Fantasy
10/28/24
4 min read
Fantasy Football 2024: NFL Week 9 Waiver Wire Targets
Similar to last week, there aren’t many high-impact players broadly available across ESPN and Yahoo leagues right now. The Week 9 waiver wire isn’t going to be particularly friendly to those of you in dire straits.
It’s especially tough for those who need running back help. Issac Guerendo, who would’ve been the top waiver add at running back, will be on bye with the rest of his San Francisco 49ers teammates, and it’s at least conceivable that Jordan Mason or Christian McCaffrey will be healthy by then, if not both.
Any other running back who qualifies is only worth picking up based on handcuff status. There aren’t any standalone contributors to list other than New York Giants RB Tyrone Tracy Jr., who technically doesn’t qualify at 52 percent rostered on Yahoo). Maybe if you’re lucky, he’s out there in your league.
Otherwise, here’s to hoping you don’t need a running back, and on we go to the wire:
Fantasy Football Week 9 Waiver Wire Adds
Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams
- ESPN Rostership: 18.5 percent
- Yahoo Rostership: 39 percent
The collective return of Cooper Kupp (ankle) and Puka Nacua (knee) paid massive dividends for Matthew Stafford in last Thursday night’s win vs. the Minnesota Vikings.
With his top two targets back in tow, Stafford tossed 279 passing yards with four touchdowns in the contest, his first multi-touchdown game of 2024. His yardage total was also the highest since Week 1, and it’s evident that the Rams are humming again.
There isn’t much to say about the former Super Bowl winner and long-time fantasy stalwart that managers don’t already know. At his best and healthiest, Stafford is one of the premier signal-callers the NFL has to offer, even at the age of 36.
With Kupp and Nacua around for most of the season last year, Stafford finished as the QB15 overall in four-point per passing touchdown scoring with an average of 16.2 points per game, according to FantasyData. Those aren’t league-winning numbers, but passable streaming-quality production can’t be ignored as we head toward massive bye week issues ahead.
Jameis Winston, QB, Cleveland Browns
- ESPN Rostership: 3.3 percent
- Yahoo Rostership: 6 percent
Jameis Winston headlined the Week 8 waiver wire article as the fun, “you only live once” type of quarterback option.
Throughout his career, the former Heisman Trophy winner is known for his all-out gunslinger mentality. Sometimes, it pays off, while other times, he gets into trouble with turnovers.
Fortunately, fantasy managers can live with any errant throws Winston makes, provided the scoring plays are still flowing.
In Sunday’s upset victory vs. the Baltimore Ravens, we certainly saw more boom than bust, as Winston completed 27 of 41 passes for 334 yards and three touchdowns. His presence is a solid boost to the Browns’ offense, a unit that struggled to get anything moving in the air with Deshaun Watson as the starter.
The only difficulty with picking up Winston is that he and the rest of the Cleveland roster will be on bye in Week 10, but otherwise, you’ve got a solid moonshot option week to week.
Handcuff Running Backs
Instead of writing in detail about a bunch of running backs who don’t hold standalone value this week, it seemed reasonable to highlight some possibilities of quality or at least adds for those with deep bench spots.
Each of these players is rostered in fewer than 50 percent of ESPN and Yahoo leagues and could theoretically ascend into relevance if the starter ahead of them gets hurt:
- Braelon Allen, New York Jets
- Blake Corum, Los Angeles Rams
- Ray Davis, Buffalo Bills
- Roschon Johnson, Chicago Bears
- Jaylen Wright, Miami Dolphins
Everything I said at the beginning of the article still rings true; it’s a bad week for running backs. But if you want to be the “ahead of the curve” manager in your league, here’s one way to try and be a differentiator.
Cedric Tillman, WR, Cleveland Browns
- ESPN Rostership: 16 percent
- Yahoo Rostership: 19 percent
I highlighted Cedric Tillman last week and only timidly recommended him as an add-in to leagues where managers had the bench spot to spare.
Obviously, the limited sample of the former Tennessee standout proved to be a sign of things to come rather than an outlier, so kudos to those out there with more conviction than I had. You’re now a week early on the hottest receiver name available.
Tillman followed up his breakout in Week 8 by hauling a career-high 99 receiving yards on seven catches with a pair of touchdowns against the Ravens. His connection with Winston appears to be very strong.
However, I would be remiss not to highlight teammate Elijah Moore, as the ex-New York Jet logged team highs in receptions (eight), targets (12), and a respectable 85 receiving yards of his own. Tillman and Moore are broadly available in leagues and should be sought after on the wire.
Still, if I had to lean toward one or the other, give me Tillman. The long-shot downfield guys aren’t usually my cup of tea, but I can stomach a high-aDOT player in an offense with Jameis Winston hucking leather.
Jalen McMillan, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- ESPN Rostership: 41.7 percent
- Yahoo Rostership: 49 percent
Though his performance against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday didn’t light the world on fire, Jalen McMillan showcased why he should be over the 50 percent rostership threshold.
The rookie corralled four of seven targets for 35 receiving yards and had a 17-yard carry as a rusher, adding some nice cushion to his 9.2 points in point-per-reception (PPR) scoring. There’s one moment, however, in the game in which a more present-minded McMillan could’ve broken a long score and changed how we view him as a waiver option:
Despite this error, we can chalk it up to rookie inexperience and still be pleased with his hefty usage in a lineup without Chris Godwin (ankle) and Mike Evans (hamstring). If Week 8 showed us anything, it’s that the Buccaneers will still be throwing plenty, even missing their top two superstars.
Scoop McMillan now and watch his ascent continue to unfold.
