphins)

DeVante Parker was dropped in many leagues as he struggled with injuries and a crowded WR room, but he came back in a big way this past weekend with an eight-catch, 85-yard performance on 11 targets. He has a great matchup this weekend at home against Houston.

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Tight Ends

Logan Thomas (Football Team)

The Ricky Seals-Jones weeks were fun, but all signs point to Logan Thomas coming back after the bye week. The Washington offense badly needs reliable playmakers, and Thomas should step back into a prominent role right away.  

Dan Arnold (Jaguars)

Dan Arnold has popped up on the Waiver Wire Watchlist multiple times, but after this past weekend, his rostership percentage should rise considerably.

This past weekend, Arnold paced all Jacksonville receivers with eight receptions on 11 targets and had the second most routes run on the team. He will be in the TE1 mix for the rest of the season. 

Pat Freiermuth (Steelers) 

Pat Freiermuth has had back-to-back seven target games. This past weekend, the talented rookie found the end zone on a big TD catch in a 15-10 win over Cleveland.

If Kyle Pitts were not Kyle Pitts, Freiermuth would have a lot more buzz right now. He is flashing and looks like a potential future top-five fantasy TE. Right now, he should be viewed as a streamer/bye-week fill-in, but he could be a locked-in fantasy starter by playoff time if his role stays the same.