Fantasy Football Waiver Wire NFL Week 9: Will Levis, Trey McBride, streamers and more

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Read Jake Ciely’s latest fantasy football waiver wire advice. 

We’re back to dealing with byes and numerous injuries. Matthew Stafford, Kirk Cousins, Kendrick Bourne and more went down in Week 8. The Week 9 fantasy football waivers have plenty of pickups to help, including some streaming quarterback options if you’re needy.

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HEADS UP

  • Players must be under 60% rostered on Yahoo
  • Listed in order of preference — I’ll often prioritize potential upside over immediate middling production
  • No FAB suggestions: It varies wildly by league tendencies and always relative (ex: if you lost your RB1 to injury and there is a clear backup, you’re going to be more aggressive)
  • Streaming QB and TE are grouped together— weekly ranking can change once projections/ranks run — DST could shift a bit too

** BYES: DEN, DET, JAX, SF **

WORRY REPORT
More Ducks (and Eggs) = More Concern

  • Texans — The matchup couldn’t have been any better out of the bye, and the entire offense — C.J. Stroud, Dameon Pierce, Nico Collins and Tank Dell — came up like rotten pumpkins. Stroud tied his season-best 66.7 Comp% but registered a lowly 24 attempts with a negative EPA per dropback — his first since Week 1. Pierce and Devin Singletary had an even split of 41.4 RBTouch%, and Collins and Dell were ruined by Stroud’s day. The offense was as out of sync as it has been since that first week. I’m not overly concerned, and I’d give everyone in the passing game one duck — rookies will have hiccups — but as mentioned before their bye, Singletary is a problem for Pierce, who gets four ducks.
  • Miles Sanders, CAR ♾🦆 — Unless we get word otherwise, Sanders didn’t look to be dealing with his shoulder injury, but he does look to be buried on the depth chart. Not only has Chuba Hubbard usurped him, but Sanders was behind Raheem Blackshear, and even if that doesn’t continue, Sanders is now just a backup.
  • Alexander Mattison, MIN 🦆🦆🦆🦆 — Mattison was still the lead, but with 60.7 RBTouch% to Cam Akers’ 35.7%, that might not continue. Akers didn’t have a better day overall outside of finding the end zone, but Mattison has one game in his past four of averaging over 3.3 YPC and is just 3.7 for the season. Even if Akers doesn’t take the lead, this timeshare, especially without Kirk Cousins, is making both unstartable.
  • Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, LAR 🦆🥚 — This is all about Matthew Stafford’s injury. I was ready to put one duck for Kupp, as while he wasn’t No. 1 fantasy receiver Kupp, he was still a top-two Rams option and was worthy of WR2 status. However, if Stafford misses time, Kupp and Nacua would push 3-4 ducks, as Brett Rypien would be a major concern to their values.
  • Chris Olave, NO 🦆🦆🦆 — You likely saw the stats from the Week 8 game preview, but Olave doesn’t have a target share concern. He has a reception concern. Olave was one of three receivers inside the Top 20 for TmTGT% failing to score double-digits, and DK Metcalf barely missed. This was Olave’s fifth game failing to reach a 60.0 Catch%, and he’s at 57.1% for the year. Olave only has one drop on the year, so it’s more about the fit and connection with Derek Carr… which isn’t going anywhere, just like our worries.

STREAMING QUARTERBACKS

  • Sam Howell, WSH
  • Daniel Jones, NYG
  • Will Levis, TEN

    Box score and big plays will overshadow draft concerns (we knew). Terrific release and easy deep ball. Still questionable placement and throws, especially short-to-mid. Could have had an INT, and even 2-3 more completions. Great debut but still concerns https://t.co/w9mfaARmg6

    — Jake Ciely (@allinkid) October 30, 2023

    Levis has Howell-like potential, but a Gardner Minshew-like risk… though, Howell has plenty of risk too.

  • Derek Carr, NO
  • Baker Mayfield, TB
  • Gardner Minshew, IND
  • Bryce Young, CAR

Emojis

  • 😤 = I Tried to Tell Ya — players included for several weeks (not much more to add if you don’t want them)
  • 🔍 = Check if Dropped — players whose managers might have cut for other needs or impatient
  • 🎯 = Long-Term Target — players with starter+ upside who require patience (stash picks)
  • 🫡 = Backup/Next Man Up — players who have almost no value but starter+ upside if injury ahead of them

WAIVER WIRE RUNNING BACK RANKS

  • Chuba Hubbard, CAR — Somehow, Hubbard is still below the 60% threshold, and per the Worries section, he’s the guy for the Panthers until further notice.
  • Emari Demercado, ARI — James Conner can return soon, but Demercado was startable against the Ravens, which is more than you can say for most.
  • Darrell Henderson, LAR — Henderson remains the lead, while Royce Freeman remained better in the carry department. But, the added receiving opportunities for Henderson make him the preferred choice over Freeman, and fringe a RB2/3  — all until Kyren Williams returns.
  • Zach Charbonnet, SEA — 🫡 Kenneth Walker was dealing with a calf injury during the week, and the Browns were a tough matchup. Those factors, plus Charbonnet adding a different dimension to his Week 8 work. Walker is still the lead, but Charbonnet has Top 20 potential if Walker were to miss time, and the Seahawks could start easing off Walker (to keep him healthy) and turning Charbonnet into a Justice Hill type.
  • Justice Hill, BAL — Gus Edwards is even getting receptions these days, but Hill still gets enough work for a RB3 play in deeper half and full-PPR leagues.
  • Cam Akers, MIN — As mentioned in the Worries section, Akers is at least a thorn for Mattison managers, if not a potential lead option for the Vikings.
  • Royce Freeman, LAR — As mentioned, worth picking up and using as an RB3, hoping for a touchdown.
  • Roschon Johnson, CHI — The Bears steered away from D’Onta Foreman late with the game in the Chargers’ control. Darrynton Evans saw the most touches in the fourth quarter, but Johnson was sprinkled in throughout, pointing to a share with Foreman until Khalil Herbert returns. Once that happens, it could be much like the Broncos’ split of McLaughlin and Samaje Perine.
  • Devin Singletary, HOU — Continues to split 50/50 with Pierce, which makes them hard to start, but deep-league, needy teams can find RB3/4 value with Singletary.
  • Tyjae Spears, TEN — 🫡 Derrick Henry trade rumors are dying, but if it happened, Spears would be a Top 20 option, and even if not, Spears is one of the best stashes.
  • Jaleel McLaughlin, DEN — Hasn’t been as valuable of late but still worth a stash.
  • Tyler Allgeier, ATL — 🫡
  • Ezekiel Elliott, NE — 😤
  • Kenneth Gainwell, PHI — 😤
  • Jamaal Williams, NO — 🫡
  • Pierre Strong, CLE — Deep stash if Jerome Ford (again) or Kareem Hunt misses time.
  • Leonard Fournette, BUF — Could pass Latavius Murray as the next man up, though even then, Fournette’s best value would be if he saw the majority of passing game work and goal-line opportunities. He’d still be just an RB3, and this is more about further dinging James Cook’s value.
  • Jeff Wilson, MIA — 🫡
  • Elijah Mitchell, SF — 🫡
  • Rico Dowdle, DAL — 🫡
  • Tank Bigsby, JAX — 🫡
  • Joshua Kelley, LAC — 🫡
  • Matt Breida, NYG — 🫡

    • MEH 😒

    • Darrynton Evans, CHI — See above. Garbage time, third in line, Herbert returning would make Evans inactive.

    WAIVER WIRE WIDE RECEIVER RANKS

  • Tank Dell, HOU — 😤
  • Demario Douglas, NE — With Kendrick Bourne and DeVante Parker out, Douglas steps up as the top Patriots receiver, as JuJu Smith-Schuster was behind the tight ends and even Jalen Reagor in routes.
  • Jonathan Mingo, CAR — He’s pushing Chark for the second-most valuable Panthers receiver. Chark needs a big-play touchdown to be relevant. Mingo can turn into a weekly WR4.
  • Jayden Reed, GB — I said Reed had the talent to push for the No. 2 role, but while there was a chance that meant pushing past Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson’s injuries and lack of production are opening the door to Reed being more valuable.
  • Rashid Shaheed, NO — 😤
  • Michael Wilson, ARI — 😤
  • K.J. Osborn, MIN — 😤 Have a write-up on Jaren Hall and Joshua Dobbs tomorrow (in ranks) but Osborn is still worthy of WR4 status until Justin Jefferson returns.
  • Jaxon Smith-Njigba, SEA — Working his way to being useful even with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett healthy, but 4-3-36-1 is unusable without the touchdown.
  • Khalil Shakir, BUF — Shakir could be a WR4 find or droppable once we see how the Bills plan once Quintin Morris is healthy. If the Bills stick with more three-wide (83.3% in Week 8 after just 52.5% — third lowest — through Week 7), then Shakir becomes intriguing. If Morris pushes them back to heavy two-tight-end use, then Shakir isn’t rosterable.
  • Jameson Williams, DET — 🔍 Boom/bust defined.
  • Jalin Hyatt, NYG — With Daniel Jones back, Hyatt is the Giants version of Jameson Williams.
  • Zay Jones, JAX — 😤 If he ever returns.
  • Marvin Mims, DEN — 🎯
  • Quentin Johnston, LAC — 🎯
  • Brandin Cooks, DAL — That’s back-to-back with Cooks scoring a touchdown and double-digits fantasy points. Still, without a touchdown, he’s not usable — season-high 49 yards last week.
  • Treylon Burks, TEN — 🫡

    • MEH 😒

    • Tyler Boyd, CIN — Just three targets. Without the touchdown, Boyd wouldn’t have registered.
    • Jamison Crowder, WSH — Would step in for Samuel (if he’s out) and be a desperation, volume-reliant WR4/5.
    • Jake Bobo, SEA — Designed plays and rooting for him is fun, but that’s about it.
    • Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, TEN — The 13 routes were the lowest among pass-catchers.

    UNBREAK MY HEART

    • Jahan Dotson, WSH — 🔍❤️❤️❤️ Over the past three games, Dotson has a 21.3 TmTGT% when Curtis Samuel hasn’t been on the field versus 12.8% when Samuel is out there. It’s turned into 21.0 TGT% on his routes (vs 10.9%) and 13-8-97-1 compared to 6-5-54-0. If Samuel is less than 100%, Dotson is back in play, and I’d put him right behind Osborn.

    STREAMING TIGHT ENDS

    STREAMING DST

    Week 9

    • TEN at PIT
    • PIT vs TEN
    • NE vs WSH
    • HOU vs TB
    • LV vs NYG
    • IND at CAR
    • ATL vs MIN
    • WSH at NE
    • NYG at LV

    Week 10

    • CIN vs HOU
    • PIT vs GB
    • NE vs IND
    • TB vs TEN
    • LV vs NYJ
    • IND at NE

    (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)

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